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May 1, 2008
Water softener system vs. filtration system
Can anyone recomend a solution to very hard water? Two of my kids have eczema and I also have dry skin. I want to do something about our water but don't know if I need a filtration system or a softener system. Does anyone have aby experience or advice?
Brooksieboy
Comments
Do you live in Brooklyn? If so I don't think it's a hard water thing but it may have something to do with the chlorine they put in the water. I've noticed that my eyes sting when I take a shower and sometimes you can smell it. I would think the filter would be the better than the softener, if you're in Brooklyn.
Posted by: guest at May 1, 2008 2:39 PM
in the spring and fall when the surface water supply "turns over" municipalities often use extra chlorine and/or chloramine (chlorine + ammonia). You can notice this when the water has a particularly strong chlorine odor if you run a hot shower. To remove this you can use activated carbon filtration. The downside is that to do this for all of the water in your home can be expensive. The best way s to install an inline filter on your water main.
Posted by: guest at May 1, 2008 5:25 PM
NYC has soft water in general, so I don't believe a water softener will help.
Posted by: guest at May 1, 2008 5:26 PM
you can put a chlorine filter in your shower head.
Posted by: guest at May 1, 2008 7:05 PM
For what it's worth, growing up I had terrible eczema in a house with a water softener. Almost immediately after I moved out to go to college, it disappeared. Makes me wonder if the softener wasn't inflaming the situation.
Posted by: guest at May 2, 2008 9:40 AM
We have a house in Brooklyn and in the Catskills (where all of our Brooklyn water comes from). I've installed water filtration systems in both places for different reasons, after making huge mistakes with a Culligan systems (flat out doesn't work) and a water softener (adds salt to the water which is a pain in the rear and you have to keep adding salt).
Here is my advice--do some research on This Old House. You should have a water sample tested (there are places that do this for you for a small fee). Rather than guess or base your decision on theory, it is best to get a water test to find out what is in the water. Believe me--I learned this the hard way and didn't solve my problem until I moved from Culligan to a water softener to a custom filtration system built to filter specifically what was in our water.
Learn from my mistakes...start with a water analysis first. There are a few firms that will do this for free if you decide to buy one of their filtration systems.
My advice when it comes to water, particularly where your children are concerned, is buy a professional system. Anything you buy at a Home Depot is unlikely to provide the solution you need.
There is one added benefit from a real walter filtration system (other than you get terrific drinking water): You can filter your water as it comes into your house. That means you can filter all of your water (sinks, faucets, kitchen, etc.). The professional systems also don't have filters--they get connected to a waste line and flush themselves on a timer so you don't have to keep changing filters--which can be costly.
Posted by: guest at May 2, 2008 10:13 AM
You can get free water testing system by calling 311. For us, previous owner had put water filtration system in the basement that filtered water for the whole house. However, it really had a negative impact on our water pressure throughout.
Posted by: guest at May 2, 2008 12:19 PM
As at least one poster found out the hard way, whole-house water filters need to be thought about before being purchased and installed or you can get very negative results. Water quality experts agree that not having one is better than having one that you don't maintain properly.
Bacteria builds up quickly on dirty filter media.
What you need to know first is what you want to filter out of your water.
Then you have to select a filter that addresses that specific goal (and others).
Then you've got to match your specific rate of water flow demand.
Then you've got to choose a filter that has replaceable or cleanable cartridges or a filter that backwashes itself to a plumbing drain automatically.
If you go with cartridges, decide how often you'll be comfortable changing or cleaning them. It can be a pain in the neck.
(monthly? quarterly? annually?)
Changing them often can be expensive but longer lasting (or larger) cartridges cost more to buy initially, of course.
Follow manufacturer's maintenance instructions.
There you go.
Posted by: Master Plvmber at May 2, 2008 3:45 PM
Actually, the person who wrote about the whole filtration system had it right. They are the best. Professional water filtrations are best as are professional installers. We have a sysem installed that flushes itself automatically once a week. It does not require maintenance or the chaning of cartridges. They only disadvantage is you have to make sure you have a place to flush the water, such as a dry well, etc.
Posted by: guest at May 2, 2008 4:28 PM
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