Test the Water Before You Buy Anything
Hard water leaves scale on fixtures and shortens the life of heaters. Call, and a plumber serving your area will help you test the water and choose a softener or filter that fits.
- Licensed and insured plumbers
- Same-day service when available
- 24/7 emergency dispatch
Find Out What Is in Your Water
The right equipment depends on the water, so test before you shop. A hardness test kit gives a number in grains per gallon or parts per million. For anything beyond hardness, a lab test of well water identifies iron, bacteria or other contaminants.
| Source | What is reported | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Town of Warrenton public water | About 103 ppm, slightly hard, from a secondary estimate | Test your tap |
| Remington groundwater system | Reported soft, about 26 ppm | Confirm with a test |
| Private well | Varies by well | Lab test before choosing equipment |
Sources: waterhardness.org, 20187; waterhardness.org, Remington. Secondary sources, reported estimates.
Signs of Hard Water
Hard water leaves marks.
- White crust on faucets and showerheads
- Spotted dishes and glassware
- Soap that will not lather
- Dry skin and hair after washing
- Scale inside kettles and water heaters
Scale also builds on water heater tanks and tankless heat exchangers, which is covered on the no hot water repair page.
Water issues at home?
Describe the staining, taste or scale. You will hear what to test first.
How a Softener Works
A softener holds resin beads that exchange hardness minerals for sodium or potassium. When the resin is full, the unit regenerates with a brine rinse, flushes the minerals to the drain and starts again. The plumber sizes the unit to your hardness and your household use, sets the regeneration schedule and connects the drain and the bypass valve.
Filtration Options
Filters address different problems.
| Type | Removes | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Sediment filter | Sand, silt and rust particles | Wells and older lines |
| Carbon filter | Chlorine taste and odor | Whole house or kitchen |
| Reverse osmosis | Dissolved solids and many contaminants | Drinking water tap |
| Iron filter | Dissolved iron | Wells with orange staining |
Maintenance and Costs
Salt for a softener, filter cartridges and periodic checks are ongoing. Ask about the salt type, the cartridge replacement schedule and whether the unit has a bypass for service. Wastewater from regeneration must go to a proper drain.
Ready to test your water?
Ask dispatch what the test shows and what fits.
Reading a Hardness Result
Hardness is reported in grains per gallon or parts per million. As a rough guide, under about one grain is soft, one to three and a half is slightly hard, and higher numbers are moderately to very hard. At about 103 parts per million, a reported estimate for town water falls in the slightly hard range. Because that is a secondary estimate, test your tap and treat the number as the starting point.
Sizing a Softener
A softener is sized by how much hardness it must remove between regenerations. Household size, hardness level and daily water use all feed in. An oversized unit wastes salt and water, and an undersized one regenerates too often. The plumber works the numbers and sets the regeneration schedule to match.
Salt, Brine and Where the Water Goes
Regeneration sends brine and rinse water to a drain. The drain must be a proper connection with an air gap, not a casual hose. Salt is added to the brine tank, and pellets or blocks work for most units. People on low sodium diets may prefer potassium chloride, and the plumber can adjust the unit for it. Discuss any health question with a doctor.
Treating Well Water
Well water raises extra questions. Iron stains fixtures orange, bacteria need disinfection and acidic water corrodes pipes. A lab test comes first. A sediment filter may protect the equipment, and a softener may sit behind it. Many homes outside the town limits use wells, so the test matters.
Is a Softener Worth It for You?
This turns on the water and on what you notice. If the test shows slightly hard water and you see little scale, a softener may not be needed. A heater with heavy scale, spotted fixtures and hard water tests make a stronger case. Plenty of homes manage with an occasional heater flush. A plumber should give you the test numbers and explain the reasoning, not just sell equipment.
Installation Details
A softener goes on the main water line after the point where outdoor spigots branch off, so irrigation and hoses use unsoftened water. It needs a drain, a power outlet and a bypass valve. The plumber also checks the water pressure, since high pressure can strain the unit.
Under Sink and Drinking Water Filters
A drinking water filter sits under the kitchen sink and treats the water at one tap. Carbon blocks reduce chlorine taste and some contaminants. Reverse osmosis units add a small tank and a faucet. Check which contaminants a model is rated for, and replace cartridges on schedule. A whole house system is a different decision from a single tap filter.
Water Treatment and Conditioning
Water treatment covers softening, filtration and conditioning. Conditioners that use no salt change how scale forms, and softeners remove the hardness minerals. Which is right depends on what the test shows and what you want to stop. Ask the plumber to explain the claims in plain terms and to say what the equipment cannot do.
Softener and Filter Questions
Does my water need a softener?
Much depends on your hardness and what bothers you. Scale, spotting and soap that will not lather point to hard water. A simple test from the tap tells you the number.
Is Warrenton water hard?
A reported estimate puts town water at about 103 parts per million, slightly hard, but that is a secondary source and varies. A secondary source reports Remington's groundwater as softer still. Test your own tap.
What is the difference between a softener and a filter?
A softener removes hardness minerals through ion exchange. A filter removes particles, chlorine taste or specific contaminants, depending on the type.
What about well water?
Private wells vary a lot. Testing for hardness, iron and bacteria is the first step.
How often does a softener need service?
It needs salt added regularly and a periodic check of the resin and the valve.
Scale and spots everywhere?
Dial the line and describe what you see. A plumber serving your area can help with a test and the right equipment.