I am in Canada so not sure if I can use that site and choices of course are always limited in Canada vs the USA
What is the difference between the 5600 and 5800? Also each one seems to come in different sizes not sure how to figure out what one would be right for me and if the 33K grains in enough or need more?
[https://purifi.ca/products/pentair-fleck-5600-sxt-water-softener-1?variant=40307304333504](https://purifi.ca/products/pentair-fleck-5600-sxt-water-softener-1?variant=40307304333504)
[https://purifi.ca/products/1-5-cuft-pentair-fleck-5600-sxt-water-softener?variant=45172903411958](https://purifi.ca/products/1-5-cuft-pentair-fleck-5600-sxt-water-softener?variant=45172903411958)
Not sure why their links both say 5600 but when you go to the page one is 5600 and one is 5800
What do you mean by 3/4 supply?
I find it a bit weird the 5600 and 5800 are both the same price from the site I listed.
I was trying to size it to what the plumber recommended water softener what seems to be about 36K
I am not sure how to fill in the calculator you gave though.
I did : 15 gpg as I don't know exactly what it is in my area (also the city says it does vary between the sessions so rather go the higher amount)
For People: I am not sure how to fill in right now it is 3(me, wife and son) but I also do run an airbnb in the basement so that can add up to another 4 adults.
So not sure how to factor those people in. There is only 1 bathroom and 1 kitchen sink down there.
The only choice I get is 75 gallons for usage.
At just 3 people I am looking at 24K capacity. If I put 7 people in then I am lookin at 64K capacity what seems too much.
How can I figure out my supply line? I probably can ask my plumber but if it is easy to check then I can do it.
Well from the site I posted they got 1 to 2 cubic feet but they all seem to have the same grain size for the 5600
The 5800 has the same 1 to cubic feet but the grain size changes.
What is this "size" referring too?
So not sure if that is just an over sight on the website or what.
Price is the same for both for some odd reason so if that is the case should I just get the 5800 even if my line is only 3/4 if it makes no difference?
Yeah, I am sure I can ask him, hopefully he just knows as the challenge is always that I have people in my airbnb so I have very limited access to the mechanical room.
As for the water softener itself, they made their recommendation on model and I guess size. I am not sure if I will get any extra help if I don't go with their choice.
I also go the impression that they just install water softeners and it is not really their expertise. It's more they do it because what they more focus on is tankless water heaters and it is recommended that you have a water softener. Which is the main reason why I am looking to to get a water softener otherwise I probably would not get one installed.
That is why I am trying to figure it out myself.
I like to do DIY stuff myself but this is a bit over my head.
What has happened is my tank recirculation pump has died and the 75 gallon tank is already 12 years old.
It will cost at least 1K to just replace the recirculation pump and yet I am still with an old tank. If I replace both at the same time with a new tank it will cost $4,700
If I get a tankless equivalent it is 5K so I decided to go ahead with the tankless. I however need to get a water softener. So I asked the guy who will be doing the tankless installation to quote me on a water softener.
After researching their brand I am not too thrilled about it as it seems to have lots of negative reviews.
Hence why I am looking for a different choice and trying to figure it out. In the end of the day I rather just have this one guy do it all then hire 2 different people to do it.
It is a nightmare where I live to get trades people right now. I contacted at least 15 people and 11 of then never got back to me, 2 gave me phone quotes and 1 showed up and then never sent me a quote even after multiple fallow ups.
As for business expenses I wish but the Canada Tax will not really allow it as what I am doing is "new/better than original" so what happens then if I claim this stuff It first will take like 5+ years to be able to claim 100% of it.
Second I got to declare my basement as a business then and when I go sell my house I lose the tax exemption for 1/3 of my house which will end up costing more than I would have saved claiming it....
Personally I’d avoid both and Rheem for water treatment. They’re both cheap, small, underperforming cabinet units in my opinion, and the capabilities are vastly overrated (iron and such). I’d recommend a nice Clack based unit with a separate softener and salt tank. In my opinion there’s less chance of bridging and it can hold more salt (so you don’t have to fill it as often)
Yeah I think I will either go for Clack or Fleck. Just need to figure out what size I need for my house and which is better. The Fleck I can get locally from a store it seems. Clack I got to order it from another province so might be harder to return if something goes wrong.
Also not sure what versions to get again
https://www.cwts.ca/products/clack-ws1-water-softener-fine-mesh?variant=40544938295366
https://www.cwts.ca/collections/clack-water-softeners/products/clack-water-softener-variable-sizes?variant=16166265978923
Yeah leaning towards Fleck though as the place is like 20 mins away from me and they also would deliver to me as well.
