Trust A Water Specialist
Dave asked:
So I'm shopping for a new water softener. Have used a Culligan w/ salt for years. I have to add Citric acid chrystals to the salt tank to clean out the iron. My well water has 2.09mg/L Iron, pH 7.87, 288mg/L hardness, I live in NW Montana. I've been shopping for value/effectiveness on the internet and now that I found your site (ask the water doctor) I don't know what to believe. Where is a consumer to go for truth. Consumer Reports does not have any tests. I'm really tired of unsubstantiated claims/snake oil.
The Water Doctor Replied: Dave, this isn't Rocket Science, because I am not a Rocket Scientist. However, many people buy a product and believe that such a single unit will solve all of their water problems, which is why so many people are disappointed. Rarely does one product solve multiple problems (I'm not saying "never" but usually not). It's like buying a furnace and expecting it to cool your house too. Most people in climates where the weather varies have several components to their HVAC system: a furnace, an air conditioner, maybe a humidifier, filtration system and maybe an ultraviolet disinfection system.
Yet, people insist on trying to treat their water with just one system. Silly isn't it? Dave has hardness and iron and maybe other things he doesn't know about. He knows what his hardness is, what his iron is and what his pH is, but what about manganese, tannin, chemicals, arsenic, pesticides, etc.? My point is that people often treat their air better than their water. Think about it! There is no "magical box" that solves all of your water problems, and yes there is an abundance of companies selling "snake-oil" by making outright fraudulent claims. Who do you believe? Well, you should believe that things that seem too good to be true usually are. Use your common sense. See if there is sound science behind the technology.
In Dave's case, he needs a good detailed water analysis, like This One or This One. Once he gets his analysis back, he might want to consider some type of iron filter or iron removal system, since to effectively remove iron, it needs to be oxidized.
- Get a water analysis;
- Do your homework;
- Pick a good company that has WQA Certified Water Specialists; and
- Enjoy your water.