whole house water filter

[billfig]

Hi, got a softener and a small 10-12" filter using the carbon cartridges. Sears has a 3' floor job on sale for 200.00 which is carbon too and supposed to last 10 yrs.?? I've had descent luck with their softeners for 25 yrs.

[cacher_chick]

How long the filter works would be entirely dependent on what you are filtering. If there are any solid particles such as sand or precipitated iron, you would be better served by a filter that automatically back-washes.

[billfig]

Yea I got my small whole house between bladder tank and softener and it does get restricted with like super fine rust-mud stuff? In fact after I drained & flushed tanks and chlorinated well last week my BN filter plugged right up! PITA they usually last a month or so...? I'm thinking with this unit which does clean itself/backflush, it would be cheaper and easier...as long as it does what I expect it to and not be a POS!

[ditttohead]

Not a fan of that unit. Unless you are on an extremely tight budget, I would recommend a 1.5 cu. ft. GAC backwashing system with any Fleck valve over that unit. A decent control valve costs more than that entire unit does. Carbons ability to remove organic chemicals, pesticides etc is based on contact time. A gac cartridge for a house is basically a waste unless you are soley trying to remove Chlorine. It will do that ok, even at higher than ideal flow rates.

[Christopher Piper]

Separate filters for separate purposes is always going to be better than 'combo' type media. The odds of a combo sediment/carbon filter running out of sediment trap space and carbon sites anywhere near the same time is a crap shoot at best. Much better to run a sediment filter, followed by a carbon, then into the softener. Then, each can be proper for it's particular job. The carbon filter and softener won't get mudded up by sediment, and will last quite a bit longer. If you go with a backwashing sediment filter (sand, media, whatever), you will only ever have to worry about changing out the carbon filter when you start getting breakthrough.

[billfig]

you guys are right. I am on an extremely tight budget too! I should plumb my small (2x10) whole house after bladder then to this floor job, then into softener..correct? After all that work and expense, I would really hope it all works ok. I did renew my bladder tank and softener lasy year and just cleaned out the hw tank & stuck a spare anode in to replace the "well sacrificed" one.