Like many, I'm doing the research on whole house water systems.

I've lived 14 years off a community well. I had the county come out and
do tests at my house and at the well last summer. Our water has high,
but legally acceptable levels of manganese, iron, and calcium. The
water is treated at the community well with chlorine and polyphosphate
before distribution to the homes.

I want to remove the Ca, Mg, and Fe from my inbound water. I'm tired of
all my sink and shower nozzles needing to be soaked in CLR every month,
and treating brown stains in my dishwasher with lemon juice. The inside
of my toilet tanks is pitch black, just gross. When we refill the hot
tub, we have to change the filter out in the first 24hrs because of all
the accumulated orange iron crud.

I called a local Culligan representative who happened to know of my
neighborhood. He knew
that our development treated the water at the well with chlorine and
phosphate. I was told that the polyphosphate treatment coats iron (and
manganese?) particles so they don't attach to things in the water,
hence, 'softening' it. (tell that to my shower nozzles and toilet
tanks.)

This polyphosphate coating supposedly prevents resin-based ion
exchangers in a softener unit from working. That polyphosphate-coated
ions can't be exchanged for sodium, hence resin softeners just won't
work with our water. Ahem, well, everybody's resins except Culligan
systems...

He said Culligan had a patented technology that was able to remove the
iron from water that had been treated with polyphosphate. I asked how
the technology worked, and was told "it's a secret". And that *nobody
else* in the market anywhere, except Culligan, had the ability to
remove iron from polyphosphate-treated water.

This sets off my BS alarm. Whenever I'm hit with a sales pitch
(informational pitch, whatever you want to call it) that depends on the
customer believing in witchcraft, supernatural events, or Patented
Secret Technology that Only We Have But Can't Tell You About, my wallet
clamps shut hard and fast.

Can anyone (Gary?) verify that Culligan has The One Worldwide solution
to softening and filtering community well water treated with
polyphosphate? I find it very hard to believe that nobody else's
system can do this.

How *should* I deal with the requirements of a system when we've got
unsatisfactory well water treated with polyphosphate?

I don't want to spend what EcoWater would want for a system. I'm not
sure I'm qualified to choose the right system from a Big Box store like
Lowe's. I understand you need different media for different inbound
water types and requirements. I want a system that regenerates on
demand. I feel like Culligan is a decent alternative, but this Unique
Patented Only We Have It technology bit gives me issues.

Comments will be greatly appreciated. Please reply to the list.

Chip

If it is patented, it is not a secret. Patents are public information. Ask
for the patent number to test him for BS, and see if you can download the
patent info from the patent office website.

"A Guy In Johnston County" wrote in message
oups.com...
Like many, I'm doing the research on whole house water systems.

I've lived 14 years off a community well. I had the county come out and
do tests at my house and at the well last summer. Our water has high,
but legally acceptable levels of manganese, iron, and calcium. The
water is treated at the community well with chlorine and polyphosphate
before distribution to the homes.

I want to remove the Ca, Mg, and Fe from my inbound water. I'm tired of
all my sink and shower nozzles needing to be soaked in CLR every month,
and treating brown stains in my dishwasher with lemon juice. The inside
of my toilet tanks is pitch black, just gross. When we refill the hot
tub, we have to change the filter out in the first 24hrs because of all
the accumulated orange iron crud.

I called a local Culligan representative who happened to know of my
neighborhood. He knew
that our development treated the water at the well with chlorine and
phosphate. I was told that the polyphosphate treatment coats iron (and
manganese?) particles so they don't attach to things in the water,
hence, 'softening' it. (tell that to my shower nozzles and toilet
tanks.)

This polyphosphate coating supposedly prevents resin-based ion
exchangers in a softener unit from working. That polyphosphate-coated
ions can't be exchanged for sodium, hence resin softeners just won't
work with our water. Ahem, well, everybody's resins except Culligan
systems...

He said Culligan had a patented technology that was able to remove the
iron from water that had been treated with polyphosphate. I asked how
the technology worked, and was told "it's a secret". And that *nobody
else* in the market anywhere, except Culligan, had the ability to
remove iron from polyphosphate-treated water.

This sets off my BS alarm. Whenever I'm hit with a sales pitch
(informational pitch, whatever you want to call it) that depends on the
customer believing in witchcraft, supernatural events, or Patented
Secret Technology that Only We Have But Can't Tell You About, my wallet
clamps shut hard and fast.

Can anyone (Gary?) verify that Culligan has The One Worldwide solution
to softening and filtering community well water treated with
polyphosphate? I find it very hard to believe that nobody else's
system can do this.

How *should* I deal with the requirements of a system when we've got
unsatisfactory well water treated with polyphosphate?

I don't want to spend what EcoWater would want for a system. I'm not
sure I'm qualified to choose the right system from a Big Box store like
Lowe's. I understand you need different media for different inbound
water types and requirements. I want a system that regenerates on
demand. I feel like Culligan is a decent alternative, but this Unique
Patented Only We Have It technology bit gives me issues.

Comments will be greatly appreciated. Please reply to the list.

Chip

Yes and no. Here is an article to read...

http://www.hungerfordterry.com/techdata_iron.htm

Everything depends on the concentration of iron.
Get your water tested. I would not trust in what watersoftner
salesman told you. And *if* you water really that bad, iron
removal equipment will work ( provided it was selected for right form
iron)