Need help with our water softener.......had man from culligan here...buy a brand new high efficiency

[a kennedy]

water softener unit or just rent one??? To buy cost, $2,800 to rent would be $300 to put in new unit and pay a monthly fee of $50 and cost of salt, every 4 months or so. He asked if we’re gonna be living here for at least 3 - 4 years…….I said ya, I think so, he said if we’re here for at least 5 or more years then should buy new. I just don’t know what to do.

[LuckyCharms]

1. Does either option include salt delivery and salt installation?

[a kennedy]

4. Yes, salt delivery and them putting it in the tank is included in the purchase of the new unit....

a monthly fee and salt is included in the rental. So yah, salt is included.

[LuckyCharms]

6. Under the purchase option, how long do they deliver the salt for?

x number of years? The lifetime of the water softener?

[a kennedy]

8. Shoot will find that out, thanks.

[LuckyCharms]

10. It makes a difference. Just roughing this out...

Your break even point is about 50 months if you rent. So roughly, if you are going to stay in the home for greater than 50 months and don't want a big cash outlay now, you could rent.

However, if they continue to deliver salt after the 50 months under the purchase option, you're that much farther ahead, so you would need to know how long they deliver the salt under the purchase option to figure this out.

All that being said...all of this depends on the salt options. I buy and install my own salt. I think I paid $1500 for the softener and installation labor, 12 years ago.

I would get some other bids. As another poster said, $2,800 seems a bit steep, but again, that depends on the salt options.

[piddyprints]

2. That's pricey.

Is it no-salt or salt? Either way, you can do much better. Culligan tends to be expensive.

[a kennedy]

5. It will need salt and it is included when purchased a new unit, a fee for the rental.

[piddyprints]

11. That's a lot of salt.

I would seriously look at Lowe's or somewhere and compare prices. Look at salt prices as well. They're gone up, but are still pretty cheap.

[LuckyCharms]

3. To make a decision, you would need to know the

"salt options", because that factors into the calculation.

Does both the buy and rent options include the DELIVERY and installation of the salt?

Also, do you already have plumbing established for a water softener?

[a kennedy]

7. Both buying or rental does include salt.....and yes plumbing is set up for the water softener.

[multigraincracker]

9. Buy a new unit at big hardware store

for under a grand. Pay a plumber $500 to install. Pick up a bag of salt at the gas station when you get gas.

[a kennedy]

13. Our reasoning wanting culligan is so we don't have to deal with the salt, we just can't handle

lifting the salt babe into the water cylinder. My husband and I are in our mid 70’s and can’t handle the salt bags either buying and putting them in the car, then hauling them to the basement and then emptying them into the water cylinder. Buy or renting for the service because we can’t do it anymore.

[MichMan]

14. Pretty sure Culligan will still deliver salt even if you don't buy their overpriced softener.

Paid $300 for mine at Menards and installed it myself. Use around $10 worth of salt a month that I buy and put in. Culligan will charge more for salt and delivery, but $2800 seems really steep to me.

[a kennedy]

15. I know......I actually called our plumber and he said don't even use culligan, he said he'd bring salt

AND pour it for us, he thinks our softener we have is still in good shape and he’d for a little fee would bring and pour the salt, and check the system for us. He actually sells the softener we have and would take care of any problems we’d have. So……no culligan for us, I’ll happily pay extra to our plumber. We love him anyway, just a great guy.

[MiHale]

12. I tend to stay away from the name brand companies...

Like MGC said above buy your own unit and have a plumber install it. Last year bought an Aquatrol softener for around 500 dollars. Plumber installed it for 200. I buy my own salt and pour it in 4 bags usually fill it starting off. We are only 2 people living here so re-generating takes place maybe twice a week or less depending on laundry usage. We buy one bag a week at the grocery store on senior day (10% off), if needed. Keep up with it it’s never that hard to do. We have it programmed to re-generate at 450 gallons of usage.

[Floyd R. Turbo]

16. I'm on our second Water Boss City. Cost less than $600. Installed for about $150. They last about

ten years. I buy 40 lb. bags of salt but you can get 25. The units are low profile so filling is pretty easy.