Whole-house water treatment

[Fenixgoon]

So I'm moving into a new home that definitely has hard water and I'll some kind of water treatment system for the house.

Thing is, there are a milliom different kinds and i dont know how far to go.

First theres just basic softening.
Then there are sediment filters
Carbon filters
UV sterilizers
RO filters (i think I'd avoid these due to its water usage).

Anyone have experience with these kinds of products? how did you decide which one(s) to use?

 

[bbhaag]

Are you wanting cleaner water than what your local provider can offer or are you looking for "softer" water or both?

If I remember right @BoomerD has a nice 2 or 3 stage water filtration system so he might be able to chime in with some advice.

 

[Fenixgoon]

Definitely softer water. But it seems like "while im there" i may as well consider the other filter options too

 

[WilliamM2]

I'm on a well. A whole house sediment filter is a must, and also fairly cheap. Pretty simple to install, this is what's been in my house for 35 years:

STANDARD-CLEAR-34-PR10 Pentek Whole House Standard 10 inch Filter Housing

The Pentek STANDARD-CLEAR-34-PR10 Whole House Standard 10 inch Water Filter Housings are manufactured of a rugged polypropylene.

www.discountfilterstore.com

I change the filter every 3 to 4 months. There's only two of us here, so it's fine. If you have a family, change more often, or get a larger housing.

And a water softener is a must as well here. I would avoid Culligan, that's what we started with. cost was 2K in 1989. After 20 years of constant repairs, I went and got one of these at Lowe's:

Whirlpool WHES30E 30,000 Grain Softener

Whirlpool WHES30E 30,000 Grain Softener Salt & Water Saving Technology | NSF Certified | Automatic Whole House Soft Water Regeneration, 0.75 inches, Off-White The Whirlpool WHES30E 30, 000 grain water softener is ideal for families of 1-4+ people looking for a reliable way to soften their water...

cleanwatermill.com

$379 in 2010, and it has worked perfectly. Uses much less salt, and softens better than that POS Culligan. I think they have a different model now.

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

We're on a well, and we have an extensive setup involving a carbon filter (big one, like a acetylene torch canister) and hydrogen peroxide injection. This deals with hard water and sulfur, though we still get residue from the peroxide, despite it being dialed in really well. All components have a very long lifespan, but this may be overkill for you.

 

[Fenixgoon]

I guess i was primarily looking at a setup like this (I'll be on city water)

Sediment + carbon filter

https://www.lowes.com/pd/iSpring-WGB22B-2-Stage-Whole-House-Water-Filter-Dual-stage-15-GPM-Carbon-Block-Whole-House-Water-Filtration-System/1000845530

Softener

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Whirlpool-46000-Grain-Water-Softener-System/5015246439

 

[sdifox]

If you are on municipal water just get a water softener.

 

[Micrornd]

Your first step should be to have the water tested by a qualified lab.
That way you know what you need for hardware and will have the relevant data to set up the hardware, once you get it.
There is no sense in buying hardware you don't need or oversizing hardware you do need, nor cycling hardware (backwashing, flushing, etc.) more often than needed and wasting consumables.
Having the water tested by a lab will give you the info you need to make an informed decision and peace of mind.
You never know, your water may contain coliforms, lead, radioactivity, etc. and you would not know it otherwise.