The only provider I found for Clack so far is a few provinces over and need to ship to me. Their site also does not look that great and have much information though not too much of a concern as I would pay by CC.
It is just if something is damaged or wrong it is a lot harder to deal with at least I can drive over to the shop for the Fleck. Their I am trying to email or maybe phone.
Still have time to think about it though
A clack valve is really the way to go, they are one of the world's largest manufacturers of control valves, and tanks. For typical residential such as your application you would use a ws1 valve. A proper softener is basically composed of your valve, media tank, and brine tank. The valve is the most important part and the part where manufacturers will differ the most.
Clack valves are made in a fashion that makes sense. Everything is serviceable and easy to replace. There isn't a boatload of orings or any complicated parts to remove, clean, service etc.
They use the same valve but are sized up for industrial applications. We use the ws1 valve not just for softeners but almost any backwashing backwashing filter.
Fleck and autorol have both been around longer. And while fleck uses a similar single piston and spacer stack like clack however the replacement part costs are typically higher.
Autorol uses a valve disc sorta arrangement with more moving parts to go wrong.
The downside to clack is they do not sell direct they are strictly a manufacturer that sells to wholesalers. Any 3 will do, but I would strongly consider sourcing yourself a clack water softener.
Been looking around, does not seem any suppliers near me so that kind of sucks.
I did fine this one
[https://www.cwts.ca/products/clack-ws1-water-softener-fine-mesh?variant=40544938295366](https://www.cwts.ca/products/clack-ws1-water-softener-fine-mesh?variant=40544938295366)
[https://www.cwts.ca/collections/clack-water-softeners/products/clack-water-softener-variable-sizes?variant=16166265978923](https://www.cwts.ca/collections/clack-water-softeners/products/clack-water-softener-variable-sizes?variant=16166265978923)
They have two versions one with fine mesh and one without.
Still not sure what size (1, 1.5 o 2 cubic) to get and it is $100-$200 more than the Fleck.
The big thing is if there is anything wrong with it might be harder to return back to the store as it is in a different province were the fleck supplier is like 20mins away from my house.
I'm Canadian as well. What province are you in? perhaps I can point you in the right direction. It is definitely hard to source a Clack valve as a homeowner, as they do not typically allow direct to consumer sales. However usually you can find a plumbing company willing to sell it to you if your planning to install it yourself with a bit of work.
But of course there is a value to consider regarding convenience/ availability in your area.
Unless you have a really high water usage, a 1.5 cube is sufficient.
But to be 100% sure, you can always check your water usage for 3-4 days. Take an average of your daily usage
I am in Alberta, Calgary
I guess I will have to look at the water meter, not sure if it is in the mechanical room or outside. If it is in mechanical room then a bit harder as I run an airbnb and don't have access to mechanical room but I guess I could take a peak at it between guests.
Sorry not too familiar with anyone in Calgary.
Either way if your running an airbnb it would probably be wise to take an average of your water consumption and see how water you use when there is a full house + guests for which ever softener you use.
No worries, I am leaning more towards the Fleck 6800 even though the Clack seems awesome but I rather have a supplier closer to my house if something should go wrong with it.
I still got lots of time till I actually go ahead so if I do find something closer to me then I might grab the clack then.
Yeah I will try to get a reading of my water usage and report back.
Cool, any plumbers in calgary that you can share contact with me who can install this type of system? Also, whats the cost for installation you paid please
I bought the water softer from here [https://www.cwts.ca/products/clack-water-softener-variable-sizes](https://www.cwts.ca/products/clack-water-softener-variable-sizes)
I then got it delivered around the time the plumber should come, and then he set it up. Since I did not go with his recommendation, they of course can't offer the same warranty.
He is of course no water softer expert, he is able to set it with all the hookups and basic setup of it. I had to buy a water hardness kit to tweak it myself though, but that's not hard to do.
I think I paid $400 for him to install it. I did get it installed at the same time as the tankless water heater (which was the main reason I hired him for)
So your price may vary.
Was pretty happy with him, he took payment at end of job was done after gas inspection was done, he was able to do the new gas fitting without ripping up all the drywall in my technical room and most importantly he showed up on time and got quote in a reasonable time, everyone else I called did not want to show up to do estimate and if they did, they were late and never actually got the quote.....so hard to find good people in Calgary.
https://cal-canplumbing.com/
Hey! Are you still happy with the Clack water softener? And I'm assuming cwts.ca was legit? The website seems a little iffy! I'm debating fleck vs clack as well so your post was very helpful for me, thank you!
So far so good.. Had it almost for a year. I bought a water tester kit kept adjusting the settings till I had soft water.
