Residential Domestic Water Treatment
 

I am purchasing a new home and am researching best water treatment options. I have been recommended three options: water softener, reverse osmosis & filtration system. Looking for best system based on cost, effectiveness and maintenance. Thank you for any input!

Here is a fourth recommendation. Do nothing. The tap water is fine just the way it is.

We live in Hillsborough (near Brownwood and Eisenhower) and have found no need for any treatment.

Under districtgov.org you should be able to find your utility company and a recent water quality report that might be useful to determine if you need a treatment system.

Many Villagers install the Nova whole house water filter system. It is a 3 phase filter. After you see how brown the first filter gets, you will be glad you have it. Nova is owned by a Villager and is the most reasonable priced system available. Do not believe those salespeople who come to your door.

(352) 566-2649
Nova Filters | Water Softeners | The Villages Fl

Best not to assume you need a system.
 

Review the water quality reports, they vary by county so it depends on what county you are moving to. Move in, taste the water. Buy a good quality water filter for your fridge and enjoy life. Simple as that.

It depends what your goals are.

Reverse osmosis is perfect if your water is not drinkable, it is drinkable without further treatment. It is routinely checked for contamination.

Water filters, well filter. There is some value in this but it is just a filter.

Water softener are ion exchange machines. They exchange the calcium ions which are attached to the h2o molecules making it softer.

By itself our water is drinkable it is also soft enough that suds form with our untreated water, it does not rapidly stain toilets or sinks...

All three can be purchased on Amazon or other outlets. No one firm has a better product. Physics are not changed by marketing. If you want any certain system I would buy the cheapest best rated product and DIY install or use a plumber.

This is what came out of some of that yummmmmmy unfiltered water after around 11 months of use over the last 2 January's. The roughage from the sediment likely keeps your teeth nice and white and defoliates your skin quite well. :D :D I guess it's how one defines "fine." They test it and say it's "safe" and I have no doubt that is IS SAFE but still grosses me out to know (have known) I was swallowing all that sand and safe dirt. :D

But, none of that really matters if you don't use the tap water for your drinking water. Also, I am always concerned about having potable water sit in a filter system where it can become contaminated with bacteria. I know the water treatment people say it is perfectly safe, but I am still skeptical.

The water from our fridge filtered water is much better tasting than my sister’s water with a whole house filter. I know taste is subjective but the difference is vast. Hubby got some water from their tap, tasted it and emptied it right back into the sink. I know they maintain the system with salt on a monthly basis.

Sorry, I don't understand. Filtered potable water is used for everything from washing clothes to bathing, to drinking from the tap and out of the refrigerator ice and water dispenser and even washing the car. Every time you flush the water or use it for anything in your home it is moved through the filter. I don't think it stagnates enough to cause bacterial growth and if that were the case there would be major worldwide complaints about filters in general. All those fridge filters are used less frequently and they don't seem to have a problem (we don't use one in our fridge because we have this filter). That aside, water sits in the hot street pipes just as long that are likely coated with "gunk" on the inside and who knows what else. Plus the water is highly chlorinated both in the pipes and the filter until it exits which probably kills bacteria (think swimming pool). We've had a whole house filter over the last probably 40 years with never a problem.

Truth is, I would have NEVER bothered to get one here but my wife said the chlorine which was VERY STRONG and obvious in our home shower & tap water when we moved in here was damaging her hair so I couldn't refuse. :) I did agree, it smelled like a swimming pool. That may be local to our specific area but it was very noticible.

I don't have all the answers. But, I worked in a large urban water treatment plant for a few years. They had many redundant quality control processes to ensure that water samples were collected from multiple sources, including individual houses, and tested every day for turbidity and bacterial contamination, and that it was safe to use and drink. They spent millions of dollars to ensure that they produced a high quality, safe product. So, I do not feel the need to add a relatively cheap filtration system to try to improve on what I believe is already an excellent potable water product. If you don't like the taste, drink bottled water, but the tap water is safe. That is just my opinion.

