Softener at Hose Bib by New Garage?

[pgtr]

New home & shop construction...

We live in an area w/ VERY hard water. We'll be on well water. I'm planning on an outdoor hose bib on the GA wall for washing cars and such. (I'm not planning on water to my detached shop at this time)

We'll have a traditional salt type water softener for the house. 'Most' other hose bibs around the house will be hooked directly to un-softened well-water (spraying patio, watering plants, etc...)

In addition to traditional salt-type softeners, they also make 'salt-free' softeners in tall skinny cylinders which look to be ideal for cleaning up hard water for washing cars and fit in small footprint on inside GA wall... (we prefer traditional salt-type softener for household water along w/ RO under kitchen sink)

Feedback on these options:

Option A: GA bib on household salt-type softener circuit and that's it (maybe mild salt spotting?)

Option B: GA bib on household salt-type softener with additional secondary dedicated salt-less softener just for GA bib

Option C: GA bib directly on well water with dedicated salt-less softener just for GA bib

 

[GirchyGirchy]

Salt doesn't come out with the water. Just use Option A.

 

[toyotadriver]

I have a hose bib inside my house garage with hot and cold water. Both are softened water. I use it to wash cars from time to time. It doesn’t leave spots.

 

[Showkey]

I have a hose bib inside my house garage with hot and cold water. Both are softened water. I use it to wash cars from time to time. It doesn’t leave spots.

Plus 2 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Even for summer washing..........bug removal with hot water.
Winter hot water benefit is obvious.

 

[tez929rr]

What they said. I have soft water to one hose bib in my attached garage and I have another softener that serves a couple of remote buildings including my shop, so all the car washing is with soft water. Lawn care water is not on either softener.

Don’t add another system unless you absolutely have to.

 

[theoldwizard1]

I would have the rest coming out of the softener tested for "other" issues.

If you are very picky, a RO setup in the kitchen is a good investment.

 

[allinon72]

Just installed a basic softener in my house and ran a line to a hose bib in my garage. Vast improvement in wash quality. Will add a CR Spotless system in the future but I’m pretty happy with just the soft water.

 

[pgtr]

Thanks everyone - much appreciated! I'll go with Option A then (1 hose bib next to attached GA will be on softened water circuit and other bibs (for plants and such) will not)

The softener will be a traditional standard softener that uses salt.

Somewhat shop related: I'm *not* planning to run water to my 2-car detached shop. It's door will face and be directly opposite the attached GA (~30F spacing) and I'll have a wash basin (and of course hose bib) at the attached GA. So I felt that was 'good enough' - I can walk across when I need wash basin. Besides the shop is smaller than I'd hoped and septic will be very far away making it difficult to hook into)

Not shop related: They said as a std feature they put in an RO filter under the sink for drinking water and to service the ice maker. I think we'll be good w/ that.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

I would have the rest coming out of the softener tested for "other" issues.

If you are very picky, a RO setup in the kitchen is a good investment.

You need a BIG storage tank or a really fast system for enough RO water to wash cars. You also then need a pump system to get the pressure back up. DI water is preferred for auto washing, but you have to regenerate or replace the exchange resin. CR Spotless makes pretty good stuff.

Tommy

 

[duneslider]

Just to make some clarifying statements. There is no such thing as a salt-less water softener. There are places that use that term but it simply is not true, I wish there was. The "salt-less softeners" are water conditioners. They are NOT removing minerals but are adding something to it that prevents the build up of the minerals. It will leave mineral deposit spots on surfaces where it dries.

That isn't to say there isn't a place for these water conditioners, they just should not be called softeners because they are not removing the minerals from the water. You will be happy you went with the salt type softener. You may still find benefit from using both and an RO system is nice for drinking. A salt softener WILL add a little salt to the water but when properly setup it is pretty insignificant and an RO system WILL remove that.

 

[dcg9381]

Salt doesn't come out with the water. Just use Option A.

No, the saline water cycle is backflushed, but with really hard water, you'll get some residue.

OP - "really" hard water, you're kinda screwed.. Here we have really hard well water and you have to move up to commercial-level softeners, even then, we do get some mineral build up and you're going to see it on cars.

If this is "softened at a bib" - you might look into RV water softeners, they have some that can be adapted to a bib pretty easy.

Two solutions I've found:
1) Rainwater collection (I ditched the well, seriously)
2) A substantial RO system. I have a neighbor with "whole house" RO, but we're talking probably $10k.

 

[pgtr]

I'm definitely not pursuing RO for the bib! That's JUST for one drinking water outlet at the kitchen sink and the ice-maker is all.

We will indeed have very hard water from limestone aquifer. I'm OK w/ the traditional salt-type softener for the house. It's not enough that one can taste it but I expect a trace amount of salt in the water according to what friends and neighbors in the area report so potentially expected 'some' degree of spotting even w/ softener.

Here is an example of a 'salt-less' water softener I was considering just for 1 dedicated bib (either separate from the traditional salt-type softener for the house or in addition to it for just the 1 bib. This type doesn't use salt. It doesn't 'soften' the water (e.g. it won't feel 'slippery' but it's supposed to remove minerals effectively - at least until the media is plugged and unable to absorb more. (then you have to rebuild it and replace the media pellets...) To me it looked like it might be a good application for a dedicated hose bib for washing cars either in series w/ a traditional softener or separate/parallel.

www.pelicanwater.com/water-softeners/salt-free-water-softeners/

There are many others same/similar - this is just one example.