Water softeners
A softener sized to your water, not to a brochure
We size a softener from three things: how hard your water is, how many people live in the house, and how much water you use.
A tank that's too small refreshes more often and uses more salt. A tank that's too big costs more than it should. Your result card gives us the first number, and a short conversation gives us the other two.
What we ask you
How many people live in the house
How many bathrooms, and how much laundry
Where the water comes in, and whether there's a floor drain
Whether the house is on a septic system
Whether the space is heated
The install
What we set up
Placement
On the line where water enters the house, ahead of the water heater, with a bypass valve so you can shut the softener off without shutting off the house.
Drain and overflow
A softener needs somewhere to send its rinse water. We run the drain to a floor drain, a laundry standpipe or a sump, as local plumbing code allows, with an air gap.
Settings
We set the valve to your hardness and household size, show you the display, and leave a card with the settings and the salt level to aim for.
Living with one
Salt, time and cold weather
Salt
Most softeners take salt pellets or blocks, a bag at a time. Some use potassium chloride instead, which costs more and which some people prefer.
Time
A softener refreshes itself, usually overnight, so you won't see it work. Plan on checking the brine tank once a month.
Freeze
A softener holds water. In an unheated garage or porch it can freeze and crack. In Wisconsin we'll suggest a spot in the heated part of the house.
Space
The tanks need a flat floor, an outlet nearby and a drain. If your basement has none of these, we'll tell you what each would take before you decide.
Questions
About softeners
Will a softener make my water feel slippery?
A little. Soft water rinses soap off more slowly, so skin can feel slick in the shower. Most people stop noticing within a few weeks.
Do I need a softener and a filter?
Not always. A softener changes hardness. A filter is for taste, smell or sediment. Your result card tells us which, if either.
What about a house on septic?
Many homes on septic have softeners. Where the rinse water goes matters, so we check local rules and your system's setup with you before we install.
What does the warranty cover?
The equipment's maker sets its warranty. We write its terms, and the terms for our install work, on your estimate before you sign. Ask to read them.
Start with the number
Book a hardness test. The test is free and you owe us nothing after it.