| Have you had your water tested? If not, you probably should. When you have a well, it's important to know what minerals are in your water, but you may also have high levels of bacteria, VOCs, nitrates, or low/high pH. A low or high pH can eat holes in your pipes.
I'd recommend you have an expert evaluate your particular problems and needs. The water conditioning system you ultimately install should address your particular problems.
We moved into a house with a well 10 years ago. When we had our water tested, we discovered it had high levels of manganese (gee, no wonder the showers and dishwasher were stained orange!) As a result, we installed a water filter and a water softener. Running the dishwasher with Tang instead of dishwasher detergent took care of those orange stains, and a mineral remover got rid of the stains in the showers. No more orange stains since installing the water conditioning system! By the way, we haven't had any damaged clothing since installing our water softener.
As recommended, we've had our water tested every year since then. Five years ago, the water test came back positive for fecal coliform bacteria. The water testing company told us that just one small insect in our well could result in a positive test for fecal coliform bacteria. At that point, we decided to install a UV water purifier. Our water has tested fine since then.
Good luck! |