Yet another Water Filter and Water Spots thread

[98LowRanger]

A little foundation info. I detail at my home which is on well water. The filter for my house gets dirty fairly quickly (I replace it every 6 weeks) and the area where I live is known to have hard/sediment ridden water.

So I did a search for topics on adding an inline water filter for car washing since I have tried EVERYTHING to eliminate water spotting and it is still a problem. I got into subjects of Deionizing, water softeners, and the CR Spotless system. All the info is over my head and kind of overwhelming.

I was then looking at what Autogeek has to offer and found the Deluxe Clean Water Filter kit (Deluxe Clean Water Filter Kit, 2 step water filter system, water filter for car washing, inline hose filter). First off, I LOVE the price as I didn't want to spend over $150 on this addition. It seems very straight forward as it would provide me with another water filter (in addition to the one for the house, this system would be mounted outside at my water spigot) and a water softener. My questions about it are:

1) Does anyone have this kit and did you think it was worth it?
2) Will this actually help reduce water spots or do you NEED a water deionizer?
3) I know a lot of these kits you can't use a pressure washer with. There is no mention as to how much gpm of water this unit can handle. Will it be able to handle my 1500 psi, 1.2 gpm electric pressure washer?

 

[medicscott]

So I do not have one of these but everyone that does says it only AIDS in lowering the TDS not eliminating it. Sorry but if you want no spots go with a CR or Griots system. There's no way around it. I personally have the Griots, run hot water through it and it's FANTASTIC

 

[98LowRanger]

So I do not have one of these but everyone that does says it only AIDS in lowering the TDS not eliminating it. Sorry but if you want no spots go with a CR or Griots system. There's no way around it. I personally have the Griots, run hot water through it and it's FANTASTIC

Thanks for your reply! I figured that for the price this wouldn't be completely eliminating the water spots, but for $140 it would be worth it to me if it actually helps reduce them. Detailing part time, I just can't justify putting $500+ into water filtration.

So I assume this is what you have? In-Line Water Softener With Fittings - Cleaning Tools - Car Washing - Car Care - Griot's Garage A water softener and deionizer for $150!? All contained in this one canister!? So can my pressure washer be connected after this unit? I know this all depends on the TDS of your water, but any idea about how many washes can be performed before it needs to be replaced?

 

[98LowRanger]

Anyone else have experience with the Griots water filter or the Deluxe Clean Water Filter kit that Autogeek sells?

 

[medicscott]

So I won't provide a link to the unit because Autogeek does not sell it. But I believe it's $299 system. It's an actual large tank. They say it's portable but I don't know about that.

The refill of the resin all depends on your TDS level in water. You must have a tester ($19.99) to ensure the unit is working as well as periodic testing so you know when to refill. (You'll also see spots on your vehicle) My TDS is level 280 and mine lasts about 30 washes. What I like about the Griots is it has a valve bypass system that allows for regular water to flow and then my final rinse is Deionized. I must say its the best money I've ever spent and to be honest I'd pay double to not have to deal with water spots.

I assume the CR system system is just the same. But make sure you can bypass the water. That's imperative to cost savings.

Thanks for your reply! I figured that for the price this wouldn't be completely eliminating the water spots, but for $140 it would be worth it to me if it actually helps reduce them. Detailing part time, I just can't justify putting $500+ into water filtration.

So I assume this is what you have? In-Line Water Softener With Fittings - Cleaning Tools - Car Washing - Car Care - Griot's Garage A water softener and deionizer for $150!? All contained in this one canister!? So can my pressure washer be connected after this unit? I know this all depends on the TDS of your water, but any idea about how many washes can be performed before it needs to be replaced?

 

[swanicyouth]

So I won't provide a link to the unit because Autogeek does not sell it. But I believe it's $299 system. It's an actual large tank. They say it's portable but I don't know about that.

The refill of the resin all depends on your TDS level in water. You must have a tester ($19.99) to ensure the unit is working as well as periodic testing so you know when to refill. (You'll also see spots on your vehicle) My TDS is level 280 and mine lasts about 30 washes. What I like about the Griots is it has a valve bypass system that allows for regular water to flow and then my final rinse is Deionized. I must say its the best money I've ever spent and to be honest I'd pay double to not have to deal with water spots.

I assume the CR system system is just the same. But make sure you can bypass the water. That's imperative to cost savings.

If you look at the price of this thing and how much "replacement filters" cost - it's crazy. Just to be clear, I'm talking about the Griot's Water Softener, not the Portable Deionizer.

The Griot's de-ionizer generally is well liked, but cost significantly more:

I had the European version of the softener unit (Aqua Gleam), and it doesn't hold enough resin to last very long.

It looks like the Griot's unit is sealed (the Aqua Gleam was), making the chamber part that holds the resin basically a disposable unit. The Aqua Gleam came in a 30 ppm and 0 ppm models. I'm guessing the Griot's Softener is similar to the Aqua Gleam 30 ppm model - as its being sold as just a "softener", not a de-ionizer.

All the Cr Spotless units will work fine with your pressure washer.

 

[medicscott]

The in line systems seem to stink. Get the full blown system. Cheaper in the long run.

 

[98LowRanger]

So just making sure I have this right, the CR Spotless deionizing system is the only one that you can effectively run a pressure washer with?

 

[medicscott]

No, you can run a pressure washer through either. But the inline small system will not totally remove TDS from water. It's just wasting $$$ as you'll now need to change 2 resin filters instead of 1.