Really? the first one was installed by Barrets a local Montgomery company and I just went with what they recommended. 15 years later that took a dump and I replaced it with a Sears one, and that crapped out after a year.Originally Posted by JKalchik
Maybe I need to research a little more. I've been out here 35 yrs, and before that I was a city boy living on the southside of Chicago.
Never knew what a water softener was used for till I came out to the super boonies.
Tim
Different smokes for different folks. Wish the Dollar Store sold gas!
<snicker> Montgomery, IL, the super boonies? I'm not sure what you'd think of where we're living, and it's still relatively urban compared a lot of area out west.
G/f used to work for Heartland Blood Center out in Aurora. We're not entirely unfamiliar with the area..... having said that, in '95, my boss & I introduced a fine young gentleman (no, that's not tongue in cheek, he really was/is a good guy) from downtown Chicago to a horseback ride on a convention trip to Keystone, CO. He'd never been closer to a horse than through a TV screen. You & Eric would probably speak the same language.
On the subject of softeners.... when we bought this house 10 years ago, the softener clockworks and valving had frozen up completely. While I really did (and still do) want a Kinetico, they're really proud of the name. After a water test, I bought a softener and plumbed it in myself, and I can replace it 4 more times before I'll even cover the cost of a used Kinetico.
Water softeners do vary widely, and you do want to get the right one for your water chemistry and goals.
That's a shout out to John Coleman who did the weather for channel 7 ABC in Chicago.
He always referred to the Aurora, Montgomery area as the Super Boonies when it came time for cold temps in the winter.
Tim
Different smokes for different folks. Wish the Dollar Store sold gas!
Ah.... that makes a lot more sense. I do remember that some downtown folks thought that anything west of Harlem Ave was completely uncivilized.And I lived something like another 15 miles west.
Carry on.
Living in Chicago with Chicago water which only has about 3 grains hardness yeah no softener is needed. But if you're on ANY kind of well water especially in northern IL and not using a softener you're making your plumbing and appliances commit suicide. Especially if like me you use modern higher tech equipment. I.e. tankless water heater, high efficiency washer, dishwasher, etc.
As for feeling slickness in the water, the reason this happens is there are no dissolved minerals which actually absorb any soap/detergent you use. Which is also why you need MUCH less to do the same/better job of cleaning. I even have a soft water line outside to wash the car with. End of water spots and no need to chamois.
Dissolved minerals do so much harm to the plumbing it's just beyond funny. As for drinking an RO system does the trick for that. The membrane actually can remove any leftover salt in the water so it's so pure you can even water house plants with it. Also keeps the coffee maker so much cleaner. No need to "descale" all the time
Hrrrm. IMO, a filtration system is not necessarily a replacement for a softener, and there are things that filtration flat-out will not do. If you don't need the chemical change that an ion exchange column can provide, then a filtration system may be all you need.
My brother's old house had a lot of iron content in the well water, I don't think a simple filter (okay, even a complex filter,) can eliminate that.
Water filtration will not prevent or remove calcium and lime buildup in you water system. I am not sure what his system costs BTW but Morton already makes a similar system that costs about $299. But again all it does is improve the perceptual quality of the water. Hardness content BTW does not mean it's low quality. AT issue is modern systems can't take the minerals dissolved in the ground water much of the country has to use. Those mineral can and do badly damage nearly every fixture and appliance in your home. So a true ion exchange softener is the only way to truly protect those systems. That "slippery" feel is how water is supposed to feel. It's also an advantage as with a properly working system you can use half the detergent and soaps you normally use, things also dry without hard water deposits all over them as well. When I had bought my home the po did not use the softener for about 2 years prior to my purchase. The amount of plumbing and appliance damage was incredible. Luckily once I put a working system in much of it reversed (quite visibly). The crud that started coming out was amazing. We did have to replace the water heater though, the dishwasher, a toilet, some faucets, etc and some pipes but since I have always had a working system and no damages not even to my very sensitive tankless water heater. In 15 years it hasn't even needed a descaling. Also a PROPERLY working system will have no discernible "salt" in the water and any difference in taste can be made up by using an RO filtration system. I have mine plumbed to the kitchen sink and my ice maker. I now get crystal clear (like commercial) ice with no flakes of minerals falling into my expensive whiskey
I'm doing some research on water softeners and fleck seems like a good choice. I think it's the same as ABC but I could be wrong ?
Thoughts? ( sorry for the hijack, Clint)
Tim
Different smokes for different folks. Wish the Dollar Store sold gas!
Don't be! I'm happy to follow along. I'm interested in this stuff too.
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