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[danicol12]

I'm running the plumbing right now for my new OWB, and I have a few questions. 

Should I use softened or hard water to fill my boiler?  I'm running water lines from the house to the boiler to fill the boiler when needed.  The water at my place is pretty rusty, so I'm nervous about whether or not to just dump that into my boiler, but at the same time I don't know if running soft water from my softener is a good idea either.  If I fill it with hard water, will  boiler water treatments fix it well enough to not cause problems with scale buildup in my pumps and everything else?  Would salt-softened water be bad for the boiler? 

[AirForcePOL]

What type of boiler do you have? I wouldn't recommend using the soft water if it is treated with salt.

[Scott7m]

No salt water

If your water is that bad find another source

[danicol12]

I have a Central Boiler 5036.  Thanks for the heads-up on the salt water.  Finding another source is pretty much out of the question outside of buying bottled water.  Maybe I'll just filter it well before it leaves the house.  So, what does the boiler water treatment actually do then?

[AirForcePOL]

Do you know anyone with a water tank that fits in a truck or maybe one on a trailer that you could use?  I can't comment on the treatment as I don't use any. I should, I just haven't.

[Scott7m]

Pol, your hardy uses water all the time, so adding treatment would be a waste of money.

Boiler treatment protects the boiler from harmful things in the water, it keeps good water from turning to crap, but if your water is already crap, then it's not a good situation

[willieG]

you got an OWB, so you are somewhat in the sitcks, you know any farmers with sprayers?, a farm sprayer likely holds 500 gallons. a good neighbor and a bottle of jack might get it filled iwth decent water.

or if near a small town a donation of a few bucks might get one of the local volenteer fire department's men to fill it with their water truck?

a 45 gallon drum under each of yoru eaves downspouts cuold have it filled by morning thanks to Sandy

[jbc]

No salt water

If your water is that bad find another source

And are you saying that the city water supply's dont use salt for conditioning?

In my area, it's used by the tons by most city's..

JBC

[Scott7m]

It may be in some locals but nothing like w rain soft system, that water even tastes salty

Municipal water doesn't have enough salt in it to hurt anything

[ijon]

I used soft water in my Woodmaster the whole time I had it 1994, better than the rust water I have.

[jbc]

It may be in some locals but nothing like w rain soft system, that water even tastes salty

Municipal water doesn't have enough salt in it to hurt anything

They adjust your rain soft system...if you need help LMK

Rain soft is by far one of the best systems out there....and if it tastes like salt it's not adjusted correctly or you are using small poor in chunks or nuggets...they should only use 25 or 50lb block form of salt--anothing else and you are correct, it will taste like salt...