Every person should know a good plumber. Plumbers keep the world going round. They keep the waste and potable water moving to us and from us. While many plumbers are great at what they do and very well versed in the plumbing trade, many are not well versed in the water treatment trade. A Water Treatment Specialist is trained and often Certified in water treatment and purification, not plumbing.
Most plumbers can install water treatment equipment, however in my experience they are often not trained in water treatment applications, technologies, and contaminants. This means that while they can often install water treatment equipment, they oftentimes struggle with start-up, water testing, proper system sizing, and troubleshooting as well. Unfortunately, this can mean that your water quality concerns may not be fixed properly.
While I believe that we should contact a plumber to install our sinks, toilets, showers; to replace our water heaters and run gas/water pipes to new outlets, and to rough-in the plumbing system on a new construction building. I would not recommend contracting a plumber to help with your water softener, drinking system, or whole house filtration system.
If you are going to utilize a plumber for your water treatment needs, I would strongly recommend that the company uses non-proprietary products, that they can thoroughly describe the technology that they recommend, and that they are supported by a reputable and knowledgeable water treatment company. A water treatment company that can interpret a water analysis, properly size equipment, and will provide support for any questions as needed. Don’t just settle on price or convenience.
Would you contract an electrician to do your plumbing work? Would you contract a plumber to do your framing work? What about a concrete guy to take care of your drywall? Save yourself a potential headache and leave the specific trade to the specific pro. Water treatment is not plumbing…