[tuccillo]

You can get a "big box" water softener for about $450 and a "big blue" 20"x4.5" canister carbon filter enclose for about $100.

Originally Posted by leftyf

We have used a Brita pitcher for years and it works great. We use it for coffee and Iced tea. We drink the water from the fridge, it's filtered and cold. The door knocker who tried to sell us a softener wanted $6,000 for his brand, the most expensive softener I have ever heard of. We don't have one and don't need it.

[birdawg]

Just make sure you use a licensed plumber with insurance.

[duhbear]

A water softener IMHO is a matter of choice and more importantly, taste. One came with our house and I am so glad we have it. The water tastes great at our house. (At a friends house without a softener, it tastes terrible.)

Just a hint, if you want to cut down on the knocks at the door and the phone calls, do not list yourself in the TV phone book. We didn't 9 months ago and as of yet no knocks at the door.

Enjoy The Villages.

[Advogado]

We just installed a new water heater. The old one was 11 years old. It was not leaking and worked fine, but the present rebate from TECO for a new one is $350. We do not have a water softener, and almost nobody I know has one. We use the water filter in our refrigerator for drinking water, and it tastes fine.

Here is what our new water-heater manual (State brand) says about water softeners: "Artificially softened water is exceedingly corrosive....The use of a water softener may decrease the life of the water heater tank." For what it is worth. You decide. I am no plumber, but I presume the water heater manufacturer knows more than I do.

[Challenger]

Originally Posted by duhbear

A water softener IMHO is a matter of choice and more importantly, taste. One came with our house and I am so glad we have it. The water tastes great at our house. (At a friends house without a softener, it tastes terrible.)

Just a hint, if you want to cut down on the knocks at the door and the phone calls, do not list yourself in the TV phone book. We didn't 9 months ago and as of yet no knocks at the door.

Enjoy The Villages.

Lived here four years-- Unsolicited Door knocks stopped 3 1/2 years ago.

[tuccillo]

The anode rod may be consumed more quickly with soft water and may need to be replaced sooner. Anode rods are sacrificial and designed to protect the tank from electrolysis. This is typically something most people don't pay attention to regardless of whether they have soft water or not. A Marathon water heater, which doesn't have a steel tank and therefore doesn't need anode rods, is a good choice for an electric water heater. I have had one in a past home with a water softener.

Originally Posted by Advogado

We just installed a new water heater. The old one was 11 years old. It was not leaking and worked fine, but the present rebate from TECO for a new one is $350. We do not have a water softener, and almost nobody I know has one. We use the water filter in our refrigerator for drinking water, and it tastes fine.

Here is what our new water-heater manual (State brand) says about water softeners: "Artificially softened water is exceedingly corrosive....The use of a water softener may decrease the life of the water heater tank." For what it is worth. You decide. I am no plumber, but I presume the water heater manufacturer knows more than I do.

[Nova Filtration]

Originally Posted by Advogado

Here is what our new water-heater manual (State brand) says about water softeners: "Artificially softened water is exceedingly corrosive....The use of a water softener may decrease the life of the water heater tank." For what it is worth. You decide.

That is correct.

Soft water, such as has been produced by a water softening system, tank lifetimes can be reduced by 50 percent or more (Weingarten and Weingarten ).
For example, the A.O. Smith water heater manual acknowledges “artificially softened water is exceedingly corrosive because the process substitutes sodium ions for magnesium and calcium ions. The use of water softener may decrease life of water heater tank.”

An assessment of homeowners’ insurance claims resulting from water heater failures conducted by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS ) found that water heater failures are one of the top five “water loss” claims, or claims in which monetary compensation is sought as a result of
water damage to furniture, equipment, or the home itself. Of the 700 water-heater-related water loss claims analyzed, 69 percent were due to leaks in the water heater or to the tank bursting.
The water heater failures cost an average of $4,444 per incident after the deductible was paid

The Battelle study found that for electric storage water heaters, regular flushing to prevent sediment buildup maintains efficiency for the lifetime of the equipment. For gas storage water heaters, cleaning the tank of sediment buildup was not found to restore full efficiency since the burner surface at
the bottom of the tank cannot be completely cleaned.

This is where the Nova Triple system excels having two large sediment filters effectively removing all the sediment from the water therefore your hot water tank. and all other house hold water needs.


Typical water softeners only have some sort of feckless carbon filter and no sediment filter(s) at all.

Bottom line in our opinion is water softeners have more negative results than any known positive results at significant cost.

Note:The most common complaint associated with the anode rod is a .rotten egg smell, produced from the presence of hydrogen sulfide gas dissolved in the water.

One other comment about refrigerator filters I read here is I drink water from the fridges filtered water dispenser.

Did you look at the size of that filter it's very small more importantly it is not Coconut carbon it is bituminous carbon, like coffee grinds lose packed in the container it is rated at 20 micron size particles, with a lot of bypass only about 85% effective when new.

Ours is large and is a 5 micron particle size carbon block no bypass, 99.5% effective

40 years experience in water filtration, I do not have a softener in my home here in The Villages.
If you want additional info PM or call 631..338 1048

tks

.

[sesack1]

After doing considerable research, I have found that a conditioner is a good thing. I was inundated with sale people and their many times unpleasant tactics. It seems to be a good thing to not use the salt and potassium conditions for many reasons. I personally installed a new state of the art conditioner and am very satisfied. Mine has no maintenance problems and the water is exceptionally good.