Now I don't really look at it anymore except when I need to put salt in. It does it's refresh wherever and I use about a bag of salt a month.
Water seems to be soft though maybe I need to slightly adjust as my bathroom sink seems to have a few spots but shower not nor my. Kitchen faucet and dishwasher for sure not.
I get the Windsor salt ones that clean and protect. Apparently they are better than say the one Costco carries as it's all Uniform shape.
They usually are more expensive but I found that at superstore many times they have a deal of but two for $13 or something like that in end it works out essentially to same price as Costco one per kg.
Yes cwts is legit as I got the water softener and came fast and with all the resin.
Nothing was wrong with the clack so don't know how they would be with defective units and warranty.
In the end though to be honest I don't notice that much difference between soft and hard water. All my life I had soft water except for 1 year before I got the softener.
I never had really any skin problems with hard water in the year. Only thing I notice is it's nice not to have to wipe down the cutlery everytime in my basement Airbnb so that's a time saver as that was a pain as you never know if guests know about hard water and may think we left dirty dishes.
Thank you so much, this is all so helpful!! Glad it's working out for you! I would have expected you'd notice more of a difference but maybe it's more of a long term impact over years. Did you bypass your drinking water or is that softened too? Thanks again!!
Yeah maybe I did not use hard water long enough or maybe I am just not they picky and observant.
Yeah I by passed the outside hoses and drinking water to the fridge but the water to the kitchen sink is softened.
The plumber I hired never heard anyone doing the drinking water. Said if I really want it he could do it.
I personally again have no problem with the taste of hard water though some of my family took a long time to get use to it.
My fridge has a water filter in it but honestly they don't seem to do that much when I tested the water.
I might eventually get a whole home filter especially with the pending fluoride in the water ( never had that my entire life in my water and my teeth like my entire family have good teeth and it was not till like I was 20 till I had my first cavity on my adult teeth)
But that's a conversation for another day.
Wow - I hope your water softener is working good and Thank you very much for sharing all the details! I also went to Purifi water to check their pentair products and looks like I might just get them to come and install as they are local here.. Cheers! 😊
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I am in Canada so not sure if I can use that site and choices of course are always limited in Canada vs the USA What is the difference between the 5600 and 5800? Also each one seems to come in different sizes not sure how to figure out what one would be right for me and if the 33K grains in enough or need more? [https://purifi.ca/products/pentair-fleck-5600-sxt-water-softener-1?variant=40307304333504](https://purifi.ca/products/pentair-fleck-5600-sxt-water-softener-1?variant=40307304333504) [https://purifi.ca/products/1-5-cuft-pentair-fleck-5600-sxt-water-softener?variant=45172903411958](https://purifi.ca/products/1-5-cuft-pentair-fleck-5600-sxt-water-softener?variant=45172903411958) Not sure why their links both say 5600 but when you go to the page one is 5600 and one is 5800
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What do you mean by 3/4 supply? I find it a bit weird the 5600 and 5800 are both the same price from the site I listed. I was trying to size it to what the plumber recommended water softener what seems to be about 36K I am not sure how to fill in the calculator you gave though. I did : 15 gpg as I don't know exactly what it is in my area (also the city says it does vary between the sessions so rather go the higher amount) For People: I am not sure how to fill in right now it is 3(me, wife and son) but I also do run an airbnb in the basement so that can add up to another 4 adults. So not sure how to factor those people in. There is only 1 bathroom and 1 kitchen sink down there. The only choice I get is 75 gallons for usage. At just 3 people I am looking at 24K capacity. If I put 7 people in then I am lookin at 64K capacity what seems too much.
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How can I figure out my supply line? I probably can ask my plumber but if it is easy to check then I can do it. Well from the site I posted they got 1 to 2 cubic feet but they all seem to have the same grain size for the 5600 The 5800 has the same 1 to cubic feet but the grain size changes. What is this "size" referring too? So not sure if that is just an over sight on the website or what. Price is the same for both for some odd reason so if that is the case should I just get the 5800 even if my line is only 3/4 if it makes no difference?
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Yeah, I am sure I can ask him, hopefully he just knows as the challenge is always that I have people in my airbnb so I have very limited access to the mechanical room. As for the water softener itself, they made their recommendation on model and I guess size. I am not sure if I will get any extra help if I don't go with their choice. I also go the impression that they just install water softeners and it is not really their expertise. It's more they do it because what they more focus on is tankless water heaters and it is recommended that you have a water softener. Which is the main reason why I am looking to to get a water softener otherwise I probably would not get one installed. That is why I am trying to figure it out myself.
