Water Softener 101: Installation Considerations

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If you have discovered that your new home has hard water, you're probably thinking about installing a water softener to address it. After all, hard water can be destructive to your plumbing and appliances as well as bothersome for your hair and skin. However, it's important that you have the water softener installed in the correct place if you want the best possible results from your investment. Here's a look at a few things you need to consider before you install a new water softening system in your home's plumbing system.

Place It At The Beginning Of Your Interior Water Line

The best place for a water softener is at the beginning of your home's interior water line. You don't want to place it where your outdoor lines are fed, because softened water isn't ideal for watering plants and grass. However, you do want to be sure that everything receiving water inside your house is receiving softened water. This eliminates mineral buildup inside your interior pipes and appliances, reducing your repair costs and risk of damage.

Keep It Away From Your Hot Water Tank

As you are looking for the best place to put your water softener, you need to keep the location of your hot water tank in mind. You shouldn't install your water softener too close to the hot water tank's lines. Your water softener will go through a regeneration cycle periodically, and it could inadvertently draw hot water from the water heater during this process if it's too close to the water heater tank. That hot water can be damaging to the tubing and other components inside the water softener, so it's best to keep some distance between the two.

Look For Power And Drainage

Two important elements that you must have near your water softener's installation location are power and drainage. You'll need access to a power outlet to provide power to the softener. The water softener should be plugged directly into the outlet, not fed by an extension cord or power strip. 

Additionally, you'll need drainage access. After your water softener's regeneration cycle, you'll need to be able to drain and dispose of the resulting brine solution. Whether you have a floor drain installed in your basement or a sink drain nearby, make sure that you have an adequate and easy way to drain the softener as needed.

These are a few of the most common considerations associated with installing a water softener. The more you understand, the easier it is to ensure that you get the best results from your new investment.

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25 May 2021

Understanding Public Sanitation Services

Hello. My name is Lillian Bennet. Welcome to my website about public sanitation services. Growing up, I noticed that our community greatly relied on public sanitation services to get by. We would all put out our trash, confident the system would work and whisk it all away without a trace. Although it looks quite easy from the outside, a little research showed me just how complex it all really is. I created this site to help everyone understand just what goes into providing these services to each community. When you visit, you can always expect to read something new about the industry, so come by often.