This may belong in IMHO, so Mods, if you move it if you believe it is best.
Hi All,
Some of the basics -
I am looking for recommendations, experiences and anecdotes relating to whole house water purification/filter systems. My house is on well and septic system.
Water softeners will not work for my application. I have been told that the flushing the softener will kill my leach field.
Our biggest problem with our water is staining, and taste. I have had the water tested, and the cause of this is Iron (no surprise) and Manganese.
Questions -
Are there filters to remove these elements?
What kind of luck have you had, and would you recommend a brand?
The first step I’d take is to have an analysis performed, so you will know what to treat.
The type of softener most people are familiar with is a saline softener, and is indeed hard on your septic system. Another option is a soda ash based system. Dry product is mixed in a holding tank, and is metered into the water system. No backwashing necessary.
Filters can be added as required to deal with sediment issues, as well as odor and taste. I’m using a media that looks like a spindle of jute or twine to filter the iron out of my water, and an inline activated charcoal filter feeding the freezer ice dispenser.
I’d choose filter manufacturer by availability of replacement filters. You don’t want to be dependent on something with pricey long term issues. Check out the plumbing aisles of your local Lowes or a good plumbing supply house.
Yep, I want someone that will be around for a while.
I’m building a two story 500 square foot addition, about 200 square feet is for reserved for a new mechanical room and washer and dryer.
I talked to the ‘local’ (60 miles away) Culigan water guy, and he suggested a seperate gravel sump for a drain for the softener (won’t work for my project). He never said anything about a soda ash based system.
Is the soad/ash system a seperat tank like the saline system? Or do you just use filters?
You could also try a softening system using potassium chloride instead of sodium chloride. Works the same and may not be as hard on your septic system. Potassium is a little more costly (costlier?) per pound than sodium, though.
As far as whole house filters are concerned, they can be problematic from a sizing standpoint, among other ways. The one I installed (purchased at Home Depot) claimed to be able to handle a typical household of about the same square footage as mine, but I’ve found the pressure drop through it to be unacceptable so I run in bypass most of the time (make sure you have a bypass). Also, it filters the whole house – toilet water, outside hose bibs, everything. A little wasteful if you ask me.