Water softeners are crucial for eliminating the water of hazardous pollutants that can hurt one’s skin and hair, as well as the plumbing and appliances of the household. Understanding one’s household needs and water quality is mandatory before installing water softeners.
The softener’s physical dimensions dictate the amount of installation space required. The flow rate, the volume of water a home uses, and the water quality are some variables water treatment professionals at Hedlund plumbing consider while selecting and installing the optimum water softener catering to one’s needs.
An Overview Of The Mechanism Of Water Softeners
A water softener contains resin beads that hold the salt. Hard water minerals are replaced by sodium in the resin beads as the hard water flows through them. The sodium-containing soft water is then made available to the household.
When the resin beads are saturated, it requires regeneration. Regeneration is done by adding salt to the softener and pumping through the resin tank.
Variables Influencing The Location Of A Water Softener
Source: angi.com
1. Source of water
The ideal location for installing water softeners is in the vicinity of the main water supply line. One should install a softener on the leveled ground where the water flows into the house. One should house the softener near the pressure tank if a home utilizes well water. Usually, it’s close to the water meter if the house uses city water.
Apart from having enough space to house the equipment of any given size, there should be proper drainage and a power source adjacently.
2. The climate of the state
One needs to bear a few things in mind as far as the climate is concerned. An outdoor installation is a good option for places near the coast that are warm and don’t have basements.
It is not advisable to position a softener in places where the temperature is below 35 °F. One should keep it away from animals, direct sunlight, and water that could damage the electronics. If one resides in a place like Florida and wants to install a new water softener outside, the focus should be on keeping it covered to protect it from the weather.
Another alternative for warmer climates is if the softener is attached to the dwelling, keep it in the garage.
3. Access to drainage
Introducing a softener next to a laundry tub, discharge pipe, trench, or drainpipe could be beneficial in removing drainage water during regeneration. The central drain from the water softener can be run vertically to a trough up to 30 feet away or horizontally up to 8 feet above the water softener (perhaps to an accessible drain on the floor above your softener). Letting the water softener discharge flow outdoors through the grass damages the grass and violates the set laws of most areas.
One can dispose of brine waste in a nearby drain smartly. A very concentrated brine solution cleans the resin beads during regeneration. The beads eventually get full and need to be cleaned because they act like sponges and soak up the minerals in the hard water. Installing a water softener at a location that won’t supply water outside is advisable, as using softened water for watering plants is not a good idea. It is a pure waste of treated water; therefore, avoiding it would be wise for any individual.
4. Close to water treatment facilities
Install the softener between the water heater and other treatment systems (such as a sediment or iron filter system). Doing so will guarantee the water will be of the highest quality if it flows through the home where an order of operation is maintained. A sediment or specialized filtering system should first process the water, then soften it before heading into the water heater. In this sequence, the appliances are guarded and function more effectively. One requires an adjacent 120-volt electrical outlet to operate the system.
The proximity of the softener to the main water line is one of the most significant factors when evaluating where to put it. By accomplishing this, the softener processes all water meant for daily domestic use before entering the faucets, showerheads, and pipes.
Likely Places For Installing Water Softeners
Source: thisoldhouse.com
1. Basement
A full basement can generally fit any size softener and a range of other water treatment systems.
Keeping a softener connected to a water source, a drain, and a power source and installing them next to the home’s water heater keeps the equipment centralized. After some additional work to construct a drain for the system, closets or utility rooms can be a decent fit for a unit.
2. Crawl spaces
It is imperative to take accessibility into account before choosing a crawl space location since it requires regularly replenishing the brine tank with water softener salt.
3. Garage
Often, there is sufficient space in the garage, so keeping a softener there makes more sense than moving it to the basement.
Garage installations require additional plumbing work. To verify that the temperature remains within the necessary range for the softener to operate effectively, one must ensure the area has climate control.
4. Service Room
Installing equipment in a utility room is possible for homes without a basement or garage.
These spaces are relatively small; therefore, finding creative solutions to the issues may be necessary. There may be few options for slab-built cabins or other summer residences.
Source: best-osmosis-systems.com
Conclusion
As long as it complies with all building rules, adheres to the specifications for equipment performance, including temperature, and has access to plumbing, piping, a drain, and power, a homeowner may establish a water softener anywhere they prefer. It is best to keep the softener out of direct sunshine. A temperature between 35 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit is estimated to be the optimum temperature for the area. The room must be flat, dry, and close to an outlet to be plugged in.
Distancing the water heater and softener by at least 10 feet prevents backflow.
One can successfully operate a water softener over time by paying close attention to all the points discussed previously.
