Water Softener

[rshiggaon]

Hello Everyone: I’m considering a $9k investment in a water softener for my car wash (5 self-serve bays + 1 IBA) to reduce chemical/RO membrane costs and improve wash quality. My water hardness is around 8-9 grains (moderately hard), but my tech suggests other upgrades (like paint and decals) might offer better ROI.

Would a softener be worth it in this case? Appreciate any advice!

Thanks!

 

[Buckeye Hydro]

In terms of water delivered to your RO system - it certainly should be soft. If you look up the feedwater specs on your RO system you should see something along the lines of <1 gpg hardness. You'll get much better life from your RO membranes with soft water, and you can reduce your concentrate flow to the minimum with proper pretreatment.

 

[Blanco]

Do you have a touchless? If your IBA is a touchless then having soft water is not a choice. It will improve wash quality tremendously. Also you will use less chemical. Nobody will remember your decals but they will remember how clean or dirty their car came out. That will bring repeat customers then you can use the extra funds for cosmetics.