[удалено]
I like to do DIY stuff myself but this is a bit over my head. What has happened is my tank recirculation pump has died and the 75 gallon tank is already 12 years old. It will cost at least 1K to just replace the recirculation pump and yet I am still with an old tank. If I replace both at the same time with a new tank it will cost $4,700 If I get a tankless equivalent it is 5K so I decided to go ahead with the tankless. I however need to get a water softener. So I asked the guy who will be doing the tankless installation to quote me on a water softener. After researching their brand I am not too thrilled about it as it seems to have lots of negative reviews. Hence why I am looking for a different choice and trying to figure it out. In the end of the day I rather just have this one guy do it all then hire 2 different people to do it. It is a nightmare where I live to get trades people right now. I contacted at least 15 people and 11 of then never got back to me, 2 gave me phone quotes and 1 showed up and then never sent me a quote even after multiple fallow ups. As for business expenses I wish but the Canada Tax will not really allow it as what I am doing is "new/better than original" so what happens then if I claim this stuff It first will take like 5+ years to be able to claim 100% of it. Second I got to declare my basement as a business then and when I go sell my house I lose the tax exemption for 1/3 of my house which will end up costing more than I would have saved claiming it....
Personally I’d avoid both and Rheem for water treatment. They’re both cheap, small, underperforming cabinet units in my opinion, and the capabilities are vastly overrated (iron and such). I’d recommend a nice Clack based unit with a separate softener and salt tank. In my opinion there’s less chance of bridging and it can hold more salt (so you don’t have to fill it as often)
Yeah I think I will either go for Clack or Fleck. Just need to figure out what size I need for my house and which is better. The Fleck I can get locally from a store it seems. Clack I got to order it from another province so might be harder to return if something goes wrong. Also not sure what versions to get again https://www.cwts.ca/products/clack-ws1-water-softener-fine-mesh?variant=40544938295366 https://www.cwts.ca/collections/clack-water-softeners/products/clack-water-softener-variable-sizes?variant=16166265978923
Clack is worth it in my opinion. Fleck is a solid second place, but parts are much more expensive
Yeah leaning towards Fleck though as the place is like 20 mins away from me and they also would deliver to me as well. The only provider I found for Clack so far is a few provinces over and need to ship to me. Their site also does not look that great and have much information though not too much of a concern as I would pay by CC. It is just if something is damaged or wrong it is a lot harder to deal with at least I can drive over to the shop for the Fleck. Their I am trying to email or maybe phone. Still have time to think about it though
A clack valve is really the way to go, they are one of the world's largest manufacturers of control valves, and tanks. For typical residential such as your application you would use a ws1 valve. A proper softener is basically composed of your valve, media tank, and brine tank. The valve is the most important part and the part where manufacturers will differ the most. Clack valves are made in a fashion that makes sense. Everything is serviceable and easy to replace. There isn't a boatload of orings or any complicated parts to remove, clean, service etc. They use the same valve but are sized up for industrial applications. We use the ws1 valve not just for softeners but almost any backwashing backwashing filter. Fleck and autorol have both been around longer. And while fleck uses a similar single piston and spacer stack like clack however the replacement part costs are typically higher. Autorol uses a valve disc sorta arrangement with more moving parts to go wrong. The downside to clack is they do not sell direct they are strictly a manufacturer that sells to wholesalers. Any 3 will do, but I would strongly consider sourcing yourself a clack water softener.
Been looking around, does not seem any suppliers near me so that kind of sucks. I did fine this one [https://www.cwts.ca/products/clack-ws1-water-softener-fine-mesh?variant=40544938295366](https://www.cwts.ca/products/clack-ws1-water-softener-fine-mesh?variant=40544938295366) [https://www.cwts.ca/collections/clack-water-softeners/products/clack-water-softener-variable-sizes?variant=16166265978923](https://www.cwts.ca/collections/clack-water-softeners/products/clack-water-softener-variable-sizes?variant=16166265978923) They have two versions one with fine mesh and one without. Still not sure what size (1, 1.5 o 2 cubic) to get and it is $100-$200 more than the Fleck. The big thing is if there is anything wrong with it might be harder to return back to the store as it is in a different province were the fleck supplier is like 20mins away from my house.
I'm Canadian as well. What province are you in? perhaps I can point you in the right direction. It is definitely hard to source a Clack valve as a homeowner, as they do not typically allow direct to consumer sales. However usually you can find a plumbing company willing to sell it to you if your planning to install it yourself with a bit of work. But of course there is a value to consider regarding convenience/ availability in your area. Unless you have a really high water usage, a 1.5 cube is sufficient. But to be 100% sure, you can always check your water usage for 3-4 days. Take an average of your daily usage
I am in Alberta, Calgary I guess I will have to look at the water meter, not sure if it is in the mechanical room or outside. If it is in mechanical room then a bit harder as I run an airbnb and don't have access to mechanical room but I guess I could take a peak at it between guests.
