Whenever a plant has the potential to be in the same soil for 2 or more growth cycles, I use the gritty mix. I no longer have much interest in growing what we would think of as typical houseplants. Almost everything I now grow is either a woody plant that can be manipulated, or a succulent, though I do practice bonsai techniques when the whim strikes, on plants like coleus, snapdragon, or anything else, the looks of which can be enhanced by a variety of techniques commonly used in bonsai. Many bonsai techniques are very easy to learn/apply, and can be seriously effective tools you can use to keep plants healthy and looking good - no matter whether you have an actual interest in bonsai or not. So, as things are now, everything you might think of as a houseplant is in the gritty mix; but, if I was growing gobs of plants like pothos, croton, pilea (the more herbaceous stuff), I'd have a lot of them in 5:1:1. FWIW - oxalis really loves the gritty mix, as do almost all succulents. How I judge what soil to use: If it grows very fast or has a very enthusiastic root system and needs repotting every year w/o fail (if they are to perform well), I'd choose the 5:1:1 mix. Plants like datura, brugs, hibiscus ...... go in the 5:1:1 because they almost always need an annual repot. I can't see much reason to put plants like that in the gritty mix unless they're to be grown in rather or very shallow pots where perched water would be especially ruinous of potential, even if you CAN squeeze a fair amount of additional potential from plants in more carefully-structured soils. Al

Living on a well is different and more complicated than living on a water system. You have to make the water SAFE and then decide whether to make the water NICE. NICE water gives you longer service life for plumbing, appliances, and fixtures and can save you money in soap and detergent use and your clothes will last longer. You need to get a comprehensive water test from an independent certified lab. Labs usually know what to test for in well water in their areas but at a minimum... hardness, iron (ferrous and ferric), manganese, pH, TDS, nitrates, bacteria, sodium, copper, arsenic. With those test results we can intelligently discuss what is in your water, in what amounts, and how best to treat it.

If you don't know how to read your city's water report, post it or post a link to it. 75-90 gallons per person per day is high water use, well above the average of 60. Is this a guess or actual usage? Does it include outdoor water use? Softened water should be plumbed for indoor use only to avoid high salt usage and potential damage to lawn and plants. Now to your questions: The way to account for variable needs is to purchase the size you will need, sized for 4 people and then allow the softener to go longer between regens initially - it will regulate itself. Regen time will shorten as you use more water. Just use a standard GAC. For residential applications the additional expense for the KDF-55 will not work out in the cost/benefit analysis. Post the report or a link to it and go off the city's numbers. You have to plan for maximum chlorine. Additionally, you need to know: pH, TDS, particulates, sulfates, odor, color. Any other complaints about your water?

>> first ... salt is used to clean the filtering membrane ... and thru the flushing series.. you should NOT be drinking any salt ... it took me a long time to wrap my head around that part ... lol ... if that were not true.. everyone who owns a salt system.. would have high blood pressure. .. and trust me.. once you go rural.. a heck of a lot of peeps have this type of system .... Good point. I hesitated to even mention it just because I thought it was a silly concern, but there it was in the back of my mind... visualizing drinking salt water. >> second ... think about how much it cost you to replace the shower head .. vs what you are thinking about spending to avoid that cost ... e.g. with kids.. i have 20 to 30 dollar plastic shower heads ... and when they start to get clogged.. i replace them ... i can buy and screw on a lot of shower heads.. for the cost of a filtration system ... Funny you mention this exact example. My favorite shower head (vs about 5 others I've tried and returned) is: Delta Vintage 4-in 2.5-GPM (9.5-LPM) Brushed Nickel 5-Spray Hand Shower Lowes Item #: 272101 : Model #: 75525SN http://www.deltafaucet.com/bath/details/75525sn.html $49.98 USD from Lowes http://www.lowes.com/pd_272101-72981-75525SN_0_?productId=3421066&Ntt=delta+shower+5+speed&pl=1&currentURL=%3FNtt%3Ddelta%2Bshower%2B5%2Bspeed&facetInfo= In downstairs hall bathroom, both the sink and shower had significantly diminished pressure. 1 week ago my plumber fixed it (removed the built-up deposits from both) and removed the water saver from the shower head at my request. I enjoyed the good water pressure for all of 5 seconds before the shower head neck cracked and water started going everywhere. Decided to just replace the entire thing myself. It then occurred to me that replacing it would have been cheaper than trying to fix it. >> even if you have a very expensive shower head ... it still seems to be over kill to spend hundreds or thousands on a filter system ... >> i dont know your circumstances .... but just trying to clarify your thought process ... You drive the key question - what am I trying to accomplish? Relative to claimed benefits from water softeners in general: - I don't feel a compelling need to make the water "feel" differently or "softer". It feels fine as-is. - I don't really care about using less soap when I wash. Maybe I doubt that I'd change my habits... In priority order, what I DO care about is: - Not having to re-plumb the house due to deposit buildups in the pipes. I believe my plumbing is all PVC, no copper. I'm not sure how much of a problem this is or could be in a 15 yr old house. - Taking good care of the dedicated icemaker. Good tasting ice is my guilty pleasure. We use lots of it. I've had 3 icemakers at this house. The first 2 failed much sooner than I expected. Not sure why. dead: $1319 for U-Line Echelon CLR2060b Clear Ice Maker (CLR2060) in 2003 dead: $1479 for U-Line BI-2115B-00 2000 Series 15 Crescent Ice Maker in 2007 current: $3663 for Hoshizaki nugget-style C-101-BAH-DS including a filter and installation in 2013 We all *love* the Sonic-type ice from the Hoshizaki (and I do the non-trivial maintenance religiously.) I'd like to keep this icemaker happy and healthy for as long as possible. Given that, is the cost and hassle worth it?