Water Softener

[Ray]

I currently use soft water to wash my cars. I like it as it doesn't leave hard water spots on my black cars. I do see some surface film if I don't wipe dry.

Is soft water ok to wash cars. I use regular salt in the softener, so the soft water has some salt in it.

I get most of the water off pretty quickly, but I'm not sure if the salty soft water is bad/corrosive to paint, metal, etc.

[jfelbab]

I had a soft water tap put out by the driveway just for washing cars. Like you observed, soft water doesn't spot nearly as much as hard water.

[JG_Detailing]

What do you need for soft water?

[Beercan31]

Ray to Meguiar's Online.

Is soft water ok to wash cars.

soft water if just fine for washing your auto. I have never heard anything bad about soft water.

I use regular salt in the softener,

The only types of salt I'm familiar with are Rock, Iodized and non Iodized, and rock salt comes in stages of purity. You don't want to use the salt they use on the roads in the winter.

I doubt that the salt residual in the water will do this for you if I'm not mistaken after the water softener unit purges it self with the brime solution I thought it rinsed it self again, Been a long time since I played with one of these. the purge cycle should be set for a time of non use most are set to do so between 12:00-3:00am..ok back on topic. If you can taste the salt in the water you may have a problem with the system. A test you can do is boil some water slowly pore it in to a "Clean glass" allow it to sit for a few sections just lung enough to heat the glass up and then dump the water out allowing it to dry and see if you have the same film on the glass as you do on the car.
Precess of elimination.
if you find that the film is on the glass you might want to looking at getting it serviced.

what are you washing the car with there may be a good chance you may have soap residual or even have a soap that has a wax solution in it.

Sorry for not being able to help any better that I did.

[Tim Lingor]

Hey,

Interesting thread! I too have been considering adding some type of water filter etc. But I am not sure about a water softener. I will snoop around and see what I can find out.

Tim

[jfelbab]

I can tell you that from my experience softened water has less mineral deposits in solution therefore when the water dries it leaves less spotting. It rinses better as well.

[Chubs]

Hi there,
Beercan is right on about the water softner. You should never have salty water from a water softner. When the softner tank regenerates if flushes the resin in the tanks with the salt brine water and then rinses the resin off for the final stage of regen. the only reason for the salt is to remove the hardness partitcales from the resin so the resin can keep the water soft. If your tasting salty water then you should get it checked out. Maybe your regen cycle isn't fully running or maybe your resin is starting to fail, though the only way for it to fail is if you don't keep that salt brine tank full with salt all the time. How I now this is that I work for a school dist. and have to maintain thiers. They are very large compared to what you would have in your house but all the same concept.
Heres another thought if the water was salty from a water softner then would you think the health board would let the kitchen use it to feed all your kids at school. They depend on soft water so it doesn't scale up all there equipment.

Hope this helps,
Chubs

[Ray]

Unless you get a salt free system, you will have a slightly salty tasting water. This is a well know fact and is considered normal.

"...the sodium that remains in softened water may be a problem for those on sodium-restricted diets. Other people simply may wish to avoid the slightly salty taste of treated water. In either case you can install a separate water dispenser that bypasses the softener. You also can use potassium chloride instead of salt, although this costs about three to four times more."

http://popularmechanics.com/home_improvement/how_it_works/1998/8/water_softeners/index2.phtml

Like what jfelbab said, washing with soft water REALLY helps reduce spotting. This is especially helpful when your cars are black.

The film it leaves behind is a minor concern. I get the same looking film when I use Mr Clean AutoDry Carwash. The other, more important concern is if anyone knows or heard of problems with the residual salt in the soft water harming the car in any way.

Comon sense tells me using salt to wash car is not good, but I wanted to get your opinions.

Ray

[Beercan31]

Ray

Your absolutely right there as many different water softeners as there Blue jean designers. Sorry for narrowing down the field. Your concerns about salt on or near your car is something to be some what concerned about, With the proper car care you would have little to worry about. what would concern me the most is wiping of the residual salt off the car may cause " Micromarring".

