Question on adding water softener in regards to RO/DI

[jackri]

Wife wants a water softener as our water is pretty hard on appliances and leaving scales on showers/sinks.
My question is does this affect my water before/after the RO/DI process.
Anyone have them that can give me some feedback?

 

[naclh2o nut]

I would guess, Help. The water softner I believe removes some of the same items that RO does. Not as good but if better water goes into Ro then better out?

 

[jackri]

Doing some research water softeners remove calcium/magnesium and add sodium and potassium -- which really isn't safe for drinking or cooking or metal plumbing parts.
Also 34 states have partial bans on water softeners -- think I gotta talk the wife out of one.

 

[chilwil84]

if you put one in you would ideally want you rodi water to come from before the softner because the rodi is gonna easily remove what the softner is gonna plus everything else while wasting lots of water, thus wasting the salt in the softner. the softner is great for your plumbing fixtures. if you have soft water(which is what really rots your copper pipes due to the acidity) you need an acid neutralizer.

 

[pezenfuego]

Thefilterguys.biz told me to plumb it after the softener which is what I did. Just throwing that out there...not saying it's correct, just looking for answers here too.

 

[reefraff]

If the water softener is adding salt but removing other minerals and impurities I wonder if removing the RO and going with charcoal and DI wouldn't be just as efficient. Dunno.

 

[steve102571]

I believe the RO membrane removes most, if not all of the salt from the softener