How to Install a Water Softener | This Old House
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 9 ก.ค. 2024
- This Old House plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey and water-quality specialist Doug Oberhamer show how to soften mineral-rich hard water.
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How to Install a Water Softener | This Old House
/ thisoldhouse - แนวปฏิบัติและการใช้ชีวิต
I know this video is old, but I want to commend Mr. Wayner for his beautiful work. THAT is a beautiful job,. It's not every day you see softeners piped in with copper (the best installation in my opinion). This job he did is dripping with pride from the sweat joints, the pipe wrap going through the wall to prevent corrosion against the stucco mesh, to the elbows tight against the walls, the level of the pipes, everything. Beautiful work. In this day & age where "good enough" is done, seeing a man take pride in his work like this deserves recognition. The homeowners got every penny worth they paid for that system installation. I guarantee you that even if the softener has had to be replaced by now, the piping is still in place with no leaks.
I prefer copper and solder or braze for water piping but honestly with pex around im choosing pex for well water and i like the brass fittings for pex but again with well water im choosing the plastic fittings too its just better for well water
I saw this comment first and what I had in my head was nothing compared to what that man built. Definitely lots of quality and care put into that. Rarely seen these days. My house has so many corners cut in it from lazy builders it's amazing what you find sometimes.
Helpful video, thanks. We are in a vacation rental house that has a water softener. When using water, it feels like we are washing in syrup. Is the degree of softening adjustable?
The dude really takes great pride in his work and it shows.
Beautiful but from a homeowners standpoint they now have pipes at their front door going into their garage and massive pipes along the wall of the garage.
people need to be aware that Culligan systems are proprietary. That makes you beholden to Culligan for any repair or maintenance. something to think about.
"I'll let you do it... In case there's a leak" 😂
Wow, this is extremely informational! Thank you for sharing!
This is what I've been looking for. Thank you This Old House
That's some quality piping!
.... That's what she said.
@@OvelNick LMAO
Excellent plumbing job!
Beautiful explanation. Best!
Was researching on how to DIY water softener installation and once I saw the digging and drilling, I'll just go ahead and pay a pro to do it lol!
so how is it now?
Id go with a citric acid water softener less involved install and less maintenance th-cam.com/video/WMf8gsr16aU/w-d-xo.html
It depends where you live. This video is showing how to do it at this exact house, if you live at that house it's good for that. Otherwise you need to take a look and decide how your situation is different and how else you can do it. If you have a basement chances are your main is coming in there. Makes a super easy install.
@@xex2kok this video is a bit out dated the citric acid route is being promoted now adays because it several advantages less maintenance over traditional salt tank method 5-6 month cartridge vs monthly salt bag and while citric acid has downsides too more citys are pushing for it over salt because its easier on city water treatment centers and while salt still has a place it will slowly be phased out
@@dustinschmelzle7326 I was speaking exclusively about them saying it was a difficult job installing a water softener. Not what type to choose. So my point stands, every job is different and requires different things so this video is not a good guide on if anyone else should do it DIY or not.
i’ve probably seen this video 5 times i love the install
Good install! I have two houses. I had an Ecowater installed in one home in 1999. I had a Culligan installed in the other one in 2006. 23 years later the Ecowater is still going with no repairs. The Culligan had to be repaired three times and finally had to be replaced in 2015 and then that one needed repaired twice already. Get an Ecowater, you won't be sorry... UPDATE: Ecowater is still going, but replaced the board a few months ago. It still worked, I just couldn't set the time...
That’s a clean install Bill.
thank you
That is one nice installation job! I give the installer an "A+". This must have cost several thousand $$$$$.
Yup and we’ll worth it
All copper!! Oh hell yeah
probably roughly 5 k
Very informative, I’m looking to replace my system soon. Never messed with my water other than replacing pipes and basic maintenance. Thanks for sharing!
This installer is a great plumber.
That is really helpful for my nex protect thenks
What a project for soft water, I bet that install was 10 grand...
I like Bill's work.
Anyone know approximately how much this particular job (including components and labor) might run in 2022?
What an artist! Look how gorgeous that copper is
It won't stay that pristine after one year.
I think he was referring to the detail the installer put into it and not so much the shininess of it. It’s installed perfectly and it honestly couldn’t look better than that. I think any reasonable person would be okay with the appearance of the copper changing after a couple of years.
He’s not the one that made the copper piping
I like Bill , he seems like he's the real pro
is there a no or little copper option? you'll need a 2nd mortgage for that copper alone
Everybody was awesome in this video good peoples!!!!
Cool
Culligan water softener $1995 plus installation, installation $2995. Total $4990.
