Any horror stories for NOT having a water softener?

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Old 01-19-2019, 08:40 AM
MorTech MorTech is offline
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Just want to add that TV water is perfectly safe...It is actually better than national average.

Beware of the maggots that try to sell you a $400 water softener for $3000 when you first move in.
Just go to HomeDepot and get the GE softener/filter machine for $800 and get a plumber to install it.
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Old 01-20-2019, 07:55 AM
TimeForChange TimeForChange is offline
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Lived in Village of Charlotte for four years and used a softner we bought at Lowes. Worked well and we needed it. Wife complained about stains on dishes. Moved to Village of N La Belle 3 years ago and do not need one. Don't know why but depends on where you live and what water conditions are.
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Old 01-21-2019, 05:19 AM
Villagesgal Villagesgal is offline
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I work for the utility dept., water. You don't need a water softener here. We all have plastic pipes here in the Villages, they won't clog unless you flush wipes.
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Old 01-21-2019, 06:44 AM
itawa itawa is offline
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we live in fenney. The water comes from the city of Wildwood that has a history of lawsuits for adding fees to pay for police force in addition to water. The City won an award for its water quality but. the water is brown. They claim its the new construction. the toilets had lime rings and black rings. The dishwasher smells poorly. There is no water pressure. The water tasted clammy. I installed a whole house filter with sediment and carbon filter and change them every three months. The clammy taste is gone. The sediment filter turns brown and traps large globus like particles. seems to help but still have the lime rings. the water ph tested alkaline. thinking of a reverse osmosis filter but waiting for the Villages to take over the system. Hope this helps.
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Old 01-21-2019, 07:22 AM
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We agree softeners are not required, they are an add-on option, the water in Fenney is a bit harder than the main part of TV and we have installed more there.

Cost is another consideration as well, ours is $899 but we don't charge thousands like others.

Softeners only perform one function removing calcium & magnesium.
They do not filter out sediment, chlorine, taste, odor and other impurities.

If you do opt to add softener using potassium chloride rather than plain salt has more benefits for a number of reasons.

A metered softener uses less water than the timed system because they regen only after a set number of gallons are used instead of a set day of the week regardless of how much water is used.


.
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Old 01-21-2019, 07:51 AM
hacker5539 hacker5539 is offline
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Concerning the post regarding a pinhole in a copper pipe. Hard water does not cause pinholes. I lived in PA and there were pinhole problems in the neighborhood but they were caused by acidic water, which was very soft.
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Old 01-21-2019, 08:04 AM
TedfromGA TedfromGA is offline
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Default Water Softener & Whole house filter

Moved here late December '18. Pre-owned home had the Nova filter system. I had Nova add a softner. Very satisfied with Nova highly recommend. Did I need a water softener (potassium chloride)? No. The filter system took all the sediment and chlorine out. But the softener did improve the taste, eliminate hard water spots, and a great feeling in the shower. For me well worth the cost. Search on ToV indicates good reviews for Nova.
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Old 01-21-2019, 08:04 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hacker5539 View Post
Concerning the post regarding a pinhole in a copper pipe. Hard water does not cause pinholes. I lived in PA and there were pinhole problems in the neighborhood but they were caused by acidic water, which was very soft.
Years ago in Cincinnati, there was a huge rumor believed by many that copper pipes had pinholes because of large power lines nearby.

Television stations all covered it and interviewed people near power lines with pinhole leaks in their copper pipes.. They didn't interview people far away from power lines with pinhole leaks in their copper pipes.

Got people all het up.
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Old 01-21-2019, 08:08 AM
Ngcrawdad Ngcrawdad is offline
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We’ve had our Nova filter system about 14 months, 10 months of full time use. We decided to have the filters changed even though we had not reached the recommended water usage. The filters were totally gross! I sure would hate to think I was putting that gunk in and on my body.
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Old 01-21-2019, 08:09 AM
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we bought a softner, that had a lifetime warranty. The distributor called a year later to arrange for a yearly inspection, which was pricey. When I told them no, they said it would void my warrenty. Not only did we spend thousands, but the cost just kept pilling up. We also found that the water was so pure that the toilet bowels got moldy if not used over time.
  #41  
Old 01-21-2019, 08:17 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by robertcraigpoe View Post
we bought a softner, that had a lifetime warranty. The distributor called a year later to arrange for a yearly inspection, which was pricey. When I told them no, they said it would void my warrenty. Not only did we spend thousands, but the cost just kept pilling up.
A lifetime warranty with required paid inspections?
Is that legal?

There isn't that much to inspect on a softener, the electronics work or they don't.

Our softeners have a 5 year warranty (no costs)
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Old 01-21-2019, 08:26 AM
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I believe in water softeners and have had one in the last 3 homes I have owned. I also have a reverse osmosis filter under the kitchen sink for making coffee
And drinking. The reverse osmosis removes everything from the water and the water is great for coffee. The water softener removes the hardness from the water and I like the benefits of soft water.
Neither the water softener or the reverse osmosis system are a necessity, water in the Villages is good, about half the hardness of Clearwater where I lived for many years. Just ignore the water testing letter you get in the mail, that’s just a scam!
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Old 01-21-2019, 08:35 AM
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I have filtered water in the kitchen and a softener for the whole house. I installed both myself, if I would have had to hire someone to install these I would not have either!
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Old 01-21-2019, 08:36 AM
jammaiora jammaiora is offline
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Take a look in your toilet water tanks. If all the parts are clear, clean and look new then you probably don't need a softener. I have lived here since '05. My first house was seasonal and I didn't put a softener in it. My current house was built in '09, for full-time living and I installed a softener. Love the softener. I bought a year old villa for rental and the toilet tanks had lots of "rust" color, maybe iron, on all the parts. Renters complained of chemical smells. I installed a softener and no problems now. I also had a whole house carbon filter installed at both places. Cost in '09 was $1300 for softener and carbon filter. Cost for villa softener and filter in '018 $2000. I think they are worth it.
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Old 01-21-2019, 09:07 AM
swingwing swingwing is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Back9 View Post
My house is in Historic District/Lady Lake.

I've been researching about Water Softeners, and I haven't seen any ultimatums about them, i.e. "You must have a water softener or your pipes will clog up and then you have excavate under your house to fix them..." or something of that nature.

Any thoughts?

Are water softeners a "must have" if you live in TV?

Thanks in advance.
Back9
No they are not a necessity but they sure make life better. The benefits quoted in the other post are valid but left out one important one: the improved life and operation of your hot water tank. The more you research what still remains in any city water supply should convince you of their worth to your health and the health of your home, appliances, pipes, etc. My home in The Villages is my 19th. I've had experience with many different brands of water softeners over the years and am convinced there is only one brand worth investing your money: Kinetico. They are more expensive up front but will save you money in the long run versus all other brands. If you move you can have the Kinetico dealers move it to your new home. But if the buyer of your home is smart they will insist the Kinetico stays with the house. I do not work for Kinetico nor am I an investor in the company. Do a little research and you will see why they are the best I have ever owned.
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