Gotta pick out a Water softener.

[Dingeryote]

I was encouraged to install a Softener over in the Kitchen appliance page, to deal with the calcium in our well water.

I hate doing it, but it makes sense to save the appliances. I'll just have to run more plumbing for drinking and cooking water, and deal with the septic tank issues as they arise.

That leaves the issue of which manufacturer.

I have three options locally.

Culligan 15 miles away.

Menards and thier "Waterboss" brand 18 miles away.

Nearest sears is 40 miles away.

Then there's ordering off the web.

Any reccomendations based on cost, reliability, salt consumption, parts availability, etc.?

Thanks!

[kdog]

First thing you want to do is have that water tested to see eggsactly (pun intended) you are treating for. You evidently have iron in your water (there are various types) that can be detrimental to the softeners media bed, and can also contain bacteria's etc.

having serviced many ecowater products over the years I would have no problem recommending their equipment, but having the right unit(s) to treat the specific water sample is the key to your decision. Step 1 is to identify the treatment you are going to try to make, and I would think that any of the Mfrs would be happy to make recommendations specific to your needs.

http://www.uswatersystems.com/shop/categories/Water-Testing-%26-Monitoring/

[Bullstok]

My neck-o-the-woods is mostly all septic systems. There are softeners all over. I don't think the salt backwash makes much difference. Everyone is always paranoid because they are told if they dont pray every night to the septic gods, the whole thing will fail. There are softeners capable of handling a fair amount of iron but normally 3-4 parts is as much as you want to push it. Iron can foul the resin eventually. The main thing to look for is contact time between the resin and the water. This is why I don't like water boss. They are too short and have too short contact time. Softeners all have pretty much the exact same resin no mater what you are told. You generally want a head that is metered (to only regenerate by your use, not a timer) and seems fairly durable.

[kdog]

Using the Softener to remove Iron stresses it's capacity so that the regeneration time is increased, in some cases adding a "clean" cycle (aka - backwash) - Therefore, septic systems are effected by the volume of water drained through in the process. This means icreased draining of system or modification of fields. You are also adding alot of Salt to the mix which can also be an issue.

Similarly Well supply is taxed.

[Bullstok]

I have a 4" submersible well of 3/4 horse power. I have 5 parts iron added to 28 unadjusted hardness. A undersized septic tank for my family of 5 (3 girls) and 10' of crappy incorrect leach field (one branch) that ends in a hole filled with gravel, also 30 years old. I have the tank pumped every 2 years. Have been here 10 years. I go through probably 100 lbs of salt a month or more because the shower is the only quiet spot in the house.

I am not saying that i don't agree with you kdog, your points are correctly made. If i wasnt capable of replacing the whole system myself i might be worried. I guess I just have a balanced amount of prayers. Either that or the plumbing gods decided my job was punishment enough for now.

I would love a softener guy out probing around a septic tank for size and comparing that with usage of the family to see if the added load would be within design of the septic system. That would be something. Almost every septic system is too small if over 25 years or so. We use more water these days, softener or not. I would think that If 60 gallons more water every few days breaks the camel, it was gonna break either way. That's less than a 30 minute showers worth. Just MHO though, not starting crap

[telefunkenu47]

Dollar for dollar you cant beat the sears softener. Fairly easy to replace the rotor and seal. You may need to clean the resin bed with resin bed cleaner twice a year. You can switch to the potassium chloride product if youre on a sodium restricted diet. Just my opinion, but the cost is at least 50 percent less than any of the proprietary brands out there. Thats just my opinion. Also, be sure to install a sediment filter upstream of any softener you buy, regardless.