[bluedog103]

Originally Posted by zcaveman

Sorry, you mentioned Plenty of people will try to convince you to by a more expensive filtering system but this one works fine for us. I have never seen an expensive filtering system advertised. Even the plumbing place that tried to sell me one was very reasonable. I have seen very expensive softener systems.

I have had a water softener for the past 30-plus years. I had a well for 25 years in NJ and we liked the softener water so much, we bought one down here after we tried the water without one.

It all depends on what you are used to.

Z

Z, again, this thread is about water filters. An earlier poster in this thread posted that they had paid almost $500 for a water filtering system. That system no doubt works fine and it may be much less expensive than your water softener but it's a heck of a lot more expensive than my whole house filtering system. As even YOU said, water filters and water softeners have different functions and are priced differently. I have neighbors in NY and in Florida who have softeners and love them. I have neighbors in NY and in Florida who, like me, have whole house water filters and think they're great. Whatever floats your boat but my boat floats fine for way less money than yours.

[lightworker888]

Google alivewaer.com We use the faucet one and take it back and forth when we go north. I put an $18 shower filter from HD on the showers which I change yearly as we are here only 3 months at a time. We have been in the "alternative health" field for many years and I have used many kinds of filters over the years including RO and carbons and Ionizers. I am really happy and comfortable with ths technology and we find the water to be lighter and the most drinkable that we have had. Check out all the applications.. They have been installed in hospitals too. And there is no filter to have to replace. Read about water in Dt. Emoto's book, The body's many cries for Water. Or just google Emoto and Water. It is a fascinating study and will give you much to think about including how we thnk about water.

If I could find the water inlet to our house I would install a whole house filter but I can't find it in the garage where I thought it would be. I didn't have time last trip to search more so I went with the faucet one for now as that is the only one I can use up north in the condo.

I know that there will only be a small number of this community who will be interested in checkng into this but if you find that you are at all curious about this I can tell you that it is a real gateway to an expansion of thinking and really exciting. The scientific evidence is there and it just takes a curious mind to open the door and consider the evidence. Then you can come to your own conclusions. I am sure that this will become mainstream in a few years and that the cycle from ridicule to acceptance will be shorter than in the past. At least that is what I see happening with many other "out there" ideas.

I am so grateful that things are moving through faster and that these advances are going on in my lifetime. It really puts a shine on my "golden" years.

I've been reading more about the "miracles" of quantum physics and know better now why all these "strange" ideas are not so strange after all. It has just taken this long to come up with instruments that could measure and record stuff that has always been happening.

But that's a whole different topic!

LW888

[tuccillo]

There are a number of products that combine a water softener (which removes calcium and magnesium ions) with a carbon filter (which removes chlorine and some other stuff) into one appliance. They are sometimes referred to as "hybrid" systems in the Big Box stores. New home owners will be approached by a couple of companies that also market these combined water softener and carbon filter systems (Pegasus is one company). We have several friends who have the Pegasus systems and they are very happy with them.

If you are only interested in removing chlorine and sediment, there are two ways to go. The first are the so-called "cartridge filters" and they come in various sizes with various numbers of cartridges. The cartridge sizes are typically 9.5" x 2.5", 9.5" x 4.5", 20" x 2.5", and 20" x 4.5". The larger cartridge sizes provide longer life, less pressure drop, and more complete filtering at a set flow rate. The number of cartridges are typically 1, 2, or 3. In the case of multiple cartridges, the first cartridge(s) are typically to remove sediment and the last cartridge is a carbon filter to remove chlorine and some other stuff. There are also specific cartridges to remove other things depending on what is in your water. If you only have a single cartridge, it will typically be a combined sediment and chlorine filter. In The Villages, most people seem to want to remove the relatively high levels of chlorine. The cartridges will need to be replaced periodically. How often depends on the size of the cartridge and the levels of sediment, chlorine, or whatever is in your water. The larger 20" x 4.5" cartridges may last a year. These system can be installed by themselves or with a water softener. Typically you will filter the water before it goes to a water softener.

There are also so-called, "back flushing" filter systems. These systems typically have a large bed of carbon and periodically back flush to remove accumulated sediment. Like a water softener, they require a place to discharge the back-flush. This is essentially what is included in the "hybrid" systems before the resin bed that removes the calcium and magnesium ions. The carbon bed needs to be replaced periodically - perhaps every 5 years depending on the chlorine levels. Like cartridge filters, the carbon will eventually be "used up". The "back-flushing" filter systems contain much more carbon than the cartridge filters so they require changing much less often than cartridge filters, but they cost more initially. These system can be installed by themselves or with a separate water softener. As with the cartridge systems, you would typically filter the water before sending it to the water softener.

The water in The Villages is moderately hard and many people prefer softer water. The water also has a fair amount of chlorine, which is why it taste funky. I cannot comment on the health issues associated with the high chlorine levels but some sales people will try to scare you. We have a 2 cartridge 20" x 4.5" system (sediment and chlorine) followed by a water softener. Our water is soft, free of chlorine, and taste great.

The purpose of chlorine in the water is sometimes misunderstood. Chlorine is added to the water to kill pathogens during water treatment and delivery through pipes to your house. Once it arrives at your house, there is little reason for the chlorine and it can be removed. Some people would claim that it should be removed.

Originally Posted by bluedog103

Z, again, this thread is about water filters. An earlier poster in this thread posted that they had paid almost $500 for a water filtering system. That system no doubt works fine and it may be much less expensive than your water softener but it's a heck of a lot more expensive than my whole house filtering system. As even YOU said, water filters and water softeners have different functions and are priced differently. I have neighbors in NY and in Florida who have softeners and love them. I have neighbors in NY and in Florida who, like me, have whole house water filters and think they're great. Whatever floats your boat but my boat floats fine for way less money than yours.