Wednesday, April 30, 2008

At least we'll be able to use the bathroom!



Although it isn't quite done (the guys needed to get another connection), it's getting there.



There's our septic tank.



We sure have lost some hay-ground and pasture in this process.  Oh well, at least we'll be able to flush... if our bathrooms ever arrive.

We're going to have to make a decision on our water supply.  We already paid $2,060 to the rural water folks; they didn't want to hook us up to the smaller line that runs along our dead-end road, so if we get on their lines, we have to hook on some 400 feet away.  To do that, we have to pay half the cost of bring water from there to here.  That's another $1,100.  If we decide against them, they'll refund our deposit.

I'm going to call Culligan and see what the cost would be to get a water softener and maintain it.  I have a feeling we'd be ahead using our ever-faithful well.  The only thing I'm a bit concerned about is Cliff's heart issues:  I've heard there is some salt in softened water.  I can call and talk to the nurse at his heart specialist's office; perhaps she can guide me.

We shall see.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Your tank looks great!  I wish I had a dollar for everyone of those chambers I've helped put in.  Your site is excellant for a septic job.  You should see one that has to go in a wooded area. Ugh!

Anonymous said...

My folks used to use a water softening system and I know it wasn't cheap either.  Best to check out all your options.  Nice you can flush!  'On Ya' -ma

Anonymous said...

Good for ya'll getting the septic system put in. That is a high price to get water  out there. I know nothing about a water softener system. That ground looks really rich they are digging up. Perhaps Cliff can put in a small garden close to your home, that is he choses to do so.

Anonymous said...

I hope you pay the extra fee so you Don't have to use a water softener system.
We have lived (rented) in 2 different houses over the years when my husband used to work on out of town Construction jobs.
Well water at one place and town water at another.
Both had dreadful water so we used water softeners.
They were Not free.
We rented them but could have bought them.
We were Not  staying more than a year at each place so rented them.
The bags of salt are heavy and the softener seemed to
*Always* need checking the salt level & filling.

Plus if you order it delivered and happen to Not be home they just dump the bags on the porch and you are left to carry them to where ever the softener is hooked up.
Plus you need a place to stack the bags Close to the softener.
I would Never have a softener in my own home if I could pay the extra thousand dollars to prevent.
And as another commenter said it gets Costly
and to me it was very Inconvenient.

We did Not like the taste of it so then had to rent Water dispensers that needed heavy bottles of water lifted upon it.
It is hard to believe how heavy a 5 gallon jug of water is.
With such a nice new home you are getting you deserve
to the get the best water you can.
To me that is Not water with bag after bag of Salt.



Anonymous said...

Well, if your good luck holds a water softener system will hold you until you are no longer with us.... but hard water rusts the tansk from the inside out and eventually the pin holes become huge holes and then there is the flood ...

Okay, enough gloom and doom from me!  You'll make the most efficient and economical decision in the end.

But dang, aren't there just so many to make?

Lovin' that new septic tank.  When we had our new system put in about six years ago, I could not take my eyes off the work in progress.  I sptent pretty much an entire week, watching and learning.  

Anonymous said...

My husband used to work at Culligan.  He says you should check out http://oto.wustl.edu/men/water.htm about the sodium in softened water.  If he's drinking as much water as you are supposed to , he'll be getting about 2 liters.  According to the table on that link it could add as little as 150 mg which is about the same as a cup of milk.  But if your water is really hard it could be over 450.  You'd have to find out how hard your water is to know where you would fall.

City water can have just as much sodium though.  So to know what softening your well water is going to do vs city water you'd have to get the water tested.

He says that if your husband is on a very restricted sodium diet that you might want to invest in a reverse osmosis water filter.  A single tap (just at one sink) unit should be under $200.

one of those will remove all the sodium :)

Carrie

Anonymous said...

I have had city water since I was 6 years old. I have friends who have well water. It seems to change the color of their clothes, etches their dishes and glasses and stains toilets, tubs, and showers. One fee to install, forever to deal with a softener and products and repairs - tough call, if you like well water. Well, plus the cost of city water - I think it's a bargain, lol!

xoxo

Anonymous said...

Salt is what makes it softer.

Anonymous said...

Personally I would add a water filter at the sink, cheaper. We have hard water and it is not well water. I added a filter and just for me drinking water.