i would like to purchase a water softener and after a bit of research i see that there are lots of choices. should i have my water tested and then use that info to make a choice? we do not use a ton of water ( just two of us) so i should probably make my choice based on that also..right? thanks, cj
Yes on testing water hardness.
-- Oren
Step one is to test the water. Hardness is important, but other chemicals can be a problem also. Reputable water treatment places will do a basic test at no charge and make recommendations based on the results. Personally, I'd avoid Culligan and the like as they are usually the highest priced units available.
Look in the archives for this group and ask Gary Slusser for a recommendation and he can even sell you one at a good price.
Comments from Gary can come in a few days. He retired too a motor home and travels. :-)) According to him.
-- Oren
They MAY be the most reliable, though.
When my Sears softener died, I rented one from Culligan. I soon BOUGHT the installed rental unit.
That was back in our old house. We took the unit to our new house in 1991.
It hasn't missed a beat since.
Anecdotal? Perhaps, but I'd buy this same model again in an instant.
First, a water test. Then, there are other factors that determine what you should be shopping for. Number of people in the house, number of bathrooms, and appliances that are huge water users (hot tub, jacuzzi).
As Edwin pointed out, you can and should call at least two local water treatment pros. They'll come out and test the water, inspect the installation possibilities along with your plumbing, and make recommendations. You are not obligated to buy but can accumulate data, info, and options with your only expense being some of your time.
You can shop locally or buy online if you are a DIYer but buying long distance means no service unless "move it closer to the phone so I can see it suits you". Local will cost more but you get more.
Regardless, the best choices are industry standard softeners and not pre-built box store brands like GE, Sears, Morton, and such. Industry standard softeners are built with higher quality components and last a lot longer than the not always less expensive box store models.
The heart and brain of a softener is the control valve. Fleck is the largest manufacturer of softener control valves and sells more than all the other control valve companies combined worldwide. There is always someone everywhere that services Fleck based water softeners.
I'm not in the water treatment business but have been royally screwed by self-proclaimed water treatment professionals so take care that the person giving you advice doesn't have an ulterior motive and their hand in your pocket.
In real estate it's location, location, location and with water treatment it's DEALER, DEALER, DEALER.
Ask Culligan to analyze your situation and water. Get a bid of what they propose. Shop around and then find best price.
Justalurker was/is a customer of mine. He bought a 1.5 cuft softener from me Jul 15 2004. As far as I know he still is using it and he has never said it wasn't working. Anyone can search for Justalurker and read for themselves.
He installed the softener himself. For the next 13 months he couldn't tell enough people how great his softener was and how I was the best dealer he ever came in contact with and how much I knew; he heaped a lot of praise on me on my forum etc..
Then about Aug 20 2005 he and I parted company after he disrupted my forum and refused to say "sorry Gary". We had a disagreement about the use of potassium chloride on my forum and the thread is still there. At that time he called me numerous times and he threatened to do his best to prevent me from making any sales that he could.
That is the basis and obvious agenda in this post here. He does the same thing in all the other newsgroups and forums that I have ever posted in since Feb 1997.
He couldn't get along with the previous dealers and the manufacturers of softeners he had owned, and now me. I helped him many times to attempt to fix his Braswell twin tank softener from Oct 2003 until he bought from me in Jul 2004. He has only paid me $650, that was the delivered price to his home in Edgewood NM.From OCt to teh next Jul I charged him nothing and paid for the phone calls on my 800 number while donating many hours and a lot of knowledge. IMO he is dishonest, selfish and self absorbed and if I can not satisfy him, no one can.
You all can see that Ed suggested me by name. Justalurker never mentioned me by name yet he is a customer of mine, Ed is not, and justalurker did not buy a softener with a Fleck control valve. Yet he didn't mention what he bought; a softener with a Clack WS-1 control valve.
Clack is the latest improved version of the Fleck seals, spacers and piston design and much better than Fleck. Many companies and dealers that historically over the last 30 years used nothing but Fleck have gone to Clack.