After adding water softener i advise change the water heater... i had a tank less heater replaced it after adding a softener my water heats up so fast now and much more pressure
I'm in Arizona too and the main comes from outside to the front of the single story on slab house and disappears in the wall. The laundry room and water heater is on the end of the garage. It would take a lot of work and dollars to get a water softener installed in my place. I would probably have to open a wall to access the water main inside the house so that I could get whole house softened water. Considering the plumbing prices here in Phoenix I would guess a 2nd mortgage to pay for it.
If I tap from the main supply line outside thru the garage softener,Can I tap the soft water to the water heater cold inlet? I need help out there,The plumber wants $2200 for that work,My main line is 9feet away to the water heater and softener is next to it if I can tap the soft water.Will this work?
dont over pay for a culligan, unless you like burning money
I have the same culligan set up. However I noticed that the gentleman used pvc pipes instead of copper. Is there a difference between pvc and copper?
Yes, they used copper in the TV show to make it look like they do first class work. The reality is PVC works just as well and is far cheaper.
Hey Culligan Man!
This just makes me think of that scene in Moonstruck “copper, which is the only pipe I use.”
That was some nice copper sodering
I’d bet my house Bill didn’t dig that trench 😂
Must be nice not having to worry about pipes freezing, here in canada they have to be 4-6' below grade
Yes, it is nice. You should move here.
@@deezynar lol
@@donttrustverify3829 It wasn't meant as a joke. I wouldn't live in Canada, or the northern part of the U.S., for any amount of money.
@@deezynar You couldn't pay me to live in a desert. I get 4 real honest to goodness seasons, natural lakes, natural green.
So when you turn the water on on the outside to water your garden or plants, you have soft water??? What will that do to the plants?
The grounded wire to the pipe, was that reinstalled?If so, was it installed to the soft water pipe or the hard water pipe? Also, I don't have a big bowl sink for water to drain, how would I drain it to the sewers?
Its reinstalled to the soft water pipe
Looks good other than the fact I wouldn't want a faucet sticking a foot off the side of my house.
Per pipe is the best thing ever made. Couldn’t imagine how tedious an all copper job would be
Not enuf info. I'm trying to figure out brine line connection, the discharge, the backwash and also what this other inlet on the brine tank is (it's not the brine line hole)
what size copper?
Nice video. I wish I could have seen the installation of the unit. Can the pipe that dumps the calcium & magnesium be connected to a standpipe in a laundry room?
Yes just make sure you have an air gap!
@@drakeanderson6473 Cool. Thanks
Cool that you were in Laveen!
I don't think that's Laveen. Looks more like Chandler.
@@poshko41 at the 0:16 second mark, you can see a city of phoenix Street sign, not the kind used in chandler, so that debunks your theory. Also is you search the address on the street sign with the block number at the bottom, the address is in Laveen. Why did you think it is Chandler?
@@acommentator69 wow good catch. You picked me apart. It just looked like a Chandler neighborhood to me.
@@poshko41 yup, houses are so cookie cutter here sometimes it's hard to tell.
Very professional
Question: do we still need a water filteration system in the presence of this softening system?
I think it depends on the quality of your water and the type of water softener you get. As salt based water softener only remove calcium and magnesium from the water but doesn't remove any other chemicals nor bacteria
Most likely an R/O filtration system for few hundred dollars
I'm an water treatment installer too, His work is nice. The only thing I would have probably done differently is cap the existing main and re-route a single pipe into the garage and back-feed soft water to the cold water supply line on the water heater. If you don't like the way the pipes look all you have to do is paint the pipes and they will disappear.
Couldnt...the main line into the house was on the side of the house so it would have to come back anyway...unless you wanted to open all the interior walls and reroute it...
Did you say softened water can be routed to the water heater inlet?But would that just soften the hot water?What about the cold water in the kitchen or the bathroom and other part of the house that uses cold water?I am confuse now on your comment.
"Looks like coffee grounds or caviar..."
"Yes, actually it's both."
no bypass?
I cleaned out the bottom of my water heater last year when I was replacing a heating element, I put the stuff in the compost pile as I figured I already put in extra calcium anyways. would this be bad for any reason.
I'm not an expert by any means but I would have just thrown that stuff away. It could be more than just calcium and without knowing what it is it might not be the best idea to add it to your compost.
So how did it do in compost? It's been 5 years
@@AZgule2010 it gained consciousness
@@AZgule2010 It doesn't seem the outcome was positive.. lol
City water is treated with chlorine which concentrates in the deposit.
U for got to put blue sleeve for copper pipe thats under ground
Here in Nevada to we have hard water so much chlorine fluoride all those chemicals.
That’s not what makes hard water...
Wow. Wouldn't PEX water lines be a lot cheaper, both in parts & labor?
Some cities code requires copper, which makes it less likely you can do it yourself, which generates tax revenue for the city, There are also people who have the money and realize hard copper pipe is better than pex. Not sure which is the case here
What happens to the backyard water spigot? Won't that now have softened water?
