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Hard water is sometimes accompanied by elevated levels of ferrous iron. Typically for such water quality two separate filter units are required – an iron filter and water softener.   TFM Series units are water softeners with high iron removal capabilities. These combination units designed to soften the water and remove ferrous iron (clear water iron) at the same time. These dual purpose combo units are economical & work with regular softener salt.

Many softeners claim to have iron reduction capability as well. However, standard water softener resin has a strong affinity for iron which is hard to remove with just softener salt. Eventually the softener resin can get fouled causing the unit to malfunction and expensive repairs. Rainfresh TFM softeners with iron removal are specifically formulated with fine mesh resin beads that shallow shell that prevents the resin from getting fouled with iron. It also features a resin cleaner that strips off the iron from the resin beads. This makes TFM softeners perfectly suited to soften and remove iron.

By installing a Rainfresh TFM water softener with iron removal, your laundry come out cleaner and softer, you get spotless glasses and dishes from your dishwasher, enjoy softer bouncier hair and smoother skin after showers and prevent scale and iron build up in your bathroom and water heater. Save money and get soft, clean water!

BENEFITS

Laundry

• Clothes washed in soft water come out softer and prevent damage to fibres
• With soft water you will use up to 75% less detergent than hard water, saving you money
• Prevents red staining of clothes – Whites come out whiter
• Extends your washing machine life by preventing scale build up & iron stains

Shower and Shave

• Enjoy softer, bouncier hair & smoother skin after showers
• Prevents shower heads from clogging up due to scale
• Smoother and closer shaves & razors last longer
• Use up to 75% less shampoo and conditioners – saves you $$

Dishwasher

• Spotless glassware and dishes
• Cleaner dishwasher without iron stains
• No need for expensive dishwasher detergents
• Use up to 75% less detergent – saves you $$

Water Heater

• Reduces energy costs by preventing scale build up in water heaters

FEATURES

• Combination unit – water softener plus iron removal – saves treatment cost!
• Demand Initiated regeneration – Automatically calculates volume of water it can soften and regenerates only when necessary. Consumes up to 60% less salt than timer softeners
• Salt saving technology – Salt usage can be changed based on water quality
• High hardness removal – up to 100 GPG
• Top of the line electronic controls for high efficiency and ease of use
• Electronic controls with bilingual (English & French) display
• Easily programmable  with a touch of the button (cycle time, backwash frequency etc.)
•  360 degree rotatable connector fittings makes installation easy as they can be easily rotated to suit any installation angle or pipe direction. Also reduces cost of extra plumbing fittings
• Specially formulated resin cleaner for better iron stripping
•  ¾” NPT elbow or straight fittings
• Compact design – can be fit into tight spaces
• Full flow bypass valve standard
• Separate salt tank for easy salt loading. Salt tank can be moved around for easy access in tight places
• Easy access to control valve compared to cabinet style units

INSTALLATION

• Installs on main water line before water pipe divides into hot and cold
• Requires air-gap drain connection or drain run can be run to a laundry tub
• Bypass valve included
• 15 ft of drain hose included
• 120V AC power required (consumes only about 8W power)
• Salt cleaner included

SALT USE

• Softener salt (sold at most retailers) is consumed in the cleaning/regeneration cycle (It does not go into the water). Nugget or pellet softener salt only recommended.  Potassium salt can also be used.

WARRANTY

• 10 year limited warranty

MODEL NUMBERS AND SPECIFICATIONS

~ At 15 lbs. /regeneration

TFM Water Softener Brochure English

TFM Water Softener Manual English

TFM Water Softener Manual French

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1) How will a TFM Iron Softener make my water better?

TFM softeners are designed to be combination units that removes Iron from water as well as makes water soft.  Hard water forms white scaly deposits on shower heads and bathtubs, washing machines, faucets, water heaters and causes spotty dishes from dishwashers. Moreover hard water does not form lather easily, leading to excessive consumption of soaps, shampoos and detergents.

In concentrations over 0.3 mg/L (PPM) iron causes reddish-brown deposits (stains) on bathtubs , laundry, dishes, utensils, glassware and appliances like dishwashers, washing machines etc. It can also cause deposits in pipes, pressure tanks & water heaters reducing the available water flow and pressure

By installing a Rainfresh TFM softener with iron removal, you will get soft water + Iron reduction in the entire house, both hot and cold water.

2) What makes this unit different compared to a regular water softener?

Regular water softeners have a limit to the amount of iron that they can handle beyond which, they either get fouled with iron or do not do a good job of iron reduction. The 30TFM unit uses a specially graded resin media that handles higher levels of iron + hardness, without compromising on efficiency.

3) How much Iron can the TFM unit take out?

