water too soft?

I just bought a house that has an old Culligan mark 29 water softener. My problem is with my wife who has natural curly hair is telling me too turn down the softener because it's making her hair too frizzy and unmanageable. So my questions is on this dinosaur am I able to set it to half? note: it has a green (soft) & Red (bypass) button on the top. Also how do you know when a softener has had it day and you need a new one? Also if anyone has a manual on this unit please let me know, can't find it anywhere .

 

Man a mark 29... IIRC that is very old but, if it is giving you 0 gpg soft water, it's working as it should. Water is either 0 gpg soft, or it is hard; 1 or more gpg of hardness and if you get that out of a softener, there is something worng with the softener.

Tell her to cut back on the amount of shampoo she uses, soft water requires much less than hard water. The same goes for her detergents in dish and clothes washers. And she shouldn't need conditioner with soft water.

Some people might tell you to mix some hard water in with the softened water, but that is hard to do to get just the right amount (how much is enough?) and then IMO there's little sense in having a softener and you'll scale up your water heater and fixtures, clothes and skin don't get as clean etc. etc..

 

Churlish how can you tell it is giving us 0 gpg? (oh yea what is gpg , IMO and IIRC ? About the shampoo use thanks, it's so long she only washes it with shampoo once 1-2 per week and only around the top the rest it's just water. It looks like she put her finger in a light socket these days.

 

Usually the complaint is when it is 0 gpg (grains per gallon). IMO= in my opinion, IIRC= if I recall correctly.

So get a hardness test kit at a big box or hardware store, or take a sample to a lab, and test your softened water to see if it is soft or hard.

The cause may be static electricity, low humidity in the house (hot air type heat does that) or too much of the wrong kind of shampoo or using conditioner or a brush that causes static. So get on your white horse and solve her problem without becoming mortally wounded. A good idea would be sympathizing for an hour or three first before you do that... just don't be to telling her her panties in a bunch might be causing static.

 

Thanks bud for all the info, let me know if there is any info on finding a manual for this thing.

 

There are shampoos that are higher in pH than regular shampoos that are available for curly, frizzy hair. Volumizing shampoos also tend to be higher in pH. Check at local beauty salons and beauty supply stores for a higher pH shampoo.

 

This is getting a bit off topic but she has been dropping major coin on haircare products for the last 10 years and had almost perfect hair up until we move into this place. I want to keep the softener, we have a concrete swimming pool and soft water I hear is good for it, but she wants it disconnected. I will mention the ph point to Princess Curly Top. I just wanted to make sure there is not such a thing as water that is to soft. Thanks AllBeer 4U2

 

Princess Curly Top may find this link re: pH helpful: http://www.ehow.com/how_4423524_bala...paign=yssp_art

 

I don't know all that much about pool water chemistry but I do know you don't want softened water in a pool because it can damage the walls etc. of a masonry type pool and you'll spend a lot of extra money on pool chemicals to get the chemistry back to where it has to be.

I also know you don't want to use a softener to soften that much water and, you can exceed the SFR gpm of the softener real easily. Softeners are never sized ti refill/top off pools of any kind. Pool water requires a certain amount of hardness.

 

If she's been using the pool, could that be the answer to the frizzy hair?