Water Softeners and Filters

Water Softeners and Filters

One of the best ways to improve your home’s water supply is with water softeners and filters from Anytime Plumbing.  Water softening and filtration systems are basically the all-in-one solution to residential water problems.  Over time, these systems lose their ability to soften and filter out the hard materials in your water supply and need to be regenerated.  However, if you have a septic system, the softening salts create a brine solution that can negatively impact the bacteria in it. It helps to consult or call in Anytime Plumbing Santa Cruz California experts so that the installation can be done properly.

How does a water softening and filtration system work?

A tank equipped with a layer of activated charcoal, ion exchange resin, and specialized gravel.  While the ion exchange resin softens your water, the activated charcoal and gravel do the filtering.  Whole-house water softeners and filters from Anytime Plumbing do exactly what their name implies, namely softening and filtering the water throughout your home. In addition to this, there is a backflush tank containing sodium or potassium chloride.  This helps to clean the resin so it can continue working properly, offering you clean and impurity free water at all times.

How can you tell if a water softening and filtration system is right for your home?

Most water supplies today have a substantial level of conditioning and filtration before they reach the faucets in your home.  Unfortunately, many homes are not equipped to deal with the consequences of hard water.  Hard water contains a high concentration of calcium, magnesium, and other minerals that can-do considerable damage to your plumbing system despite the fact that they are harmless.  If this is the case with your water, Anytime Plumbing water softeners and filters can help.  The following 6 signs indicate the need for one of these systems:

• Clothes don’t look clean after doing your laundry – soap scum from hard water fails to dissolve completely when washing your clothes in much the same way that it builds up in your bathtubs and sinks. The white streaks are a direct sign that hard water is ruining a clean pile of laundry.

• Shower head clogs occur frequently – while hard water mineral build-up can clog pipes over time, it can clog faucets and showerheads even quicker eventually slowing your water pressure. Thus, if you see a trickle, you will know that the mineral and salt deposits have clogged the tiny holes.

• Soap scum builds up in the bathtub – hard water can cause soap scum to build up quickly because the minerals in hard water keep it from dissolving.

• Water spots remain on glassware after doing the dishes – this is one of the most common signs of hard water.  While these spots are harmless, it is annoying and indicates that your dishwasher is damaged from prolonged hard water exposure.

• White or yellow residue builds up around drains and sinks – this is a recipe for an eventual plumbing disaster.  Obviously, the build-up that is visible that this is happening inside your faucets and pipes as well.

• Your hair feels dull after you wash it – washing your hair in hard water can result in a lack of body, movement, or volume.

In addition to preventative maintenance, Anytime Plumbing also offers 24-hour emergency water softener and filter system services.  This applies whether we installed the system or not.  Additionally, we advise that you take the following precautions when getting a new water softening and filtration systems installed:

• Choose a softener that features usage-based regeneration rather than one that is based on how long you’ve had it.

• Choose a system that is more efficient and requires less frequent regeneration.

• Set up your water softening and filtration system so that it only processes the water you need.

• Use a potassium chloride-based solution rather than one that uses sodium.

If you need help determining the right water softening and filtration system for your home, the Anytime Plumbing specialists are highly experienced and knowledgeable in these matters.

How much do water softeners and filters cost?

There are several factors that can influence the cost of a home water softening and filtration system including what type of system you choose.  Generally speaking, the more effective a system is, the more it will cost.  Costs can also vary depending on the accessibility and condition of the installation site, the contractor you hire, the type of softener you use, and the water-softening device itself.  A DIY installation will cost as little as $400 while a professional installation can run upwards of $4,000 or more.

To learn more about our water softeners and filters as well as the types of systems we install, we encourage you to contact Anytime Plumbing at your earliest convenience.