ULPT Request: The hard water in my apartment is killing my skin. Is it possible to install a softener without management knowing?

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went_with_the_flow@reddit

Water Treatment technician here.

All the shower head "filters" are gimmicks at worst, lackluster at best. For truly softened water, you need a water softener installed.

Filtering the inlet to the hot water will treat a percentage of your shower water making it "mixed hardness", which would definitely be lower but not entirely soft given the untreated cold water going through the fixture.

Ideally you install a softener where the water enters the home, treating the whole home/apartment/what have you.

Have it installed with a 3 valve bypass setup or something similar, to allow for easy removal when you move out. Bonus points for ctek fittings or similar, so if management does a walk through you can temporarily remove it and then put it back.

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FelineOphelia@reddit

Are you enamored with any particular whole-house softener system?

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went_with_the_flow@reddit

In my experience, it doesn't necessarily matter for function, but serviceability, part availability, and ease of maintenance can change by brand.

In all, a softening system contains only a few major components that can be pieced together or bought as a unit.

Fiberglass media tank
Distributer tube inside the media tank
Cation resin inside the media tank
A programmable filter head
A brine barrel for the salt

You really just want to make sure the unit contains cation resin from a reputable supplier, and that the mechanical filter head is one that can be easily serviced and parts easily aquired. squints at Culligan

The other reality here is that many filter brands use a lot of the same equipment, lightly modified with their own branding on it, so the internal components end up being the same and therefore easy to source in the case of repairs.

If I'm allowed to drop names here, my company is fond of Clack brand filter heads, they're easy to work on, easy to replace, easy to find parts, and are one of those previously mentioned brands whos parts are everywhere.

Got a bit carried away there, I hope that answers your question!

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razzemmatazz@reddit

This is helpful to me, as our water softener recycles twice a day and likely needs replacing.

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went_with_the_flow@reddit

Thaaaaaat is not normal, in my installations anyway. You may want a service at the very least.

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razzemmatazz@reddit

Yeah, we had a plumber look at it and he recommended replacement because the head was too hard to source repair parts for.

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went_with_the_flow@reddit

And that's how the cookie crumbles, sorry to hear that. Hopefully the next one will be a more common model!

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promiscuousfork@reddit

User name checks out

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Atworkwasalreadytake@reddit

This is all well and good, but doesn’t there need to be a drain pretty close to the softener?

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went_with_the_flow@reddit

State and town codes come into effect here, but not necessarily.

The units I install, the wastewater discharge can be as far as 100' away from the unit, maybe farther, as it's a pressurized discharge. If you're in a freezing climate, it just needs to pitch for freezing. Some areas let you dump it on the ground, into a gutter, sump pump, what have you. Some dump into city sewer drains. Some dump into septic.

As of I believe 2011, in CT anyway, Softeners may not dump to septic though, and require their own wastewater disposal unit(drywell).

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Embracedandbelong@reddit (OP)

How can I tell when the water enters the home? Total novice here

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went_with_the_flow@reddit

If you have city or public water, and you pay a metered water bill, you likely have a water line come into a closet, basement, or crawl space, with a meter to track your usage. Maybe the outdoor closet you mentioned?

If you're on well water, could be similar entrance to the home, just without the meter. Do some searching around for a pipe sticking through a wall or floor. Hopefully it's not buried in a wall!

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Embracedandbelong@reddit (OP)

Thank you for this. “Just use a shower filter” is what the world tells me but believe I’ve tried em all and like you said they do not soften

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went_with_the_flow@reddit

I blame less than honest marketing. The truth is some of those heads have value, for certain water conditioning scenarios. True softening just isn't one of them.

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a5121221a@reddit

Maybe something like this could help?

https://a.co/d/2cojY3P

It is called a whole house electronic descaler.

It claims to soften water, has 4.1 stars, and the instructions say to attach it to the wall and wind the wires around your pipe. If it was me, I'd probably also buy a water hardness testing kit to test the water before and after installation (and if it didn't actually make a difference, return it).

It says to screw it to the wall, but if you used Command strips, you could remove it with no damage to the wall and take it with you when you leave. Not much different than plugging in an air filter for air quality to improve your quality of life. I can't see how a landlord could be upset about it.

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a5121221a@reddit

Would it be possible to try a point-of-use water softener (maybe like this: https://a.co/d/51grbjd)? I'm not sure if the fittings would match, but it might be worth buying to try since it is as bad as you say.

Most landlords will let you replace a showerhead (it just screws on and needs Teflon thread seal before you screw on the new one), so if you could attach this to the threads, then attach the shower head to the output end, the biggest challenge would be how to hold the showerhead in place since it would no longer be attached to the pipe, but I can imagine it is something solvable (I haven't tried yet).

You could also ask your landlord for permission to install a point-of-use (POU) water softener for your shower head. Since it is causing a medical condition for your skin, I think it is a reasonable request. I'm just not sure how easy it would be for a showerhead...definitely not as simple as POU for a sink.

