Index
Hard-water help
One question per page, answered with numbers.
What crosslink means in softener resin, why 10% crosslink stands up to chlorine better than standard 8%, and when the upgrade is worth it.
IronAir Injection vs Media Iron FiltersHow air-injection and media (Birm, greensand, KDF, catalytic) iron filters work, their limits, and which water suits each.
SaltBest Softener Salt for Water With IronWhich salt helps a softener handle small amounts of iron, and when salt choice stops mattering and an iron filter is needed.
PartsBrine Tank Safety Float: How It WorksWhat the safety float in a brine tank does, how to tell it has failed, and how to choose a replacement.
Buying guideCabinet vs Two-Tank Water SoftenersHow all-in-one cabinet softeners compare with two-tank systems for space, capacity, parts and service.
How-toClack WS1 Valve Rebuild: Parts and StepsThe parts a Clack WS1 rebuild replaces, signs you need it, and how to match the part numbers.
Salt-freeDo Electronic Water Descalers Work?What electronic and magnetic descalers claim, what they don't do, and how to judge one for your home.
ResinFine Mesh Resin for Iron: When It HelpsWhat fine-mesh softener resin is, why sellers recommend it for clear-water iron, and where an iron filter is still needed.
ValvesFleck 5600 vs 2510: Which Valve Do You Need?How the Fleck 5600 and 2510 differ in flow and tank sizes, and which softeners use each.
ValvesFleck 5600SXT vs Clack WS1How the two most common residential softener valves differ in design, parts and flow, and how to tell which one you have.
ValvesFleck Valve Model Numbers ExplainedWhat the Fleck 5600, 5600SXT, 2510SXT, 9100SXT and 7000SXT names mean, and how to read the label on your valve.
UnitsGrains per Gallon ExplainedWhat a grain per gallon is, how it relates to mg/L and ppm, and why softeners are sized in grains.
SizingHow Long Should a Water Softener Run Between Regenerations?The regeneration interval most households aim for, and how to change it by sizing or settings.
Running costsHow Much Water Does a Water Softener Use to Regenerate?How much water a softener uses per regeneration and per week, and how metered valves and right-sizing cut it.
SaltHow much salt does a water softener use?How to estimate your softener's salt use from your hardness and household, why salt settings change it, and how many bags a year to expect.
UpkeepHow often should a water softener regenerate?How to work out your softener's regeneration interval from capacity and daily load, and why metered valves regenerate on gallons instead of days.
How-toHow to Add Salt to a Water SoftenerHow much salt to add, how often, which kind, and how to avoid bridges and mushy salt.
TestingHow to Check Your Water Softener Is WorkingA simple before-and-after hardness test that tells you whether a softener is doing its job, and what to do if it isn't.
UpkeepHow to Clean a Water Softener Brine TankWhen and how to empty and clean a brine tank, and how to restart the softener afterwards.
How-toHow to Install a Water Softener: Steps and PartsThe parts and order of work for a tank softener installation: bypass, plumbing, drain line, brine line, power and startup.
How-toHow to Rebuild a Fleck 5600 ValveWhat a Fleck 5600 seal and spacer kit and piston replace, the signs you need them, and the order of work.
SetupHow to Set the Hardness on a Water SoftenerWhat number to enter as hardness on a softener valve, how to add iron, and how the setting changes regeneration and salt use.
TestingHow to Test Water Hardness at HomeThe ways to test hardness at home, how accurate each is, and how to turn the result into a softener size.
How-toHow to Use a Water Softener Bypass ValveWhat service and bypass positions do, when to use bypass, and how to put the softener back in service without a pressure shock.
TestingHow to read your water hardness numberWhat gpg, ppm and mg/L mean on a water report or test strip, how to convert between them, and where your number falls on the hardness scale.
How-toHow to replace water softener resinWhen softener resin needs replacing, how much to buy for your tank, and the steps for re-bedding a tank softener.
Well waterIron in well water: softener, iron filter or both?When a water softener can handle iron, when you need an iron filter ahead of it, and how to read a well-water test for iron, manganese and pH.
TroubleshootingLow Water Pressure After Installing a Water SoftenerWhy pressure can drop after a softener goes in: undersized service flow, a partly closed bypass, sediment or resin in the lines.
Buying guideMetered vs Timer Water SoftenersHow metered (demand-initiated) and timer softener valves decide when to regenerate, and how that changes salt and water use.
RVPortable RV water softenersHow many gallons a portable softener treats between regenerations, how to regenerate it with table salt, and what to check before buying.
Buying guidePortable vs Whole-House Water SoftenersWhen a portable softener on a hose connection makes sense and when you need a whole-house unit on the main line.