So I must ask, why would a person tell people to buy something different than he bought and has had no problems with over the last
3.5+/- years and to buy from another DEALER DEALER DEALER? And why would he see himself as "royally screwed" by me?Gary Slusser Quality Water Associates
Thanks Ed.
Nope Oren, not retired, still working full time but shorter hours a day by 2; only 9.5 hrs/day now. Still six days a week though and the occasional customer call on Sunday or Christmas mornings. I have only done internet water treatment sales and service since the end of Dec
2004. I shut down the well pump business mid 2005. Aug 2006 we bought a motor home and moved into it in the driveway Oct 1 2006 and have lived in it full time ever since. We sold everything in PA and 'moved' to Texas; she even has the hat, so we are officially Texans. We have been traveling around the country since Oct 5 2006 when the house and everything we owned and not packed into the motor home was finally sold. And business is still very good. I've sold 984 pieces of equipment with a Clack valve on it in the last 48+ months and have had only 22 problems.We are currently in Livingston TX. Going to have about 650 watts of solar panels put on the roof and 4 or 6 golf cart batteries installed.and then we are heading for NM.
Gary Slusser Quality Water Associates
Because you know who you are and how you do business. You often make personal attacks and post personal information and I choose not to.
I'm trying to help the OP while you're trying to help yourself to a sale.
he bought and has had no problems with over the last 3.5+/- years
You can ask all you want but you know the answer. You also know that the softener I bought from you is not in service at my home.
We all pay for our mistakes and buying a softener from you was among mine.
What a selective memory you have and how frequently you put it to use.
As I stated in my post "take care that the person giving you advice doesn't have an ulterior motive and their hand in your pocket".
Good advice on any subject.
"In real estate it's location, location, location and with water treatment it's DEALER, DEALER, DEALER".
That's the best advice there is on buying water treatment equipment. A consumer can learn that before or after the sale... it's their choice.
Gary,
As usual, truth and accuracy are rarely observed nor practiced by you in these forums and newsgroups, BUT they are important to many people so let's set the record, and you post, straight...
Regarding your invitation quoted above from your post, you are well aware that there are many, many, people on the Internet using the handle "Justalurker" and that a search will not differentiate my posts from the multitude of posts by others using that same handle.
As for this remark, "IMO he is dishonest, selfish and self absorbed and if I can not satisfy him, no one can"... you have me confused with yourself.
Come on guys! Who is zooming, who? This is too private for my DIY home repair threads :)
Both of you STFU!!!
No offense intended.
You have proven my point of what you are and there was no personal attack in my identifying you as what you are doing.
than he bought and has had no problems with over the last 3.5+/- years
No I don't "know" that. You have always refused to post or send me a picture proving your claim that it is not in the same place you pictured it on my form in 2005. Also, in another forum recently you posted a picture from above the control valve, and said it was your softener.
Another baseless unsubstantiated unproven claim of yours but I'll bite. Tell us all why that was it a mistake.
Gary Slusser Quality Water Associates
than he bought and has had no problems with over the last 3.5+/- years
Gary,
Your lack of professionalism and lack of ethics are the best examples I could submit. Anyone considering the purchase of water treatment equipment will be better off making the purchase from anyone other than you.
Every forum you post on, that you haven't been banned from, you receive the same treatment after you personally attack, lie, ridicule, misquote, quote out of context, blatantly misrepresent facts, conveniently forget facts, and purposely twist and distort facts.
You suffer from oral hemorrhoids, see a doctor.
That's you in the mirror, Gary, not me or anyone else. Since you don't like what you see then put yourself out of our misery.
I notice that so far you haven't proven that anything I said is untrue, and you have proven that you are who and what I said you are...
Anyone looking for you only should search for justalurker + softener.
Gary Slusser Quality Water Associates
I must remember to... "never argue with a fool, they will lower you to their level and then beat you with experience".
My apologies to the group.
Some people are just that way. OTOH, Gary has been helpful with water treatment questions on this group for a few years. Seems like you've been straightforward with answers no matter the brand of softener or where they bought it.
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