The Water Man installed a water softener for me over two years ago. Due to my home's plumbing…read moresetup, their technicians decided to install the unit outside, fully exposed to the elements. They never warned me about the risks, recommended sheltering, or provided protective solutions.
If you're reading this, take it as a huge red flag: No reputable water softener company should allow an outdoor installation in San Antonio, where extreme heat in the summer and hard freezes in the winter can destroy equipment. I didn't know better at the time, and now I'm out over $3,000. The softener has failed twice, my plumbing is completely blocked by sediment, and my foundation is shifting due to thousands of gallons of water leaking into the crawlspace on two separate occasions.
The First Failure
It was inevitable the system would malfunction due to weather exposure. When I reached out, The Water Man refused to take full responsibility, claiming weather damage wasn't covered under warranty. However, their technicians never told me that weather exposure would void the warranty.
After some back-and-forth, they replaced the parts under warranty. They claimed the system was functioning properly, but over time, the water pressure dropped, leading to a second failure.
The Second Failure
Wanting to prevent further issues, I followed Ty's instructions to shelter the unit. However, Ty admitted The Water Man had no sheltering solutions. So, I hired a certified water softener company to build a proper shelter. Due to the shelter's size, the unit was moved a couple meters.
After the move, the system failed again.
This time, when I contacted The Water Man, Ty refused to investigate, claiming that since another company had made the "alterations" for the shelter, they were no longer responsible.
Summary of Failures:
1 They installed the system outside without warning me of the risks.
2 When it failed due to weather, they blamed me for not sheltering it, even though they never told me it needed shelter.
3 When I followed Ty's instructions to shelter the system, he admitted The Water Man had no solutions to offer.
4 When I hired a third-party company to build a shelter and the system failed again, they claimed the warranty was voided due to third-party work.
The Water Man's Own Warranty Proves My Point
Their warranty clearly states:
"Any equipment installed outdoors must be protected from extreme sun/heat, freezing temperatures, fire, lightning, flooding, or wind."
But when their technicians installed my unit, they:
Never required sheltering
Never warned me that weather exposure would void the warranty
Never provided any protection solutions
When the system failed for a second time, they cited another clause:
"Any work performed on Water Treatment Equipment not performed by The Water Man may void any warranties."
But Ty instructed me to shelter the system and admitted they couldn't do it.
The Result:
My plumbing is now completely blocked by sediment, leaving me with no water access and facing thousands of dollars in plumbing repairs. The faulty system also leaked thousands of gallons of water into the crawlspace, causing my pier and beam foundation to settle.
This company will likely respond by claiming I was "warned" about third-party work. The reality is: I had to coordinate repairs with sheltering installation, as the warranty required it to be sheltered immediately. They were aware I was using a third-party vendor and said nothing about the warranty being voided until the system failed again.
Avoid at all costs.
