Water FILTER or water SOFTENER?
I live in the middle of the Texas panhandle. My house is plumbed with well water. I am choosing to add either a water FILTER or water SOFTENER to my home water system.
What "system" is a water FILTER?
Does it filter out all the sediment, sand, minerals, etc to use for my indoor water?
My house WAS plumbed with a Kenmore water SOFTENER. Before it "gave up", it did soften all this sand, sediment and minerals that I am picking up from the Canadian river basin.
I am trying to clean my indoor water so that it will reduce the hard water wear on my indoor plumbing (faucets, valves, and piping.)
Thanks.
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Filed under: Water Filters
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You need to supply more information - softeners and filters go after different things.
A softener removes calcium and iron from the water, and replaces it with sodium (sodium doesn’t scale in pipes like calcium does). If your water is very hard, the increased sodium will make the water salty. For this reason, many folks who need a softener to protect plumbing and water heaters install a bypass around the cold water facet in the kitchen - in that way, you get unsoftened water to drink. Other than that, soft water is nice in the laundry and on the skin.
Filters remove specific materials; a woven filter removes sediment (turbidity). An activated carbon filter removes halogens (Chlorine, etc) and organics (gasoline, benzene, etc) If you have none of those issues, then you don’t need a filter. Filters do not remove calcium (hard water)
You mention sediment. Take a raw sample of your water for analysis, or you can do it yourself. Pass it through increasing smaller filters and buy what you need, and no more! For instance, if a regular coffee filter removes all of the sediment, then get a filter that is rated for 25 microns. If the water is still cloudy after a coffee filter, you’re probably looking at a 1.5 micron filter, which is the next most common filter down.
Remember,the smaller the filter, the more often you will need to change it.
Rain Soft is really good. It takes a little to get used to but its worth it
You need to install a water filter in the system before the water reaches the softener. This will remove the sediment before it reaches the softener, extending its’ life. Sears sells inexpensive whole house filters, it’s just an in line clear canister with replaceable filters, you can visually inspect the filter easily and change them as often as needed, depending on your water usage.
I agree with hoboson, you may want to use a charcoal filter in that house filter if you have rust or rotten egg smell.