Water softener installation puts an ion exchange softener on your main water line, with a bypass valve, a drain line for regeneration and a nearby power outlet. The plumber tests your water hardness first, sizes the softener to your household and hardness, and programs it to regenerate efficiently.
Call for Same Day Service (833) 763-0420Softeners are usually installed where the main line enters the house, after the outdoor spigots so irrigation water isn't softened. A bypass valve lets you service the unit without shutting off water.
Sizing depends on hardness in grains per gallon and on daily water use. An undersized unit regenerates too often, and an oversized one wastes salt.
Signs Your Home Needs a Water Softener
White crust on faucets and shower heads, spotty dishes and water heaters that wear out early are all signs of hard water that a softener can address.
- Scale on fixtures and in the water heater
- Spotty dishes
- Soap that won't lather
- Hard water confirmed by a test or your utility's report
How a Water Softener Works
A salt-based softener passes your water through a tank of resin beads that trade sodium for the calcium and magnesium that cause scale. When the beads are full, the softener regenerates: brine from the salt tank flushes the hardness minerals off the beads and down the drain. That's why a softener needs a drain, a power outlet and regular salt. Sizing depends on your hardness in grains per gallon, which you can find in your utility's water quality report; see how to read it.
How a Water Softener Is Installed
The plumber tests your water hardness, sizes the softener to it and your household's water use, then installs it near the main line with a bypass valve and a drain for regeneration.
- Test water hardness and iron.
- Size the softener and choose the location.
- Plumb in the bypass, drain line and brine tank.
- Program the regeneration settings and test the softened water.
What Affects the Cost of a Water Softener
Softener cost depends on capacity and how much plumbing work the installation spot needs.
- Softener capacity, based on hardness and household use.
- Installation location and plumbing changes.
- Drain line and power outlet access.
- Bypass valve installation.
When a Softener Problem Needs Fast Service
- The softener or its connections are leaking.
- Brine is overflowing from the brine tank.
Softener Sizing Depends on Your City's Water
Softeners are sized by hardness, so local water matters. San Antonio's SAWS reports 15 to 20 grains per gallon and Indianapolis averages about 19, so softeners there need more capacity and regenerate more often than one in Austin, where Austin Water averages about 5.4 grains per gallon. In soft-water cities like Charlotte, a softener usually isn't needed.
Local plumbing details: San Antonio, Indianapolis, Austin, Charlotte
Water Hardness by City
What our city pages say about water hardness:
- Henderson, NV: Very hard; the Las Vegas Valley's Colorado River water runs about 16 to 17 grains per gallon.
- Rockford, IL: Very hard, 9 to 21 grains per gallon.
- Phoenix, AZ: Very hard, about 10 to 16 grains per gallon (173 to 278 mg/L) depending on the treatment plant.
- Eagan, MN: Very hard, 18 to 20 grains per gallon (310 to 345 ppm).
- Santa Ana, CA: Very hard, about 15 grains per gallon (250 ppm).
- Deltona, FL: Very hard, 12 to 17 grains per gallon depending on the well.
- South Bend, IN: Very hard, averaging about 22 grains per gallon.
- Amarillo, TX: Very hard, roughly 240 to 258 as calcium carbonate at the treatment plant.
Before the Plumber Arrives
- Your water hardness from the utility report or a test.
- The number of people in the home.
Water Softener Installation is one part of water softeners & filtration.
Other Water Softeners & Filtration Services
Water Softener Questions
Where should a water softener be installed?
Usually near where the main line enters the home, before the water heater, with access to a drain and an outlet.
How often do I add salt?
Check the brine tank monthly and keep it at least a quarter full. How often you add salt depends on your hardness and water use.