Loger: No flack intended just general information. We all have to learn somewhere. I still remember my 1st welding experience , during my Diesel Apprenticship in the early 60.s . It was Gas torch fusion welding back then with appropriate filler rod. My bib tops had more filler rod tip burn holes then a sprinkler hose . Baymee should remember this trial and tribulation during his learning stages . My second Welding upgrading was during my College upgrading during my Stationary Engineering 3rd Class Degree. We used 550 volt 3- phase Lincoln Industrial Welder in the early 70,s and it was required to weld 8 inch x 8 inch test coupons from 1/4 inch hot rolled steel plate in position. 2 complete 8 pass welds in all 4-positions (flat / horizontal / vertical / overhead) I really had a problem initially in horizontal position with undercutting the weld from to hot a heat setting . Most beginners have trouble with adequate penetration in overhead from to cold of a setting. Once completed we cut the coupon into 4 separate strips (vertical band saw) and bent them into a U within a hydraulic bender . If any of the welds cracked we flunked our CWB Exam. My second testing was again Stick welding during my Pressure Vessel Certification U-69 we were required to fabricate a 4 inch x 4 inch x 1/2 inch metal box from 1/8 plate complete with a 1/4 inch weldolet coupling. Once the fabrication was done the box was pressurized 600 psi until it ballooned and then was submerged in water to check for any weld failures (bubbles) identified and again you failed this 1st phase of testing . Before you even got into the Boiler Pipe Weld testing . So yeah have burnt a few sticks of Rod in my Day . Really liked 5/32 Jet Rod , lazy Welders Rod only for flat position welding . Hated Low Hydrogen nasty flux fumes very hazardous. Anyhow been a few yrs since I stick welded , most of my projects are with a Miller Mig these days. Like riding a bicycle you never forget but it will take some practice to get quality welds after a few yrs absence. I remember some of the best welders I worked with during my Industrial Days were the laziest , they could weld on their head once they found a comfortable position. Please take our advice in the fashion (constructive) it is intended all the best Bro :) This post was edited by ewalk on Mon, Oct 14, 13 at 20:06

Well, I'm not an expert, but it is entirely possible that the builder did not know there were high nitrate levels until the well was in & the water was sent for testing. To his credit, he did install the RO system, but putting it out there like it was a bonus of some sort vs. a necessity & required by the health department was not kosher. My question would be why are there high levels of nitrates in the water? Is there a cattle/horse farm nearby? Has someone been dumping human waste? Is there a farm that uses alot of fertilizer next door or nearby where the well water could be getting contaminated from runoff? Is there a problem with the well that has caused these high nitrate levels? They do make whole house nitrate filters. If it was me, I would definitely get one. I would even see if the builder would pay for it. We didn't have nitrates in our well water, but we did have high levels of iron (and we even had a cattle farm bordering 2 sides of our property). We dealt with budgetwater.com for our iron filter. They were easy to deal with & it worked like a charm. We sent them a sample of the water to test first--we knew there was iron due to the orange stains developing in the commodes and appearing on our clothes. Just to make sure they weren't pulling a fast one on the testing, I had a local pool supply company that offered water testing also run the tests and they came back with pretty much the same results on all the "contaminants" (iron, nitrates, chlorine, etc)--basically we just had an iron problem. If nothing else, their website has a lot of good information. Good luck to you! Here is a link that might be useful: Budget Water Website - Nitrates Page

1. Salt-free water "softeners" do not soften water. They are pretty good at separating folks from their money, but that is all. That Clack system is too small. If you were only using the place for a few weeks total it would probably be fine, but since you are there half the year, you want one twice that size - 2 cubic ft or resin. Kinetico is different for a whole bunch of reasons, so the units will be smaller, if space is a premium. For a place that sits idle, they are a nice option. However, they will be way more expensive. An RO will remove the GenX toxin. Without knowing the specific chemistry of the chemical, it is difficult to say exactly what percentage will be removed. However, given its origin, removal efficiency should be quite high. There are certain things to look for when purchasing a softener (these don't apply to Kinetico): 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. If you have WELL WATER: 8% crosslinked resin. If 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. 3. Top basket (nice to have for well water, required for city water). 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. Additionally, you should 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.

Most places have great water. Some places don't. And that's hopefully something you know about if you live there. It could be organic contaminants (e.g. pesticides, drugs, solvents, ...), it could be minerals (e.g. hard water, "dirty" iron deposits, ...), it could be other industrial inorganic contaminants (e.g. heavy metals, nitrates, ...), it could be biological contaminants (e.g. viruses, bacteria, ...), it could be radon gas, or it could be harmless nuisance impurities (e.g. chlorine smell, sand, ...). Some of these are more likely in municipal water supplies, others are more common in local wells. If you know what you are concerned about, then you can look for the appropriate type of filter. Quite frequently, a big activated-charcoal cartridge takes care of things. And that's the most commonly sold filter you'd get. But for other types of contaminants, charcoal is going to do zilch. Also, it really depends on whether this is just a nuisance contaminant or whether there are real health risks associated with it. If in doubt, have the water tested by a lab. The supply in your house might very well have different water than the one your neighbor has, because internal piping materials differ.