Pre-filters before water softeners

FranceRenoGuy said:

Hi All,
Looking to install a pre-filter before a water softener, and would appreciate any thoughts or ideas on what to buy.

I'd like to have a 1" thread in- and out-bound, as my house inbound is in 28mm copper, and the in-bound to the water softener is 1".

I would ideally like to have a kit that has a built in bypass valve - something like this :

Kit complet station de filtration duplex Aquaphos Easy

Kit complet station de filtration duplex Aquaphos Easy qui permet d'éliminer les sédiments contenus dans l'eau. La meilleure qualité de filtration 100...

www.plomberie-pro.com

but it's not really clear to me if i should scope for one or two filters (and even what each one does). I can't find anything concrete online as to the best recommended approach, so thought I'd ask here.

I'm based in France, but the connections follow the UK BSP standard, so very open to UK product suggestions, as I can get them delivered either directly or via UK based family

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FranceRenoGuy said:

Cheers
Steve

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FredaChecks said:

Hi Steve, can I ask why you want to install a water filter before your softener?

If you use well water I can understand the reason and your selected filter would be ideal.

However if you use town water there should be no need, the water quality in France is good.

I used a twin tank softener in France for 12 years and no issues (apart from buying salt blocks)

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FranceRenoGuy said:

Hello,
Thanks for taking an interest. Honestly - it's only because the water softener kit came with one, and the house we bought had one going into a water softener already, so I was effectively thinking 'like for like', but "make it the best" .

Today we don't have a filter, and we drink the water ! So I agree with you that the water is good !

What do you think ?

Cheers
Steve

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FredaChecks said:

Hi Steve

You indicate that the water softener kit came with a fllter! This would, in normal circumstances, be a filter which would be installed in the hard water line to a special tap at the kitchen sink to enable you to drink filtered hard water!

As I said before there is normally no requirement to fit a filter prior to a water softener unless the source is "suspect"!

It is advisable not to drink softened water (because of slightly elevated sodium levels). But the Scots, with their very soft water, seem to survive probably because they disguise the taste by adding Scotch whisky!

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FranceRenoGuy said:

Hi there,
Thanks for that. Interesting how the original installation has one of those cartridge filters installed before the water softener. The house is from the 60's; no idea when they installed the water softener and the filter. Maybe the mains water wasn't as good when they installed it ?

I have no plans to put a filter onto the cold tap to the kitchen (yes, I have installed two cold lines, one for softened water [dishwasher], and one for untreated [tap])

To your Scotch comment 🙂 I did a study in my (Chemistry) degree many years ago on water quality in the UK. Indeed, Scottish water is very soft, but not because it's been ion exchanged, but it's just naturally very pure (comes down granite hills/mountains not chalk hills/mountains in the south), so doesn't have elevated sodium levels; just hasn't picked up excess calcium et al. Nothing beats a 21 year Laphroaig, though 🙂

Thanks for the insights, appreciate your time,

Cheers
Steve

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FranceRenoGuy said:

it's just naturally very pure (comes down granite hills/mountains

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