Need Water Softener Recommendations

[woofwoofgrrl]

I am preparing to buy my house a water softener.  I am at a total loss as to what I should get.  Do I go with the expensive "service" companies like Kinetico or Culligan? Or do I get a brand sold in one of our local plumbing supply places or a Sears/Lowes/Home Depot special? I have hard water (around 8-10 gpg)  that also has iron in it that has been treated with "Iron Mag" by the water department.  The iron comes out of solution when we're in the jacuzzi tub and leaves a lovely bathtub ring. Therefore I would ideally like both problems -hardness and iron- treated. 

A few other questions - how do I decide how 'big' of a softener to get?  We are a 4 person, 2 dog household, with a soda fountain to satisfy my Diet Coke addiction. 

We have a household in-line carbon water filter already, should we keep it and if we do, does it go before or after the water softener? 

Thanks so much!!!

Christine

[mark mac]

You want to keep the house filter before water softner, the water softner should take care of harness and iron, go to lowes or sears, pick one up pretty easy to install,there rated by gallon use they should be able to pick right one for u

[telefunkenu47]

I second thst. You just cant beat the sears/stayright water softener for the money. There a lot of sharks out there, so beware.Try to find a water treatment outfit where the owner actually has a degree in chemical engineering or something like that. Have the water tested by an independent lab that isnt trying to sell you something. You cannot test for arsenic etc in the home, or out in the van for that matter, so if they do, tell them to leave, or run for your life. good luck

[davidg]

Your water is not that hard. This has a bearing on the size of water softener you need also.  I would advise treating the irom first the hardness second and then the carbon filter. Iron lessons the ability of the water softener so treat iron first always.  the carbon filter is just for taste and odor, you don't want it full of iron or hard water; you will just be changing the carbon way more oftern than needed.  Sears is as good as any out there and service is usually cheaper; make sure you have qualified techs in your area b4 purchase at sears. Good luck

[certified tech group 51]

Too late to get into the game?? we use a Sears model 625.342502 water softner Hi -capacity 50 With two filters  ( before w/s ) run parallal, model 625.34601, filters are rated to 10 microns ......   Morton water softener pellets with rust remover...... We are on a well , three homes,  total 6 people and total of three dogs......I have been to homes that have the complete systems, prices are $3000 to $ 4000 parts and labor.......that is out of my range..... the system at my place has been in use since 1989, just change filters once  a year  and add pellets as needed, check once a month...... If we  use  regular pellets not the additive rust remover, in only a few weeks, the rust color is into everything, orange shaded work shirts, bath tub ring,  toilet,  coffee pot, orange shaded dinner plates..............................

[Buckeye310]

I have kinetico. My first one lasted over 30 years. I recently bought a new one for about 2400 installed. It's smaller than the old one, but it also is using less salt. And it works great.