Hard Water/water softeners question (San Antonio, Howe: appliances, new home, buying) - Texas (TX) - City-Data Forum

AlamoCpl · 06-11-2007, 05:48 AM

We're moving to a new home in San Antonio late this summer. I was recently speaking with a native San Antonian who is of the opinion that a water softener system is a necessity not an option.

I was wondering what opinion all of you have about the hard water situation and if a softener is a luxury or a necessity.

I'm moving from Florida and we have a hard water problem here but have been fine without a softener system.

Thanks in advance for your responses and opinions!

06-11-2007, 05:53 AM

I have a softener and couldn't live without it. However, I have friends who have never needed one. I think it's a personal preference thing.

I do think a filter in the shower is important - it removes that chloriney smell the tap water can have here.

samom · 06-11-2007, 06:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rockin' The TriCities

I have a softener and couldn't live without it. However, I have friends who have never needed one. I think it's a personal preference thing.

Same here. We bought ours from Costco, then hired a water softerner company to install it. It's cheaper than you buy the whole package from a ws company.

Aquajox · 06-11-2007, 07:12 AM

We bought ours from Sears and are very happy with it. We also bought all new appliances, and were told that the softener would extend the life of the appliances. A water softener salesman came to our house to do a demonstration (apparently the phone rep did not tell him that we already had a softener), and you should have seen the look on his face when our cheaper softener performed just as well as his really expensive unit. He also explained that if we did not have one, we would have to use 30 times more soap to get our dishes as clean.

dendox · 06-11-2007, 07:53 AM

get a softner. We did not and we are mad at ourselves everyday. Our shower is constantly looking like crap (al the residue on the glass), our baby's bottles have a residue, and our tooth brushes have a funny color on them after about 1 month's use.

Can you live without one???? Sure. But would you hate yourself for not having one - if you are like us - YES.

Just get the homebuilder to pre plumb for one and go find the one that makes the most sense for you (financially and from a performance stand point).

NurseDana · 06-11-2007, 07:50 PM

I remember having awater softener as a child! I remember the service peope coming monthy(?) to add salt, I think! We were advised, and offered the option, of having our builder put in a 'loop' for a water softener during the building process. We will shop for a softener as soon as we get to SA, in 8 days now! Thanks for the post about buying at Costco; we'll certainly shop good prices/quality, etc. GO SPURS GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

06-11-2007, 08:25 PM

We actually do all the salt stuff ourselves. We get it really cheap at Sam's, and it's very easy to do. A service would be nice because it would save having the trip to the store and the effort to do it, but it's not enough of a hassle to bother.

Latinocowboy · 06-11-2007, 09:36 PM

I had one installed through my builder and it like the fact that there are minimal spots on the chrome sink hardware in our kitchen and baths (for starters). I use the Potassium pellets at the advice of a neighbor. I usually keep a stock of 3-4 40lb. bags in my garage.

Get one!

Monzoon · 06-11-2007, 11:23 PM

I have been planning for a while now to get a water softener, but I was having some second thoughts, especially when I went to Home Depot about two weeks ago and the guy there told me that it's probably going to cost me 1500 - 2000 bucks to have it installed (I told him that my house is pre-plumbed). he said some other stuffs, but I could not hear him as was already running out the door!!!

Could you guys recommend a reputable installer, one that won't milk me out of my hard earned money. I like the idea of buying the unit and having someone install it. I really need to have done before June ends. Thanks a lot..Ow, I have a two-story home, will water pressure be a problem?

samom · 06-12-2007, 03:51 AM

We hired Ecowater to install it. But when the installer was working in our house, our next-door neighbor saw the company's van parking on our driveway, knocked on our door, told us that Ecowater had done a bad job for them, and that he wouldn't recommend them. That was about 14 months ago. We haven't had any problem with our water softner since then, but I hesitate to recommend the company. Sorry I don't know about the water pressure thing. You may have to get some professional opinion.