{"product":{"product_id":"B002711V44","title":"Pentair Pentek WS-10, 10\" Water Softener Cartridge, 10\" x 2.5\"","price":"26.9","image_url":"https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/21Zn9hPRr7L._SL500_.jpg","url":"https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002711V44"},"comments":[{"body":"No!   Distilled water by itself is corrosive to metal parts, it has so little mineralization in it that it will actually leech metals from the pipes and boiler INTO the water.   If you go distilled, you need to re-mineralize with Third-Wave Water or one of the DIY recipes for reconstituting properly balanced water.\r\n\r\nThe Rocket softener pillow/sheet is only good for a few weeks or months, and doesn't filter all of the water in the reservoir -- just what passes \"through\" the filter.\r\n\r\nThe triple-filtered faucet .... what does it filter?  Usually that's \"taste, chlorine, and mechanical\" -- aka carbon filtration and a micron sediment filter.  It will do NOTHING for dissolved calcium in the water, aka total hardness.\r\n\r\nYou have a few options.\r\n\r\nOption #1 - Get a water softener cartridge and run your water through it.  It doesn't have to be plumbed in, you can simple hook one to a faucet and pour out a pitcher of water at a time.    Something like this:\r\n\r\n[https://www.amazon.com/Pentek-WS-10-Softener-Cartridge-155319-43/dp/B002711V44/ref=sr\\_1\\_6?dchild=1](https://www.amazon.com/Pentek-WS-10-Softener-Cartridge-155319-43/dp/B002711V44/ref=sr_1_6?dchild=1)\r\n\r\nOption #2 - Get a proper hardness filtering pitcher, like the BWT Penguin.   Be advised the cartridges are expensive, and they have a very small capacity.\r\n\r\n[https://www.wholelattelove.com/products/bwt-penguin-2-7-l-water-pitcher](https://www.wholelattelove.com/products/bwt-penguin-2-7-l-water-pitcher)\r\n\r\nUltimately, you will need to -regularly- TEST your water to be sure you are under 35-50ppm total hardness if you want to prevent scale build-up.   Regular testing will confirm if your softening method is still effective or needs to be replaced/recharged.\r\n\r\nThere are cheap test strips on Amazon that do this, but you're better off with a liquid titration test kit for the most accurate results.   It's hard to tell the difference between 25ppm and 50ppm, or 50ppm and 100pm on a test strip.\r\n\r\n[https://www.amazon.com/Hach-145300-Total-Hardness-Model/dp/B008FM7WLU/ref=sxts\\_sxwds-bia-wc-nc-drs1\\_0?cv\\_ct\\_cx=total+hardness+test+kit\u0026amp;dchild=1](https://www.amazon.com/Hach-145300-Total-Hardness-Model/dp/B008FM7WLU/ref=sxts_sxwds-bia-wc-nc-drs1_0?cv_ct_cx=total+hardness+test+kit\u0026amp;dchild=1)","subreddit_name":"espresso","author":"hammong"},{"body":"1. That's normal.  The previous valve that you took our restricted the flow to a fixed amount, and the new adjustable flow valve goes from \"completely open\" to \"completely closed\".  Your original factory equivalent setting would be about 3/4 to 1 full turn back off \"full open\". \r\n2. Normal.\r\n3. NO!  Sounds like you got it right.\r\n\r\nScale:\r\n\r\n1. Yes, that's scale you see in there.  It doesn't look bad if that's from March, but clearly your water parameters going into the machine are not ideal.   Test your hardness with a Total Hardness (TH) test strip.  You might have some chemical softening in the whole-house system, but it might not be reducing the TH below the factory-required 35ppm.  You must test.  There is no alternative.\r\n2. TDS means nothing with regard to hardness.   TDS measures silicates, metal ions, suspended dirt, salts, and other things that do not contribute to hardness.   Scale is specifically caused by calcium carbonate or rarely magnesium sulfate. \r\n3. I would advise a dedicated plumbed in water softening cartridge, and possibly a carbon/sediment block while you're at it.    Example:  \r\n[https://www.amazon.com/Pentek-WS-10-Softener-Cartridge-155319-43/dp/B002711V44/ref=sr\\_1\\_6?dchild=1](https://www.amazon.com/Pentek-WS-10-Softener-Cartridge-155319-43/dp/B002711V44/ref=sr_1_6?dchild=1)\r\n4. You have a small enough amount of scale that chemical descaling should be fine without causing problem.  I'd use 50/50 vinegar, and run a couple gallons through it.,  and then flush until you can't detect the taste/smell.   Either that, or Urnex Dezscal, with extreme flushing after you're done.","subreddit_name":"espresso","author":"hammong"}]}