Water softener installation sized to your water, not a sales quota
Fairfax Water reports 5 to 10 grains per gallon. Arlington averages 8. Frederick runs harder. We size the softener to the number that applies to your address, then install it in half a day.
Softener with catalytic carbon from $1,899 installed, or $2,499 with under-sink reverse osmosis.
What changes after installation
Spot-free glass and dishes
Calcium and magnesium are what leave the film. Remove them and the spots stop.
Water heater protection
Scale on a heating element acts like insulation. Soft water keeps heaters efficient and extends their life.
Less soap, less cleaning
Soft water lathers properly, so you use less detergent and scrub soap scum less often.
Metered regeneration
The valve counts gallons and regenerates only when needed, which keeps salt and water use low.
How it works
- 1
Hard water flows through a tank of ion-exchange resin beads.
- 2
The beads hold sodium ions and swap them for calcium and magnesium as water passes.
- 3
When the resin is exhausted, the valve draws brine from the salt tank to recharge it and rinses the hardness down the drain.
- 4
A bypass valve and an optional outdoor-tap bypass keep softened water off the lawn.
A good fit for
- Any DMV home on municipal water with visible scale or spotting
- Homes with tankless water heaters, steam showers or glass shower enclosures
- Households with dry skin or eczema aggravated by hard water
Not the right tool for
- Well water with iron above about 1 ppm (iron fouls resin; a dedicated iron filter goes first)
- Anyone on a strict low-sodium diet who drinks softened water without reverse osmosis (we pair the two)
- Removing chlorine or chloramine on its own; that is the carbon stage
What is included
- Metered softener with brine tank
- Bypass valve and drain connection
- Licensed plumber installation
- Initial salt fill, startup and hardness programming
- Optional salt-free conditioner quote if you prefer not to use salt
Where we install it
Every municipal-water home in Northern Virginia, DC and suburban Maryland, plus well homes after a lab test.
Problems this solves
Water Softeners questions
Salt-based or salt-free?
Salt-based ion exchange is the only method that actually removes hardness minerals. Salt-free conditioners change how minerals crystallize and reduce scale but do not soften the water or help with dry skin. We install both and will tell you honestly which fits your goal.
What size softener do I need?
It depends on hardness, household size and peak flow. For a family of four on Fairfax Water, a 32,000 to 48,000 grain unit is typical. We calculate it from your utility's numbers rather than guessing.
Is softened water safe to drink?
Yes. Softening adds a small amount of sodium, roughly comparable to a slice of bread per liter at DMV hardness levels. Our standard package adds reverse osmosis at the kitchen tap, which removes that sodium along with everything else.
Where does it go?
Next to the water heater in the basement, garage or utility room, where the main line, a drain and an outlet are within reach. Standard installation covers that scenario; unusual locations are quoted before we start.