A typical water softener installation takes two to four hours. Add time if the plumbing needs rerouting to bring the main line to the equipment location, if a drain connection has to be run, or if electrical is needed where none exists.
What the Job Involves
- Shut off the main water supply and drain the affected lines
- Cut into the main supply line, downstream of any outdoor hose bibs you want left unsoftened
- Install a bypass valve assembly so the softener can be isolated for service
- Set and connect the resin tank and brine tank
- Run a drain line for regeneration discharge, with a required air gap
- Connect power for the control valve
- Program the unit for your measured hardness and household usage
- Charge the brine tank, run a manual regeneration, and verify soft water at fixtures
What Adds Time
- Plumbing rerouting. The softener has to tie into the main line, and if it is not near a convenient location, running pipe adds hours.
- Drain access. Regeneration discharge needs a drain with a proper air gap. If none is nearby, that is additional plumbing.
- Electrical. The control valve needs an outlet.
- Bypassing outdoor hose bibs, which most homeowners want — there is no reason to soften irrigation water, and in a desert city it wastes softening capacity.
- Old or corroded pipe at the tie-in point, which sometimes reveals more work than expected.
The Setup Detail That Matters Most
Programming. A softener set for the wrong hardness or the wrong household size either regenerates too often — wasting salt and water — or not often enough, letting hard water through. We measure hardness rather than estimating, and set the unit to your actual usage. Get a demand-initiated metered unit rather than a timer for the same reason.
Worth Doing at the Same Time
Flush the water heater to remove sediment already there, and check water pressure. Contact B. Carlson about water softeners in Albuquerque.
