Add a Water Softener to an Existing System

Hard water is a problem familiar to most people who draw their water primarily from a private well. It is likely that your customers already know the solution requires a water softener, but according to David Krupinski, certified water specialist for Kinetico Inc. in Newbury, Ohio, there is more to it than that.

“Anyone can come into a store and pluck a product or two from the shelf, take them home and try to install them,” he says. “But are they getting the best possible solution for their water conditions, configuration and family requirements?” Helping customers design a comprehensive water treatment system is where your expertise can benefit your customers most.

Test the Water
The first thing to do before helping a customer choose and install any kind of water treatment system is to make sure the water has been tested. “Testing is the backbone of a proper water treatment philosophy,” Krupinski says. “A proper water test allows a trained water professional to specify the best possible solution for the customer, install it, warranty it and maintain it.”

This research goes beyond just determining what type of water softener will best meet your customers’ needs, it is for their health. “If the consumer has a private well, the water should be tested by a state-certified lab for minerals as well as iron and bacteria,” says Scott Batiste, CEO of Puronics, a Livermore, Calif.-based water technology company.

In addition to making sure the water is safe, you’ll want to determine how hard the water is, whether the customer is satisfied with the taste and smell of his or her water, what is the family’s peak water demand, what flow-rate requirements are mandated by the state or local codes, and whether there are any drainage restrictions you need to be aware of.

Find the Right System
Once you have gathered as much information as you can, you can determine the size and type of softener that would be best for your client.

You first will need to determine what size water softener your customer requires. A single-tank softener needs to be big enough to handle at least a full day without regenerating, as customers won’t have access to soft water during regeneration with single-tank systems. For this reason, it is ideal to set the softener to regenerate at night, or when the client is least likely to use water. With this type of softener, the time between regenerations stays the same for the life of the product no matter how much water the customer uses, so the systems can regenerate before they have to, wasting salt and water. However, some customers may prefer a softener with an adjustable dial, which will allow them to adjust the regeneration schedule as needed, but will never make the system as efficient as a dual-tank softener. The single-tank softener still must regenerate at night, and it is impossible to predict accurately how much water a family will use on any given day. And servicepersons report that electrical components on such systems are most prone to failure.

For customers who never want to worry about regeneration cycles or not having access to soft water, an alternative is to use a dual-tank system, where the second tank allows the softener to supply the house with softened water even while regenerating. This way the softener can regenerate at any time. “Dual-tank systems can be sized much smaller since they operate completely on demand and can regenerate at any time of the day by switching from tank to tank,” Krupinski says. “While one tank regenerates, the other swings into operation so the consumer never has to worry about running out of soft water.” This may be useful if your customer prefers the most efficient, cost-effective system with the smallest footprint. And due to technological advancements, dual-tank systems are often less expensive than old-fashioned single-tank systems.

In addition to the amount of space available, it is important to make sure the system you choose will work well where it is installed. The water softener should be installed at the main water trunk line so it can treat water for the entire home, and will need to be connected to a drain for backwashing. Electric systems require a power source at the installation site, which is something that will have to be factored into any installation costs, Krupinski says. If there is no power source, an electrician will need to run one that meets all codes for proper installation and grounding. Water softeners that operate without electricity do not have such requirements and are not susceptible to power outages or surges, or electrical component malfunctions.

Reliability should also be factored in when choosing a softener, as the best products will be NSF-certified. “Most high quality water softeners require very little maintenance and have a useful life of up to 20 years and more,” Batiste says.