SaltPotassium Chloride for Water Softeners: Pros and ConsUsing potassium chloride instead of sodium chloride in a softener: what it changes, what it costs and what settings to adjust.
ValvesReplacing a Water Softener Control Valve HeadWhen to replace a whole control head instead of rebuilding it, and what has to match on the tank.
TroubleshootingResin Beads in Water Lines: What It MeansWhy softener resin beads show up in faucets and toilets, and the parts that usually fail.
Well waterRotten Egg Smell in Well Water: What Treats ItWhat causes a sulfur (rotten-egg) smell in well water, how to tell if it's in the water or the water heater, and the filters sold for it.
TroubleshootingSalt Bridge in a Water Softener: How to Spot and Fix ItWhat a salt bridge is, why it forms, how to break it up safely and how to stop it coming back.
SaltSalt Pellets vs Crystals vs Blocks for Water SoftenersHow evaporated pellets, solar crystals and salt blocks behave in a brine tank and which softeners each suits.
SaltSalt pellets vs crystals vs potassium chlorideHow evaporated pellets, solar crystals and potassium chloride differ in purity, residue, cost and sodium, and which suits your softener.
Salt-freeSalt-Free Water Softeners for Well Water: What to WatchWhy iron, manganese and sulfur matter for salt-free conditioners on well water, and when a salt-based system or iron filter is needed.
Buying guideSalt-based vs salt-free water softenersWhat an ion-exchange softener removes, what salt-free conditioners and electronic descalers claim instead, and which one fits your house.
UpkeepSigns Your Water Softener Resin Needs ReplacingHow to tell worn or fouled resin from a valve, salt or setting problem before you buy replacement resin.
Health and dietSodium in Softened Water: How Much It AddsHow much sodium a salt-based softener adds per grain of hardness removed, and the potassium chloride alternative.
Salt-freeTAC Conditioners vs Electronic DescalersHow media-based TAC conditioners and electronic descalers differ in install, upkeep and what makers claim.
TestingTDS Meter vs Hardness Test: What Each MeasuresWhy a TDS meter can't size a water softener, and which tests read hardness.
Buying guideTwin-Tank vs Single-Tank Water SoftenersHow a twin-tank softener keeps soft water flowing during regeneration, what it costs in space and price, and which households it suits.
How it worksUpflow vs downflow regenerationThe difference between upflow (counter-current) and downflow (co-current) brining in water softeners, and why makers say it affects salt use.
PlanningWater Softener Before or After a Water Filter?The order of iron filters, sediment filters, carbon stages and softeners in a whole-house setup.
InstallWater Softener Drain Line and Air Gap BasicsWhat the drain line carries, why an air gap matters, and which parts are involved; local code governs the details.
SizingWater Softener Grain Capacity ExplainedWhat a softener's grain rating means, why it is a full-salt figure, and how much capacity you actually get at an efficient salt setting.
TroubleshootingWater Softener Not Softening: What to CheckWhy a softener lets hard water through, from settings and salt to bypass, valve wear and worn resin, with a test at each step.
TroubleshootingWater Softener Not Using Salt: Causes and FixesWhy the salt level in a softener's brine tank stops dropping, and how to check for a bridge, mushy salt or a valve that isn't drawing brine.
RentersWater Softener Options for an ApartmentWhat renters and apartment owners can use against hard water when a whole-house softener isn't possible: portable softeners, salt-free units and what each can do.
SizingWater Softener Size for Two PeopleThe grain rating a one- or two-person household needs, and why a smaller unit still needs to cover a week.
SizingWater Softener Size for a Family of FourThe grain rating a four-person household needs at common hardness levels, with iron included.
City waterWater Softener for City Water: What ChangesHow sizing and setup differ on municipal water: no iron to add, chlorine reaching the resin, and the hardness figure from your utility's water report.
SizingWater Softener for Very Hard WaterHow to size and set a softener for water above about 20 grains per gallon, and when other treatment helps.
Well waterWater Softener for Well Water: What to Check FirstWhat to test before softening well water, how iron and manganese change the size and the setup, and when an iron filter goes first.
PartsWater softener bypass valves explainedWhat a softener bypass valve does, the main types, and how to match a replacement to your valve.
SizingWhat size water softener do I need?How to size a water softener from your hardness, iron and household, why the grain rating overstates what you get, and how service flow fits in.
PlanningWhere to Put a Water SoftenerWhere a softener sits in the plumbing: after the well equipment and any iron filter, before the water heater, with a drain and outlet nearby.
TroubleshootingWhy is my brine tank full of water?Why a softener's brine tank fills with water or overflows, how to tell normal from a fault, and the parts that usually fix it.
Nothing matches that filter.