Looking for local collective knowledge for those who have battled hard water issues and won...

We have hard water issues and have put off addressing for a little too long since we have moved into the new home and need to get it addressed soon. Looking for:

1) An independent lab analysis (not tied to someone trying to sell me something) to perform an unbiased analysis of our well water. I read where OCCHD will test the water for bacteria, but it doesn't really mention if they test for hardness, etc. Anyone have recommendations on locations for well water testing?

2) I would like to hear of all that would recommend their particular installed softener/filtration system and why. Reading the depths of many forums, I am inclined to avoid the Culligans, Kineticos, Ecowaters, etc. in favor of buying a good system online and having a plumber install it rather than going through a system dealer. Really looking for any reviews and experiences, especially those on well water.

Thanks!
KB

Looking for local collective knowledge for those who have battled hard water issues and won...

We have hard water issues and have put off addressing for a little too long since we have moved into the new home and need to get it addressed soon. Looking for:

1) An independent lab analysis (not tied to someone trying to sell me something) to perform an unbiased analysis of our well water. I read where OCCHD will test the water for bacteria, but it doesn't really mention if they test for hardness, etc. Anyone have recommendations on locations for well water testing?

2) I would like to hear of all that would recommend their particular installed softener/filtration system and why. Reading the depths of many forums, I am inclined to avoid the Culligans, Kineticos, Ecowaters, etc. in favor of buying a good system online and having a plumber install it rather than going through a system dealer. Really looking for any reviews and experiences, especially those on well water.

Thanks!
KB

I also fight hard water and would be interested in this along with the maintenance/upkeep requirements

KB,
I have had a Culligan water softener (not a filtration system) since February, 1976 and I have had to replace it. I"m very pleased because I am on a well and at one time had extremely hard water, 27 grains I believe, but it fluctuates over the years and right now is not that hard. My experiences with the company has always been positive. Lately I have had them test my reverse osmosis water (not theirs, another brand) to be sure the water was pure and they don't charge anything. I'm not sure, but I don't think you have to be a customer to have your water tested. I would call them and ask. And by the way, the lady at the reception area does the testing at her desk and it only takes a minute or two. She is not a sales person and is very nice. They are located at SE 25th and I-35 Service Road. I believe you can also purchase your own test kit and do it yourself. There are some systems that soften, like mine but they also filter to RO quality all the water you use (bathrooms as well as kitchen) but they are fairly expensive. General Ionics in Edmond sells this type of system. My RO is for my coffee machine, ice maker/water through the door refrigerator and a tap on my kitchen sink. I believe you can also take a sample of your water the OSUOKC campus for testing, but you need to call them to be sure. I know you seem set against Culligan, but I wouldn't ignore them, they do make a good product and are family/locally owned and back up their product and their service.
C. T.

For something like 40 years, I've been a customer of The Aquamart, which provides a reverse-osmosis service via a leased tank that they provide. I began using them when my eldest son, now 59, went to work for them in high school as a delivery driver and route salesman, delivering salt and doing minor maintenance on the units. Originally it was simply a way to support him in his job, but we quickly became accustomed to the joys of soft water.

When John left them to move on to higher things, his younger brother took his place on the route, and when Bob went away to school in Denver, we stayed with Jerry & Company. When we moved from the Cleveland neighborhood in 1982, the owner of Aquamart personally did the installation of the unit in our new home. He's given us excellent service ever since.

It's a very small company; their offices are located near NW 39th and Meridian, in a building almost hidden behind the car wash and the barbeque joint just southeast of the intersection. However they take pride in their service and would well be worth contacting.

I won't mention our costs, because they just might be somewhat lower than their usual rates because of the long association -- but I'm sure they'll be quite reasonable and competitive with other providers...

We used the Kennmore Elite softener because it didn't take up a lot of space and worked very well. You can select the grains of salt you desire, regeneration times, and buy your salt at Walmart for about $5 a bag. Another reason I liked it is because you own the unit and it is much cheaper than using a service like Culligan.

We used the Kennmore Elite softener because it didn't take up a lot of space and worked very well. You can select the grains of salt you desire, regeneration times, and buy your salt at Walmart for about $5 a bag. Another reason I liked it is because you own the unit and it is much cheaper than using a service like Culligan.

Rezman,
I have always owned my Culligan and bought my salt at Walmart or Sam's, but not at Culligan's. Now, because of my condition, I have Culligan delivery and they put it in my container. A little more expensive, but I can't lift the salt bags anymore. Renting is just a service they offer and I have never used it. As for settings, my regeneration times are based on hardness and number of gallons of water used, so the regeneration times vary based on my usage. I don't have to do/choose anything and I like it that way. I think most good softeners offer the automatic system as an option.
C. T.

Thanks for everyone's input. I am still weighing all options... Just so much information out there to try and process.

When we built I selected a Fleck 5600XT softener which the plumber installed. It's metered so we only use the salt we need with no waste vs a timed regeneration softener. For us with 2 in the house, appx 6,000 gl/mo we use one 40 lb bag a month with a hardness of 22 here. Your salt usage will depend on the hardness. I bought the large salt bin b/c it recommended not to let the salt get too low and this way I can just add two bags six times a year or thereabouts.

Fleck 5600SXT Meter Water Softener (http://www.qualitywaterforless.com/Fleck_5600SXT_s/30.htm?gclid=CJzgjbDHuKwCFRLatgodvjDdHQ)

Rezman,
I have always owned my Culligan and bought my salt at Walmart or Sam's, but not at Culligan's. Now, because of my condition, I have Culligan delivery and they put it in my container. A little more expensive, but I can't lift the salt bags anymore. Renting is just a service they offer and I have never used it. As for settings, my regeneration times are based on hardness and number of gallons of water used, so the regeneration times vary based on my usage. I don't have to do/choose anything and I like it that way. I think most good softeners offer the automatic system as an option.
C. T.

I don't know about all the others. I know we had two Kennmore units, one in out house the burned and the other in the new house. They had touch screens where you could change settings on demand, trackwater usage , etc. Buying the units and getting the salt from Walmart was less money than anything Culligan was offering.. and the Kennmore units worked very well.