Hardness Treatment by Water Softening

How do I know if I have Hard Particles in my Water?

Hardness is usually caused by the presence of calcium and magnesium in water. If there is white residue on plumbing fixtures, or if you use more soap than you should, you probably have hard water. See the EPA Office of Ground & Drinking Water-Local Water Report for information on whether you have hard water in your area. If you have a well or are located in a municipality not listed in this report, you may conduct a water test to confirm the amount of hardness in your water. You can contact a state-certified lab for testing, or you can test the water yourself with a water test kit. Scroll down on this page for more information on determining whether your water's problem is indeed hardness.

What Level of Hardness is Acceptable in my Water?

3 or fewer grains per gallon is considered slightly hard water, between 3 and 7 grains per gallon is considered medium hardness, between 7 and 10 grains per gallon is considered hard water, between 10 and 14 is considered very hard water, and anything over 14 grains per gallon is considered extremely hard water.

Notorious Geographic Areas for Hard Water Problems

The midwest (including Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, Kansas, Indiana, and Ohio), and south central US (including Texas, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, California, colorado), and Florida. Other areas with hard water include those in limestone areas that have well water systems.

How to choose a water softener?

1) Perform Hardness Test to find out Grains of Hardness/Gallon

2) Calculate Gallons of Water Usage per Day by multiplying the Number of people (in household) x 100 gallons/day

3) Calculate Grains per day by multiplying the Grains of hardness x Gallons per day x 3 (To regenerate every 3 days)= Capacity

4) Select System size based on capacity:
If your required capacity is under 20,000 grains, then use a system below with .75 cubic foot resin.
If your required capacity is between 20,000 and 30,000 grains, then use a system below with 1 cubic foot resin.
If your capacity is between 30,000 and 45,000 grains, then use a system below with 1.5 cubic foot of resin.
If your capacity is greater than 45,000 grains, then contact us at 888-801-PURE or customerservice@waterfilters.net, and we will help you with a larger system.

5) Select Features:
Metered or Clock (A metered valve regenerates after a certain amount of water has been used, while a clock valve regenerates every X number of days.)
Digital or Analog

Example: 10 Grains of Hardness/Gallon x 4 People x 100 Gallons/Day x 3 = 12,000 Grains (Capacity)

How does a water softener work?

During normal conditioning, raw water enters the water softening system through an inlet at the top of the resin tank. As it seeps down through the resin bed, hardness and scale are collected on the ion exchange sites of the resin. The result is the quality and convenience of conditioned water. During the regeneration cycle, the water softener automatically regenerates the ion exchange resin while gently agitating the resin bed to remove foreign particles.

What are the benefits of a water softener?

Water softeners reduce hardness and mineral deposits, iron staining, scale build-up, soap film and water spots. Water softeners increase plumbing and appliance life and increase the effectiveness of detergents.

2 Items

Set Descending Direction
View as Grid List
  1. 1 Pack Selected
  2. 1 Pack Selected

2 Items

Set Descending Direction
View as Grid List