Water softener installation
A softener that's sized and plumbed right will run for years with little more than salt. Here's what a good install in the Kingman area looks like.
Installing a softener is more than setting a tank by the water heater. The installer has to know how hard your water is, how much water the household uses, where the main line comes in, and where the regeneration water can drain. Getting those right is what keeps the unit from running out of capacity, wasting salt or flooding the garage.
Why test the water first?
Hardness around Kingman varies with the source. ADEQ found that groundwater from hardrock areas of the Hualapai Valley basin tended to be harder than water from the valley alluvium, so a well in the foothills may not match city water. A hardness test, plus iron if you're on a well, lets the installer size the resin tank and set the regeneration schedule. If you're on city water, the City of Kingman's annual water quality report is a useful starting point, but a test at your tap is better.
What does an installation include?
- Choosing the spot. Usually where the main line enters, ahead of the water heater, with outside hose bibs often left on hard water to save salt.
- A bypass valve. So you can shut the softener out of the system without losing water to the house.
- The brine and backwash drain. Arizona's R-54 water conditioning license specifically covers the indirect waste pipe that carries brine, backwash and rinse water to the point of disposal. Ask where yours will go.
- Power for the control head. Most units need an outlet nearby.
- Setup. Programming hardness, household size and the regeneration time, and showing you how to add salt.
Garage and outdoor installs
Kingman's winter nights often reach freezing. A softener on an outside wall needs a cover or enclosure, and exposed supply and drain lines need insulation. A unit in full summer sun should be shaded. Ask the installer how they'll protect yours.
What affects the price?
- Hardness level and the size of the resin tank needed
- Whether a softener loop is already plumbed in
- Distance to a suitable drain and an outlet
- Add-ons like a sediment pre-filter or a drinking water system
- The control valve type, metered or timer-based
The water treatment company prices the job after it knows your water, your plumbing and, for repairs, what's wrong with the unit. We don't quote prices, and a number given over the phone before anyone has tested your water or seen the install spot is only a rough starting point.
Where we connect you with help
Common questions
Should the softener feed the outside hose bibs?
Usually not. Most installers leave irrigation and hose bibs on unsoftened water so you aren't spending salt on the yard. Ask what makes sense for your plumbing.
What certification should a new softener have?
Look for NSF/ANSI Standard 44, the standard NSF uses for residential cation exchange water softeners.
Related services
More background: Kingman hard water guide.
White crust on the faucets, or a softener that quit working?
Call now and a local water treatment company will help you sort it out.