1. Is this a new build or new to you?

2. If it is not a new build, how old is the house, has it had a softener previously, and is there buildup on fixtures?

3. Does the water have any particulates?

4. Does the water have any color or cloudiness?

5. Fill a clear glass with water and let it sit for a few hours - does it develop any color?

6. Any odors?

7. You ought to have a complete test of the well water to ensure its safety. That would include bacteria, copper, iron, VOC - you can find a complete list of recommended tests on your state's website.. The only one of those I listed that will affect softener size and operation is iron.

8. What size is your plumbing entering your home where you will install the softener?

9. Do you have any high-water-use fixtures such as a multi-head shower or large bathtub?

Thanks for your quick response, sorry it took me so long to get back. Here are the answers to your questions. I have a full water test report that I can send if you would like to take a look.

1. The house is brand new. We have only been in about two months
3. We had some sand and small rocks, I installed an inline filter (inside the well house),which seems to have eliminated 95%
4. We had noticed a slight yellow/brownish tint in the toilets for the first couple of weeks but since the inline filter we have seen that anymore
5. I can do this today and get back to you
6. For the first 10 days we had a bad sulfur smell but the well installer changed out the tank and the smell is totally gone.
8. (1") coming into the house. We pre-plumbed for a water softener in the garage.
9. Yes. The master shower has a head, two body sprays and a handheld. The master tub is a large soaker tub with a faucet and a handheld.

I appreciate your help.

Alkalinity: 400.0 ppm (mg/L)
Arsenic: Calcium as CaCO3: 120 ppm (mg/L)
Chloride: 150 ppm (mg/L)
Conductivity: 820 uS/cm
Copper: Fluoride: Iron/Fe3+: Manganese: Nitrate: Nitrite: pH: 7.6 pH_unit
Sulfate: Total Chlorine: Total Dissolved Soilds: 544 ppm (mg/L)
Total Hardness as CaCO3: 300.0 ppm (mg/L)
Total/Fecal Coliform SM9221D: No Coliforms Detected
Lead: 0.005 mg/L

Thank you for the extra info. I'm not seeing any big issues with your water quality, the conductivity, and chlorine levels will affect my recommendation.

First, you should be looking for a 2.0 cubic ft softener. Once in place it should be regenerated with 8 lb salt per cubic ft of resin. Better salt efficiency could be achieved regenerating with a lower salt dose, but you conductivity is high enough that a lower salt dose would result in enough hardness bleed that you would notice it.

A 2.0 cubic ft softener will regen every 10 days with 4 people in the house, and every 8 days with 5 people in the house.

As you speak to vendors, you want to specify the following for an industry standard softener. If you are looking for a non-electronic softener, Kinetico offers the more reliable options at a premium price (and you would need to deal with a local Kinetico rep). Any decent softener vendor should be able to provide the following:

• High quality American or German made resin. This will provide a tight size distribution for optimal flow within the resin

• Since you have CITY WATER: 10% crosslinked resin. The oxidizers that city water treatment plants use, such as chlorine or chloramine, are harmful to softener resins. Higher crosslinking will resist chemical attack longer.

• Top basket. This serves two purposes. It sets up a proper water distribution during normal operation and prevents resin loss during backwash.

• Gravel underbed. The gravel underbed is there to set up proper flow patterns, improve backwash, keep the bottom basket in place, prevent basket failure, and prevent channeling. Many softener sales companies like to leave this out or sell softeners with a vortex system instead. Vortex systems weigh less than gravel so they cost less to ship. In addition, they are a more expensive item that adds profit for the softener salesperson, but provides no additional benefit to the homeowner . It simply adds another piece of equipment that can break.

• Fleck or Clack valves. These set the industry standard. Be aware that you will not be able to purchase Clack valves online. This is not a problem if you purchase locally. If you go with a Fleck valve, it should be the 7000sxt. A 5600sxt has 3/4" internal porting and is too small for the tank you will need.

• The valve should regen based on water usage, not time.

• Noryl bypass. Most softeners are available with either Noryl or stainless bypass valves. Both are good valves, but the noryl tends to be more reliable when not used for long periods of time.

• Install the softener with a three-valve bypass. This will make it so much easier if you ever need to remove the softener for repairs or wish to take it with you when you move. Use full-port, quarter-turn valves.

I would speak to local water treatment pros first to see what they can offer. For most people, a local pro is a good idea. If you intend to DIY, be cognizant of the fact that the buck stops with...

Thank you for your time and expertise. I have a guy coming out tomorrow to discuss a softener, I will use your list to check against what he is selling. My water supply is Well Water, I apologize if had listed it as public water.

Thank you

You mentioned well water - my mistake. In that case you only need 8% crosslinked resin, not 10%. Everything else remains the same.