Wells, Sump Pumps and Septic Sewage Systems - Environmental Water Systems

Does anyone know about them or used there whole house filter? I need to get a new softener or filter for my home. It would be nice not to have to lug salt down into the basement :)

Let me know..

Alex

I know enough to know not to use them if possible. Often people get the idea they need them, but they really don't.

This is not to say that nobody needs them. Just that 90% of the people that think they need them really don't.

Those guys selling "water treatment" systems run some "free" tests and say the everybody needs what they have to sell.

You may not be convinced (sales pitches die hard after thousands have been mis-spent), but what I am saying is the truth. A little iron in the water never hurt anybody -- too much clogs the lines.

Do they work? I know water softeners have their limitations and negatives, just trying to make sure I have all my information before I go out and buy a new system.

You need to find someone other than me to ask. Before you spend another penny, get your water tested by an independent lab, then ask around locally for someone to look at the results to see what you need, if anything.

If you are lugging salt down to the basement it is because someone determined that your water needs to have hardness removed.
There is no practical substitute for ion exchange or salt type softening and if you are getting information to the contrary you are being scammed.

Maintain your softener, keep lugging salt down and don't get sucked in by slick sales pitches.

As suggested, get your water tested by an independant lab, not a sales company and take it from there.

"to have hardness removed."

That's where I have a problem. How hard is too hard? Some people think that any iron (and other minerals) means they have hard water and so they need to spend a lot of money removing it with a softener.

Others, (like me) have seen water so hard it practically stood in place when poured from the tap, but I could live with it.

I'm on city water now and there are people here that insist they "need" water softeners and they run them and they lug salt and spend lots of money for (in my opinion) nothing.

So, from what I have seen, it's kind of a relative thing.

What I suggest is to try the raw water for a while. See if it is awful, or whether you can live with it. Expect blue and red stains in the sink, that's normal and not a big deal. Awful black stains in the toilet, on the other hand, would give me pause and I would probably want to fix that. I get some black stains now on city water and I suspect that is why people are paying for treatment systems, but I just clean my toilet once a week instead.

If you can't stand it, then get an independent water test and a system.

I'm not a water quality expert.

We have our own well and I am sending out to get my water tested. Both softener companies said we have 27 grains of hardness and 2 ?? of iron. My wife does not like the taste of it unsoftened, and drinking softened water is not the healthiest either I believe. Bathing with soft water leaves you feeling not clean afterwards..?

It's just that there is soooo much information/disinformation that it makes it hard decide.

This company sells softeners, whole house filters and RO systems.. EWSWATER dot COM

27 grains means you are on the low end of "slightly hard." Much lower than that and you wouldn't be considered hard at all.

Drinking Water Hard Water Hardness Calcium Magnesium Scale Stained Laundry (http://www.water-research.net/hardness.htm)

There is a mineral taste to it, but it is not a health hazard. People pay for mineral water (yeah, I know, no fizz.)

Softened water means salt in the water. For me, that is a health hazard, but I am older and you may not be.

Some people that grew up on chlorinated/fluoridated city water just can't stand the way "raw" water tastes. It's what they got used to when they were growing up. Didn't have bottled mineral water, either.

Can't fight that.

First off...please clarify...27 grains (per gallon) or mg/L?? BIG DIFFERENCE and people everywhere exress the number either way. If it is 27 grains (per gallon) you are off the chart and should be softening your water for sure. The iron at 2 (ppm) is pretty high as well...some debate on an acceptable level, but the staining threshold is somewhere around 0.30 ppm.

Softeners do not put salt in the finished drinking water. The salt is used to re-generate the resin bed of the softener unit, and is backwashed to waste. There is absolutely no health risk.

I'm no expert by any means...but I thought the sodium level of softened water WAS slightly increased? I seem to recall something about people on low sodium diets being cautioned about drinking softened water...

More info pls?

There is some good info on sodium in softened water here (http://www.systemsaver.com/windsor-website/education/water-facts/sodium-in-water.html).

Basically it says that if your water has 20 gr/gal hardness you would have softened water that would contain 447 mg of sodium/3 quarts.
Considering that 5000 mg is the recommended maximum salt intake for a healthy person the salt in 3 qts of water is 8.2% of recommended daily intake.
Or, about as much salt as in two slices of white bread.

The health risk is primarily to people who are on extremely restricted salt diets but these people are usually very sick.

There is also a misconception that potassium to regenerate a softener is a healthier alternative to sodium but this is not totally true.
People who are on salt restricted diets are also supposed to restrict potassium intake as well.
The main purpose of potassium as a regenerant is if there is vegetation damage around a septic field.
Potassium acts as a fertilizer and would force you to cut your grass more often. :rolleyes:

Thanks Greg...quick and simple answer. It was purely curiosity on my part.

Though I really don't think I could ever consume 5000 GRAMS of sodium in a day...lol. I know..prob a typo.

First off...please clarify...27 grains (per gallon) or mg/L?? BIG DIFFERENCE and people everywhere exress the number either way. If it is 27 grains (per gallon) you are off the chart and should be softening your water for sure. The iron at 2 (ppm) is pretty high as well...some debate on an acceptable level, but the staining threshold is somewhere around 0.30 ppm.

Softeners do not put salt in the finished drinking water. The salt is used to re-generate the resin bed of the softener unit, and is backwashed to waste. There is absolutely no health risk.

I would think its the lower of the two options??? Our water is hard.. but not that HARD?? I am sending out for full testing to be better educated and calm my wifes worries. I like the softened water, but wanted to make sure I'm not replace one negative with another.. and lugging salt down to the basement is not the most fun.. but good exercise :)

Most people here have answered the questions already but to put a neat bow on it...

1)hardness and iron "threshold" levels are subjective. Some people can't stand 10 GPG (grains per gallon) hardness or .5 PPM iron. Others actually like hard water and want to leave the iron in the water. Your tolerance for hardness and iron is the best indicator of what is "too high". Most city water is between 8 and 12 grains hard so compare your well water to that.

2)Most water conditioning experts will test for hardness using the GPG methodology rather than the Mg/L method because almost every water softener is programmed with the GPG parameter in mind. 1 GPG hardness is actually equal to 17 Mg/L when measuring hardness so if someone says they tested your hardness at 27 then knowing which methodology they used is crucial when sizing equipment to install. Most private labs will test the water in Mg/L because it is more accurate but when sizing a softener you will need to convert that to GPG in order to size a unit properly.

3)Iron at 2 PPM is what I would consider high but I have tested water for many people who live with it and never filter it. Iron that high will stain clothes, toilet bowls, showers, etc but if you don't mind cleaning it is not harmful. pH of the water is key in filtering iron so make sure you have a pH test performed before deciding what equipment you want to buy. Post all the test results and I'm sure people will be happy to give opinions on equipment.