Well water question...

[Tracylhl]

We just moved out to our acreage and are on well water for the first time. We're in Florida and I know that that means our aquafer is a lot different from most of the country. The house currently has a water softner on it but to keep it, we'll either have to buy a new one for $2,000 or lease this one. The guy from Culligan came out this morning and told us how we would also need a bunch of other stuff that came to a total of $6,000 to buy or $150 to lease. Told us that the water was unfit to drink and maybe even to bathe in otherwise. Now, I understand that our well is not only drawing water from directly under our land and that there is a lot of pollution. I also understand that he's paid to lease these systems! My question is, how much of this stuff do I really need? People have lived for thousands of years without reverse osmosis, right? What's your take on it?

 

[Big Daddy]

Get your water tested. We had real nasty water in Atascadero Ca. Had a filmy texture to it and tasted bad. We had it tested and it was safe. so we got a Brita pitcher and filtered it. Tasted great. Less filling.

 

[dacjohns]

Culligan wants to make money. Get your water tested by a lab or someone else that isn't there to make money selling you something you may not need.

 

[dragonlaurel]

Ask people in your area about their water quality. Check with the county extension service they may be able to test it or can refer to the right people. I would not rely on a salesman without checking. He's on commission. Get a few estimates if you get a system. That sounds high.

Here's a couple of test kits that you might check out.

http://www.filterwater.com/p-150-water-quality-test-kit.aspx

http://www.freshwatersystems.com/p-455-purtest-complete-home-water-test-kit

 

[homestead holdout]

You are so smart to question this. Definitely get the water tested yourself, a small price to pay that could save you the tons Culligan wants to "not save you." We are super far away from you but our Well Water by FAR is healthier and way better tasting than city water! Every time the developers offer to "hook us up to city" when they are trying to buy our land I just crack up, I would way rather have my well water than city! If you do have a problem, at the least the test will be specific about what it is and then you can find the right solution, I'm just saying dont fix a problem that might not be there......

 

[FarmerDenise]

I used to work for our city's water department and was in water quality. It is amazing what people are sold by these companies trying to sell their product. Don't believe a word of what that sales person told you.
In my city the water was tested on a regular basis, I saw what those test results were and had access to finding out how safe the levels of the different things in the water were. In most cases the stuff in the water was minerals that are normal to be in water. The same minerals also get deposited on the faucets and will come out on your pot when you boil the water.
As was stated by others, do your own research, check with your local water quality control board, Health dept etc. Someone should be able to direct you to a lab where you can get your water tested and what you should have it tested for. This can cost from less than $100 to a few hundred, it depends on the tests. But then you'll know what you're dealing with and more than likely all you'll need is a brita water filter.
There is essentially nothing wrong with hard water, it just has a high mineral content. I add vinegar to my washing machine to combat it. I also soak my faucets in vinegar for 15 minutes every few months to get rid of the mineral deposits on them.
Hard water may make home made pickles cloudy, so I buy distilled water when I make pickles. I keep a couple of gallons around the house, so I have it on hand whenever I need to make sure I don't use our hard well water. I buy maybe three gallons a year.

 

[FarmerDenise]

There are also lots of problems with having your water softened, I don't remember what they are, I think it even affects the way plants grow in a negative way. It was enough for me to decide not to go that route, besides the fact that it is expensive.

 

[TanksHill]

Get your water tested. We had real nasty water in Atascadero Ca. Had a filmy texture to it and tasted bad. We had it tested and it was safe. so we got a Brita pitcher and filtered it. Tasted great. Less filling.

Sorry to get off track. My husband has an Aunt in Atascadero and His Grandma has property in Templeton off Hwy 46, Just thought I would share. g I love it up there.

 

[SKR8PN]

There are also lots of problems with having your water softened, I don't remember what they are, I think it even affects the way plants grow in a negative way. It was enough for me to decide not to go that route, besides the fact that it is expensive.

Most if not all water softeners use salt to back flush the filtering tanks. Some of that salt remains in your drinking water. The back flushing water is also very hard on septic tanks systems because of the salt. I also suggest that you get your water tested by an independent lab. That way you KNOW what your drinking.

 

[Big Daddy]

Get your water tested. We had real nasty water in Atascadero Ca. Had a filmy texture to it and tasted bad. We had it tested and it was safe. so we got a Brita pitcher and filtered it. Tasted great. Less filling.

Sorry to get off track. My husband has an Aunt in Atascadero and His Grandma has property in Templeton off Hwy 46, Just thought I would share. g I love it up there.

We owned a Color Tile and Carpet franchise in SLO Town. We loved it there. We were renting a house on 17 acres. The owner offered it to us for 200k. We had owned a house in Ft Worth Tx for 46k, so we thought the price was high. Now we realize it was low.