Advice Needed for Water Softener Installer in Western NY

[Alan271]

I've been searching this forum for some time to get advice regarding water softener systems. You all are very informative. Hopefully, you can assist with my situation.

We took over a home from a relative that has an existing chlorinator system - the house is on a well. The previous owners did not install a water softener - however the water is hard. I have called two water softener installers out to find out what we need.

The first installer did not do any testing on the water until pressed - then only did a Hardness test. Said the water was 15 grains hard. Verbally quoted $1700 for a "system". Would not put anything in writing. We passed.

Second installer also gave a verbal quote of $1600 after testing the water for pH, hardness (20 grains), chlorine and Iron. Said that the chlorinator was not working. When pressed he provided a written quote of "clack valve, 1.5 cu ft. water softener". I have called back to tell him I need more information in writing, including warranty information, resin type, etc. but have not received a response.

Maybe these installers are fine - but I am uncomfortable moving ahead with so little information. I would appreciate any thoughts, as well as if anyone wants to PM me with any installers in the area (south of Buffalo, NY).

Additionally, should we be doing our own water test with a Lab first in order to give the installer all the information. So far, neither has seemed concerned with getting any water test results.

We also have the option of having a plumber put in a system if we buy all the components, but, as I have read on the forums, this creates a number of other issues, such as who will service, warranties, expertise, etc.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Bannerman]

should we be doing our own water test with a Lab first

Yes. With well water, the well's owner is responsible for the water's safety and appropriate treatment. While water from a municipal source is usually tested numerous times per year, it is advisable for a private well to be tested periodically every few years.

National Labs is reasonably priced and most often recommended on this forum. You may also contact your local agricultural service for their recommendations.
https://watercheck.com/collections/well-water-tests

 

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[Reach4]

Additionally, should we be doing our own water test with a Lab first

https://terrylove.com/forums/index.php?threads/help-please-newish-to-well-water.76204/#post-559117

 

[Alan271]

Thank you to Bannerman and Reach4 for the helpful replies. We will send out for water testing. I should have mentioned that we generally know the water is safe. When the new well was dug about 4-5 years ago, the water was tested and "passed" (my parents don't have the details) and when we inherited the house last year the health department passed the well. Unfortunately, we can't find the exact results.

So our concern at this point is more toward the fact that even after the chlorinator was installed, there were still issues with rust in toilets, staining the washer, etc., as well as scaling of fixtures. We also did some basic home testing to test for hardness, which pointed to hard water with no bacteria or other issues.

I'll post again when we get the test results and in the meantime if anyone has any recommendations, we would appreciate it.

 

[Reach4]

With a chlorinator, iron and some other things precipitate out. It is best to have a good contact tank to let let that happen and have a way to remove the solids.

Also, unless you can tune the chlorine level just right, you want to remove the chlorine before use. That is done by a tank that looks like another water softer. It usually uses GAC (granular activated carbon).

When you have a chlorinator, you want test paper to measure the residual chlorine.

 

[Bannerman]

even after the chlorinator was installed, there were still issues with rust in toilets, staining the washer, etc., as well as scaling of fixtures.

Perhaps in addition to obtaining a comprehensive lab test, you can post photos of all existing equipment with details of settings and controls. It may be that injecting chlorine in itself is not adequate to address an iron issue without also employing a contact tank so the chlorine has adequate contact time to oxidize and convert ferrous iron into ferric iron and allow the resulting iron solids to precipitate out before being sent to household fixtures.

 

[Alan271]

We just received the results of the water test. Metals, bacteria, etc. were all undetectable. Results for detectable levels were
Calcium 95.7 mg/L
Magnesium 20.6 mg/L
Potassium 2.2 mg/L
Silica 9.9 mg/L
Sodium 28 mg/L
Strontium ,112 mg/L
Alkalinity 250 mg/L
Hardness 320 mg/L
pH 7
TDS 410 mg/L

As mentioned in my original post, the house has an existing chlorine injector. There is a holding tank and a filter to remove the iron. Interesting, although one softener installer said iron was present after the chlorination system, the National Labs test did not show any iron. I've uploaded pictures of the existing water system, line in from the well, etc.

3 bedroom, 3 showers house, mostly 3 people with daily showers.

So far I have had difficulty getting adequate information from local installers. One company quoted but did not provide any details, one company quoted a Clack valve, but no warranty information and did not respond to the request for a written quote with warranty, and now a third quoted a Hydrotech 785HF with a 7 year warranty (this company also seemed the most knowledgeable).

Any thoughts are appreciated. Our plumber offered to have us buy equipment and he would install, but he would not size the system.

 

[Reach4]

Was this water test done on the raw water?

 

[ditttohead]

I would avoid the last company you mentioned, Demand Clack or Fleck.

Your plumbing needs some serious updating. You have CPVC, PVC, Pex, Poly, Brass, Copper and galvanized all in the same area. Time to gut it all out and update.

Post a picture of the chlorinator. It looks like a Stenner by the injection port.

You have an Autotrol based backwashing system currently. I can only assume it is either a carbon or a manganese dioxide ore based system. Either one is typically designed to reduce iron, manganese and odor.

And like Reach said, was your water test on the raw or post treatment?

 

[Alan271]

Yes, it is a Stenner injector, I'll have to go back and take a photo. The valve on the carbon filter is a Pentair. I confirmed it is a carbon filter.

The water results above were post treatment with the chlorine system. Raw well water was about the same as above. We didn't do the same extensive testing on the raw water, but a more basic test showed no detectable levels of bacteria, the same hardness - the main difference was an iron reading of 2 mg/L.

Dittohead - can you let me know your opinion is to avoid the last company. I'm having a hard time getting responses from anyone else.

Thanks in advance.

 

[ditttohead]

pm sent