Water filtration system...what do we add??
 

We have a Pegasus water filtration system for the house but we aren't sure what we need to add to it? Is it potassium? We just don't want to add the wrong stuff or have it go without and possibly hurt the system! Thank you in advance for the help!

-Merribeth & Keith

Water filtration system...what do we add??
 

Most filtration systems can take either sodium or potassium. I'd check your manual to see what is recommended. If you have a choice, use potassium. Sodium has some potential side effects on your health.

Update. Just checked online: use potassium.

Pegasus Water Systems | Built Specifically for Treating Florida Water

We have a Sears system, water softener (uses salt), and a whole house filter. I have a chemical test set (from the local pet store) to test for chlorine, SALT, and other chemicals. With this system, I have never detected or tasted any salt in the filtered water. While I understand the concerns of high sodium in water and the associated health concerns, IMHO, a properly operating system will not add a significant amount of sodium.
If your system can use potassium, then use it, NOTE, it is more expensive then salt.

Thanks VT. I appreciate your recommendations.

About 4 years ago (before TV) one of my docs advised me to stop using sodium because of health risks. My next door neighbor, a cardiologist, agreed. Apparently it is very easy to add too much to the water.

Either sodium chloride or potassium chloride is fine - either will work fine as a brine solution for "regenerating" the resin tank. Either will result in the water hardness being driven down to 0 grains per gallon. Typically, the amount used per regeneration is a bit less with sodium chloride. If the used brine solution is dumped in a flower bed or near grass, potassium chloride would be a better choice. Potassium chloride is about 5x the cost of sodium chloride.

It depends on the system you have. Our system originally took potassium, but we had them convert it over to salt when the potassium price almost doubled. As noted above, it does depend also on where your system drains outside. I'd call them and have them come and look over the unit and give you a quick tutorial on it. You can't just "dump" the product in the holding tank and you don't want to fill it to the top either. You might want to know where the breaker is that controls it...ours flipped off several times in storms. Really...with something as expensive as that unit surely was, you want to hear from them how to maintain it. They are nice people...call.

It is possible that the unit needs a trivial programming change if you switch to sodium chloride because the frequency of regeneration is typically a little less with sodium chloride. This change may manifest itself as a decrease in the hardness level that is inputted into the controller. The water hardness and the number of gallons of water used will control the frequency of regeneration. Chemically it make no difference as either is effective as an ion exchange. All "salt" based water softeners work by the same principle. Everyone I have ever seen says you can use either sodium chloride or potassium chloride. Consult the manual that came with your system for further details.