You can find a lot of useful information in water softener reviews but you should keep in mind that most of these reviews were probably not written by people who have actually installed them or used by the people reviewing them. These reviews can still be helpful, but you will want to keep a few things in mind while making your decision on which water softener to get. I relied on water softener reviews before I purchased one online and did a self-install. The review was not inaccurate, but there were a couple of things that I would have liked to know ahead of time.
When you come to a decision on the water softener you want to get there may be details you have to figure out on your own. Most reviews will not mention plumbing design issues like bypass valves or drainage. These are things you need to think about when preparing your home or business for a new softener.
Since I did the installation myself I had to cut into my existing plumbing system. It was all copper so I become somewhat adept at sweating copper. Well, good enough to not cause any leaks anyway. I installed new shutoff valves to turn off water to the softener if I ever need to remove or repair it (which I never did, thankfully) but I did not put in a bypass. I realized later that a bypass is useful if want to completely isolate the water softener, and even remove it, while still maintaining water flow to the rest of the house. I never needed to do that, but it bugged me all the time because I knew I didn't have it if I ever did need it. Ah, and about those valves, it's best to use ball valves over gate valves. Yes, they're more expensive, but they are very reliable and have a short throw (90 degrees) which makes them easy to use.
One thing you will see mentioned is whether or not the unit is programmable. This is useful to control your regeneration cycles as it will track the amount of soft water your household uses. Instead of wasting water during a regen cycle that's not needed it will only regen when necessary.
One more thing that water softener reviews may mention but that I want to also point out here is that you want to isolate your lawn sprinkler system (if you have one) from the rest of your house water. There is no need to spray softened water out onto your landscaping. It will just use up the salts in your softener system and is probably not good for your plants anyway.
In my case, it was pretty obvious our home needed a water softener since we were on a community well, all the neighbors had water softeners, and we were starting to see some mineral buildup in the pipes. It was a fairly new home when we moved in, but for some reason the original owners/builder did not add a water softener. Also, every local supermarket, grocery store and hardware store carried ample supplies of the salts used to refill water softeners, so that was a pretty good hint that they were used by many people in the community.
If it's not so obvious in your case you can have your water tested to determine the mineral content - most of the water softener reviews will mention this and even recommend testing facilities near your area. You may even be able to just bring it to your local hardware or home store to have them test it for you. - 20763
When you come to a decision on the water softener you want to get there may be details you have to figure out on your own. Most reviews will not mention plumbing design issues like bypass valves or drainage. These are things you need to think about when preparing your home or business for a new softener.
Since I did the installation myself I had to cut into my existing plumbing system. It was all copper so I become somewhat adept at sweating copper. Well, good enough to not cause any leaks anyway. I installed new shutoff valves to turn off water to the softener if I ever need to remove or repair it (which I never did, thankfully) but I did not put in a bypass. I realized later that a bypass is useful if want to completely isolate the water softener, and even remove it, while still maintaining water flow to the rest of the house. I never needed to do that, but it bugged me all the time because I knew I didn't have it if I ever did need it. Ah, and about those valves, it's best to use ball valves over gate valves. Yes, they're more expensive, but they are very reliable and have a short throw (90 degrees) which makes them easy to use.
One thing you will see mentioned is whether or not the unit is programmable. This is useful to control your regeneration cycles as it will track the amount of soft water your household uses. Instead of wasting water during a regen cycle that's not needed it will only regen when necessary.
One more thing that water softener reviews may mention but that I want to also point out here is that you want to isolate your lawn sprinkler system (if you have one) from the rest of your house water. There is no need to spray softened water out onto your landscaping. It will just use up the salts in your softener system and is probably not good for your plants anyway.
In my case, it was pretty obvious our home needed a water softener since we were on a community well, all the neighbors had water softeners, and we were starting to see some mineral buildup in the pipes. It was a fairly new home when we moved in, but for some reason the original owners/builder did not add a water softener. Also, every local supermarket, grocery store and hardware store carried ample supplies of the salts used to refill water softeners, so that was a pretty good hint that they were used by many people in the community.
If it's not so obvious in your case you can have your water tested to determine the mineral content - most of the water softener reviews will mention this and even recommend testing facilities near your area. You may even be able to just bring it to your local hardware or home store to have them test it for you. - 20763
About the Author:
When you look for water softener reviews you want to be sure and get reliable information. For example, some household names may not be the best units to get. For example, is a GE water softener a good choice, or are they not worth the brand name?
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