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Jolly-Loss-8527@reddit

ou can put a small softener right before the showerhead, made specifically to treat shower water. It does a great job of fixing hard water and costs way less than a whole-house system.

I recommend checking out the SoftWaterCare shower softener: https://softwatercare.com/products/water-softener-for-shower. It really works, but there are two downsides to be aware of. First, you need to recharge it about once a month. Second, since the tank holds water, it takes around a minute for the hot water to come through.

That said, considering the lower cost and the fact that it actually solves the problem, it’s definitely worth it.

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Embracedandbelong@reddit (OP)

Have you use this? I’ve only heard from people who say it didn’t work for them

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Jolly-Loss-8527@reddit

I’m using it right now. Aside from the hassle of recharging once a month and the hot water taking a little longer to come through, everything else has been good. Shower filters don’t really work on hard water, but a softener actually does.

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Embracedandbelong@reddit (OP)

Oh ok. How does its soften the water without salt? Ionization?

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Billie_Berry@reddit

It looks like it uses a filter for filtration and an ion exchange resin to capture the minerals (for softening)

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nightstalker30@reddit

OP - I just watched the video about recharging the softener…

The ion exchange resin in that larger cartridge works the same way a traditional water softener does, but instead of having a large reservoir for salt that it would draw from to recharge at some interval, you manually recharge this unit using a couple pounds of salt dissolved in water.

I can’t speak to its effectiveness, but it seems like it could be worth trying since there appears to be a 30 day return policy.

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went_with_the_flow@reddit

I actually would agree, there's a little more hands-on work here with regenerating the resin, but this seems a good middle ground between nothing, and installing a full water softener with brine barrel that in some states also requires a waste water disposal unit seperate from the septic, if applicable.

For the price, can't hurt to try, also 30 day return policy basically means by the time you decide it's more work than you want, you can't return it 🤣

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nightstalker30@reddit

Yeah if I was suffering from really hard water, I’d drop a couple hundred to see if this solved my problem.

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jeffriesfc@reddit

Get one of these: https://watersticks.com/product/showerstick/

I have one and my dry itchy skin went away. No, I don’t work for the company. The stuff inside is the same as what’s in a full sized water softener, just sized to a single shower. You regenerate the material every few weeks with regular table salt, similar to dumping bags of salt into a full sized water softener. I was amazed with how well it actually works.

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went_with_the_flow@reddit

Wild, this is the closest thing I've ever seen to a true micro water softener. I'm still a proponent of treating a whole home, for the sake of fixture and water heater lifespan, but this is a nice compromise for the average renter who doesn't want to foot the bill for a whole filter.

I do question how long it lasts between regenerations, but it's easy enough to test the hardness and and seems easy to maintain. Good to know, I love learning about new products that actually work as they're supposed to.

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BeerLeague@reddit

This. We have one. It works.

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Honkee_Kong@reddit

I bought this showerhead filter and my kids eczema disappeared within a week. Worth a shot.

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FelineOphelia@reddit

That's a water conditioner not a true filter

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went_with_the_flow@reddit

That is, in effect, just a refrigerator filter stuck on a shower head. Its multi-stage carbon, and removes some contaminants, but not all.

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orangutanDOTorg@reddit

It’s just a filter not a conditioner, isn’t it? Conditioner puts a charge on the minerals or crystallizes them to make it not stick to stuff, vs a softener that replaces them with salt.

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went_with_the_flow@reddit

Actually that's a bit mixed up, Softeners do not replace anything with salt, technically. Additionally, conditioner is another word often used in place of softener, but really conditioner in the realm of water is just a product used to treat water for a certain purpose. You can buy conditioner for fish tanks for example, to change the chemical makeup. The crystallization you mentioned is a conditioning method that indeed crystallizes the mineral hardness so it slows down build up in piping, once it leaves the unit, but the water is still considered hard and will continue to build limescale over time.

Softeners use a brine solution to regenerate the resin inside the softener, which uses ion exchange to soften the water. The brine solution is not injected however, it washes over the resin during part of the regeneration cycle, followed by a freshwater rinse to remove the brine so as to not leave high chlorides in the water, leaving behind freshly charged resin ready to soften.

This cycle happens, usually every week or two, ideally based on a calculation to determine how many gallons can pass through the softener before it reaches capacity and requires a regeneration.

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ShadowBlade_Zen@reddit

filters help tons

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Embracedandbelong@reddit (OP)

Looks like it doesn’t soften water unfortunately

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PuzzleheadedCap3821@reddit

How many gallons does the filter last?

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Anniesoto62082@reddit

Try a portable rv water softener. About $150. It only connects with a garden hose though if you can make that work.

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CattleDowntown938@reddit

This is not an ulpt but if you bathe in the bathtub, you can add salt to the water to soften it prior to bathing

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Nephroidofdoom@reddit

That’s not how water softeners work.

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nightstalker30@reddit

Then why are saltwater fish so smooth and slippery? 😜

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EatTheCovers@reddit

There's a portable water softener called "On The Go" that works really well. I think they're usually used in campers and RVs, but I've used one at home before. You can technically run it from your bathroom sink to your shower, but it's a bit of a production.

