Have you ever installed a water softener?

[Zack1978]

Hi everyone,
My home desperately needs a water softener, and I called two water softener companies for estimates. Both estimates came in north of $1,500 with parts and labor.
I was in Lowes this afternoon, and I noticed that they sell Whirpool water softeners for $397.00. It is a softener that only regenerates based upon demand (water usage), which was a huge selling point noted by the two companies.
How hard are they to install? It seems that I can save a significant amount of money if I DIY with a friend who is versed in plumbing. Is the Whirpool unit poor quality?

Thanks,
Zack

 

[FJ40Jim]

Dunno anything about whirlpool, but installation is not too hard. Certainly not $1000 hard.

Find a spot to park the softener where you can cut the main water line entering the house & there is a nearby electric outlet.
Cut the line, add fittings as needed to point to the softener and connect. The last one I did came with some HD semi-flexible hoses, so all I had to do was put a compression fitting to garden hose adapter on the copper line, then thread the provided hose onto the fittings on the lines.

 

[firestopper]

I installed one when I build our home. I did put in a by-pass valve system so you can have the ability to service/replace the unit without interruption of supply. I have had a "water boss" for the past 16 years with no issue (home depot) it also regenerates biased on H2O usage.

 

[WES1977]

i got one of the top of the line ones from sears and put it in myself. I added a iron/filter and a bleech injector. Was my first time plumbing and it wasn't that hard. I had some really bad water before. Like they were saying it's powered, has a inlet and outlet and a backwash port that goes out to my yard. Mine backwashes about once a week with just me and the wife. I put probably 2 bags of salt in a year.

 

[Weedhopper]

I don't know a lot about water softeners but I know a lot about wells.
I went to our local plumbing supply house and got good parts and equipment and a ton of good advice I never would have gotten from Home Depot.




...via IH8MUD app

 

[FJ40Jim]

Wes's water softener looks just like mine.

I need the bleach injector and/or the iron filter also. Wes, did they also come from Sears?

 

[Music Man]

Put the water softener after a tap to feed your out side faucets, no point using sofened water for washing the car or watering the lawn.

 

[WES1977]

Wes's water softener looks just like mine.

I need the bleach injector and/or the iron filter also. Wes, did they also come from Sears?

No got that from budgetwater.com the injector went out on me about a year ago and i found one on the internet for cheaper. The injector is wired to your pressure switch of your well pump, so if you have a 220 well pump you have to get the 220v version. The filter is called the termoniox at the same site. I do like it and I would do it again if i need to. When you buy it from them they have chat support and they send you a link to how to videos on how to install it. One mistake i made was mounting the injector intake from a down angle. It just made it hard to get the air out, if you mount it going up it would be easier. The guy in the video said you can mount it anyway you want it and at the end said it's best from the bottom.

 

[e9999]

put mine in myself. No biggie. Some copper fittings and tubing, a torch, some solder, a couple of flex hoses and valves and you're good to go. You may want to think about putting in a bypass so you can remove the softener if there is an issue and still have water. It's also a good time to put in an expansion tank if you don't have one already.