Yes, I agree and as I wrote in my post, according to the folks who test the local water supply that comes into your home to the tap, the toilet and the shower (all the same water) it is 100% completely safe. However all that gunk that comes out of it and sticks to filters is still there (safe or otherwise) and you drink it, wash in it and flush with it. However SAFE only means it meets or exceeds specific government minimum standards and won't make you sick or cause disease or doesn't have more than xx% of whatever that CAN make you sick but doesn't mean it is NOT loaded with gunk as can be seen quite obviously on removed filters. That's all I'm sayin' For me, seeing all that "sediment" which is a fancy word for "dirt, sludge or, LOL, minerals" that I am drinking and bathing in is pretty gross and the less I ingest or wash in the happier I am. . It's not ONLY drinking water so bottled water doesn't completely solve it.

We had Nova install a whole house filter the day we moved in. I am picky about water and just wanted it done. It was $600 at the time. We do not like the feel of soft water so we did not install a softener.

I'm concerned about water quality in TV. I happen to have notifications about water quality issues and they are quite frequent! I always prefer treated water. I personally use the brand ZERO water filters just for drinking. I don't mind untreated water for the rest of the house.

Well said. I for one agree.

Essentially what we do. Member’s Mark (Sams Club) for drinking. Uses reverse osmosis. Prefer over “spring” water.

It does make a difference
 

I'm not pushing any type of filtration system. I purchased a top-of-the-line unit which sits in my garage. It does make a difference and I realized it right away. I would change the filter in my refrigerator ever so many months, not only would the frig remind me with an alert, but the flow would slow to a trickle. I still have refrigerator filters in my closet, but when the alert sounds, I just reset it. Also, I notice right away I no longer had lime build up. I've had the system for about three years.

What system do you have? Our current whole house filter that needs to be changed every 3 months turns orange within a week when newly installed.

A Nova system for me. So much sand and grit in our chlorine water. Nova removes all at a small price.

Very pleased with Nova. And it was designed by a Village resident.

Filtration does not remove minerals, just anything in the water that is floating around that is above a certain micron size. A water softener is needed to remove minerals. There is no question of the water safety, our water is safe. I believe that we like the water we grew up drinking the best and water that tastes differently from that just does not taste as good. A filter can mitigate that taste factor. Yes, I went with NOVA and it does taste better.

I would think there is no harm in a Nova-type system. Definitely do not install a water softener or RO System. They are like printers... relatively cheap to buy, but they kill you on the ink refills. Also, if they sit for a month, the water does go bad and you have to sanitize the whole system. I had a softener and a RO system in my pre-owned home. I fought with them for a year and finally just tore them out.

None - hyped up demand. Don't need.

Basic softener and filters
 

The Village's water is rather hard and heavily chlorinated. You will be happy if you purchase a basic softener and filter combination.

1. Buy a simple salt-based softener. If you haven't owned one before, it eliminates soap scum on your laundry, shower walls, your hair and everything else. You'll use less soap and everything will be cleaner. Don't listen to sales pitches for anything other than the simple salt-based system. No salt is added to your water. It is only used to exchange a. sodium ion(which is not salt) for a calcium ion, the calcium being the reason the water is "hard". Most likely, you will have to fill the salt tank only once a year. I fill ours every January as the date is easy to remember. I checked the level today and it is still half full.

2. Buy a simple two-stage cartridge filter system. The first filter removes sediment, the second is activated charcoal and removes chlorine and anything else which would create an odor. Your tap water will taste and smell just like bottled water.

There is no need to buy a three-stage filter system. The third filter is to remove heavy metals, none of which are present in our water.

Here's the best piece of advice and one which I wish I had been given. Buy the 10 inch filters and not the 20". These are the lengths of the filters and plastic holders. The filters are held in an elongated blue plastic cup with threads at the top which screw into the holder. Installing new filters is relatively easy. Removing them is not. When you remove a filter, it is filled with water and is very heavy. You will be on your hands and knees and working upside down. You will put a large wrench on the filter and, probably, hitting it with a hammer to break it free. You will then be turning the filter by hand and hoping you can hold it when it is finally free of the holder. Of course, you'll have a bucket under the filter to catch any water which overflows the cup. However, it is quite cumbersome to do this without getting yourself and the floor of your garage wet. The 10 inch filters are much easier to handle.