TFM softeners with iron removal are designed to remove a maximum ferrous iron concentration of 5 PPM (5 mg/L). If your Iron concentration is more than 5 PPM, you should install a separate Iron filter, such as the Rainfresh CAFE Iron filter or the CGFE Greensand Filter

4) How do I know if I have hard water or Iron in my water?

If you use municipally treated water, you can call your local water authority and find out your water hardness. For private water supplies, you can get your water tested free by sending a water sample to Rainfresh water test lab. click on the box at the bottom of this page for information on how to get your water tested for free.

5) Where do I install the Rainfresh TFM Water Softener with Iron Removal?

For municipally treated waters, the ideal location is just after the water meter, before the plumbing line divides into hot and cold. For well water, the ideal location is after the pressure tank before line divides into hot and cold.

6) How can I easily install it?

You can buy (or order) the Rainfresh CKS solder-less connector kit that does not require you to solder pipes. It can be used on copper, PEX and CPVC pipes and is extremely easy to use. Of course, you can solder the pipes  as well, following local codes and regulations. See the instruction manual for details

7) What do I need to do after the TFM Water softener with iron removal is installed?

The only thing you need to do is to add softener salt and resin cleaner. Check these levels every month and add more if necessary. There’s nothing else you need to do.

 8) Why does the unit need to recharge?

The softener has a certain capacity of hardness & iron removal. At some stage this capacity is exhausted and the unit needs to dump the hardness & iron down the drain and recharge itself. This is done automatically using the electronic computer valve built into the unit. The interval between regenerations depends on your water hardness and iron level and the amount of water you consume every day.

9) Does the TFM water softener recharge based on time or water usage?

Rainfresh water softeners are high efficiency and recharges only when necessary, which is based on water usage. Once the input hardness (including Iron level) is set, the computer automatically senses the amount of water that is being used and the frequency of regeneration.

10) How much water does each recharge use?

The default settings use as much water as a load of laundry.

11) Do I need a specific type of salt?

A clean pellet or nugget style salt is recommended. Iron-remover salts are also available and is highly recommended. Do not use road salt or any other type of salt.

12) Can I use Potassium Salt with the Rainfresh TFM water softener?

Yes, although not as efficient as sodium salt, you can use Potassium salt with the Rainfresh unit, but you will need to make some programming changes to the unit. Call Rainfresh for details.

13) Will I drink all the salt that I put in the water softener?

It is a common misconception that the salt goes into the water. Salt is only used to recharge the softener resin with sodium after the resin capacity has been exhausted. Following this salt-recharge, the softener undergoes a rinse cycle during which any left-over salt is discharged to drain. However, soft water does have higher levels of sodium and thus not recommended for people on sodium restricted diets.

14) Will this unit harm a septic system?

Many industry studies have concluded that softeners do not have adverse effects on septic systems. For more information, you may call the Canadian Water Quality Association.

15) Does the TFM Water Softener with Iron Removal use electricity?

Yes the unit requires a 110V AC power connection & stays plugged in all the time. However, it uses very little power, as much as a digital alarm clock

16) What is the warranty on the TFM Water Softeners?

Rainfresh softeners have a limited 5 year warranty with a 10 year warranty on the mineral tank. Call Rainfresh for details

Have more questions? Enter you own question below and our customer service will get back to you within 24 hours.

To buy parts online visit Rainfresh webstore :

Water softener iron removal is a specially formulated water softener designed to remove ferrous iron levels up to 5 PPM in addition to hard water. Hard water is sometimes accompanied by elevated levels of ferrous iron. Typically for such water quality two separate filter units are required – an iron filter and water softener.   TFM Series units are water softeners with high iron removal capabilities. These combination units designed to soften the water and remove ferrous iron (clear water iron) at the same time. These dual purpose combo units are economical & work with regular softener salt.

Many softeners claim to have iron reduction capability as well. However, standard water softener resin has a strong affinity for iron which is hard to remove with just softener salt. Eventually the softener resin can get fouled causing the unit to malfunction and expensive repairs. Rainfresh TFM water softener iron removal is specifically formulated with fine mesh resin beads that shallow shell that prevents the resin from getting fouled with iron. It also features a resin cleaner that strips off the iron from the resin beads. This makes TFM water softener iron removal perfectly suited to soften and remove iron levels up to 5 PPM.

Regular maintenance simply requires addition of softener salt and the resin cleaner, both of which are available from retail stores. With TFM softeners, we, however, do not recommend the salt setting be set for lower than 9 lbs/cu ft.

By installing a Rainfresh TFM water softener, your laundry come out cleaner and softer, you get spotless glasses and dishes from your dishwasher, enjoy softer bouncier hair and smoother skin after showers and prevent scale and iron build up in your bathroom and water heater. Save money and get soft, clean water!

For a regular water softener without iron removal, see 2-tank water softener