Topic: Is the Culligan water softener system bad for drinki
nefferdun
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 20157
posted
They did not bypass our drinking water. Since they installed it my husband and I have had digestive disturbances. I just filled out a questionaire for a new LLMD and one of the questions was if we had the culligan softener. That got me to thinking and wondering.
-------------------- old joke: idiopathic means the patient is pathological and the the doctor is an idiot Posts: 4676 | From western Montana | Registered: Apr 2009
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Razzle
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Member # 30398
posted
Water softeners use high sodium to "soften" the water, so your water is likely very high in sodium. This will change the balance of gut bugs (or maybe even kill some of them off).
I don't know what, if anything, else is added during water softening.
Also, if they installed a granular carbon water filter, those have a tendency to grow bad bacteria in the filter, which then can infect the drinking water.
-------------------- -Razzle Lyme IgM IGeneX Pos. 18+++, 23-25+, 30++, 31+, 34++, 39 IND, 83-93 IND; IgG IGeneX Neg. 30+, 39 IND; Mayo/CDC Pos. IgM 23+, 39+; IgG Mayo/CDC Neg. band 41+; Bart. (clinical dx; Fry Labs neg. for all coinfections), sx >30 yrs. Posts: 4166 | From WA | Registered: Feb 2011
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posted
We didn't have the bypass put on our system (which is not culligan, but a different brand softener) because the RO filtration works better on soft water. So you might get an RO filter for your water, then it won't matter that it's soft.
I've always heard you're not supposed to drink soft water.
-------------------- sixgoofykids.blogspot.com Posts: 13449 | From Ohio | Registered: Feb 2007
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nefferdun
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Member # 20157
posted
Thanks so much. No wonder we have been having all the bloating and gas. I will get bottled water until I can get it fixed or removed.
-------------------- old joke: idiopathic means the patient is pathological and the the doctor is an idiot Posts: 4676 | From western Montana | Registered: Apr 2009
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posted
My husband has been selling/installing water treatment equipment for thirty years. Let me just give you a few facts:
1. The drinking water is not normally bypassed.
2. For every grain of hardness removed you are adding 17.1 mg/liter of sodium. So depending on the amount of hardness you have determines how much sodium is added to the water.
3. There is nothing else added to soften water.
4. Carbon can aid in the growth of bacteria but unless you have the bacteria in your water to begin with carbon doesn't produce bacteria on its own.
5. Yes the RO will work better with soft water. ROs were designed to produce drinking water from sea water so they will easily remove the small amount of salt added by the softner.
Hope this helps answer any questions or concerns.
Debg
Posts: 499 | From Malta, NY | Registered: Dec 2008
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posted
If anyone has any questions at all about treating your water, equipment etc please do not hesitate to ask.
Debg
Posts: 499 | From Malta, NY | Registered: Dec 2008
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nefferdun
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 20157
posted
Thanks Deb, the person who did the test said our water was extremely hard. I have had a fever for two days so I think what I have been experiencing is something unrelated to the water. The bloating and gas went away - knock on wood.
-------------------- old joke: idiopathic means the patient is pathological and the the doctor is an idiot Posts: 4676 | From western Montana | Registered: Apr 2009
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