Hard water problems can be frustrating for Orange, California, residents. Residential water softeners may be able to help you eliminate harder minerals from your water, giving you freshwater throughout the home. However, not all water softeners or water conditioning services are equal. Therefore, when selecting the best water treatment for your home, you should ask a few questions.
What’s the Best Way to Check Water Hardness Levels?
Before purchasing a water treatment system for your home, it’s best to know what minerals are present in your water and in what quantities. Although testing kits are available, the most accurate way to know what is in your water is to get it tested by a professional. Having your water tested by a professional can help you detect things like contaminants and bacteria that are present. You can use the results of this test as a guide when choosing the right water conditioning system.
What Types of Contaminants Do Water Softeners Remove?
A water softener will replace the calcium and magnesium in your water with sodium ions. This leads to a low mineral solution that your body can easily absorb. After you use a water softener, you may find it easier to get rid of soap scum, deposits on contact surfaces, and toothpaste residue in your home.
Water softeners don’t remove bacteria from your home’s water supply. To remove bacteria, you will need a whole-house water filter.
Most water softeners remove hard water minerals. A comprehensive water test by a professional will help you know which minerals are present. This will allow you to choose the water softening or filtration solution that best meets your needs.
What Size Water Softener Is Needed?
A general rule of thumb in determining the size of water softener you need for your home is to take the number of people in your home and multiply it by the number of gallons of water they use daily. On average, a person will use 80 gallons of water each day.
Take that number, and then multiply it by the grains of hardness in your water to determine the number of grains that need to be removed daily. Then, work with your water purification professional to find the softener that is equipped to handle the load.
Generally, a household with three or fewer people will require a water softener with a grain capacity of approximately 20,000 units or more. A household with four or more people will need a softener with a grain capacity of at least 30,000 units, if not more. The rated capacity of a water softener tells you the maximum number of grains of water hardness the unit can remove before regeneration.
If you purchase an undersized system, you will run out of soft water too soon. If you buy a unit that is too large, you will waste energy and other resources. Working with a water softener professional and having them evaluate your home’s water needs is the best way to ensure you get the right-sized unit for your home.
What Is Regeneration?
With time, the resin bed in your water softener gets coated with hardness particles. When that happens, the unit will go into a regeneration cycle. During this process, the salt in the tank mixes with incoming water to remove the hard particles from the resin bed. Once the regeneration process is complete, the unit is once again ready to produce a stream of softened water for your home.
Will a Water Softener Help Your Hair and Skin?
A water softener with the appropriate grain capacity can improve nails, hair, and skin. Shampoo and soap can react negatively with excess minerals and hard water. This can prevent soap from lathering as it should. The result is a foamy residue and film on the body. This leaves a person feeling less clean and deprives their skin and hair of needed moisture. The right-sized water softener may be able to address this issue.
What Is a Dual-Tank Water Softener, and What Are Its Benefits?
A dual-tank water softener will have two resin tanks. The benefit of this device is that one tank is constantly available to soften the water in your home while the other one is regenerating. This means you will have access to soft water 24 hours a day.
This is beneficial in larger homes that use a lot of water or in smaller homes with several residents using water all day. Dual-tank models are typically more expensive than single-tank units. They occupy more room and are available in ion exchange and salt-free models.
What Is the Difference Between a Salt and a Salt-Free Water Softener?
As the name implies, a salt-free water softener doesn’t use sodium. They are often referred to as water conditioners as they use potassium chloride instead of sodium. Potassium chloride causes a chemical reaction with magnesium and potassium, which are typically found in hard water. The reaction causes these materials to crystallize, preventing them from building up in pipes or plumbing fixtures.
How Can a Person Know If a Water Softener, Filter, or Conditioner Is Best for Their Water Needs?
A drinking water filter best serves water with contaminants, bad taste, and odor. Water with a lot of sediment, a foul odor, and excessive chlorine may require a whole-house filter. A water softener might be the best option if you notice buildup, water spots on dishes, or soap that doesn’t lather. Talk to the We Care Plumbing, Heating and Air professionals about your water issues, and let us show you specialized solutions that can address your concerns.
Do Water Softeners Require A Lot Of Maintenance?
As with any appliance, regular maintenance is vital for its longevity and continued functioning. Our water softener professionals would be happy to talk to you about the right type of salt and the quality of salt to use to get the most out of your unit. However, the best way to keep your water softener functioning the longest is to schedule regular professional maintenance. During professional maintenance, minor issues with your water softener can be addressed, and recommendations can be made to maintain and improve the unit’s performance.
Offering Stellar Plumbing and HVAC Services in Southern California
For over two decades, We Care Plumbing, Heating and Air has been servicing Southern California, offering the best plumbing and HVAC services. Caring defines who we are and how we get the work done. We go the extra mile all the time. As a result, we have an A+ accreditation with the Better Business Bureau. We are certified by the EPA, our technicians are NATE-certified, and we are recipients of Angie’s List Super Service Award.
Our services include HVAC installation, maintenance, and repair. We install ductless mini splits and offer HVAC zoning, thermostat installation, air purification, air filtration, and duct cleaning. Our plumbing services include general plumbing repair, plumbing installation, water heater maintenance, water softeners, reverse osmosis systems, and more. Contact We Care Plumbing, Heating and Air to see for yourself how it feels to work with someone who truly cares.
Author Bio: Rusty Cochran
Rusty Cochran is the President of We Care Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning. We Care began humbly, operating in his family’s living room. Under Rusty’s strong leadership, We Care has grown from 2 employees to over 200 employees. We Care Plumbing, Heating and Air has gained recognition across the HVAC industry, receiving numerous awards and certifications, including being named the ACCA Contractor of the Year, The Map Presidential Award several times, Angie’s List Super Service Award, NATE certification, and multiple Dave Lennox Awards. LinkedIn Profile
