Jim Buchanan

We purchased a house 3 years ago on a well and well house was falling apart. I built a new well house and designed a whole house water filtration system to help reduce the amount of iron in our water and have a cleaner source of water. I have put together a diagram and some links to the supplies to help others if they are interested.

We sold that house and purchased a 48 acre pine plantation to build our new home. I will be shooting a video on the construction of the new well house and water filtration build when we get to that point.



MIB’s WHOLE HOUSE WATER FILTRATION DIAGRAM

4 .5" x 20" Filter Housings: (I prefer the clear housings to see if filters are getting dirty. Gauges will let you know if filters are clogged by a reduction in pressure. Make sure the gauges are on the out-flow side of the housing. I split these into pairs to reduce the filter change times and minimize the restriction on water pressure)
https://www.ebay.com/itm/323971743586 or https://www.ebay.com/itm/193196390454 (or equivalent).

4 .5" x 20" Sediment filters: (These need to be replaced every 3-6 months depending on water quality. You should be able to tell by reduction in water pressure and visual inspection through clear housing)
This is an inexpensive pre filter that collects the bulk of the sediment that is changed more frequently than the others to reduce the change frequency of the more expensive filters.
2-Pack
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GSHR876/ref=sspa_dk_detail_4?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B01GSHR876&pd_rd_w=Ofn4U&pf_rd_p=887084a2-5c34-4113-a4f8-b7947847c308&pd_rd_wg=8gedZ&pf_rd_r=D615V3GJ5NA3HY1877QG&pd_rd_r=0de76d01-2a65-42fd-8cb8-0365d49428ee&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExWkVEVU83Q0NDNlQ4JmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwOTIzNzUzMUM0MlVHUTZCOVFTRiZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNjgxMTU1MkNCRUhDTThDTTFLNCZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2RldGFpbCZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU= (or equivalent).

10-Pack
https://www.amazon.com/Express-Water-Sediment-Replacement-Filtration/dp/B01GSHVV92/ref=sr_1_6?crid=2XOPHRMRDUD62&keywords=4%22+x+20%22+sediment+filter&qid=1642254222&sprefix=4x20+sediment+filter%2Caps%2C196&sr=8-6  (or equivalent).

Water Softener: (or PHO filter seen below)
Removes hard minerals from water and reduces deposits in lines and on fixtures.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004GEFKN8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 (or equivalent).
OR
4 .5" x 20" PHO Filters: (Frequency of change will depend on water quality)
Polyphosphate Anti-Scale. Prevent the scale and corrosion from forming in your pipes and fixtures. Protect your home from scale and sediment damage while improving the purity and taste of your water. Remove rust, dirt, sand, and more.
https://www.amazon.com/Express-Water-Polyphosphate-Replacement-Conditioner/dp/B01LW9GLXI/ref=sr_1_41?crid=3L1VY43YWE3DH&keywords=4+.5%22+x+20%22+pho+filter&qid=1642261643&sprefix=4+.5+x+20+pho+filter%2Caps%2C266&sr=8-41 (or equivalent).

4 .5" x 20" Carbon Filters: (These will need to be change approximately every 12 mo.)
Removes Chlorine, Pesticides, VOC, Bad Tastes, Odors, Cloudiness, and Industrial Solvents.
https://www.amazon.com/Aquaboon-Cartridge-Activated-Universal-Compatible/dp/B07ZHPB6MB/ref=sr_1_60_sspa?crid=210W193EUY33Y&keywords=4+.5%22+x+20%22+carbon+filter&qid=1642254624&sprefix=4+.5+x+20+carbon+filter%2Caps%2C1217&sr=8-60-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEzVEJYS1YwNElEM09TJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMzk2MzUzM1VQQlpEQkJGWjJIRCZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwMDk2ODY2MUQ5TDIzV0dQU1dLJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYnRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ== (or equivalent).

*OPTIONAL - 4 .5" x 20" KDF Filters: (These will need to be change approximately every 12 mo.)
Remove Heavy Metals, Iron, Lead, Nickel, Chromium and more. Helps inhibit the growth of microorganisms such as fungi, bacteria, and algae.
https://www.amazon.com/Express-Water-Degradation-Replacement-Filtration/dp/B01LW9ACTQ/ref=sr_1_24?crid=JCYITISQDJKP&keywords=4+.5%22+x+20%22+kdf+filter&qid=1642261359&sprefix=4+.5+x+20+kdf+filter%2Caps%2C307&sr=8-24 (or equivalent).

All of the filters can also be purchased from Express Water: https://www.expresswater.com/

Drinking water: In addition, you can install a multi stage reverse osmosis system under the sink for extremely clean drinking water. With the whole house water filtration in place, filter replacements for the under sink system will rarely need to be replaced.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01NAGSZTA/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 (or equivalent).

My wife and I just purchased 2 miniature donkeys as guardians for our Dexter cattle. We have had some stray dogs pester our cattle on occasion and also have a lot of coyotes behind our property.

One donkey is a little overweight and we started doing some research on weight loss for her. It was like opening a can of worms on donkey care and special environment needs. Most talk about putting them up nightly, specific ground preparation and special feeding needs. We had a similar experience when looking to get cattle initially and later found out how people are using permaculture processes to minimize inputs and how not to do things like “everyone else” does.

Does anyone else have experience with donkeys and letting them run with the cattle most of the time? It kind of defeats the purpose of having them as guardians if you have to put them up for the night and limit their exposure to grasses to keep their weight down. We are in East Texas and have a fairly green pasture that we let grow naturally so there is a variety of forage and do have shelter for them. The wife and I just don’t want to lock them up for a majority of the time to restrict access to grazing like is being recommended.