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So I am on well water and it leaves yellow stains on everything, tastes like crap, smells bad, and plugs up the taps. Clearly my water is hard. I took a sample into a local water store and had them test it. I now officially have the hardest water they have ever tested. Not a title I really wanted lol. So the results were

total dissolved solids: 1040 ppm

Hardness: 27 gpg

Iron: 1.5 mgl

So a water softener should be in my future. They recommended a 45,000 grain one. They said they had one for $1600. So I went home and was looking online and there were some used ones that popped up for the 300-500 range which is a little easier to swallow. Only problem is I know nothing about water softeners. I have no idea if a used one would be a bad or good choice. And regardless if I buy new or used, I wouldn't know what a good one looked like. Does anyone have any insight on what to look for or what to get?

Edited by Tomas.
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32 minutes ago, Tomas. said:

So I am on well water and it leaves yellow stains on everything, tastes like crap, smells bad, and plugs up the taps. Clearly my water is hard. I took a sample into a local water store and had them test it. I now officially have the hardest water they have ever tested. Not a title I really wanted lol. So the results were

total dissolved solids: 1040 ppm

Hardness: 27 gpg

Iron: 1.5 mgl

So a water softener should be in my future. They recommended a 45,000 grain one. They said they had one for $1600. So I went home and was looking online and there were some used ones that popped up for the 300-500 range which is a little easier to swallow. Only problem is I know nothing about water softeners. I have no idea if a used one would be a bad or good choice. And regardless if I buy new or used, I wouldn't know what a good one looked like. Does anyone have any insight on what to look for or what to get?

Are you going to install the unit yourself? 

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I will be installing it myself and and I did not realize you could get one without salt.

Edited by Tomas.
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 If you can do the plumbing yourself, you can get new ones from amazon or possibly other on-line sources for about $1000cdn.  Search 'fleck 5600' and you'll get a bunch of options back. 

https://www.amazon.ca/ABCwaters-built-5600sxt-Softener-Capacity/dp/B074VDDPLG/ref=sr_1_4?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1515196223&sr=1-4&keywords=fleck+5600+48000

These are nice units.

I'd also recommend you add an inline filter before the softener.  I have one of these.

https://www.amazon.ca/Culligan-HF-360-Sediment-Filter-Housing/dp/B000BQUPZ8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1515196025&sr=8-1&keywords=culligan+360

Not sure which filter would work best for you, but I use 20 micron ones.  These two would solve a lot of your issues.  Do you drink this water or do you buy bottles?

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8 minutes ago, Carlos Danger said:

I thought Hardness and Iron use two different kinds of filters.

Yeah, if I remember correctly, there are 3 different types of iron.  The softener deals with 2 of them and you need to kill the bacteria to deal with the third.

 

 

3 minutes ago, ActionfigureJoe said:

I looked at a 48000 grain softener at menards over the summer. It was under $500. I think it was a fleck. 

Yeah, the ones on amazon are just a hair higher than that in usd.  I think the smell is caused by bacteria in the well.  I think you need to dump chlorine in it and/or get a chlorinator for that.  Not 100% on that one..

Edited by Rich
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Ya. The smell is bacteria and I need to pump some chemicals into it. I just called the store back and they said the softener was an econominder and required salt. They want $1600 cad for it and I install it myself.

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Just now, Tomas. said:

Ya. The smell is bacteria and I need to pump some chemicals into it. I just called the store back and they said the softener was an econominder and required salt. They want $1600 cad for it and I install it myself.

I haven't heard anything good about the salt-less units.  The one I mentioned above requires salt but it's fairly cheap..at least in the states.. $6usd for a 40 lb bag.

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5 minutes ago, Tomas. said:

Ya. The smell is bacteria and I need to pump some chemicals into it. I just called the store back and they said the softener was an econominder and required salt. They want $1600 cad for it and I install it myself.

Damn. $1600? That's a chunk. 

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8 minutes ago, Tomas. said:

Ya. The smell is bacteria and I need to pump some chemicals into it. I just called the store back and they said the softener was an econominder and required salt. They want $1600 cad for it and I install it myself.

Is this a shallow well?

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According to the realtor I used when I bought the house, my pump is 240 feet down. 

The store sells the old mechanical timer ones as they never break apparently. 

Found a brine tank and resin? Tank for 150 but needs a metering valve. called the store and the metering valves range from 600-900. 

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-other-home-appliance/edmonton/water-softener/1307843849?utm_source=com.android.mms&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=socialbuttonsVIP&utm_content=app_android

Edited by Tomas.
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cant you just toss in a Menerds /home depot $450  special run it 6 to 8 yrs and slap a new one in . if your water is that bad any way you will be yanking out a high end one and replacing resin in that time any way.

I have put a lot of those in over the yrs and they work just fine   

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how much are culligan rental units in your parts ? around here less than 20 bucks a mo then they do free service when needed . so every yr you call them up for free  a tune up and in a few yrs just buy it out from them .   

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2 minutes ago, Ez ryder said:

cant you just toss in a Menerds /home depot $450  special run it 6 to 8 yrs and slap a new one in . if your water is that bad any way you will be yanking out a high end one and replacing resin in that time any way.

I have put a lot of those in over the yrs and they work just fine   

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-other-home-appliance/edmonton/ge-water-softener/1324671178?utm_source=com.android.mms&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=socialbuttonsVIP&utm_content=app_android

Like this?

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2 minutes ago, Tomas. said:

yeah those are like 450 brand new for the water boss brand same unit around my parts at box stores  . buy the box store extended warranty with it for 50 and in 3 yrs be sure it is broken or not working as well as new

Edited by Ez ryder
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