Are you in the process of trying to find the best water softener model for your home? If so, you will find that there are plenty of options available, each with its unique benefits. While choosing a water softener, an important aspect to consider is water usage – you should be looking to size a water softener to ensure it is appropriate for the number of people in your house and the amount of water they use.
Do you need a large water softener? Or, do you need a smaller water softener? The usage matters here – If you select a water softener that is too large, you might end up overspending. On the other hand, if the appliance is too small, your household may not have enough soft water, potentially damaging your plumbing due to hard water deposits.
To determine what size water softener you need, you’ll need to consider factors like the hardness of your water, which could contain higher amounts of minerals such as calcium and magnesium (maybe iron), the average daily water usage, or even the presence of sodium in your water. This is where a water test becomes essential. Learn more below, and don’t hesitate to reach out to an expert who can help you.
Number of People | Hardness (gpg) 3.5 to 10 | Hardness (gpg) 10 to 20 | Hardness (gpg) 20 to 30 | Hardness (gpg) 30 to 40 | Hardness (gpg) 50+ |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 – 2 | 32,000 Grains | 32,000 Grains | 32,000 Grains | 48,000 Grains | 64,000 Grains |
3 – 4 | 32,000 Grains | 32,000 Grains | 32,000 Grains | 48,000 Grains | 64,000 Grains |
5 – 6 | 32,000 Grains | 32,000 Grains | 48,000 Grains | 48,000 Grains | 64,000 Grains |
7 – 8 | 32,000 Grains | 48,000 Grains | 64,000 Grains | Call Factory | Call Factory |
9 – 10 | 48,000 Grains | 64,000 Grains | 64,000 Grains | Call Factory | Call Factory |
Not sure what size to get? Give us a call or chat now, or answer a few questions in the quiz. Based on your answers, we can guide you towards selecting the most appropriate model.
How To Properly Size a Water Softener
So, if you want to make sure that you size your water softener properly, what are some of the factors that you need to consider?
You need to match the quality of your water supply to the capabilities of the system. One goal you should have is to maximize the quality of your water supply while also minimizing your salt and water usage (which includes regeneration within in the resin bed and tanks of the water softener).
Some of the factors that you need to consider include:
Your Water Hardness
Your water hardness refers to the amount of magnesium, calcium, and even iron ions dissolved in your water supply that you need to remove. Generally, your water hardness level will be reported in terms of Grains Per Gallon, which is usually shortened to gpg.
You need to make sure you accurately calculate your water hardness level when you purchase a water softener. If you simply guess at this number, it will make it very difficult for you to purchase the right system. Therefore, you might want to purchase a water test kit or reach out to a professional who can help you calculate your water hardness level properly.
Remember that if you’re on city water, you might be able to ask the local water utility company to provide you with your water hardness level. That way, you understand how many calcium, iron, and magnesium ions you need to remove from your water supply.
Your Water Consumption
Next, you need to calculate your water consumption as well. Simply put, this is the average number of gallons your household consumes over a period of time. Usually, this is quantified as the number of gallons of water you use in a month. One of the easiest ways to gather this information is to take a look at your water bill. Your water bill should provide you with the number of gallons of water you use per day, per week, or per month (on average). Water usage forms an important consideration while choosing a water softener model.
If you do not have this information in your water bill, you can also take the number of people living in your home and multiply it by 75 gallons per day, as this is an average estimate.
Now that you have your water hardness level and the amount of water you use on average, you can calculate your daily softening requirement. This is the number of gallons that your water softener will have to soften for you, on average.
Calculate Your Daily Softening Requirement
To get this number, you will take the average amount of daily water you use and multiply it by your water hardness.
Once you are armed with this information, which includes the essential factors like water usage and hardness, you should have an easier time selecting the best water softener for your needs.
- For example, let’s say that the water hardness level is 12 grains per gallon.
- Then, let’s say you have two people living in your home.
- Two people living in your home will use 75 gallons per day, each, which means that the house uses 150 gallons of water total, per day.
- Now, you multiply 150 gallons of water by 12 grains per gallon, and you get 1800 grains you need to remove per day.
Once you are armed with this information, you should have an easier time selecting the best water softener for your needs.
