Tommy Dorsey Water Conditioning
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 FAQ'S

Q. "There are hundreds of companies selling all kinds of water softeners.  Why should I buy your system?"
A. We are a reputable, locally owned company that was here yesterday and we will be here tomorrow.  We are often copied, but no one can match our quality service, products, and prices.


Q. "What makes your softeners better than others that charge as much as two or four times the price?"
A. All softeners, regardless of price, should soften your water (i.e. reduce the hardness to 0 grains).
Some questions to ask before you buy are:  How long will the unit last?  How often does it regenerate?  how large is the grain capacity?  What is the warranty?  How long has the company been in business?  Does the softener regenerate based on a time or actual water demand?  How easy is it to change the settings and add salt to the unit?  How quickly can you get your questions answered and your problems solved?


Q. "What is hard water?"
A. Hard water is defined as having more than 1 GPG (grains per gallon) of dissolved minerals in it (usually calcium, magnesium carbonate, and/or manganese).


Q. "How is hard water measured?"
A. Hard water is usually measured in either PPM (parts per million) or GPG (grains per gallon).


Q. "I've heard that a water softener adds sodium to my water supply.  Is this true?"
A. Yes.  A household water softener removes the hardness minerals - calcium and magnesium - from water and replaces them with sodium or potassium (if you use potassium chloride).


Q. "How much sodium is added to the water by the softener?"
A. That depends on the hardness of the original water.  This table shows the additional amount of sodium consumed by drinking one quart of softened water.

                Initial Hardness                               Sodium  Added
            1.0 grains per gallon                           7.5 milligrams/quart
            5.0 grains per gallon                         37.5 milligrams/quart
          10.0 grains per gallon                         75.0 milligrams/quart
          20.0 grains per gallon                        150.0 milligrams/quart
          40.0 grains per gallon                        300.0 milligrams/quart

    As a comparison:  1 slice of white bread has 161 milligrams of sodium
                               3/4 cup of canned baked beans =1130 milligrams
                               1 tablespoon of catsup = 204 milligrams
                               1 medium frankfurter = 610 milligrams
                               1 cup of whole milk = 127 milligrams



Q. "Will a Reverse Osmosis system remove the salt from the softened water?"
A. Yes.  Most brands will remove 95% or more of the salt from the water.


Q. What size equipment should I get?
A. The hardness and possible iron content of the water and size of family are the determining factors.
        -Slightly hard water with little or no iron and a household of two would be sufficiently serviced with a 24,000 grain water softener.
        -Moderately hard water with slight iron problems and a household above two would be best served with at least a 36,000 grain unit.
        -Very hard water and or high iron content should utilize a 40,000-64,000 grain unit.


Q. What style of softener should I buy?
A. There are 2 basic types of water softeners:
        1.  Cabinet Model/Single Tank Softeners
        2.  Free Standing/Dual Tank Softeners
    Free standing dual tank softeners disallow any opportunity for salt fumes to rise into and damage the valve assembly.  However Cabinet model Units consume less space and are therefore popular for mobile home applications.


Q. "Why do you recommend a two tank system over a one tank system?"
A. Salt water is corrosive.  On a one tank system the resin tank, controls, and valve are all exposed to the salt water and/or vapors.  Over time this will cause damage to the system.  We feel that it's far superior to keep the brine tank separate from the rest of the unit.


Q. "Does the resin tank have to be right next to the brine tank?"
A. No, they can be up to 20' apart.


Q. "I've read ads that claim that Magnetic (magic?) softeners would solve my hard water problems.  What is your experience with these systems?"
A. First, Magnetic "conditioners" have been around for over 30 years and are not a new item.  Second, we ask if they work so well, why doesn't everyone have one?
    There has been extensive research that has yet to find any scientific (non biased) proof from a reliable source that proves that magnetic conditioners are actually effective.  If you have verified proof that a magnetic conditioner is effective, please send it to us!


Q. "Why does the water softener have to add salt to the water?"
A. The softener works by passing the hard water through resin beads which have soft sodium/potassium ions attached to them.  While the water is in contact with the resin beads an ion exchange takes place with the hard mineral ions (typically calcium and/or magnesium) trading places with the soft sodium/potassium ions.  After a period of use the sodium ions are depleted being replaced by calcium and magnesium.  The resin then needs to be regenerated with the sodium ions so the resin will again be able to exchange the hard for the soft.


Q. "Why would I want to soften my water?"
A.  It greatly reduces the scaling of pipes, faucets, pots, glasses, tubs, etc.  You will use less laundry soap, dishwashing soap, hand soap, etc.  The water is more pleasant to wash with, less soap scum.


Q. "Someone told me that softened water feels 'slimy'."
A. When you wash your skin with hard water, there is a layer of soap and minerals that is left on your skin.  This is what causes the supposed 'squeaky clean' feeling.  With soft water, the soap is completely rinsed away leaving just the natural oils your skin produces.


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This page last updated Wednesday, January 6, 1998.
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