farefax wrote:Was thinking of getting water samples and sending them off somewhere to get tested so I don't get any sales pressure.
You can find certified independent labs here...
http://www.epa.gov/safewater/labs/index.html
Hit the Yellow Pages and call at least three local water treatment pros who are familiar with treating wells. Make sure you call at least
one of the big dogs like Kinetico or Culligan for comparison and at least a
couple independent pros. DON'T TELL THEM YOU HAD YOUR WATER TESTED.
Give each an opportunity to offer suggestions and provide you with a quote to meet your water treatment needs. IGNORE ANY THAT DON'T TEST YOUR WATER THEMSELVES as they can't speak intelligently to water treatment without knowing what needs to be treated.
Ask lots of questions. Softening the entire house or just the water heater (bad idea)? Warranty, parts & labor or just parts, how long and on exactly what? Install, permits required, licensed plumber? Routine maintenance and costs? Do they stock parts? Response time for emergency (water leak) calls? If they don't explain things to your satisfaction that is a good indicator of how you'll be treated after the sale.
After they've gone use your water test to compare with their's. Are all your treatment needs being addressed?
<b>Ask your neighbors if they have any water treatment experiences. They might tell you who's good or who to avoid</b>.
Living on a well is more work than on a water system. YOU are responsible for making your water nice and making it safe.
Come back here and post the specific recommendations and hardware components with the costs and some will give you their honest opinions while others will try to sell you a softener. :wink: