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When people first buy their water softener, the main thing surrounding their thoughts is: how do I know which size is perfect for me? Well, if you want the answer to that question then you are certainly at the right place.
Now the internet is an easy way to find out and for that, a number of resources are available to determine what size of softener you should according to your family size, for instance, a family of four getting a water softener would definitely differ from a family of 8. In addition, the level of hardness in the water is an important determinant as well.
Unfortunately, the measurements on the internet do not tell you how efficient that water softener will be for your particular usage needs. Many people rush to get a standard sized water softener and end up wasting their time and money on tons of salt for their softener rather than getting the one that is cost effective.
Water Softener Sizing Chart – Ultimate Guide
So if you ever come across a question such as: how many grain water softeners do I need? Well, it’s super easy, you want to look for a water softener that suits your needs, one that efficiently uses salt which means less salt usage and more focus on the performance of softening the water. The type of water is an additional criteria on which you size your water softener.
How much water do you consume?
You need to figure out your water needs first, like mentioned before, if you are a family of four, your consumption depends on that particular usage. Check your water bill for specifics on how much 4 people are responsible for the total water consumption in a month, this will help you determine your per day usage.
What is the hardness level of your water?
Next, you need to determine the level of hardness present in the water which means the level of constituents such as magnesium and calcium and for that you will be needing to perform a test. When you perform the test, you will obtain the results in a grains per gallon format which is a standard to figure out the hardness present in the water.
Usually, a hardness grain is equal to 1/7000 th of 1 pound. Also, if you reside in the city, you can easily get the water hardness reports from the municipality which will ease the task of choosing the correct water softener for you in terms of size, hardness value and function. Also keep in mind that if there is an ounce of iron present in the water, you have to correct it, for instance, a one milligram of iron in every litre will require you add three points to the grains per gallon of the total value of hardness.
How often do you need to soften the water?
The easiest way to determine the water softening frequency is to multiply the level of water hardness by your usage per day and this will result in the actual amount of softening that needs to be done for daily use.
Here is a clear example of how its done:
So, for instance, the hardness is 10 GPG and a family of four people uses approximately 75 gallons each day then the total amount will be 300 gallons on a daily basis. Now you need to multiply this resulting amount with the 10 grains per gallon and you get 3000 grains of softening required on a day-to-day basis. This means that the water softener you will get will perform a 3000 grains per day softening and do keep in mind that softeners regenerate one time every week.
How do you select a water softener size based on a 4 person household?
According to the above mentioned calculations, if you need a softener that performs softening on 3000 grains each day and if you multiply it with a week’s use, then you need a water softener that can perform 21,000 of grain softening so it can easily regenerate one time in seven days.
In more technical terms, there isn’t a softener that equals to exactly a 21000 grain softening but if you convert it into a cubic system, for example 6 pounds of salt to generate softening on a one cubic foot resin system, this should soften around 20,000 of grains each week. This method will ensure that you use less salt which will result in less expenditure and you can even contribute towards saving the environment from harmful effects of the salt.
FAQs
Why does a water softener require to be generated once every week?
When a water softener regenerates every week, it makes sure the equilibrium is maintained between keeping the resin soft, fresh and moist alongwith not causing pressure on the valve. Regenerating will also ensure that the water usage stays at a low as to not waste enough water because regeneration too takes about fifty gallons of water.
Why is it necessary to ensure you invest in an efficient water softener?
If you care about your budget, the environment and time, you would want to invest in a water softener that reduces all problems related to salt usage. The water softeners that use more salt are usually more costly as well and do not necessarily perform in a better way. So a good water softener will use less salt and provide more softening functions.