You'd need a few extra things to make it work:

an adapter for where the water comes out of your bathroom sink. That little aerator part that screws off needs to be replaced with an adapter that will work with a garden hose.
a "drinking water safe" garden hose that's long enough to go from your sink to your shower, with extra length to drape over the top, or hang where you want it.
a screw on spayer for the end of the garden hose

You'll hook the short hose that comes with the water softener to your bathroom sink. Then hook the longer garden hose to the outlet side of the softener and run it into the shower. Water temperature is tricky to control. I ended up filling screw top gallon jugs with water from the portable softener, then putting those in a large tote filled with hot water. I'd take my shower with hard water, but do a final rinse with the jugs of softened water.

It's a hassle, but it saved my hair and skin when I didn't have a home softener. You'll need to use table salt to "regenerate" the portable softener after several showers. It's easy to do.

I'll try to attach a link to the softener company.

"On The Go" portable water softener

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Mullattobutt@reddit

Maybe this is ethical and therefore I'll get down voted or whatever.

Why not ask? When my tenants want something reasonable I always do it. When they think it's too expensive or they are at fault (had to repair the washing machine because their kid did too big of a load. Thier words. I still paid) they offer to pay. Worst case I think the owner would let you improve the property. He may not let you do it yourself, but I can't imagine saying no to you hiring a certified plumber.

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Embracedandbelong@reddit (OP)

It’s owned by large (shady) corporation unfortunately

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Mullattobutt@reddit

Ah fuck. Sorry.

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Skyblacker@reddit

Which means that you probably have dozens or hundreds of neighbors in your building whose skin is also getting killed by this hard water. Organize a rent strike until they fix it.

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Embracedandbelong@reddit (OP)

No one else is bothered by it- I’ve talked to them. It’s a hard water issue from the city water, not a building problem that can be fixed unless they agree to install a softener, which so far, I’ve never heard of a corporation out here doing

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Evie68@reddit

Tell them you need a reasonable accommodation per the ada/fheo acts

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GarageIndependent114@reddit

Not sure, but you can also try washing with bottled water.

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janejacobs1@reddit

Limit your use of soap. It’s highly alkaline, and your skin biome is somewhat acidic. So every day you’re basically destroying the very thing your body needs to protect itself. Under normal circumstances the friction of a good washcloth to scrub yourself down under a running shower should be enough. For your bits that need special attention or after a workout, dirty work, etc. use a cleanser formulated to preserve your skin’s pH balance. — This has 100% saved my skin.

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Korsola@reddit

My husband has installed water filters in all our previous apartments by disconnecting the plumbing under the sink first. One maintenance guy said he did a good job when he discovered it. Nobody else ever knew and we were never charged. If it can safely and easily be installed and removed I personally wouldn't hesitate.

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Embracedandbelong@reddit (OP)

Water softeners or filters?

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Korsola@reddit

Filters but my point is the same: if it's something easily installed and removed then I would just do it and not say anything to management. In my mind as long as I don't damage anything how would they know and why would they care? I just put everything back to original when I move out.

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Embracedandbelong@reddit (OP)

A softener installation involves the water tank, not just screwing on a showerhead, so it’s different

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Kdiesiel311@reddit

Right. If you’re not a plumber, do not risk trying to do it yourself. You’re kinda playing with fire & fire here. You don’t want to get but what if the entire thing breaks or floods? Then you’re really screwed. If you’re willing to pay for a plumber, I’m sure he could rig it up where it would come out easily. Which is only slightly unethical.

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Puzzleheaded-Cup-854@reddit

get an RO water filter and use a shower bag. https://www.flextail.com/products/tiny-shower-bucket-bag-your-on?variant=49727640568055&country=US&currency=USD&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21815741250&gbraid=0AAAAApvxXmBNeUVcSjf9dSjqOWcLBwJSZ&gclid=Cj0KCQjw8p7GBhCjARIsAEhghZ3xWPjNx27HuoA47vm9-j0idMTq-GePEFHZUpxzY1cwOPtQj0o0cwEaAr-IEALw_wcB

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FelineOphelia@reddit

Waterstick

An actual softener

Hangs in your shower

About $260

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mtn-cat@reddit

A quick google search shows tons of options for shower heads that have built in water softeners.

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FelineOphelia@reddit

No those are filters basically.

Actually softeners, they're bigger things

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mtn-cat@reddit

There are different types of softeners.

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Embracedandbelong@reddit (OP)

Unfortunately they are gimmicks. Point of use softeners don’t work

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Relax_Dude_@reddit

you can install shower-head filters, it shouldn't be a problem

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FelineOphelia@reddit

That's a filter not a softener

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Embracedandbelong@reddit (OP)

Don’t soften the water unfortunately. Only salts can do it

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soopirV@reddit

It’s awful you have to go about this so clandestinely- you’re ultimately saving the landlord money in the long run on appliance repairs…have a talk with them, see if they might go for it?

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