For softener, Alice is the master here. He know everything in and out about that. I'm about to put one of this : http://www.freedrinkingwater.com/products/green-carbon-water-conditioners/green-carbon-10.htm before my softener, but after reading the article about the bacteria...I'm rethinking it. My main concern is the chloramines (the byproduct is causing cancer) absorbed by the skin when taking shower, the copper pipe issue is second. what do you mean by proper maintenance?If you put one of this, the water running through the house have no disinfectant, maybe its better to ask the manufacture and see what they have to say on that issue. Another thing about this whole house filter is you need to change the catalytic carbon every 6-8 years. I wish there a movement to stop municipal to use chloramines and stick with chlorine instead. It is a lot easier to remove at POU (Point of Use).

Living with well water is more comlpicated than living on a water system and requires some routine maintenance. I would accept the highest tested levels as average and use them. In general an ion exchange water softener will successfully treat about 3ppm of iron, no more. Kinetico does offer models that are designed to treat higher iron levels and, of course, they cost more. Kinetico has been around a long time and has an extensive dealer/service network and a large and loyal customer base. One rarely sees anyone posting about problems with their Kinetico softeners. Culligan has been around a long time also but are complained about more often on these forums. ECO has also been around a long time. ECO, Culligan, and Kinetico are all proprietary desihns and parts and service are only available from their respective dealers. If you have a good dealer that doesn't matter but if you have a bad dealer... with real estateit's location, location, location, and with water treatment its' DEALER, DEALER, DEALER. Ask lots of questions. Softening the entire house or just the water heater (bad idea)? Warranty, parts & labor or just parts, how long and on exactly what? Install, permits required, licensed plumber? Routine maintenance and costs? Do they stock parts? Response time for emergency (water leak) calls? If they don't explain things to your satisfaction that is a good indicator of how you'll be treated after the sale. Ask your neighbors if they have any water treatment experience. They might tell you who's good or who to avoid.

This question will get more attention in the "plumbing" forum. First, units are very important. The manganese, particularly, is more likely to be ppb than ppm. It would be better to post a link to the report if you can. When plumbers say "conditioner" they typically mean a carbon filter, which will do virtually nothing for you. You probably need an iron filter (there are several viable options, not just aeration/filtration), but without knowing the units it is not possible to determine. If you do not want mineral buildup on fixtures, you will need a water softener as well. Is the water treated in any way prior to distribution? Is the iron ferrous (dissolved, clear-water) or ferric (particulate)? If the numbers you provided are in units of ppm, you are dealing with terrible water and you need to get a local water treatment professional involved. Your plumber, no matter how much experience as a plumber, does not have the necessary chemistry and water treatment expertise to help you with this.

To solve the problem you are describing (hard water, including scaling) for the whole house requires a water softener. A water softener works by removing calcium and magnesium ions from the water and replacing them with sodium ions. There isn't a "water conditioner" that will do this. Something you should know: Many of the issues that you mention (slippery feeling, taste, etc), I believe, have more to do with much older systems. I remember those issues from 50 years ago when a neighbor had soft water. I don't see them at all with new systems. Even so, it's still common to plumb the cold water in the kitchen so it doesn't go through the softener OR to have a separate drinking water faucet in the kitchen. Hardness is something that is measurable (typically in grains of hardness per gallon). You can buy a simple test kit that will accurately tell you how hard your water is (Hach Total Hardness Test Kit 145300). It's really helpful to know - with a number - what the scope of the problem is. You can also use the test kit to prove that the softer is working as intended after it's installed. You can measure the results of a water softener. You can't measure the results of a water "conditioner". My water (municipal water) is 21 grains per gallon hardness. Typically 15+ grains per gallon is considered "extremely hard water". With a water softener my water is now less than 1 grain per gallon. It's a huge difference with laundry, dishes, skin etc. It's also amazing how much cleaner the shower, sinks, toilets, etc are. (I'm a guy, I need all the help I can get keeping the place clean). Hard water, in addition to leaving hard water deposits, also mixes with soap to leave a nasty film on things. Hard water deposits on normally smooth surfaces (such as tile, toilet bowls, tubs, sinks, faucets, shower doors, dishes) cause those surfaces to be rough and retain dirt that otherwise would have rinsed away. Heat will cause hardness in water to precipitate. That's why you get lime deposits in tea kettles, coffee makers, etc. That's also why hard water will cause problems with a water heater. I've seen water heaters (both gas and electric) that have inches of lime built up and ruined the heater. None of these problems are solved by a water "conditioner". Typically all of the water in the house is softened except for outside hose connections and the cold in the kitchen. If you only treat the hot water then you miss many of the benefits. Most newer homes are often plumbed with a "softener loop" that is set up so that a softener may be installed and the above mentioned faucets are excluded. If you have an older home, it may require some additional plumbing.