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Posted by Gary Slusser on February 16, 2007, 9:20 am
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> >> >I am looking for advice on water filters/softeners.
>
> >> > We live in Idaho. Our water isn't too bad. It is city water and has
> >> > some slight taste to it. It is also somewhat hard (compared to our
> >> > previous house in Colorado), but enough different that we can tell
> >> > just in how our hair feels when it is washed.
>
> >> > Now we just bought a new house that is plumbed for a softener
> >> > (probably just the hot water or water line that doesn't include the
> >> > kitchen or refigerator lines). We would like to make the water taste
> >> > better and perhaps be a little bit softer. Since we have been busy
> >> > with other aspects of moving in, we haven't had a water test done yet.
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> >> > I guess I am looking for advice on what we should be looking for and
> >> > how to best go about it.
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> >> > Thanks,
>
> >> > Jerry
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> >> You might consider treating the two issues separately. For instance, a
> >> charcoal-based filter just for drinking water may be enough to deal with
> >> the
> >> taste. You can experiment cheaply by first trying a Brita jug. If you
> >> like
> >> the results, go bigger.
>
> >> As far as water hardness, that can be divided into two issues:
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> >> - Does its "feel" really matter that much? If not, do nothing.
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> >> - Is the water hard enough to mess with the internal workings of faucets?
> >> You probably haven't been there long enough to find out. Ask a neighbor.
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> >> Here's an excerpt from my county's water quality report:
> >> " Water hardness is a measure of the mineral content of water. Our water,
> >> which has a Total Hardness of between 5.6 and 7.6 grains per gallon, is
> >> considered "moderately hard". By way of comparison, before they switched
> >> to
> >> MCWA, many local communities used ground water supplies with Total
> >> Hardness
> >> values of more than 20 grains per gallon."
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> >> Worst chore: I have to remove the shower head once or twice a year, soak
> >> it
> >> in hot vinegar, rinse it, and screw it back on. Based on how the faucets
> >> feel, I may have to take them apart and soak & scrub the cartridges soon.
> >> This is a once every two year thing.
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> > You are not aware of all the hidden costs of living with water with
> > more than 3-4 gpg of hardness.
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> > The biggest cost is the water heater, the additional fuel it costs and
> > premature failure of either electric elements or oil and gas fired
> > heaters. All fabrics washed in hard water wear out much sooner than if
> > softened water is used. You use much more detergent, softening agents,
> > cleansers, hand soaps, shampoo, skin cream and oils while suffering
> > dry itchy skin and it takes more time to clean the water using
> > appliances. Coffee pots and all other water using appliances fail much
> > sooner on hard water than on soft water. All that costs more than the
> > right softener and to feed it some salt every month or two.
>
> > To learn about correctly sizing a softener etc.
> >www.qualitywaterassociates.com
>
> > Gary
> > Quality Water Associates
>
> I've heard all this, Gary. It's odd, though:
>
> - All fabrics? I have shirts that look new 10 years later. T-shirts, cotton
> dress shirts, polo shirts, flannel shirts, all of them.
> - My coffee maker's 5 years old. The previous one lasted 15 years.
> - Previous house: Washing machine went 20 years, and was there for 10 before
> we moved in.
> (This house is in the same water district as the previous one.)
> - 1/3 capful of laundry liquid works fine, not the 1/2 to full capful
> recommended on the bottle.
> - Previous house: Water heater lasted us 18 years, and 5 before we moved in.
>
> As far as using a water softener, the main reason I've never considered one
> is that any time I've experienced water in a home where one is used, it
> feels like I'm washing with glycerine. It takes forever to wash off soap
> (yes, I use less in these situations). And, it tastes like crap.
The slippery feeling is because the pores of your skin are clean and
that allows the natural oils to come to the surface. And if "It takes
forever to wash off soap", their softener isn't set up correctly or
you would never be able to "wash off the soap". Possibly you just
think you washed it off because you get used to the feeling but your
mind won't accept that, so you remain anti-water softener be damned.
As far as taste, that's usually the mind at work too. The vast
majority of people can not taste the difference between hard and
softened waters but... good water has no taste, it's the things
dissolved into water that gives it a good or bad taste.
BTY, it takes 21 days to make or break a good or bad habit.
Gary
Quality Water Associates
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