Today we are going to show you how to determine what size water softener you need for your particular situation.
At WaterSmart, we have over 25 years of experience in the water softener and plumbing industry and we'd love to share our expertise with you.
If you are wanting to install a water softener, but aren't sure how big of one you need, this post will help. So, let's get started.
Discover how to calculate what size water softener is perfect for your family
What Size Water Softener Do You Need?
When you look at the different types of water softeners available, you will discover that they are categorized by the number of grains of hardness that they can remove.
For example, a 30,000 grain model can remove about 3,300 - 4,300 grains of water hardness before it needs to regenerate and a 45,000 model can remove about 5,063 - 6,468 grains. The size of water softener that you need will depend on how much water your family uses.
There are three simple steps that you can take to find out what size water softener you need.
Step 1: Determine Your Average Daily Water Use
Step 2: Figure out Your Water Hardness Level
Step 3: Calculate the Grains of Hardness that Your Softener Has to Remove Per Day
What size of water softener you need will depend on how much water you use
Step 1: Determine Your Average Daily Water Use:
To determine what size water softener you need, you first need to figure out how much water hour family uses each day. You will do this by calculating the average daily water use per person for your household.
To determine your average daily water use, take a look at either your fall or winter water bills. This will give you a better idea of your indoor water use as you won't be watering your garden, filling your pool, or washing your vehicles during this time.
Find your water consumption which is given in cubic metres and then divide this number by the number of billing days for that period. Both of these figures should be listed on your bill. You then need to convert this number to gallons by multiplying it by 264.
For a less accurate but faster calculation you can find out the average amount of water used per person per day in your area - the Waterloo region's average falls between 167 and 195 litres (44 to 55 gallons). Multiply a number within this range by the number of people in your household.
For example, if each person uses 195 litres (51.5 US gallons) of water per day and you have 4 people in your household, then you would multiple 195 litres by 4 giving you 780 litres (206 gallons).
195 x 4 = 780
The first step in determining what size water softener you need is to calculate your average daily water usage
Step 2: Figure out Your Water Hardness Level
Water hardness level refers to how much dissolved calcium and magnesium there is in your water. It is measured in grains per gallon where 1 grain per gallon equals 17.1 milligrams per litre. If you want to see what your water hardness level is, you can check out the water hardness maps for the Kitchener-Waterloo region.
The following chart will also give you a rough idea of the water hardness level in your area. If you are using a private well you should get your water hardness and iron tested separately in order to get your hardness rating.
Source: Softener Buyers Guide
Step 3: Calculate the Grains of Hardness that Your Softener Has to Remove Per Day
To calculate your household's grains of hardness that need to be removed daily, use the following formula and plug in your own figures.
For example, if you have 4 people in your home and your average daily water consumption per person is 52 gallons of water and your water hardness level is 28, then you would do the following calculation:
4 x 52 x 28 = 5,824
You can use the following chart to determine what size water softener you should install.
Source: Softener Buyers Guide
Using the example above, if your family needs to remove 5,824 grains of water hardness per day, then you should purchase a water softener with a 48,000 grain capacity.
An Efficient Water Softener Is Better for the Environment
It will use less water and salt:
In the Waterloo region alone, it is estimated that there are almost 135,000 households that have a water softener. Those softeners will use about 2.7 billion litres of water each year to complete their regeneration cycles. If you are wondering how much water that is, it's enough to fill more than 10 Olympic-sized swimming pools!
In addition, they will also need about 44,700 tonnes of salt. That much salt would be equal to about a third of the weight of the CN Tower! That's a lot of water and salt. So the more efficient your water softener is, the more water and salt you will be conserving.
It will save you money:
A more efficient water softener will not only help you conserve water and lessen the amount of salt that ends up in our drinking supply, but it will also save you money. Using less water means that you water bill will be lower and you won’t have to be spending as much on purchasing your water softener salt.
The Waterloo region alone uses about one third of the weight of the CN Tower in salt in their water softeners each year
How to Set Your Softener for Maximum Efficiency
In order for your water softener to run at maximum efficiency, you should have it set to regenerate before your resin tank is fully exhausted. This will maximize your salt efficiency and ensure that you have enough soft water for your needs.
For example, a 32,000 grain capacity softener that has 1 cubic foot of resin will regenerate more efficiently when it has removed only 20,000 grains of hardness.
This is because it takes about 5 to 7 pounds of salt to remove 20,000 grains whereas it takes about 36 pounds of salt to remove 30,000 grains. That last 10,000 grains takes a much larger proportion of salt to remove, therefore, it makes sense to regenerate your tank earlier.
If you are not sure how to set your water softener to achieve maximum efficiency, the experts at WaterSmart can help.
WATERSMART can help you determine what size water softener you need
If you live in the Kitchener-Waterloo and surrounding areas, you can trust the water softener experts at WaterSmart to help you choose the beat softener and solve your hard water problems. Contact us today and we will help you decide what size water softener is the best choice for your family and your budget.
We have a number of high quality water softeners that are specially designed to solve the hard water challenges of the KW region. Contact us for a free quote.
“”I went here for a second opinion and to have my water hardness tested after terrible service (and multiple visits) from another company. This place has unbelievable customer service. Very knowledgeable and informative, not to mention generous with their time. They truly went above and beyond, and sent me home with a zero dollar bill -and the knowledge needed to fix my water softener myself.””
