Water Softeners and Air Filtration Systems - provectr water softener

Hi,
I have a provectr (watersoft inc.) AF-10 P water softener in use in my home. My boiler system (hot water base board heating and domestic hot water) has 2 coils, one of which according to the tech is "shot". Mineral corrosion seems to be the culprit as leaking has occured where the coil is installed on the boiler housing and red/white hard stain streaks have run down the outside of the boiler. I have heard everything from replace the whole boiler and softener system to service the current softener and replace needed parts for the boiler. I dont think this softener has been serviced since its installation in 1987. I bought the home in 1998. Is is just a matter of replacing the media in the softener and having it serviced? or something more. Thanks!

You have to define minerals. I define minerals as hardness minerals and they do not cause corrosion. There are many causes of copper corrosion and many of them are water quality related but not hardness minerals. Bacteria, high chloride, TDS, DO, CO2 and low (acidc) pH are the most prevelent But...electrical grounding onto metal water lines, use of the metal water service line as the building's ground electrode are the prime suspects if the corrosion is not due to excessive soldering flux (nonsoluable) and not reaming of the end of the tubing after it is cut with a tubing cutter are other causes. Hot water recirculation systems also cause leaks.

A domestic hot water coil with a leak in the tubing will leak/mix boiler and potable water and the boiler will show main water line pressure. So since you see evidence of an external leak, the coil seal/gasket is leaking unless the cover plate has a hole in it. Here when "minerals" (hard water scale) blocks a coil, we can still find certain heating guys that will run acid throgh the coil to dissolve the scale and return the coil to full flow.

A water test before and after the softener will tell you if it is working or not. IMO it is old enough to be replaced with a metered/demand regenerated unit sized correctly for the SFR and capacity your family requires. I suggest a softener using the Clack WS-1 or Fleck 7000 control valves, they are the two best choices, especially for a DIYer that will replace a part if needed.

Gary
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Doug Aleshire, Super Moderator 2

Can you elaborate a bit about electrical grounding into water lines causing corrosion? Isn't it required that houses be grounded to the water supply line, if it's metalic and the water companies are even supposed to put a jumper around their meter? Either that or the homeowner can drive a giant copper plated spike into the ground...

Normally, the ground shouldn't have any electricity going through it anyway. So you lost me on this one.
:confused:

Yes it's code, or at least the older codes say use the water service line for the building's ground and connect within the first 5' and then to 'bond' the water lines to the electrical panel IIRC. And then the TV guy Larry, his dish competitors, the security guys and anuone else uses the water lines for their grounds. Do you see any mention anywhere in all that of water quality or copper corrosion issues? I don't but I hear there are changes being made to address those problems.

And what about the house that has a PE water line on either city water system or a private well? All those guys mentioned above never ask or know the difference. Also, I'm told that a 'good ground', as per the electrical code, is one with no more than 25 ohms resistance and 25 ohms is enough to say the water is more likely to transport the low level currents that all grounds carry than the pipe, especaill across doped/taped joints. But all waters have a varying ability to carry voltages, you can measure it with a conductivity meter and that's due to the TDS content of each water varying.

How'm I doin'?

Gary
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Doug Aleshire, Super Moderator 2

Hello,
Thanks for the suggestions. A water test before and after my softener seems to be the best place to start. Gary, you suggested replacing my Provectr softener with a new one rather than having it serviced, etc. is that right? Any opinions on Sears (kenmore) softeners from yourself or other Diyers out there?

The big box store brands last service free on average about 3-6 years currently so I strongly suggest against any of them. The control valves quit, which is the most important component part of a softener. The best control valves are the Clack WS-1 and Fleck 7000 with the Clack WS-1 being the easiest and quickest to repair and has the lowest priced repair parts of all manufacturers. Both are nonproprietary and you can get parts form thousands of ineternet and local dealers. So I suggest any softener with one of those control valves. Both have 5 year warranties, soft water brine refill and variable reserve. The Fleck 7000 can be repaired without the special control valve specific tools the other Fleck valves require and it has variable brining.

Gary
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Doug Aleshire, Super Moderator 2

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