Water softeners

[Chocolate]

Another problem! Deep in the sous-sol of our newly acquired house is a water softener. It is about waist height, slim, blue and has a large see-through plastic container beside it in which we have been told to put salt lumps from the local hardware shop. There is also a cartridge thingy seemingly lined with string hanging from one of its pipes. On top of the blue mini tower is a digital controller that we cannot control!

It's called an Eversoft DC 24. I tried to contact the possible makers with an internet search but found a company in the USA of the same name who only deal with industrial set ups. 

The problems are that there is no instruction booklet, in any language, it seems to 'fire up' at strange moments and the water tastes very funny. We think it was put in to cope with the extremely hard water here for the central heating and the washing machine. However we think that it is also connected to the kitchen tap. The piping here is very visible but has been messed about with over the last 30 years and truly resembles spaghetti junction so we cannot trace the pipework to the kitchen. Also, because the house was neglected over the past few years due to the infirmity of the last resident, clearly it has not been serviced for quite some time.

I am worried as we have no control over the little blue monster, the water tastes salty and leaves an after taste in the mouth. The water is definitely not softened as the poor kettle can testify, and the shower has limescale all over the tiles, glass door and chrome parts.  Also I always understood that it was a bad idea to drink water from a water softener even if not a young baby. We tried turning off the taps close by it and only succeeded in turning off the water to everywhere as it is situated where the water comes into the house.

In our last house in England we drank water from the cold supply in the kitchen and filtered it through a Brita jug. The Brita cartridges are very expensive here when you can find them, so we have to use the water straight from the kitchen tap, (and also straight from the water softener).

How do we prevent our intake of salty water? I feel quite sick at times and tea tastes awful.

Is it safe to drink softened water treated by these machines?

How do these things work, chemically?

Does anyone have one and can they point me in the right direction for the makers and an instruction booklet please? 

[Tourangelle]

My mother in law has a water softener. It put chemicals in the water and it does means you can't drink it. If you take a glass of water from her tap and hold it up to the light you can see that it has stuff in it. It also tastes nasty. If I were you I would ask the neighbours, if the area has very hard water chances are they have got one too.

[Fantine<br><br><br><br>Susie]

Does it have any salt in it? If you don't put any in it can't soften the water.

Our water softener (brought over from old house but not yet installed here) needs to be plugged in to the mains. Is yours plugged in? If so just unplug it and it will not function and the water should just run through un-salted.

[Kevinmc]

A popular misconception. The salt doesn't soften the water. There is a resin inside the container through which the water passes and is softened. The salt is used to flush the resin periodically, depending upon the degree of hardness in your area. The salt residue can find its way into the water supply. The resin is eventually depleted and if its very old and has been neglected, it's time to replace the whole sheebang 

[Eslier]

Try www.eversoft.net - it's always worth making sure you use google.fr when searching french businesses. The site doesn't gove a lot of information but it does provide contact details.

One other possibility that maybe worth following up, their logo looks very similar to the "Everblue" logo who are a big network of swimming pool suppliers throughout France.

[Chocolate]

Thank you everyone for your helpful replies, (as usual. This site was a new discovery for me and everyone has been brilliant with comments and replies.) I really was unwell with the first upset stomach I have had in over 16 years, lasting over a week. As an x teacher I had built up a fairly strong immune system! In desperation we called the firm who had just serviced the heating boiler. They sent out their 'softener man' who spent 2 hours yesterday pm sorting out the little blue monster. The softener, not me. He patiently answered my questioning in staggering French and I know how the little blighter works now.

For those of you who haven't nodded off by now, it is quite straightforward. The water comes in from the 'mains', and first goes through a see-through plastic screw-on container filled with string. Honestly. This strains out the 'terre' as he called it. Sand, soil etc. From the mains! Cor. Not in England I nearly said. This was, I may add a slimy, gritty bright tan colour and we gasped when he replaced it with a virgin white stringed cassette. However- the water goes next to the big blue container filled with resin which filters out the calcium and some other gritty stuff. The cleaned, softened water goes on its merry way to the boiler to be heated etc. and some of it goes to the cold taps.

During the night, the digital gadget on the top closes this system, brings in water from the large tub at the side in which we have been putting salt. The salty water enters the blue canister, washes and disinfects the resin granules, then pumps the salty dirty water to the outside drain. All done at night by the digital programmer (which we do not need to touch) when there is less call on the water by us. The salty water should never reach the usable supply.

What had happened was that the system had not been serviced or parts replaced for over four years, things had blocked up and yes, we were drinking dirty salty, water by the end. The stringed cassette should be replaced yearly it seems.

We now have clear, tested, salt-free water. Soap lathers like there is no tomorrow and tea is pretty good! The stomach is finally settling down and life feels a little happier. Incidently, hubby insisted he had no problems. Must be because he drinks water of the falling down type.

Thanks everyone.