Just as an update, I'm almost 3 months in with mine. I realized I should have used the de-calcifying cleaning solution a little more regularly than I have been upon checking the manual, but I haven't encountered problems because of it. 32 oz of boiling water plus the solution, mix, pour into base unit and let soak for 30 minutes. Rinse thoroughly afterwards. Simple as can be.
I also just switched the granules in the filter cartridge - a bit of a pain, but not excruciatingly so. It's almost soaked again for 24 hours, I can start using it again in the morning. They also offer complete replacement filter cartridges if you don't want to bother switching the granules yourself. I got one pack of replacement granules (comes with enough for 3 changes), and one cartridge. So I think I will switch them once more with this cartridge, and then switch to the new one in the summer.
So with cleaning and maintenance, it adds maybe $25-$30 a year, and the new hydro stick seems to be about $30. So $50-$60 + tax annually for maintenance and upkeep.
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