Water Softeners Are Usually Sized To Regenerate Once Per Week
Now that you understand how many grains you need to remove every day, it is time to take a closer look at some water softeners. When you look at the rating of the water softener, which is usually expressed in terms of “grains,” understand that they are usually sized to regenerate once per week.
This regeneration schedule is good because it will strike a balance between providing you with a fresh bed of resin and not exerting too much pressure on the water softener itself. Using the example above, where the household has to soften 1800 grains per day, purchasing a water softener that is 24,000 grains means that the water softener should last for about 2 weeks.
14 days x 1800 grains is 25,200 grains, so you should expect to regenerate the water softener after just over 13 days.
If you are using a DROP smart water softener, you can set your softener to “Demand Operation,” where your DROP system meters your water use and regenerates itself when necessary, saving you salt, water and money. Your system automatically adjusts to heavier or lighter water use.
What Are the Different Sizes of Water Softeners Available?
If you visit a local store to take a look at the different water softeners from which you can choose, you will find that there are several choices. Some of the most popular options for water softener units include:
- 24,000 Grain Water Softeners
- 32,000 Grain Water Softeners
- 48,000 Grain Water Softeners
- 64,000 Grain Water Softeners
- 80,000 Grain Water Softeners
- 96,000 Grain Water Softeners
- 110,000 Grain Water Softeners
You need to select the water softener that is appropriate for your household, and there is a helpful chart you can use:
Number of People | Hardness (gpg) 3.5 to 10 | Hardness (gpg) 10 to 20 | Hardness (gpg) 20 to 30 | Hardness (gpg) 30 to 40 | Hardness (gpg) 50+ |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 – 2 | 32,000 Grains | 32,000 Grains | 32,000 Grains | 48,000 Grains | 64,000 Grains |
3 – 4 | 32,000 Grains | 32,000 Grains | 32,000 Grains | 48,000 Grains | 64,000 Grains |
5 – 6 | 32,000 Grains | 32,000 Grains | 48,000 Grains | 48,000 Grains | 64,000 Grains |
7 – 8 | 32,000 Grains | 48,000 Grains | 64,000 Grains | Call Factory | Call Factory |
9 – 10 | 48,000 Grains | 64,000 Grains | 64,000 Grains | Call Factory | Call Factory |
Not sure what size to get? Give us a call or chat now, or answer a few questions in the quiz.
If you decide to do all of the calculations that we went through above, you should have a more accurate estimate of the size of the water softener you need, helping you find a suitable grain capacity for your water softener. But, if the numbers aren’t available, you can use the chart above to get a helpful estimate. With the right water softener capacity, you can ensure your home has a steady supply of soft water.
Then, do not forget that you will have to add more salt from time to time. That way, you can make sure that your water softener operates at peak efficiency. As long as you take care of your water softener system and its resin beads, you should be able to maximize its lifespan, providing your family with a steady supply of clean water while also keeping your overhead expenses as low as possible.
Why You Need To Care About Water Softener Efficiency
Even though you certainly need to think about the size of your house, the number of people who live in it, and the overall hardness of your water, you also need to think about the efficiency of the water softener. Both size and efficiency are important as you consider all of the options available.
You need to think about the efficiency of your water softener because it will dictate how much salt you have to purchase, how much salt you release to the external environment, and how much maintenance you have to perform on the device itself.
You need to not only size the water softener but also think about its salt efficiency. If you purchase a water softener that is efficient, you can reduce the amount of salt you use, which is better for your wallet and the environment. It could also ease the stress placed on the water softener, which could extend its lifespan.
Get Help Finding the Right Water Softening System for Your Needs With DROP
A water softener could be a great way for you to improve the water quality in your home, but you need to select the right size water softener for your needs. If you are having trouble figuring it out, don’t worry, our configurator tool takes no time at all to get you pointed in the right direction.
At DROP we offer a wide range of products that can help you improve the water quality of your home, including water filters and smart water softeners. Every home’s water system is unique, and that is why you need to customize your products to meet your needs while also working with experts who can point you in the right direction.
Take a look at the selection of products we offer, and give us a call or chat to speak to a member of our team. It would be our pleasure to help you find the right water solutions for your household.