From Choosing the Right Size to Maintaining It: A Quick Guide to Home Water Softeners

Like anywhere else, Lancaster homes face unique water quality challenges. Without proper filters and softeners, it can be difficult to manage the effects of poor water quality. Your plumbing systems may break down, and everyone's health could be at risk. One of the most common issues families face is water hardness. High levels of magnesium and calcium affect water softness, leading to scaling and other unpleasant problems. To address mineral buildup, you need to choose a water treatment solution that can remove or reduce these unwanted substances. More specifically, you may need to install a water softener system.

Reputable vendors in Lancaster can help install whole-house water softeners, which typically use ion exchange technology to remove magnesium and calcium ions, leaving your household water soft. For those unaware, there are different types of water softener systems available on the market, but the most popular options are salt-based and salt-free devices. Both systems are considered adequate. However, you cannot simply decide and install a water softener abruptly. The proper approach is to have your water quality tested and then choose a system based on the results. In this context, the choice depends on the level of water hardness, your household's water usage or consumption habits, and more. For serious hardness issues, you may need a larger system capable of processing more grains.

City water users can find out their water hardness level by contacting their local supplier or by approaching a water treatment company for testing. Well-water users can do the same. In addition, daily water-use habits must be considered. For example, if one person uses 75 gallons of water per day and there are four members in the household, you can multiply 75 gallons by 4. For a more accurate estimate, you can also check your water bill.

Next, you need to calculate how many grains of hardness should be removed from the water. If your household needs 300 gallons of water a day, multiply it by 10 GPG (grains per gallon), which represents a common hardness level. All these factors help determine the proper size of a water softener for your home. Otherwise, even the best device may fail to perform efficiently. An undersized system can waste salt and water or become overworked, leading to premature failure and increased maintenance costs.

Some people wonder whether the taste of their water will change after installing a water softener. Since softening involves removing magnesium, calcium, and other unwanted minerals, you may notice a slight difference in taste. Those with more sensitive taste buds are more likely to detect this change, while most people won’t notice anything at all. Of course, the experience can vary depending on the type of softening process used.

Nevertheless, water softeners require regular maintenance. If you choose a salt-based system, you will need to monitor salt levels and refill the tank as needed. Keeping the brine tank and resin tank clean is essential, and it's vital to ensure the system settings are correctly adjusted. Depending on usage, you may also need professional assistance for maintenance.