Water softeners help to remove excess salt from your tap water so that you don’t have to worry about adding it yourself. If you live in a place where it’s hard to get access to salt, or if you just want to save money, you should consider getting a water softener. However, a water softener is a major investment and the installation process can be quite lengthy and challenging. If you’re planning on getting a water softener without salt, these 6 tips will help you successfully install one and save money in the long run.
Call a plumber
If you’re planning on installing a water softener yourself, you should call in a licensed plumber. Plumbers have the know-how and the experience to successfully install and maintain a water softener. Moreover, a plumber’s service is not only limited to installing a softener – but they can also help you maintain it. If you’re looking to get a water softener installed, but aren’t sure how to go about it, your local plumber can show you exactly how it’s done.
Take measurements
The first thing you want to do when installing a water softener is taken accurate measurements of your plumbing system. You don’t need to worry about taking accurate measurements during the installation process since your plumber will do it for you. But, once the system is installed, you want to make sure the water softener gets sufficient water flow. Your water softener needs to be connected to your water supply. So, for any new plumbing work you’re doing, you should also consider adding a dedicated water line for your softener. The water line should be at least as long as the distance from your water source to the farthest point you want to distribute the water. So, if you want your water softener to cover the entire house, you’ll need a water line at least as long as the distance from your water source to the furthest point in your house.
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Get a water softener
There are many options when it comes to water softeners. You can install a manual water softener, a water softening distillation unit, or a multi-unit water softener. Manual water softeners use filters to trap impurities in the water. Water softening distillations use a process called reverse osmosis to remove impurities. And, multi-unit water softeners are almost similar to multi-unit air conditioners; they have multiple nozzles that feed into different plumbing systems. Which type of water softener you choose depends on your needs and the size of your plumbing system.
Set up your pump
If you’re installing a water softener yourself, the first thing you need to do is get the pump installed. You can either get the pump installed by a plumber or you can do it yourself. It’s always good to get an extra person to help you with the installation. There are a couple of reasons why you want to get an extra person to help you out – one, it’s much easier to install the pump with two people, and two, it’s safer to install a pump by yourself. The pump you choose depends on the plumbing system you have. If you have copper pipes in your house, a copper bypass water softener is a good choice. If you have lead pipes, you should get a copper-only water softener.
Add resin and salt
Once you have the pump installed, you can start adding your resin and salt. The resin comes in a liquid form, and you need to pour it into your water supply. The salt comes in a granule form and you need to add it to the water supply. You also need to let both the resin and salt sit in your water supply for at least 24 hours before you start using the water. You can start using water soft water after 72 hours, but it’s always better to wait out at least 24 hours.
Run a trial and see how it works
Once you add the resin and salt and let it sit for 24 hours, you can start running your trial. If you’re using a manual water softener, you can let the water run through the system for a couple of hours. If you’re using a multi-unit water softener, you should add each nozzle to the system one at a time, run the water for a few minutes, and then remove the nozzle. You should also make a note of the maximum hardness that the water comes out with. You can take a sample of the water at the end of the trial, and do an analysis to find out if you need more resin or salt in your water supply.
Do it right the first time
There are many reasons why installing a water softener can be challenging and time-consuming. But, the best reason why is that it’s always better to do it right the first time. If you do your research properly, hire the right people, take accurate measurements, and let the pump sit for 24 hours before you run a trial, you can save yourself a lot of time, effort, and money.