The softeners and filter sets are sold at Home Depot and Lowes and each will set you up with a qualified plumber. Nova is a reputable dealer/installer, although they try to sell a three-filter 20" set. Any plumbing company will sell and install the equipment. Ask your neighbors for recommendations and read the many postings on this site.

water filtration systems
 

When we first moved in, the water filter guys came flooding to our door! Especially the really, really overpriced ones! We went with Nova after much research. No regrets. Great system and great service.

you don't really need to do anything... OR you can be like the rest of them and get suckered in for all those things. mine had both - such a waste of money. We've lived in Florida for decades never needed any of it. So I removed all of it and everything is fine.

I am interested in your notifications about drinking water quality. Are Federal drinking water standards not being met here? Most treatment is for aesthetic reasons.

We didn’t like the taste, sporadic chlorine smell, and sediment so we installed a whole house Nova filter (~$600) and have a Pur Plus filter for drinking water, although it isn’t needed. We will upgrade as needed.

Water
 

IMO large three element water filter and a softener. Just don't fall the scam people wanting 8000 to 13000 for a system. Professionaly in stalled should be under 4000. I did it myself for about 1100. Softener from Discount Water softener on line and filter from Amazon

"Turbidity" is the term used to quantify the cloudiness of water. It is measured in Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU). Drinking water should have a turbidity level of less than 0.3 NTU or even lower, and it is regulated by the EPA. It would be interesting if a water treatment company like NOVA would measure the turbidity level of their customer's water before and after installing a system, rather than to show you a photo of a new clean filter and a discolored one a year later. It is very easy to do, and it would provide a more definitive measurement of the effectiveness of their system.

Water system
 

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We live north of 466 and when we moved in 4 years ago the dishwasher was so caked with mineral sediment I couldn’t get it off so we bought a Kinetico System, very happy with it.

QUOTE=rexhays;2140805]I am purchasing a new home and am researching best water treatment options. I have been recommended three options: water softener, reverse osmosis & filtration system. Looking for best system based on cost, effectiveness and maintenance. Thank you for any input![/QUOTE]

I am on my 3rd home in TV, #1 in buttonwood and #2 in lake deaton, put in colligan system because of hard water and lime deposits. Used salt no problems. #3 house also in buttonwood I have done nothing YET but need to as lime deposit and hard water are really bad. Friend suggested EC Water. Will call them after the storm has passed.

Like most things there are people HAPPY to sell you something. You will also find people who have bought whatever system will think the decision they made is wise.

First question is WHY. We do not have a water treatment system. For drinking and cooking water we use the filtered water from our refrigerator. We do find some filters, brands of filters, are better than others so are brand loyal. We have hard water. It contains limestone.
For clothes washing adding Borax solves that issue.

Filtration is the same as what we are doing except you are filtering all the water. I assume as we have discovered quality of filters is not all the same. Our water is pretty good. It is not like a private well. Unlike our previous home, we have great water pressure.

Re: the filters in Refrigerator door.
We use that for drinking and cooking water. Not all people have a refrigerator with that feature. Far as when to change that filter, the indicator is based on TIME not how much water has gone through the filter. By design, your refigerator came with a tube to by pass the filter. Should be an inexpensive part, if it has been lost. Old filters are a perfect place for bacterior to grow in.

Far as lime deposits on shower head etc. Vinegar, a mild acid takes it right off. One of those pulsed shower heads, you can easily take it off and soak it in vinegar. DO NOT MIX VINEGAR WITH BLEACH-IT RELEASED CLORINE GAS.

Purchased a spec home in Casson Hammock this past December, moved in 5 weeks later. NOVA whole house filter, softener and reverse osmosis installed shortly afterward. BEST tasting water we’ve ever had and that includes NYC and Suffolk County Water Authority. Great service too. Highly recommend.

I agree. We could smell the chlorine when running water. I had a Hague WaterMax water softener installed. It takes out the chlorine and gives us soft water. The waterspots on the shower door are almost completely gone and we use much less soap product.

I believe it's marketed by a Village resident.

Thank you all for your great information!

i recommend Pegasus whole home filtration. located in wildwood, they move pretty fast getting the unit in. drop by their office to see all types of H20 treatments. good luck!

Here is the link to The Villages e-Notifications sign up:
districtgov.org