# Garden hose filter for hard water



## RKT BMR (Sep 7, 2002)

jetstream23 said:


> FYI...I said the heck with the search and I'll be tapping into the filtered/softened water of the home plumbing and putting a hose bib in the garage.


 :thumbup: That's really the only way to go.


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## routesixtysixer (May 2, 2003)

FWIW, I use the Mr. Clean when I wash my car to rinse; not the spot-free rinse thing, but just the filtered water rinse setting. I have found that it does make a difference; I'm on a well in central Oklahoma, so our water is pretty hard. I actually bought the thing to use on my wife's Oldsmobile (30 minutes start to finish; no spotting; no hand-drying) and have also used it on my truck. When I wash the bimmer, I just use it for the initial rinse and then to rinse off the Zaino soap. So far I have been pretty happy with the investment.


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## rruiter (Feb 10, 2004)

routesixtysixer said:


> FWIW, I use the Mr. Clean when I wash my car to rinse; not the spot-free rinse thing, but just the filtered water rinse setting. I have found that it does make a difference; I'm on a well in central Oklahoma, so our water is pretty hard. I actually bought the thing to use on my wife's Oldsmobile (30 minutes start to finish; no spotting; no hand-drying) and have also used it on my truck. When I wash the bimmer, I just use it for the initial rinse and then to rinse off the Zaino soap. So far I have been pretty happy with the investment.


I've tried that using some meguiars soap and then rinse with the mrclean filtered setting. It did not dry up as well as when I used the mr clean soap. I still had to do a mad dash and towel the car dry.

Did you have to dry it yourself or did you let it dry by itself?


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## jetstream23 (Mar 9, 2004)

rruiter said:


> I've tried that using some meguiars soap and then rinse with the mrclean filtered setting. It did not dry up as well as when I used the mr clean soap. I still had to do a mad dash and towel the car dry.
> 
> Did you have to dry it yourself or did you let it dry by itself?


What is the best and quickest method you guys have used for drying your cars after a wash? I've seen something called a Chamois Squeegee which is basically a chamois wrapped around an 18 inch, rectangular sponge. It looks really good and seems to act like a water blade type product. However, it will absorb some of the water into the sponge that comes through the holes in the chamois material, although it should push most of the water off the vehicle, similar to a blade type product. You can wring out the squeegee. I think I'll pick one up at Pep Boys this weekend.


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## 3sulev (Sep 7, 2004)

RoughIdle said:
 

> I'm looking for solutions on dealing with hard water at my house. Has anybody had any experience with the following filter:
> 
> http://www.pwgazette.com/gardenhosefilters.htm


I just ordered the PW-SOF filter cartridge from this place, and tried it out.
Bottom line: it seems to reduce the hard water spotting by quite a bit,
in conjunction with using the Mr. Clean AutoDry Refill (Polymer) soap.
Details: I have pretty hard water in Silicon Valley and started to
try Mr. Clean AutoDry Soap and a 1-5 micron water filter. I had
white spots in areas I did not dry completely. So I decided to try the
PW-SOF soft water filter. The result is very little spotting.

The filter does reduce the water flow, but enough to wash and rinse
the car. I've only done one car washing so far, but I would expect
I should be able to wash the car 5-10 times before recharging the
filter in salt/brine solution.

I'm also following other's suggestion of washing in cool/shade, and
drying immediately. No quick-detailing or waxing on my new 325i
yet.

I bought the filter housing (GE GXWH04F) for $17 at Home Depot,
with 3/4" MIP-garden hose brass adapters for about $6. You can
also get the housing & adapters on the soft water filter website for
a bit more.


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## TOGWT (May 26, 2004)

Water Filtration:
Use a filter unit to provide spot-free vehicle washing and/or to remove hard water chemicals ((PW-SOF Sodium) from your vehicle washing hose. Utilizing standard softener resin, with a life span of approx. 90 gallons (dependant on water hardness / chemical content) between regenerations, a standard filter cartridge (9.75-inch x 2.5-inch) is contained in a clear polyurethane filter housing (HF-2) allowing you to see when the filter requires changing, unit connections are standard ¾-inch hose fittings, complete with a filter wrench and mounting bracket. . 

The filter resin (PW-SOF) can be regenerated indefinitely using readily available water softening salt. Place the used cartridge in a container with the water softening salt / water solution and soak for 12-hours or more. The salt will displace the calcium replacing it with sodium. With two filter cartridges you can use one while the other is in the regenerating solution. Filters available (PE-SOF) Sodium, for hard water (PW-CAL) Calcite to neutralize the pH (KX-1) for Chorine removal

Knowledge unshared is experience wasted
justadumbarchitect / so I question everything/ Jon


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## dternst (Oct 3, 2004)

Checkout this link. One of the members, Mystic_M3, of the RoadFly Forum developed something similar to what you're suggesting, using the same equipment.

http://bimmer.roadfly.org/bmw/forums/detailing/search.php?st=water+filter&ps=20&m=natural&o=default


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## TOGWT (May 26, 2004)

Quote: What is the best and quickest method you guys have used for drying your cars after a wash? I've seen something called a Chamois Squeegee which is basically a chamois wrapped around an 18 inch, rectangular sponge. It looks really good and seems to act like a water blade type product. However, it will absorb some of the water into the sponge that comes through the holes in the chamois material, although it should push most of the water off the vehicle, similar to a blade type product. You can wring out the squeegee. I think I'll pick one up at Pep Boys this weekend.

~One mans opinion / observations~

Drying a Vehicle using water:
·Use a low-pressure, high volume water flow to `break' the surface tension of the water laying on the paint surface with the Ultimate Nozzle™ (or if you prefer remove the nozzle) you will see the water `sheet' off, move the hose down to "feed" the sheet as it flows down the panel, this will keep the `sheet' wide and it will carry away more water.
·The remaining water can be removed using a 24" x 30"waffle weave towel (Sonus Der Wunder Drying Towel) by pulling it across the panel or using a blotting motion, do not rub This gets rid of all the remaining drops and leaves only a little moisture, which can be removed with the towel.
·Use the blow side of a vacuum cleaner to remove water from crevices, wing mirrors, license plates, etc
·Use a water blade to remove water from glass surfaces
·Dry doorjambs, sill area, seams and crevices of hood and trunk with a Waffle Weave towel

Filter / Filter Life;
The filter resin (PW-SOF) can be regenerated indefinitely using readily available water softening salt. Place the used cartridge in a container with the water softening salt / water solution and soak for 12-hours or more. The salt will displace the calcium replacing it with sodium. With two filter cartridges you can use one while the other is in the regenerating solution. Filters available: chemicals (PW-SOF, Sodium) removes hard water chemicals (PW-CAL) neutralize the pH- (Calcite) (KX-1) Chorine removal

~Hope this helps~

Knowledge unshared is experience wasted
justadumbarchitect / so I question everything/ Jon


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## CGP (Sep 18, 2013)

A reply to a 16 year old post. That has to be some kind of record.


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## ard (Jul 1, 2009)

Good chance 'person' is a spammer, trying to drive traffic to that water softener store they linked.... Who TF posts part numbers and product descriptions in a conversational post about their purchase?


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## hornhospital (Jan 7, 2008)

It was spam. Post deleted, spammer banned.


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