Potassium Chloride for Water Softners?

MartinM


Joined: 03/10/2009
Posts: 166

Message Posted:
04/01/2011 10:02

Help!! Thinking about installing a water softner but in doing research on the sibject have discovered that some US States have banned the use of Sodium Chloride in preference for Potassium Chloride. Does anyone know if it is available here?????



http://homerepair.about.com/od/plumbingrepair/ss/water_softener_6.htm

TRNCVaughan


Joined: 27/04/2008
Posts: 4578

Message Posted:
04/01/2011 10:32

The ban applies to discharge of the brine into a septic system. As long as you don't allow the brine into your sewage system, you should be OK. There are very few water softeners in TRNC (considering the hardness of the water) so the impact on the water table would be negligable.

I have installed a few of these softeners without problem.

juliamoons



Joined: 14/05/2009
Posts: 849

Message Posted:
04/01/2011 10:57

http://www.eastmidlandswater.com/products.asp?CategoryID=229&Cat=Scale%20Out%20Filters

TRNCVaughan


Joined: 27/04/2008
Posts: 4578

Message Posted:
04/01/2011 11:10

msg 3 links to scale inhibitors which are not water softeners.



For water softeners, which MartinM wants, see:



http://www.eastmidlandswater.com/products.asp?CategoryID=2&Cat=Water%20Softeners

nurseawful



Joined: 06/02/2009
Posts: 5934

Message Posted:
04/01/2011 11:25

Orally, potassium chloride is toxic in excess; the LD50 is around 2.5 g/kg (meaning that a lethal dose for 50% of people weighing 75 kg (165 lb) is about 190 g (6.7 ounces). Intravenously this is reduced to just over 100 mg/kg, but of more concern are its severe effects on the cardiac muscles: high doses can cause cardiac arrest and rapid death, thus the aforementioned use as the third and final drug delivered in the lethal injection process.



Be very careful where you store it especially around children and pregnant women as it can bring about a spontaneous abortion.



Chris

MartinM


Joined: 03/10/2009
Posts: 166

Message Posted:
04/01/2011 11:29

OK I don't see the damage to the water table as being too great but I am concerned about the effect on the septic system ( which we all have ). I believe the brine kills the micro-organisms that "treat" the effluent. The article suggests that using Potassium Chloride is better. Can we get it here is the question. OR is there another way of eliminating the calcium content of our water?

MartinM


Joined: 03/10/2009
Posts: 166

Message Posted:
04/01/2011 11:35

Thanks Chris for that Info. Sounds like dangerous stuff!!

TRNCVaughan


Joined: 27/04/2008
Posts: 4578

Message Posted:
04/01/2011 12:16

msg 5



Do you want to soften the water, thereby inhibiting the scale, or just inhibit the scale?

pc4854


Joined: 23/08/2009
Posts: 243

Message Posted:
04/01/2011 12:37

I had a water softener installed by the builder some six years ago and it uses sea salt such as you use in a swimming pool if you have a Watermaid system. There have been no problems with my septic tank which continues to work as well as the day it was commissioned, albeit that twice a year I boost the microbes with a UK preparation.

basil


Joined: 10/04/2009
Posts: 168

Message Posted:
04/01/2011 13:36

Martin,

You probably have a three stage septic tank taking effluent from your house, which in turn discharges into a soakaway.

Don't pipe the runoff from your water softener into the septic tank, but straight down the soakaway. You would be putting brine into the ground, but it will be diluted by the rest of the water you use and should have minimal environmental impact.

You can usually alter the timing of your water softener so that it 'recharges' using brine (which in turn softens the water). My softener is set to the maximum time (11 day intervals) and works fine at that - which means less impact on the groundwater and on my wallet.

Denny


Joined: 09/12/2010
Posts: 261

Message Posted:
04/01/2011 14:01

Msg 5,

Is there a link for that detailed medical info or are they your words?

Cyprusquest


Joined: 09/12/2008
Posts: 428

Message Posted:
04/01/2011 14:09

Martin Have you asked Tom from IAH flightholiday about this he is also http://www.softcleanwater.co.uk

MartinM


Joined: 03/10/2009
Posts: 166

Message Posted:
04/01/2011 14:25

Thanks Basil

that seems a logical idea which I will investigate further.My wallet certainly needs as much protection as it can get these days

nurseawful



Joined: 06/02/2009
Posts: 5934

Message Posted:
04/01/2011 15:34

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potassium_chloride



message 11 here is the link.



Last paragraph in message 5 are my words based on experience!



Chris

Denny


Joined: 09/12/2010
Posts: 261

Message Posted:
05/01/2011 19:19

OK, just an idea to let folk know who provided the factual info esp. re medical/health matters.

Magbs


Joined: 26/02/2009
Posts: 278

Message Posted:
05/01/2011 23:06

re msg 7



'Sounds like dangerous stuff'



No panic. 2.5 g/kg is the oral RAT LD50 but even if you want to apply the idea to humans it's still a huge dose. You can swallow a cup of KCl reach dead sea water and it will still be far away from the LD50 overdose.

Don't get me wrong. It MAY BE harmful if swallowed. Just like other chlorides.