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To determine the appropriate water softener size for your home, multiply the number of people in your home by the gallons of water they use each day (80 gallons per person is the average). Multiply that number by the grains of hardness in your water to figure out how many grains need to be removed each day.
What size water softener do I need for a family of 4?
What Size Water Softener for Family of 4? A family of 4 needs about 300 gallons of water per day (4 x 75 gallons). If the hardness of water is 10 grams per gallon, then the daily softening requirement is 300 x 10 = 3000 grains.
Can you buy too big of a water softener?
Oversized Water Softener Problems An oversized water softener isn’t necessarily as bad as an undersized one, save for the fact that you will pay more money for it upfront. Regeneration will occur less frequently and the unit will use salt more efficiently.
What does 30 000 grain water softener mean?
30,000-grain water softener means that it is theoretically capable of removing that many grains of hardness before it needs to regenerate. The hardness is the number of minerals that the water softener can take in before it needs to refresh and drain itself.
What is 48000 grain water softener?
The internet is littered with websites selling 24,000 / 32,000 / 48,000 / 64,000 grain water softeners. As mentioned above, the capacity of a water softener describes how much hardness it can remove before it needs to regenerate. A “grain” of hardness is 1/7000th of a pound of dissolved calcium and magnesium.
Is a higher grain water softener better?
Knowing your water and usage is vital to purchasing the correct water softener. A water softener that is too small will not be able to keep up with your needs and will wear it down faster. High grain water softeners cost more money and on over-sized softener means wasted money.
How long do water softeners last?
Water softeners that operate using electricity to work can last anywhere between 2-10 years, depending upon the quality of the device. Water softeners that rely on the kinetic energy from water flow can last even longer, about 20 years if they are maintained well.
What is a good level of water hardness?
The general rule of thumb is to drink clean water, with hardness being somewhere in the middle of soft and hard, 60 mg/L to 120 mg/L. Some also advise to not go beyond 170 mg/L, which indicates very high levels of calcium and magnesium.
What happens if water softener is oversized?
If your water softener is too big for your home, it won’t do enough work to trigger regeneration on time. When a water softener doesn’t regenerate, it’s not as effective and bacteria can grow in the tank. Make sure your water softener is properly sized for your home with the right quantity of resin beads for the job.
How do you know the grain of hardness in water?
If your hard water test displays or produces the result in parts per million or milligrams per liter, you can take the total hardness level and divide it by 17.1 to determine the hardness in grains per gallon. For instance, if your hard water test shows 182 mg/L, you have 10.6 gpg.
Is 50 ppm hard water?
Water hardness is usually expressed as the number of parts per million (ppm) of calcium carbonate present in the water (see Table 19).77 Water Hardness and pH. Type of Water Hardness Soft water 10-50 ppm Slightly hard water 50-100 ppm Hard water 100-200 ppm Very hard water Over 200 ppm.
Does it matter what water softener salt you use?
Does it matter what kind of salt I use in my water softener? The type of salt you use in your water softener does make a difference. While all salts will soften hard water, pellet salts will do so more efficiently because they are purer.
At what hardness is a water softener needed?
When Is Water Softener Needed? A water softener is needed when your water hardness is above 300 PPM or over 15+ grains per gallon. This is when you may notice changes in the water in your house or your health.
Which brand of water softener is the best?
Best Overall: GE GXSH40V Water Softener. Best Budget: Waterboss Model 900 36,400 Grain Water Softener. Best System: GE GXMH31H 31,100 Grain Water Softener and Filter in One. Best for Well Water: Aquasure Harmony Water Softener with Fine Mesh Resin for Iron Removal.
What is my water hardness number?
Water Hardness Table of Classifications grains per gallon (gpg) milligrams per liter (mg/L) parts per million (ppm) Water Quality Association Classification < 1.0 < 17.1 soft 1 to 3.5 17.1 to 60 slightly hard 3.5 to 7.0 60 – 120 moderately hard 7.0 to 10.5 120 – 180 hard.
What is a good water softener for well water?
The best water softeners reduce water hardness by removing calcium, magnesium, and iron through salt-based ion exchange or salt-free water conditioning. Some of the top brands of water softeners are Pentair, Crystal Quest, Aquasana, and Springwell.
How many grains should I set my water softener to?
Daily Softening Requirement = 10 grains per gallon X 300 gallons per day = 3000 grains per day. In the example above, the softener will be removing 3000 grains per day. A softener is usually sized to regenerate about once per week.
How many gallons should I set my water softener to regenerate?
How many gallons of water does it take to regenerate? During regeneration, a typical water softener for a family of 4 uses approximately 35 to 65 gallons of water, depending on the size of the water softener.
How much salt does my water softener need?
We recommend keeping your brine tank at least one-quarter full of salt at all times and no more than 4-6 inches from the top in order to maintain optimal performance. Also, make sure that the salt level always remains a few inches above the water level.
