Why Hard Water Matters
Hard water carries dissolved minerals, mostly calcium and magnesium. They don’t hurt you, but they’re tough on a home. When hard water is heated or sits on a surface, those minerals come out as scale.
- White crust on faucets, showerheads and glass shower doors
- Spots on dishes and glasses after the dishwasher
- Soap and shampoo that don’t lather well
- Scale buildup inside water heaters, which makes them work harder
- Tankless water heaters that need frequent descaling
- Shorter life for washing machines, dishwashers and fixtures
Water Softener Installation
A water softener uses resin beads to trade the hardness minerals in your water for sodium or potassium. When the resin is full, the softener flushes itself with brine from the salt tank and starts over. The result is soft water at every tap and appliance it feeds.
We install softeners on the main line, usually where the water enters the house or near the garage. Every install includes a bypass valve, a proper drain connection and a leak test. We leave outdoor hose bibs on hard water when the layout allows, so you aren’t softening water for the lawn.
Sizing a Water Softener
Sizing is where a lot of softener installs go wrong. A unit that’s too small regenerates constantly and wastes salt and water. One that’s too large can sit idle long enough to cause problems. We size the softener based on your water hardness, the number of people in the home and how much water you use, then set it up to regenerate only when it needs to.
Salt-Free Conditioners
Salt-free conditioners don’t remove hardness minerals. They change how the minerals behave so they’re less likely to stick as scale. They need less upkeep but won’t give you the slick feel of soft water. We’ll explain both and help you choose.
Water Softener Repair
Softeners are simple machines, and most problems have a clear cause. Common signs your softener needs attention:
- Spots and scale coming back
- Salt level not dropping, or a hard crust of salt in the tank
- The unit running or draining at odd times
- Low water pressure after the softener
- Salty-tasting water
What We Check
We check the control settings, the brine tank, the injector and drain line, the bypass valve and the resin. Many repairs are a cleaning, a part or a reset. If the unit is old and the resin is worn out, we’ll tell you whether repair or replacement is the better value. We work on softeners we didn’t install too.
Softener, Filter or Both?
A softener fixes hardness, but it isn’t a filter. If you also notice chlorine taste, odors or sediment, a whole-house water filtration system may belong in front of the softener. For homes on wells or with several water issues, our water treatment page explains how the pieces fit together.
Soft water also protects your water heater, which is one of the first places scale does damage. We come out, look at your water and plumbing, give you a free estimate on site and install only after you approve it. Most new installs carry a one-year warranty on leaks and labor, and you can qualify for financing from your estimate.
Call 2 Brothers Plumbing
A properly sized and installed softener pays you back in cleaner fixtures, longer-lasting appliances and less time scrubbing. We’ll set it up right the first time.
Call 2 Brothers Plumbing at (916) 997-6370 or request your free estimate. Ask about our current coupons.