Water hardness in Taos? (Ruidoso: water heater, utilities, live)

[usakoinwonderland]

I was wondering if anyone knew what the water hardness is in Taos.

[Zoidberg]

In terms of grains per gallon, I have no idea (they don't publish nonharmful data on their website), but I seem to recall that there was enough hardness that some people install water softeners.

[usakoinwonderland]

I know, I even tried calling them and they didn't know. I was hoping someone had tested there water at some point so I could at least have an idea. I think it's a pretty good guess that all NM water is hard enough to warrant a softener in most cases just because of the areas geology. I never had one growing up but now that I'm moving back to the area I am trying decide if it's something worth investing in.

[Zoidberg]

I think of water softeners as a pricey indulgence for most of the people who use them. If you're running equipment that fails because of scaling, and you can't autoflush it, then perhaps they have limited applications, and then only for the equipment in question. If you're worried about caliche or fluoride buildup in your teakettle, splurge on a PUR or similar tap attachment.

Investing in a whole-house water softener is a bit like investing in a Porsche Cayenne. There may be some rare instances where it's justified, but most of the time, it's just vanity.

[rruff]

Where do you live? Not sure what the deal is here (Alto) exactly, but the tap water is nasty. It leaves a thick scum on everything, corrodes water facets and fixtures (and water heaters) in short order, and PUR filters do not come close to fixing it. Would a water softener help significantly? Don't know...

If Taos is anything like here, then it could be served by several wells, and water quality will vary depending on your location. Some spots in Ruidoso (very near) have low hardness and others don't.

[ognend]

Originally Posted by Zoidberg

I think of water softeners as a pricey indulgence for most of the people who use them. If you're running equipment that fails because of scaling, and you can't autoflush it, then perhaps they have limited applications, and then only for the equipment in question. If you're worried about caliche or fluoride buildup in your teakettle, splurge on a PUR or similar tap attachment.

Investing in a whole-house water softener is a bit like investing in a Porsche Cayenne. There may be some rare instances where it's justified, but most of the time, it's just vanity.

Try telling that to my wife - her hair gets all knotty when the water is hard
OD

[bongo]

Originally Posted by ognend

Try telling that to my wife - her hair gets all knotty when the water is hard
OD

Well, I don't know LOL there's lots of rasta in Taos so maybe that's a clue LOL

[GregW]

Check with the State Water Engineer or a local water analysis, not softener sales, company. There are several kinds of water "hardness" that require different treatments to make decent drinking & washing water.

[allenkingron]

Originally Posted by ognend

Try telling that to my wife - her hair gets all knotty when the water is hard
OD

I agree with this but can you please suggest more about water softeners and how we get it with productive and fruitful for our health ..?

[GregW]

I suggest consulting a Water analysis company after looking up Hard Water on Wikki. There are different kinds of "hard" water that require different treatment methods. It all depends on analyzing a sample of the water you will be using.

Do not expect proper information from a water softener salesman.