Water Softener Installation
What to expect with water softener installation
In general, the estimated time to replace a water softener is two to three hours. If you want to add a water softener to your home, new installation generally takes four to five hours.
Turner Plumbing installs metered water softeners. Meter valves use less salt, because regeneration cycles are set. The size of the water softener is dependent upon the size of the home and the amount of water used. We are happy to send our team to assess your property and provide an estimate based on your home so that you can get a better idea of what it would cost to install a water softener.
Do you have hard water?
According to the Water Quality Association (WQA), hard water is a common quality of water which contains dissolved compounds of calcium and magnesium and sometimes other elements. It’s referred to as hard water because it makes it harder to wash things with soap. The mineral buildup typically makes it hard to get a good lather to wash things with, whether it’s clothes, dishes or your body.
Dissolved calcium and magnesium salts are primarily responsible for most scaling in pipes and water heaters and cause numerous problems in laundry, kitchen, and bath. Hardness is usually expressed in grains per gallon (or ppm) as calcium carbonate equivalent.
The degree of hardness standard as established by the American Society of Agricultural Engineers (S-339) and the Water Quality Association (WQA) is:
| Degree of Hardness | Grains per Gallon (gpg) | ppm (or mg/L) |
| Soft | <1.0 | <17.0 |
| Slightly Hard | 1.0-3.5 | 17.1-60 |
| Moderately Hard | 3.5-7.0 | 60-120 |
| Hard | 7.0-10.5 | 120-180 |
| Very Hard | >10.5 | >180 |
Signs you might have hard water
Clients with hard water tend to notice the following:
- Soap scum and water spots on dishesÂ
- Inefficient operation or failure of water-using appliances
- Pipes becoming clogged with scale
- Buildup on plumbing fixtures
- Poor soap and detergent performance
- Restricted water supply
Water softening is simply the removal of calcium, magnesium, and other minerals within hard water.
Benefits of a water softener
Water softening is a technique that serves the removal of the ions that cause the water to be hard, in most cases calcium and magnesium ions. Iron ions may also be removed during softening. The best way to soften water is to use a water softener unit and connect it directly to the water supply.
- Soft water will preserve the life of all water-using appliances. It will also extend the lifetime of your plumbing.
- Water heaters that are protected by a water softening system are proven to reduce your yearly energy cost.
- The resulting soft water benefits your plumbing fixtures, pipes, appliances, clothing and body.
Contact us
Turner Plumbing can come out to assess your property and provide an estimate for a water softener. We will provide you with a formal proposal of work. Reach out to us if this is something you’re considering adding to your home.