Water Softner and Filtration System

Water Softener

Do I need a Water Softener?

If you are not sure if you need a water softener, you can bring in a sample of your water (in a clean container) and leave it with us. We will test it and tell you what hardness it is.






Soft water is 0-1 grains of hardness



Slightly Hard 1-4 grains of hardness



Moderately Hard 4-7 grains of hardness



Hard 7-10 grains of hardness



Very Hard 10 + grains of hardness





Wrightwood's water per Golden State Water is on a average 24 grains of hardness.



Another way to tell if you need a water softener is if you find calcium deposits in your washing machine or dishwasher. These deposits form as the water evaporates, leaving the calcium behind.





When you mix soap and hard water (anything over 8 grains per gallon) it makes a sticky substance that clings to everything; your skin, clothes, dishes, plumbing fixtures and of course, your hair .... which will have a sticky substance in it and will be very hard to rinse out. If your clothes come out of the washer looking dingy or your dishes come out of the dishwasher spotty or with a film on them, think about getting a water softener.





A water softener will also add life to your hot water heater . The heating costs can be up to 30% less with no scale build up on the elements and on the bottom of the tank.



How to select a Water Softener



When looking for a water softener, you should consider:

• the amount of grain removal (the higher the hardness, the higher grain removal unit you will need),
  
• the type of regeneration it should be... (DEMAND TYPE),
  
• the warranty on the tanks and on the valve head.

Sizing a water softener


First off , you need to understand how a water softener works. It trades hard minerals (calcium-magnesium) in water for soft minerals (sodium) in water. Inside the softener, there are a bunch of magnets called ion exchange resin. They are little chemical magnets that do the trading. The more chemical magnets, the higher the capacity. The capacity is the amount of gallons a softener will exchange (soften) before it needs to regenerate(recharge) itself.





We recommend a Water softener with 32,000 or greater grain removal capacity for a normal family.





Demand Type


Metered regenerated is the type we recommend. These softeners regenerate by keeping track of how much water you actually use. This type of unit will save you money in usage of salt and less water use.






And of course the price and knowledge of the sales person.




When deciding on a water softener system for your home, you will want to understand that it will NOT filter your water, it will NOT remove bacteria or nitrates and it does not make the water "healthier" to drink.





Also, you want to be concerned when you have a water softener that you DO NOT water your plants inside or outside with soft water. You need to use your un-softened water for plant watering, otherwise your plants may not thrive.