[Allie512]

I do not know if it common to have whole house filtration, but I could not do without it. The whole house system plus the removal of chlorine made a major difference as did the r/o under the sink for water for cooking, washing produce, etc. I could not afford a whole house r/o but the filtration and r/o under the sink make a huge difference to me.

[orca17]

We put a Kinetico system in about a month after we moved in. Pluses are that it uses no electricity, and it only regenerates when it needs to due to water usage, not on a timer. Drawbacks: Almost everything with Kinetico systems is proprietary, so you have to buy it from them. When one company has a monopoly on parts and service, you know what happens to prices. We had our tanks rebedded a couple of years ago, as the note from Kinetico said that it was "time" and they predicted dire consequences if we didn't. The technician who rebedded the tanks said that they didn't need it, and they probably could have run another 5-6 years without anything being done.

As hard as the water is here, it's tough to get by without some kind of system in place. However, you get conflicting information about its usefulness. The people who sell water softening systems say that they prolong the life of any device you have that uses water. The plumber who just replaced my water heater (the third one I have had in 13 years of home ownwership) said that the sodium from softened water corrodes the tank and leads to premature failure. I'm not sure what to believe. I do know that I had chronic dry skin before we put the Kinetico in, and it hasn't been a problem since.

[TomKBL]

I bought a softener from Walmart and installed myself ($450 + $50 for installation parts), working very well.

Morton System Saver Demand Water Softener, 34,000 Grain, MSD34C - Walmart.com

Also bought a water filtration system (R/O + carbon filtration) from Costco for $150.

Premier Reverse Osmosis Water Filtration System

If you are kind of handy and don't mind doing it yourself, you'll save a lot of $$$$$.

[Cliph]

This is really helpful information. I have contacted the Costco Vendor and he will give me an estimate as soon as I have a garage. (We have yet to break ground.)

[crazy_bd]

The only softeners that truly work as softeners are salt/potassium based units. There are other non-salt units that descale the water, with varying degrees of effect. But, it is not a true softening.
I got a system from Aquascience, based on a Fleck 5600 valve, which is widely recognized as one of the most reliable and high quality valves on the market. Why do I only mention the valve? A softener is pretty much just a pair of tanks and a couple of hoses besides the valve. The valve is the key part.
A 48000 grain softener system cost me about $550, and then I paid for installation on top.

[LVguy]

my arms and legs itch once awhile for no reason, I think it's caused by the hard water here. I think I am going to go for a water softner but people say I might as well just go for a water filter system. how much are water filter systems? and for water softner I gather it's about 700 to 1400?

also this resale house I got they didn't have a water softner/filter system. maybe appliance is damaged from the hard water? it's been 5 years so maybe if appliance got probelms later do I just replace some parts or it will be more than that? in any case I should get something fast my skin itches so badly!

[SportyandMisty]

water filters can filter out particulates. They do not do anything to water hardness. A charcoal based filter can also remove chlorine compounds. A specific type can also remove iron, but that typically isn't a problem here.

Water softeners - the ion exchange variety - replace hardness ions (primarily calcium & magnesium) with a either sodium ions or potassium ions, depending on what type of salt you use.

Take a look for water softeners online or on ebay. Get a new one with a high quality valve such as a Fleck. They are remarkably simple machines and last a very long time. If you are at all handy, you can install the water softener yourself. If not, expect to pay $100 or so to have a handyman or plumber install it.

An alternative is a whole-house RO system. This provides exceptionally clean water (H2O and only H2O) throughout the house, but there is no free lunch. RO systems typically generate quite a bit of waste water - as much as double or triple.

Moreover, RO water is "aggressive" in that it can leach minerals from soft rocks & metals. RO water can leach copper out of copper tubing, for example, ultimately resulting in a leak. Certain plumbing fixtures in your house may not be up to RO water if they are made from particularly soft metal compounds. This leeching action does not happen overnight; it takes a long time.

[ScoopLV]

Industrial RO systems result in pure (and corrosive) H2O. Residential systems can be set to leave enough residual mineral content as not to ruin plumbing fixtures.

[sargentodiaz]

I would never use a "softener" as it does not remove all the chemicals/metals in the water. Go to a whole house filter system.

[Danknee]

Originally Posted by LVguy

my arms and legs itch once awhile for no reason, I think it's caused by the hard water here. I think I am going to go for a water softner but people say I might as well just go for a water filter system. how much are water filter systems? and for water softner I gather it's about 700 to 1400?

also this resale house I got they didn't have a water softner/filter system. maybe appliance is damaged from the hard water? it's been 5 years so maybe if appliance got probelms later do I just replace some parts or it will be more than that? in any case I should get something fast my skin itches so badly!

If I'm itchy I check the softener first thing; running out of salt has been the root cause every time.