Anyone here own or know about Water Softeners?

[Jessica]

Going to purchase a water softener for the house soon. My water heater is like 80% lime and its 3 years old. So new water heater too.

Anyway, I want to know if anyone can recommend a good water softener for my house. It's just a 1 bathroom, but 4 people, clothes washer and dish washer. Also, should i get a really good water filter or a simple inline filter be enough?

Thanks!

p.s., this is the only section i could think to put this in.

[SLAYER1805]

We have an EcoWater ECR 3500, don't know much about it except that it's been problem free for the past 5 years. Running 3 bathrooms, dishwasher, clothes washer all with 8 people living in the house. I will say this, I noticed the difference in the water when I started washing my car and same when taking showers, you can use less shampoo/soap because it lathers way more than normal water lol we also have a reverse osmosis drinking water system from them installed under the sink. Shit tastes like dasani/aquafina. Don't know if any of this helped but just a little bit of my input

[Lbox88]

I went through a water softener company and they installed a Kinetico. We have really high iron in our water and it takes it down to nearly nothing, only get a slight tinge on toilets after a good month and never get orange stains in our sinks. We use 2 parts standard Morton's salt to 1 part rust remover salt.

Cost was about $3k, so we just paid it off over the course of a year. Figure that since they come with a 10 year warranty from the start and there's reviews out there for people having them for 20+ years, might as well just buy a good one, do it once and get it over with. Also have someone else bust their ass in the utility room rather than me trying to muscle shit around.

I couldn't tell you the size, but it's for 2-3 people in a 2 bathroom house.

One thing you may want to consider is to have someone come in and actually test your water for all the contaminants/minerals to be sure you get one large enough and efficient enough to actually clean your water well.

[Jessica]

We have a company near me that can install one and supplies the softener, maintains the unit, provides laundry detergent and other stuff. I may call them and have them take a look.

I know my tub gets rust stains after about a week and about half the time the water smells like a pool cause the city treats it so hard.

[Lbox88]

Blech, yeah fuck that. I am assuming this is a house you own then? Sounds like with the company it would be a rental/lease deal or a service plan?

I only ask because the previous owner of my house was renting a culligan unit, and figured out over the course of them renting it for 12 years they payed over $7,200. Half that cost and I own my own until it dies and even then I can do a hell of a lot to fix rather than have to buy a new unit.

[truthsayer]

Just a little FYI, you should flush your water heater once a year.

[Jessica]

Yeah, i think its a rental thing, but i think i can buy too. I wont rent one for sure. Also, maybe i should flush my water heater once a year, but i know a lot of people who dont and they arent full of lime like mine is. If you saw it you would know i would have to flush once a month to keep up.

[Lbox88]

Is your water heater gas or electric?

[Jessica]

electric

[Lbox88]

May want to drain it and pull and check the anode rod at some point too if you have build up that bad.