Do you want to remove hardness from water? If yes, You must know how to install a water softener. Water softener installation is essential to treat the hard water in the home. A water softener is one crucial machine used to remove hardness-causing ions from the water supply.
Here in this article, we will discuss in detail “how to install a water softener.”
Complex water ions are the leading cause of death in appliances and water boilers. The hard water is not harmful to humans, but you feel tired of dealing with rough skin, and softener installation breaks all your inconveniences and problems. Water softener helps you to get rid of hard water, which contains lots of minerals like magnesium, iron, and calcium.
Placing a water softener can be difficult, particularly if you have no plumbing experience. This article discusses the safest and easiest way to install a water softener and several common mistakes novices constantly make.
Things to note while placing a water softener:
You don’t have to be an expert plumber to install a water softener. Yet, you should be reasonably familiar with how water softeners perform. It will also be beneficial to understand how to solder.
Also, you must have a basic understanding of how water gets and exits your home. You should not identify whether your house has a water loop.
Pessimistic effects of hard water
- Malfunctioning of coffee makers and heaters
- Hard to laundry the clothes
- Dishwasher looks dirty
All these are caused because soap does not dissolve in hard water. Sometimes you feel that you are not clean even after the shower. Hard water completely ruins your plumbing fixtures and pipes. Also, you find ugly orange stains on bathroom tiles; all of these are caused due to high ions present in hard water. To escape from all these discomforts, learn how to install a water softener.
Installing a water softener
If you desire to install a water softener, installing this system is quite daunting. How to install a water softener? I decided to install it myself without spending extra money on a plumber. Just replacing a water softener applies done in an hour. But new installation requires additional plumbing knowledge.
Hard water accompanies minerals that cause bad smells, and many correct these problems by installing a water softener.
How to install a water softener?
There are different types of water softener systems. Based on your needs and desires, select the best place in the best-suited location where you intend to install the water softener. Before installing the water softener, tests the hardness of the water. The complexity of the installation process will depend on the type of water softener you selected.
Put a stop to the water
Find and switch on the main supply shut-off valve for your house. Suppose your valve is close to your water meter and outside your home. As an option, you can discover it in your basement or a storage closet.
Open a few of your taps and allow any water that may be present in your pipelines to drain as an extra measure.
Shut off the power to your water heater
Turn off the necessary breaker to shut off the power to your water heater’s power source.
Choose the ideal place to install your water softener
There are a number of options available to you. Installing the softener as close to the location where water comes to your house as possible is the most popular choice. If installed this early in the chain, it will protect all of the fixtures and fittings in your home from particle damage. It is usually where your hydration loop will be as well.
Trim the connecting part of your water loop using your pipeline-cutting tool
There will continue to be 2 pipes projecting from the ceiling. These pipes direct treated water from your softener into your devices, including one line sending untreated water into your softener.
Affix an elbow fit to one side of your major water pipe that is now kept separate
This elbow fitting must point to your softener’s outflow and inflow valves. Thus, the elbow will point downwards if the water loop is placed higher on the wall, and conversely.
- Determine the length of pipe needed to cover the distance from your elbow connection and the valves on your softener using your tape measure.
- The pipe must be cut to the proper length.
- Connect any fittings required to connect the pipe to the bypass valve before fastening it with the pipe.
- Tie the pipe together.
Installation tips:
- Installation minimizes the damaging effect of hard water.
- Keep the device indoors and place them in a dry place at a constant temperature.
- Always place the system shade in the sunlight.
- Cover the system to protect it from extreme weather conditions
- Connect the home water softener control valve to the brine tank
- Make sure that the appliance is not leaking.
Typical water softener installation errors to avoid:
Installing a water softener requires great attention to detail, as you can tell from the steps mentioned above. These are a few of the most common mistakes to prevent if this is your initial DIY install effort.
Over-reliance on sources
A water softener can be built using a variety of methods. The best approach, whether you’re managing this by itself, is what we’ve mentioned.
Choose one guideline, and obey it no matter what. Attempting to repair your softener while hopping from instruction to instruction is a disaster waiting to happen.
Bypassing water softener fittings
The majority of water softeners arrive with all of the required connections. Poor-fitting use can lead to leakage and overall subpar water softener efficiency.
Placing the drain hose improperly
The place to which your drain hose is attached has to be capable of handling the volume of water it emits. Flooding is possible if it is placed in a manner that allows it to shift.
Picking a water softener that is the incorrect size
If you’re building the softener yourself, you’re also buying it. You should seek expert assistance on this quickly.
Final words
Plenty of conflicting claims regarding water hardness and health. But the WHO suggests no correlation between water hardness and health effects. Ensure to read the instructions before you do the installations. While locating the water softener disconnects the electricity and water supply. With all this in mind, purchase an excellent unit and deal with hard water.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):
1. Following building a water softener, how long would it take for the water to become gentle?
Once setup and a renewal process are complete, you’ll begin getting soft water from your cold water taps. But, it won’t have to go to your hot water taps till the hard water it was earlier in your hot-water heater has indeed been evacuated. To expedite this process, do a few dishwashing runs.
2. Would I need to refill the brine tank with water while putting in a water softener?
Usually, the salt is added to the brine tank, and the water part is treated by regeneration. For validation, read the user guide for your equipment.
3. Is it possible for me to install a water softener myself?
A water softener can be set up by yourself in less than an hour if you are skilled with equipment and do the proper research. It’s feasible, and you’ll likely have to buy some extra components, specifically copper or PVC plumbing.
4. Where is the installation of a water softener?
Setting your water softener at the loop is suggested. The whole tap water can be eased as a consequence; that is typically your goal.
