Should RO be placed before or after water softener?!

[Frozen Tundra Reef Dreams]

Hi All,

I have well water and RO/DI unit with separate cation, anion and mixed bed. I currently have it installed before the softener. Reason being is I also do hydroponic gardening and microgreens in winter time. It is suggested on internet that r0 does not get all the sodium out. I was having garden issues at the time so I switched it to before the softener. I have since added the DI cartridges. I am curious what is harder or easier on the ro unit and DI? If already softened there will be no calcium, magnesium for it to remove but its replaced with I think 2 sodium ions. wasn't sure if either fouls the membrane or exhausts the DI faster than the other. I have also recently fabbed and installed a degassification system utilizing 4"pvc stack. I am still exhausting anion resin too quickly, (water testing completed awaiting results) Just another reason which makes me wonder if it should be before or after the softener.

Before Softener my TDS is 356. After TDS is in the 700's.

 

[Malcontent]

After.

 

[KStatefan]

After the soften since the sodium is less likely to scale the membrane than magnesium and calcium. The TDS should not be that different before or after.

I would call someone that specializes in systems like Russ @Buckeye Hydro

 

[Frozen Tundra Reef Dreams]

After the soften since the sodium is less likely to scale the membrane than magnesium and calcium. The TDS should not be that different before or after.

I would call someone that specializes in systems like Russ @Buckeye Hydro

I bugged him enough lately lol and I'm afraid budget is super tight currently and cant repay his kindness with my patronage until after the holidays. Just hoping to get my head wrapped around all the science before I pull triggers on purchases. Thank you!