Hard water can be the leading cause of a myriad of problems in your home.
As a homeowner, you’ll not want things to get out of hand before taking the appropriate action.
From plumbing problems to issues with water flow, hard water could result in expensive repairs and replacement.
That is why it will be a no brainer to invest in a water softener.
Getting the right water softener, leave alone the size could turn out to be a challenging endeavor, especially when going through the process for the first time.
That is why we’ve come up with a guide so that you’re making the right decision.
There are a couple of factors that will determine the size that you go for and we’re going to highlight some of them.
Contents
Flow Rate
Before you can ask what size water softener do I need, you’d want to know the number of places that the household inhabitants will use simultaneously.
Can you have three sinks, a bathroom, and the toilet water all running at the same time? In most instances, the flow rate will be measured in gallons.
It is important that you’re not going for a water softener that is too small as it could interfere with the flow rates in the home.
A well-designed system will easily integrate with the control valve, distribution system, bypass valve, and internal diameter.
The systems working together will determine the flow rate.
Water Volume
With water volume, it is imperative to figure out how much water is used in the household on a daily basis.
Most families will use around 75 gallons of water per person on a daily basis. That means the total volume is around 300 gallons.
You can use the ballpark figure and multiple with the number of people in your household to have an idea of how much water is used.
Quality of Water
Water softeners will come in handy if you’re looking to remove iron, magnesium, manganese, and calcium.
As much as you’ll not water to figure out the details about the water hardness, it is still important to know what you’re dealing with.
There are areas that are prone to hard water and you’ll know immediately when doing laundry.
System Capacity
Water softeners contain exchange resins. These are the small plastic beads that are meant to remove the impurities in the hard water.
The capacity of the water softener will be determined by the number of resins that are available in the unit.
A system that is operating at full capacity means that the resins could also be covered in minerals.
It is at this point when the system will have to clean itself if it is to operate at full capacity.
The majority of water softeners are designed to regenerate at least once a week.
Shopping for a Water Softener
Once you’ve decided on the size of water softener that is ideal for the needs of the family, the next step will be to buy the unit.
You’re likely to be bombarded with a ton of options from different manufacturers.
It is crucial that you’re taking your time with the research process as you’ll not want to buy a product and end up regretting it after only a couple of weeks.
To separate the grain from the chaff, there are some factors worth putting into consideration.
Manufacturers: There are manufactures that are known to produce quality products.
Instead of trying a product that isn’t tested, you should be narrowing down your options on the brands that have stood the test of time.
This shouldn’t be hard as there is a lot of information that is readily available on the internet.
Installation Contractor: In addition to getting the right product, you also want to make sure that you’re working with an experienced contractor.
The installation process could mean doing some adjustments to the plumbing system.
You don’t want the water softener to be the reason why you’re experiencing water flow problems in your home.
To Conclude
Getting the right size of a water softener is important for reasons we’ve explained above.
If you’re still unsure about what you should be getting, you can always reach out to an experienced plumber to help with the decision-making process.
The water softener should make your life easier and not inhibit the flow of water in the home.
There are reviews and buyer guides that you can go through in order to get the water softener that meets all your needs.
