Brecchi
Member
Hello, I posted a thread recently and got a lot of good advice regarding a water softener for our house. We are on well water, and after a water test from NTL and a lot of conversations with various members on here, I decided on a Fleck 5600SXT.
I was a bit wary of online stores, but I was able to actually go into one with a brick and mortar presence (Aqua Science). The young lady working there was very helpful. She did recommend a Big Blue filter, which I'm not 100% sure about but its not too much added cost. So I planned to get the water softener, filter, and connection kit for just under $1000.
I was all ready to order and wrap this thing up (I've been researching for months, got slowed down due to work and bad Covid.) I contacted a small well- regarded plumbing company who specializes in water softeners and related services. I spoke with the plumber and he said that they have too many problems installing softeners that they don't sell themselves. Its actually believable, with the stories he told me about going out to customers houses multiple times due to faulty previous installs and shoddy equipment. He seemed like a good guy and the company has a good reputation, and customer service and building long-term relationships with people and families seems to be important to him.. He spent at least 2o minutes on the phone with me before he had to get back to a job he was currently working on.
My concern is that he is exclusively a Hague dealer. From my own research, they seem to be a bit outdated and not really discussed on here. The plumber mentioned that he decided to go with them exclusively because they are a family owned business, all parts made in the USA and their customer service is second to none.
He said that if I decided to go with him, he could do everything for $1800-$2000 out the door for a unit with a 10 year warranty, or closer to $2500 for a unit with a 25 year warranty. Some other things mentioned were:
- A lot of online companies just basically dump resin into a tank and ship things out with no "science" behind the process.
-Plumbers who charge $200 for an install are likely skipping over a lot of important considerations. He would charge more like $800 for labor, which a lot of folks think is too much but he mentioned around $275 in parts and fittings (included) to do the job right. Apparently, he spends time doing extra work to ensure everything drains properly, etc. and it seems like a more exhaustive process.
-One thing that is worrying is that he mentioned that an improperly attached water softener to a well water/septic system can result in eventually getting some of that black water into the drinking water. Which is obviously gross and scary.
His secretary sent an email offering a free in-person estimate which I am likely going to do, but I also don;t want to waste this guy's time if I go another route. I'd very much like to hear you guys thoughts on this, and what you would do in my situation.
Thanks,
Ben
I was a bit wary of online stores, but I was able to actually go into one with a brick and mortar presence (Aqua Science). The young lady working there was very helpful. She did recommend a Big Blue filter, which I'm not 100% sure about but its not too much added cost. So I planned to get the water softener, filter, and connection kit for just under $1000.
I was all ready to order and wrap this thing up (I've been researching for months, got slowed down due to work and bad Covid.) I contacted a small well- regarded plumbing company who specializes in water softeners and related services. I spoke with the plumber and he said that they have too many problems installing softeners that they don't sell themselves. Its actually believable, with the stories he told me about going out to customers houses multiple times due to faulty previous installs and shoddy equipment. He seemed like a good guy and the company has a good reputation, and customer service and building long-term relationships with people and families seems to be important to him.. He spent at least 2o minutes on the phone with me before he had to get back to a job he was currently working on.
My concern is that he is exclusively a Hague dealer. From my own research, they seem to be a bit outdated and not really discussed on here. The plumber mentioned that he decided to go with them exclusively because they are a family owned business, all parts made in the USA and their customer service is second to none.
He said that if I decided to go with him, he could do everything for $1800-$2000 out the door for a unit with a 10 year warranty, or closer to $2500 for a unit with a 25 year warranty. Some other things mentioned were:
- A lot of online companies just basically dump resin into a tank and ship things out with no "science" behind the process.
-Plumbers who charge $200 for an install are likely skipping over a lot of important considerations. He would charge more like $800 for labor, which a lot of folks think is too much but he mentioned around $275 in parts and fittings (included) to do the job right. Apparently, he spends time doing extra work to ensure everything drains properly, etc. and it seems like a more exhaustive process.
-One thing that is worrying is that he mentioned that an improperly attached water softener to a well water/septic system can result in eventually getting some of that black water into the drinking water. Which is obviously gross and scary.
His secretary sent an email offering a free in-person estimate which I am likely going to do, but I also don;t want to waste this guy's time if I go another route. I'd very much like to hear you guys thoughts on this, and what you would do in my situation.
Thanks,
Ben