Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
gbsim1

New Construction: Softener advice needed please!

gbsim1
12 years ago

We're building a new home in a rural county notorious for having extremely hard water.

The plumber has is finishing his rough in work and we hope to be in by early summer.

Knowledge about softeners here is just based on what the neighbors did and I'd rather make an informed decision.

GC is finally about to get the wells dug (multiples for geothermal) so I have no water to test yet but would like to get a head start on having things ready to accept whatever softener we wind up with and be able to make a quick decision about what unit to use.

Advice on how to configure things in the mechanical room/house and a point in the right direction to brands, how to test (and what for) and what I can do in advance of my well would be greatly appreciated.

Comments (4)

  • justalurker
    12 years ago

    Is the GC drilling the well or bringing in professional well drillers?

    Without the results from a comprehensive water test there can be no intelligent discussion regarding water treatment. You want your water tested by a certified independent lab.

    The equipment can vary from just a softener to iron filter, carbon backwashing filter, retention tank, chlorinator, acid neutralizer, and on and on. Physical sizes of equipment will vary based on water conditions and water usage.

    In the mechanical area you'll have a pressure tank for the well. You must have a softener loop, drain and an AC outlet. As long as you have adequate floor space that's all you can do till the well is in, stabilized and tested.

  • gbsim1
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Thanks Justa! I was hoping you'd answer!

    Yes, the GC will be bringing in a professional well digger. Since everyone in the county outside of the tiny town limits is on a well, it's a pretty common thing to be drilling. But despite the county wide hard water problem, there isn't much knowledge about how to handle it.

    At what point after drilling would you test? I've never had a well drilled so am not sure what you mean by stabilized.

    For the initial testing, do you have a laundry list of what you'd like to see results on?

  • justalurker
    12 years ago

    I'd expect that after the well is drilled it will be tested for an occupancy permit. A certified lab knows what to test for regarding quality and safety.

    Hardness, iron (ferrous and ferric), manganese, magnesium, copper, nitrates, bacteria, arsenic, sodium, TDS to name a few. Keep in mind that a well across the road or down the lane can have entirely different water quality, or lack of, then your well.

    Once those test results are posted we can look at what needs to be treated. This may be really easy or really complicated so we need those results.

    Also need to know # of people, # of bathrooms, SFR of the well at the pressure tank, size of the plumbing where the softener will be installed, and if there are any water hogging appliances like a Jacuzzi.

    Living on a well is more complicated than on a municipal water system. You have the responsibility of making the water nice and SAFE. There will be routine maintenance and you should be getting water tests at least annually and especially for nitrates and bacteria.

  • justalurker
    12 years ago

    And don't forget to test the PH...