Water softeners play an important role in homes, as they can safeguard house appliances as well as plumbing systems from mineral build-ups or scaling. But these systems should be installed correctly to work as intended.
Some people like to install water-softening systems for themselves, especially when they want to save money. Also, people with DIY skills like to install water softeners for themselves as this gives them the opportunity to put their skills to work.
Where should you set up a water softener?
The best place to install a water softener is the garage or the basement of your home. When installing the system, it is advisable to ensure that you install it in a place with enough space, where you can easily access the water softener because of maintenance related issues.
However, the most important thing is, you should set up your water softener near the main line which supplies your entire home with water. This will allow your home to receive softened water, and still allow your garden to receive un-softened water.
The following are step-by-step water softener installation instructions
While following these steps, make sure you follow the guidelines provided by the manufacturer to ensure that the water softener is installed correctly.
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Shut off your home's main water supply to avoid water spills during the installation.
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Turn off the electric water heater to prevent it from being damaged.
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Next, drain all the water remaining in the pipes.
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Mount the bypass gate valve above the water softener and secure it using clips. With this valve in place, you can easily turn off water passing through the water softening system and still avoid disrupting your home's water supply.
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Install the water softener and ensure that you determine the size of all water line connections required. Then, connect the brine pipe, in order to link both the brine and resin tanks together.
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You can now connect the inlet and outlet valves joining the water softener to the pipes supplying it with water. Using a pipe cutter, cut the pipe in order to create the inlet and outlet valves for the bypass gate valve.
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Make sure that you fix drain and overflow connections to both the water softener and brine tank respectively.
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Fill the brine tank with salt. But, ensure that you follow the manufacturer's instructions when selecting the right salt and correct amount.
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Set the system into bypass mode, then gradually start turning the water supply on. Exercise extra caution as rapid increase in water pressure might damage the entire plumbing system.
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Open in the installed bypass valve slowly to remove any remaining air from the pipes.
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Inspect the soldering and all the bolts for any signs of leaks before you start to use the water softener.
For professional help, get in touch with a company like Better Soft Water.
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