Water softner and filter replacement cartridges
Water softner and filter replacement cartridges
Are this water softener cartridge ($8.00) and this extruded carbon filter ($7.00) from Wateranywhere equivalent, drop-in replacements for the filters that Chris' Coffee sells for $29 and $20, respectively?
Thanks for the confirmation, John. Those are my observations, too.JohnB wrote:Same specs & dimensions. Those are the ones I'll be buying when its time to replace mine.
How is your water "down there" in CT? I'm not far from you, but water sources may be wildly different, of course. The municipal water here is from well fields in the Blackstone Valley, not far from the river, in fact. The village water guys say the hardness ranges from something like 0.75-1.2 grains, depending on season and which of two well fields is in operation, and that comports with what little testing I have done. It's low enough that with those simple 10" softener cartridges I've never had any scaling issues, and I've had a plumbed-in machine running here for several years.
Last summer I installed an additional kitchen counter specifically for coffee "stuff," and included a beverage faucet plumbed to the filtered-softened water, used both for coffee and cooking. At the same time, I put a water meter on the feed line to the filters, so no more guessing about when it's time to change filters.
EDIT TO ADD: They charge a hefty amount for shipping. I just ordered two each, which brings the unit cost down quite a bit.
Re: Water softner and filter replacement cartridges
How do you calculate the time to replace the water softner?
my water test show 7g
my water test show 7g
Shinto
La Spaziale S1 V1 with man preinfusion
Mazzer Mini manual
La Spaziale S1 V1 with man preinfusion
Mazzer Mini manual
Re: Water softner and filter replacement cartridges
I don't calculate, I test every month with a test strip and have replaced the cartridges every 12 months (even though they are still functioning and the hardness has not increased).
I use SofCheck test strips that I have purchased here:
http://www.diywatertesting.com/sofchekx3.html
These strips are less expensive then some others and have a clearer range of colors that make them easy to read.
Most of the meters available are conductivity meters that measure total disolved solids. They do not correctly measure hardness and do not show correct changes in hardness following softening. This is because the softener is exchanging hard ions for soft ones and the total remains essentially unchanged.
Take care,
Mark
I use SofCheck test strips that I have purchased here:
http://www.diywatertesting.com/sofchekx3.html
These strips are less expensive then some others and have a clearer range of colors that make them easy to read.
Most of the meters available are conductivity meters that measure total disolved solids. They do not correctly measure hardness and do not show correct changes in hardness following softening. This is because the softener is exchanging hard ions for soft ones and the total remains essentially unchanged.
Take care,
Mark
Re: Water softner and filter replacement cartridges
MDL, are you saying that you get a year out of a water softener cartridge without ever re-charging it?
If yes, are you using the hot water tap much for things like Americano's, tea, etc?
BillK
If yes, are you using the hot water tap much for things like Americano's, tea, etc?
BillK
Re: Water softner and filter replacement cartridges
Yes, I use a set of cartridges for 12 months and then replace them although the water is still softened. I don't feel comfortable leaving the cartridges for a longer period.
My Vivaldi is used every day but only for a few drinks and I don't make many Americano's or much tea. The hardness of my incoming water varies during the year because the water can come from a number of sources. I test every month and would replace the cartridges before 12 months if the hardness went up, but it has not in 2.5 years.
The cartridges are so cheap if purchased generically that I don't think that it is worth the time, effort or water to regenerate them. I just toss them every year.
Take care,
Mark
My Vivaldi is used every day but only for a few drinks and I don't make many Americano's or much tea. The hardness of my incoming water varies during the year because the water can come from a number of sources. I test every month and would replace the cartridges before 12 months if the hardness went up, but it has not in 2.5 years.
The cartridges are so cheap if purchased generically that I don't think that it is worth the time, effort or water to regenerate them. I just toss them every year.
Take care,
Mark