Quote:
Originally Posted by MX rider
We just bought a home in TV. We have a softener here in Indiana due to very hard water. What would be the best to have? We only want to do one of these options.
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Buy both a softener and a canister filter. Don't waste money listening to a salesperson and buying one of the "premium" system which cost thousands of $. Just go to Home Depot or Lowe's and order a basic softener which uses salt and a separate iSpring carbon filter. The water in TV is relatively hard and, worse, it is heavily chlorinated. The carbon filter removes the chlorine and the softener will improve the efficiency of your dishwasher and washing machine, eliminate the build-up of scale on your faucets, and provide for a better shower.
If you are used to a softener, you will be very disappointed in TV if you do not have one.
As to a whole house water filter, there are sets with one, two, and three filters. The first in line will be for sediment. I have it, but feel it is not really necessary. The second in line will be for lead and heavy metals-manganese etc. There is no need for this filter. The third is for chlorine, which is the one you want and need.
Canister filters come in 10 and 20 inch sizes. In general, the manufacturers of these systems advise to change the 10" filters every 6 months and the 20" every year. I changed my 20" filters after the first year and learned that they could, probably, been used another 6 months. As most homes in TV house only two people, water use is not particularly heavy. It's not like when we had three kids running around the house with multiple showers every day along with multiple loads of wash and dishes. In fact, the salt usage of our water softener is so low that I was shocked at the length of time I could go before having to add a bag of salt.
Consider buying the canister carbon filter in the 10" size instead of the 20", even though you may have to change the 10" twice as often. These filters and the plastic canister in which they sit, are heavy! This is particularly so when changing filters as the canister and filter are filled with water. I can handle the 20", but would prefer the 10". I'm certain my wife would not be able to handle the 20".
Finally, I highly recommend the iSpring brand of filters. Last month, I tried to save a few dollars and bought the Anchor brand when changing filters. The Anchor brand appeared identical in all respects to the iSpring and was 2/3rds the price. Big mistake! For reasons I cannot explain, the Anchor brand carbon filter did not remove the chlorine smell. Frankly, I was shocked when I first turned on the faucet that evening to brush my teeth, had my head directly over the sink, and thought I was being "gassed". After two weeks of trying the Anchor filter, I gave up and replaced it with an iSpring. The chlorine smell immediately disappeared. I have no explanation why the Anchor filter did not work. I just know it did not and the iSpring did.