Water-KingUSA Water Softener

[gator67]

Has anyone used or heard anything about the Water-KingUSA water softener? (http://www.waterkingusa.com). We believe in the technology because we used similar technology in our home, but we were wondering about this specific unit.

[gator67]

Has anyone used or heard anything about the Water-KingUSA water softener? (http://www.waterkingusa.com). We believe in the technology because we used similar technology in our home, but we were wondering about this specific unit.

[VAGABONDMAN]

Hi Jerry and Shirley;

I hate to rain on your parade, but the Water King unit you're looking at is not a water softener. By definition, a water softener removes disolved hard water minerals (calcium, iron, manganese, and magnesium)by ion exchange. This is a process where the hard water minerals are removed from the water and exchanged for sodium ions.

The Water Quality Association has done a great deal of research and proven that magnetic/electromagnetic/electronic wave devices are totaly useless. I can tell you many horror stories about my customers who fell for this stuff, removed their softeners from their boilers, only to have to re-tube them after they got plugged up with minerals.

The news reports referenced in the Water King site are all about some parts of Southern Ca., where the sodium discharge of automatic softeners is prohibited. Note that the list of approved units includes portable exchange softeners by Culligan and others; these units are regenerated off premises where the discharge is dealt with according to regulations. This is purely a political issue there, as the farmers discharge way more sodium than the softeners would.

The Water King cannot reduce spots because it doesn't remove hard water minerals. Spots are created by evaporating water from mineral bearing drops of water and thereby leaving behind the mineral residue = spots.

Devices such as the Water King have been run out of several states due to their fradulent claims. Ten years ago, I could have given you the list - my how time flys.

If you just want to soften your water, I suggest you go to Camping World and get one of their manually regerated units. They're a nuisance, but they do work and they're a lot cheaper than the $364.00 Water King.


On the other hand, if you want to purify your water as well as remove hardness, you might want to check out VAGABONDWATER.COM.

[APEXMAN]

We have one of the water softners that camping world sells and it works great.It last about 5 or 6 weeks befor you have to replace the salt and we are fulltimers.Its easy to install.I had it in my 03 and 06 Alpine.

[Lyle & Cath]

We have the Vagabond system and couldn't live without it. We have been in areas with the worst water imaginable and our drinking water never changes. It is smooth and refreshing and tastes better than many of the bottled waters I have tasted. If you want pure water that hardly spots I would highly recommend the Vagabond system.

Lyle

Lyle & Cathy
Apex 1

[Wayne R]

Ditto; on Lyle's comments the Vagabond auto system is the best uprade I have done to my rig so far.

[EngineerMike]

ditto on Wayne's ditto.

[VAGABONDMAN]

THANKS LYLE, WAYNE, AND MIKE, FOR THE KIND COMMENTS ABOUT OUR SYSTEM. IT'S NICE TO KNOW WE ARE MAKING GOOD WATER FOR OUR GOOD ALPINE BUDDIES.

[D & D Rich]

I bought the Vagabond system last year at DRR Quartzsite and used when I returned to Mesa (worst water I found in my travels) AZ. Wow, what a difference. Shower and sinks no spots. No more dry skin. I even use it to wash the coach. Forget to towel, so what, dries without spots. My only regreet with the Vagabond system is I didn't have one sooner!!!!

D&D Rich

[EngineerMike]

At Lake Havasu we have water in the low 700ppm range of disolved solids (minerals) and 70psi at the hose; the Vag system puts water in the tank at around 35ppm or about 95% reduction of minerals.

At Mulege in lower Baja after the flood the water is over 800, hose @ ~40psi, and I get ~65ppm in the tank with the comforting fact that all bacteria and viruses are eliminated as well.

In Auburn, CA, we've got water in the low 40ppm range (I think the water co. siphons it out of Lake Tahoe) and the Vag system fills the tank w/water ~2ppm. The only problem I've found is that if the rig sets for a long time (coupla months), because I've removed all the chlorine and other inhibitors, there can be a moldy taste to the first few quarts of water out of the tap after resuming use. My guess is that there is algae growth in the neck of the faucets. Now that I know about that issue, I just drain that amount off first and voila!

[gjstacy]

Are you all installing just a softening system from Vagabond, as WRV now installs whole house filtering as a standard feature? Or are you replacing the WRV system with the full Vagabond system? Also, is this easy to install yourself?

I am interested, as we are soon to pick up our new Alpine.

Thanks!

[VAGABONDMAN]

HI GAIL & JOHN,

VAGABOND DOESN'T SELL A "WATER SOFTENER" PER SE. ALL OF THE PEOPLE YOU'RE ASKING ABOUT HAVE THE FULL VAGABOND RO SYSTEM INSTALLED AFTER MARKET, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF LYLE WHO HAS THE APEX WHICH CAME WITH THE COMPLETE SYSTEM. WHILE MOST PEOPLE DON'T THINK OF A RO SYSTEM AS BEING A WATER SOFTENER, IT DOES REMOVE THE HARD WATER MINERALS, SO IT CAN BE REFERRED TO AS ONE; HOWEVER, IT'S WAY MORE THAN THAT, AS IT REMOVES BACTERIA, CYSTS SUCH AS CRYPTOSPORIDIUM AND GIARDIA AS WELL AS 90 - 95 % OF THE DISOLVED SOLIDS - INCLUDING THE NEGATIVE IONS NOT REMOVED BY A SOFTENER. THAT'S WHY YOU HEAR PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT "SPOT FREE" WATER. a WATER SOFTENER CANNOT GIVE YOU SPOT FREE WATER AS IT ONLY REMOVES THE + IONS VIA AN EXCHANGE WITH SODIUM.

YOU MIGHT WANT TO VISIT THE VAGABOND SITE VAGABOND WATER AS THERE IS A GOOD TUTORIAL ON THE RO PROCESS. LOOK IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL AND THE TECH DATA SECTIONS. YOU CAN ALSO SEE TOM COOK'S INSTALLATION IN HIS LIMITED SE IN THE PHOTO GALLERY. WE ADDED THE MEMBRANE KIT TO THE ALREADY EXISTING FILTERS WHICH COME STANDARD.

YOU ARE WELCOME TO CALL ME IF YOU HAVE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS - 509-952-3104 --CELL.

[gjstacy]

Thanks so much, Frank, for the clarification! We are coming to Yakima to begin our PDI for our new rig on Feb 26, so I will keep your number and give you a call then. Meanwhile, I will visit your site so we can learn more.

[VAGABONDMAN]

GAIL & JOHN,

I MAY MISS YOU ON THE 26TH, AS I'M HAVING ROTATOR CUFF SURGERY ON 1-31-07 AND WANT TO HEAD SOUTH ASAP AFTER THAT. AS YOUR DATE APPROACHES, KEEP IN TOUCH. WE PLAN ON BEING BACK HERE BY APRIL 1ST. WE SHOULD TALK AFTER YOU LOOK AT TOM COOK'S PHOTOS SO I CAN EXPLAIN IN MORE DETAIL.