Hey everyone! I'm curious about the effort involved in removing our water softener since we're using lake water. We've got an awesome filtration system in place, so I'm wondering if it's worth the hassle of buying and maintaining the softener. Here's a picture of the setup: https://imgur.com/a/nUv432f
1 Answer
Removing a water softener isn't too complicated. Just keep in mind that filtration systems and water softeners serve different purposes, so think about whether you actually need the softener. If you're leaning towards less maintenance, you might find a bypass valve on the back of the softener that could let you bypass it without complete removal. If you do want to take it out, you’ll need to drain the system and create a new plumbing path to get it out, but dragging it out could be the toughest part!
Thanks for your perspective! Just curious, if it were you, would you keep the softener? The water from our taps is super clear, and we're in an area where lake water should be pretty soft.

Before you take it out, it might be wise to bypass the softener for a month or so to see if you really need it. If you have an on-demand water heater, it might be better to keep the softener. You could even adjust the regeneration cycle to use less salt!