Can I add a water softener to my RV?

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    • #41249
      kristine.parrish
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          Newish to the RV lifestyle, and one thing I dislike immediately is not having soft water (call me spoiled). Can you add a water softener to an RV? Is it worth it?

        • #41250
          IA_Camper
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              The wife would never let me hear the end of it if I didn’t install a water softener. 🙂 Camco and On The Go make RV specific water softeners, but I imagine any portable water softener will work just fine. I installed an “On The Go” portable unit.

              Is it worth it? 100%. For the same reasons you’d want one in your house – to protect your plumbing and appliances, reduces maintenance and cleaning of sinks, showers, and appliances, prevents hard water spots, etc.

            • #41266
              Tory Jon
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                  They are absolutely worth it. Like @ia_camper mentioned above, On The Go is a very popular and reputable brand. You’ll want to research the size of the tank and capacity to find one that will work best for you, and decide where to put it (whether to mount it or just set it somewhere when you use it).

                  Be sure you understand how it works and the maintenance involved. For example, when I need to regen mine I remove it from the RV, drain it, pour regular table salt in it, run water through it, and reinstall it. Thats why many people prefer not to mount it and just set it up outside or next to the sink inside.

                  Here’s a quick video of the regen process with the On The Go.

                  Thats pretty much it.

                • #41267
                  matt.mcdonald
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                      FWIW, I wish I had got the 16000 grain instead of 8,000. I feel like I’m regening the thing every week. That said, we use a lot of water and are in AZ, where the water is as hard as a rock.

                      • #41268
                        kristine.parrish
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                            Good to know. How long does it take to “regen” it?

                          • #41270
                            matt.mcdonald
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                                From start to finish, about 30-40 minutes each time.

                            • #41269
                              kristine.parrish
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                                  Thanks for the help everybody! I’m looking at an On The Go from Camping World. I’ll let you know if I have any more questions. Thanks again for the help!

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