homeburrero wrote:You do need softening and I think that CCS setup with a conventional softener is a good choice for softening. It would drop your hardness very low and keep all that alkalinity, which at around 90 ppm should be fine for espresso machine health as well as espresso taste.

@homeburrero I just want to thank you so much for your participation on these forums. I've seen again and again the valuable information you have been sharing around here.

I'm going to wait to buy a filter system for a bit (my machine won't be shipping for a few weeks) but I'm likely going to buy the Homeland HCWS system that Clive sells, unless I have some epiphany on the RO side. It includes a pressure regulating valve, is more compact, and it looks like the system is also compatible with Everpure filters so at least I have some flexibility in brand long term.

This was also helpful in increasing my understanding of the different types of softeners - https://samcotech.com/different-types-i ... ons-serve/

Ok. I found this - https://www.freshwatersystems.com/produ ... ost-system

90psi and comes with a holding tank all in one. Seems ideal for my setup. I assume I can connect this to the outlet of my RO system without too much grief.

conrad_vanl wrote:Ok. I found this - https://www.freshwatersystems.com/produ ... ost-system

90psi and comes with a holding tank all in one. Seems ideal for my setup. I assume I can connect this to the outlet of my RO system without too much grief.

Note that it's a booster pump, and the documentation says "Must be installed BEFORE the water filtration". If you have lower than ~70 psi or so water pressure on the inlet side it may be effective there. I suppose you could use it as a demand pump on the output side of the RO. If you get taste or odor from the tank you could add a charcoal finishing filter.

conrad_vanl wrote:I'm likely going to buy the Homeland HCWS system that Clive sells, unless I have some epiphany on the RO side.

I think that would be a reasonable choice, especially in light of Reiss' opinion that your borderline chloride should not be an issue with your machine.

Where he suggested that "... pure copper boiler material will hold up better than S.S. ...", that might be true but I'm not sure I agree. The well-known real world case is from Scott Guglielmino at La Marzocco, and their damaged stainless steel boilers from Cambridge MA high chloride (100+ mg/L) water. So a lot of people do believe that chloride is primarily a stainless corrosion issue. But chloride is associated with pitting/pinhole corrosion in both copper and stainless, and in some conditions is associated with chloride catalyzed 'bronze disease' in copper but not stainless steel.

conrad_vanl wrote:Wants high TDS and low temporary hardness.

Not sure I understand that. For example, what you get out of a calcite remin filter would be small but equal amounts of TDS and temporary hardness. I think it best to quantify ideals in terms of calcium hardness, (total hardness will do for that) and alkalinity. Then consider the undesirables, especially chloride.

homeburrero wrote:and the documentation says "Must be installed BEFORE the water filtration"

Yeah, I saw that too. I figure most installs you want filtration after the holding tank, for the taste/odor reason you mentioned. In my case, I only want to boost pressure to my espresso machine, not to the other faucet connected to the RO. So I'm thinking RO -> Booster/Tank -> (maybe) finishing filter -> Pressure regulating valve -> Espresso Machine.

OR Homeland HCWS fed straight from house tap.

Homeland HCWS filter is an added replacement cost, and an additional expense over the RO filters I'll continue to keep buying, with potentially a chloride risk. My high pH tap water (8+) might help with this some. Less plumbing (saves on about 25feet of tubing from RO).

RO+Pump&Tank = no concerns with chloride in the water, and not much additional ongoing expense since I'm going to continue replacing those filters anyways (besides maybe a cheap finishing filter after RO tank). Boosted up to 90psi for better light roast potential, but I only pull light roasts a few times a year. Pump and tank is kinda expensive and I assume noisy when it runs. Install is going to be a little bit of a pain with routing 3/8 tubing up the wall, over the ceiling, and down the next wall...but easy spot in attic to access and shouldn't be too difficult.

Spending $$ on the tank and pump isn't a huge concern, if it increases long-term ease and stress.

I took some quick measures off of my RO faucet today...concerned about the current pH level (I don't remember it being this low last time I measured). I replaced most of the filters, including the re-min filter only a few months ago.

TDS 57ppm (cheap electronic tester)
TA 20ppm (tritiation test)
pH 6.8 (indicator solution)

Edit: Home Master (RO manufacturer) sells a different remineralization cartridge that will boost pH higher.