Does This Sound Crazy... Water Softener

[dewat]

I would like to put a water softener in my coach sometime this season. The water/sewage service bay is too crowded and not tall enough for a water softener or even water filters. What I am thinking about doing is running a line from the water fill/city water input about 14 feet to a basement bay that has plenty of room for a water softener and water filters, and then back (return) to the location where the current water input connects to the plumbing. I've looked up under the coach, and none of the water lines are visible. My guess is because they run inside the coach to take advantage of the heating. Outside of quicker exposure to freezing temps, is there anything wrong with running a 14-foot line on the undercarriage to connect to a water softener/filter, then return the 14-feet to the plumbing? Are there any other cons that I might be missing? I probably won't do this job myself, but I would like to have a water softener for all incoming water.

[wigginsjsr]

I've been using a RV water softener for years. It works best when not in a compartment. The biggest problems if you put it in a compartment is that backflushing and recharging the softener becomes very hard to accomplish. Since you must recharge the softener with salt, you could cause corrosion damage to the compartment.

I set my softener/filter on the ground next to the coach, and carry it in the toad when moving. There is no more risk to the softener from freezing than there is to a normal water hose. In fact with the salt content in the softener, there should be less risk of freezing.

[wweaver]

I agree. I have seen many softeners outside the unit .

[dewat]

I just wanted to say thanks to all. I found a reference to the "WaterSticks" brand water softeners. The pro is that they can be used at any angle and do not have to be stored upright like the FlowPur and others. The con is that due to their smaller size, their capacity is not as high as the FlowPur and others, but one of the pros to that con is that they do not take as long to recharge. So again thanks to all, and I may have my answer.

[wigginsjsr]

I have used the WaterStick. It is not nearly as effective as the upright softeners. In some locations it will only last a day or two if the water is really hard. While it technically can be used at any angle, lying flat in a bay makes it fairly ineffective. The additional problem is that it must be totally disconnected from the MH to recharge. Again, possibility of corrosion in the storage area as when you connect and disconnect you will get some salty water in the storage bay.