[jfelbab]

Originally posted by Ray
Unless you get a salt free system, you will have a slightly salty tasting water. This is a well know fact and is considered normal.

"...the sodium that remains in softened water may be a problem for those on sodium-restricted diets. Other people simply may wish to avoid the slightly salty taste of treated water. In either case you can install a separate water dispenser that bypasses the softener. You also can use potassium chloride instead of salt, although this costs about three to four times more."

http://popularmechanics.com/home_improvement/how_it_works/1998/8/water_softeners/index2.phtml

Like what jfelbab said, washing with soft water REALLY helps reduce spotting. This is especially helpful when your cars are black.

The film it leaves behind is a minor concern. I get the same looking film when I use Mr Clean AutoDry Carwash. The other, more important concern is if anyone knows or heard of problems with the residual salt in the soft water harming the car in any way.

Comon sense tells me using salt to wash car is not good, but I wanted to get your opinions.

Ray

I've had a water softener for 24 years in my home. Our installation, like all of my neighbors, provides for unsoftened water for things like the kitchen tap, icemakers and other taps that you might frequently drink from. This results in no increase in sodium intake for anyone on a sodium restricted diet.

I've never noticed a film of any kind on my paint finish from using softened water to wash my car. Remember that we are talking about sodium ions here not salt. I've posted a few pictures of a 1991 MR2 in my photo gallery. I've used softener filtered water on this vehicle for almost 15 years and there is zero rust anywhere. Again we are talking about a few sodium ions here and not salt.

Common sense tells me that using softener filtered water to wash your car is a good thing and certainly better than washing in hard unfiltered water. In fact, I'd say that you are a lot more at risk of having a grain of grit come through an unfiltered water system than a filtered one. Besides removing calcium and magnesium ions, the media in a softener system also filters out dirt, sand, and other impurities that otherwise would come out of your washing hose.

[Mike Phillips]

This is an interesting thread, I find it very interesting that a number of our forum members appear to be quite knowledgeable about water softeners.

I don't have anything to add to this except the water in our area is horrible, if you wash your car, and don't get the water off immediately, you will have really bad water spotting, as in mineral deposits on the finish. I usually wash the wheels and tires first, and then go for the body working from the top down. As I'm washing the sides, front and rear, I continue to keep the rest of the car rinsed down, as in completely saturated.

Then, when it's all washed and rinsed, I dry it off with a combination of the Absorber and Meguiar's Waffle Weave Microfiber Drying Towel as fast as I can. Around here, because of the high temperatures, I find I can only wash cars in the early morning, or late evening.

Do I need a filter system?



Mike

p.s.

I'm clicking on the subscribe button...

[Carrera]

Which filetering systems can you guys recommend? Last week I saw an inverse osmosys system in an insulating glass manufacturing facility. Prety neat, but too pricy for personal use.

[scottlee]

i had a water softener in my last home and boy do i miss it, not only does the soft water prevent spotting, but soft water also increases the effectivness of the car wash soaps, mounds of slippery soft bubbles, everything sudses better with soft water and with smaller amounts of soap, same goes for the laundry in the home, you can cut way back on the laundry soaps and such, cant wait to have soft water again

[jfelbab]

Call a local water softener and treatment place. Culligan is one that comes to mind that seems to be nearly everywhere.

Have your water tested for hardness. Determine what your water usage will be and size a system to fit your specific needs. You can buy, as I did, or lease.

These devices seem to last indefinitely if maintained periodically. Maintenance is simple.

My unit cost me around $500 and has not cost me a cent since (24 years) for repair or replacement of any parts. They are pretty trouble free.

There are units available that also filter iron and other bad things from your water.

[Lost Pup]

Here is one that attaches to the garden hose.
Choose the filter of your choice:

Quote
" PW-SOF. A water softening cartridge that contains standard softener resin. Its lifespan depends on how hard your water is. But, the good news is, you can renew it and reuse it indefinitely. If you're looking for a cartridge to prevent spotting when you wash your car, this is your most likely choice."

Link


Here is another Link.