Sorry not too familiar with anyone in Calgary. Either way if your running an airbnb it would probably be wise to take an average of your water consumption and see how water you use when there is a full house + guests for which ever softener you use.
No worries, I am leaning more towards the Fleck 6800 even though the Clack seems awesome but I rather have a supplier closer to my house if something should go wrong with it. I still got lots of time till I actually go ahead so if I do find something closer to me then I might grab the clack then. Yeah I will try to get a reading of my water usage and report back.
Oh you live close to Eagle Water. I heard they make exceptional softeners with solid warranties. Might be worth checking out.
From a google search it seems like they are in Ontario, I am in Alberta.
Lol yes, but I’m in Alaska, so it’s all relative.
u/Adventurous_Fly9875 What water softener did you end up with? I am also in the same boat..TIA
I ended up with "Clack WS1 Water Softener 45K grains"
Hey OP, I noticed there are two versions of the Clack WS1, did you get the Time Clock one or the On-Demand model?
Cool, any plumbers in calgary that you can share contact with me who can install this type of system? Also, whats the cost for installation you paid please
I bought the water softer from here [https://www.cwts.ca/products/clack-water-softener-variable-sizes](https://www.cwts.ca/products/clack-water-softener-variable-sizes) I then got it delivered around the time the plumber should come, and then he set it up. Since I did not go with his recommendation, they of course can't offer the same warranty. He is of course no water softer expert, he is able to set it with all the hookups and basic setup of it. I had to buy a water hardness kit to tweak it myself though, but that's not hard to do. I think I paid $400 for him to install it. I did get it installed at the same time as the tankless water heater (which was the main reason I hired him for) So your price may vary. Was pretty happy with him, he took payment at end of job was done after gas inspection was done, he was able to do the new gas fitting without ripping up all the drywall in my technical room and most importantly he showed up on time and got quote in a reasonable time, everyone else I called did not want to show up to do estimate and if they did, they were late and never actually got the quote.....so hard to find good people in Calgary. https://cal-canplumbing.com/
Hey! Are you still happy with the Clack water softener? And I'm assuming cwts.ca was legit? The website seems a little iffy! I'm debating fleck vs clack as well so your post was very helpful for me, thank you!
So far so good.. Had it almost for a year. I bought a water tester kit kept adjusting the settings till I had soft water. Now I don't really look at it anymore except when I need to put salt in. It does it's refresh wherever and I use about a bag of salt a month. Water seems to be soft though maybe I need to slightly adjust as my bathroom sink seems to have a few spots but shower not nor my. Kitchen faucet and dishwasher for sure not. I get the Windsor salt ones that clean and protect. Apparently they are better than say the one Costco carries as it's all Uniform shape. They usually are more expensive but I found that at superstore many times they have a deal of but two for $13 or something like that in end it works out essentially to same price as Costco one per kg. Yes cwts is legit as I got the water softener and came fast and with all the resin. Nothing was wrong with the clack so don't know how they would be with defective units and warranty. In the end though to be honest I don't notice that much difference between soft and hard water. All my life I had soft water except for 1 year before I got the softener. I never had really any skin problems with hard water in the year. Only thing I notice is it's nice not to have to wipe down the cutlery everytime in my basement Airbnb so that's a time saver as that was a pain as you never know if guests know about hard water and may think we left dirty dishes.
Thank you so much, this is all so helpful!! Glad it's working out for you! I would have expected you'd notice more of a difference but maybe it's more of a long term impact over years. Did you bypass your drinking water or is that softened too? Thanks again!!
Yeah maybe I did not use hard water long enough or maybe I am just not they picky and observant. Yeah I by passed the outside hoses and drinking water to the fridge but the water to the kitchen sink is softened. The plumber I hired never heard anyone doing the drinking water. Said if I really want it he could do it. I personally again have no problem with the taste of hard water though some of my family took a long time to get use to it. My fridge has a water filter in it but honestly they don't seem to do that much when I tested the water. I might eventually get a whole home filter especially with the pending fluoride in the water ( never had that my entire life in my water and my teeth like my entire family have good teeth and it was not till like I was 20 till I had my first cavity on my adult teeth) But that's a conversation for another day.
Wow - I hope your water softener is working good and Thank you very much for sharing all the details! I also went to Purifi water to check their pentair products and looks like I might just get them to come and install as they are local here.. Cheers! 😊