the time to drill a hole is measured in seconds. This assumes the drill bit is the right one. I think that 99% of men with drills will be proud of their tools and drill as fast as can be done, as long as it's safe. Not "too fast". The drill can turn slow, or slower, or faster. But thinking of a normal hole being drilled in a mere matter of seconds causes a problem. The problem is that this mindset does not slow down the process to include a low-dust result. Getting water to be present = lower dust. the time to drill a hole is measured in minutes, many minutes) if you go slow enough to ensure that water gets into the groove as it is being drilled. Dust is minimized when water is present at the point of contact where the drill bit meets the material being ground down by the drill bit. You might have to back out the drill and go back in. Wasted seconds, if you are thinking of doing it relatively fast. A total waste of effort if you think it's dumb to have to repeat the up and down operation again a mere second later, and again, and again. I guess the only way to get the guy to drill slow is to make him feel pride in reducing dust. This new pride takes time to develop. Lots of talk, beginning early in the day. Like shar-az said in another thread today, sometimes you have to say things more than once. the time to drill a hole is measured in seconds. This is nothing, or almost nothing, when you add up all the time it takes to get to the job site, get set up, measure things out right and do everything else right. So, it stands to reason that a worker holding the drill could adopt the attitude that he is going to do 20 or 30 passes up and down to "go get water" and get water into the grooved notched ring as it gets drilled. It is a hassle if you think it's a hassle. It's a pleasure and a source of personal pride if you think of it that way. It is whatever you say it is. Hth.

Thanks for the information Meagan, this is turning into a very enlightening read. I rescind my knee-jerk recommendation of remedial biology courses. I'll preface this for any non-squeamish readers who are still around by mentioning out that: 1) bacteria are everywhere, E. coli included. A typical human contains more bacterial cells than human cells. Yup, we are covered with bacteria, and are still healthy. 2) most bacteria are harmless, or beneficial (we need E. coli in our guts). 3) most people have good immune defenses that take care of problem bacteria, exceptions are the very young, very old, or immunocompromised. Hospitals need special precautions. 4) There are a few VERY bad bacteria, as examples a particular strain of E. coli O157:H7 (the BAD E. coli) and MRSA, PRSP etc. ------ Given that bacteria could get into a soap reservoir, and even multiply (growing on what? and how do they survive and reproduce at that osmotic pressure? amazing prokaryotes!), is a container of bacterially contaminated dishwashing soap under the sink at home going to cause any health problems? What is the resultant dosage level, and depending on the bacterium, is this enough to cause disease? (BAD E. coli may be an exception here, but if you have enough hanging around in the kitchen to get sucked back down into the soap you are probably already hospitalized). The few studies I have seen show that even washing with intentionally contaminated bar or liquid soap (with marker bacteria) after rinsing did not result in bacterial contamination of people's hands. Note that Dr. Gerba's research as cited here was funded by GOJO soap manufacturers, and the report conclusions have not been peer reviewed. His results may be fine, this is just something to note.

Reliable brands: Kinetico, Fleck, Clack. Of those, Kinetico is likely to be the most costly, but the company also tends to have well-trained service personnel, unlike most residential softener providers. If you call around, you may find a local, independent dealer that can provide great service. Get several to come out and provide a quote. If you would like a double-check on their recommendations, provide some information here and I'll take a look. To properly size a softener, you need water analysis: hardness, pH, TDS at bare minimum. Better: also analyze sulfates, iron, manganese, nitrates, alkalinity. With city water, the water treatment plant's quarterly water report can be a good place to start. Some people don't soften water to the kitchen sink because they object to the taste of soft water. However, that leaves hardness buildup at the sink, as you noted. If you find the taste objectionable, you can handle this in one or two ways: 1) Run a hard water line to a separate drinking water faucet, 2) Install an RO for drinking water. Some things to watch for when considering softener quotes: The following requirements are for an industry standard softener. If you are looking for a non-electronic softener, Kinetico offers the more reliable options at a premium price (and you would need to deal with a local Kinetico rep). Any decent softener vendor should be able to provide the following: High quality American or German made resin. This will provide a tight size distribution for optimal flow within the resin, longer resin life, and more reliable, predicable water softening. Since you have CITY WATER: 10% crosslinked resin. The oxidizers that city water treatment plants use, such as chlorine or chloramine, are harmful to softener resins. Higher crosslinking will resist chemical attack longer. Top basket. This serves two purposes. It sets up a proper water distribution during normal operation and prevents resin loss during backwash. Gravel underbed. The gravel underbed is there to set up proper flow patterns, improve backwash, keep the bottom basket in place, prevent basket failure, and prevent channeling. Many softener sales companies like to leave this out or sell softeners with a vortex system instead. Vortex systems weigh less than gravel so they cost less to ship. In addition, they are a more expensive item that adds profit for the softener salesperson, but provides no additional benefit to the homeowner . It simply adds another piece of equipment that can break. Fleck or Clack valves. These set the industry standard. Be aware that you will not be able to purchase Clack valves online. This is not a problem if you purchase locally. The valve should regen based on water usage, not time. Install the softener with a three-valve bypass. This will make it much easier if you ever need to remove the softener for repairs or wish to take it with you when you move. Use full-port, quarter-turn valves. Noryl bypass. Most softeners are available with either Noryl or stainless bypass valves. Both are good valves, but the noryl tends to be more reliable when not used for long periods of time. This is a redundancy if you install with a proper three-valve bypass. I prefer a bit of redundancy but it is your call. Brine tank: Although either round or square will work, round brine tanks are more structurally sound and will not deform like a square tank will. Additionally, if you need a softener 1.5 cuft or larger, a square tank will most likely be too small. If you live in a cold climate, ensure equipment is stored in a climate-controlled environment. Frozen softener resin is damaged softener resin. Purchase a Hach 5-B test kit. You will want to periodically check to ensure your softener is working correctly and this kit is your best option.

Here's the other one up close. It looks like brushed nickel trim, but it's chrome. It doesn't come in brushed nickel, unfortunately.