It was mentioned in the video. This soft water outside spigot will most likely be used for washing the car without getting water spots.
Softened water is not good for plants.
@@deezynar yes it is
I know this comment is now 3 years old but there is both soft and hard water faucets outside now, the old painted one is hard and the new one provides soft.
What is the cost estimate for something like this?
Lol
6,000
Who asked for the lesson in geography? I searched for how to install a softener
Do softeners remove manganese too or just magnesium and calcium?
Bruce David, makes sense. Is birm the same thing as the resin beads used in softeners? I’ve heard that some people use birm in softeners if they have manganese. Also, how do you kill the manganese if it’s a mineral?
Bruce David, since my original post I had a softener installed. After they did the install I ran bleach through all my pipes, but not from the well. I just put a couple cups in my sediment filter housing and let it sit overnight. Wondering if the salt with rust defense would be good or is that useless on manganese?
If I could afford the water softener... I don't know that I could afford all of those copper pipes. They looked to be 1" diameter. Why not use PVC??? I have PVC and CPVC throughout my house, been here 30 years, and never had one problem...
am no sure where this was done but apparently is does not get below freezing because the pipes are exposed to the weather. if you are in a place that gets below freezing you could not run this system like this.
Well they couldn't use PVC as the they are running lines for potable water. CPVC is acceptable, although im not really familiar. Im guessing the house is on a slab, or they'd run it through the crawl space.
I thought softened water to an outside spigot is bad for plants because of the salt content? Let me know as I am getting ready to do this project next week and was going to install a separate line from the main that is not softened. Thanks!
That is correct, you should never use softened water for plants.
If you noticed there were two bibs. One softened for car washing and one for plants.
its not ideal for plants to get softened water, however rain helps to dilute it if bypassing extra lines isn't an option
26 years and my plants are still alive with "soft" water.
It really weirds me out seeing waterlines outside and just barely under the ground.
not cold in phoenix 🤷🏼♀️
Piping job was an A+, why couldn't they just loop it at the water heater inlet?
Such a great question! Can a professional comment here? I'm about ready to just install mine from water heater inlet. all that piping for just a spicket with softened water?
No plumber will reply it will put their job in jeopardy especially DIY like me,Okay plumbers who is watching please respond to this.
what would that cost to have the installation done the identical way it is done in the video?
Probably around 3 thousand, maybe 4 because of all the digging and labor.
I had the whole house done..soft water, filtration throughout and the drinkable water on the sink. The whole set up cost us $5500.00. I hope I was able to answer your question. It's amazing you will see the difference immediately.
A good softener is around 700 to 800 dollars and the install is about that much also. 5500 is way way over priced.
@@timhendley1950 there is probably more than 800 of copper in this install
Wouldn’t the outdoor hose bib be better if it was from the hard water side? Unless you’re washing super high end luxury cars, why would you want to soften your outdoor water?
wheres the bypass loop?
this installation seems not to provide a by-pass in case you need to replaced the unit
At 6:13 a bypass valve is clearly visible.
Yup I seen a ball valve
I just bought a house that already has a Culligan water softener, I open the tank and is almost empty, the water is about 6 inches high and not much salt, how many bags of salt should I put in the tank? anyone please? thanks.
1 bag of salt every month.
Why does the soft water need to return to the meter?
bypassing the water meter is illegal
Because that is where the water piping starts to go into the house. They are basically routing the water from the street into the water softener, then back to where it enters the home. It would be easier if the water main was on the garage side of the home. There would be a lot less piping.
@@derewreck this is our case, our water main is on the garage side of the house, so for use not a lot of new piping was done
So you showed every connection but the one that actually connects the water softener to the pipes.....fail. This video should be 'how to run water lines outside underground into the garage for whatever reason'
I thought the very same thing. I wanted to know which size pipe is used at the softener.
It is common sense with whatever softener you purchase. Not difficult
I know I thought the very same thing. Like its some covert video that doesn't show anyone how to install a water softener.
Ok, so plumbing code technically requires a shutoff accessible for a homeowner. So in a slab house, its usually a ball valve near the water heater, which is also where they typically put a PRV. Why didn't they just find the shutoff and do it there
maczrule Plumbing code is not a universal thing. How come it’s so hard for people to come to grips with that.
Depends on where the water heater is located and where they want to put the thing
Pipes coming out right in front of the door? Ehhh
Tradesmen do that sort of thing all the time. They don't care about how things look. On the other side, any other option would have required a lot more work and cost the homeowner a lot more money.
so the underground copper piping isnt brazed? I thought it looked soldered to me
Seeing the pipes go up the outside wall make me cringe
Nonsense. Ionic exchange columns are not charged. They always have the appropriate counter ions.
Why was a water softener place on the hot water of (somebody house) only and not all the cold. The cold water for the fridge is not soften and every cold tap, I find that weird. Please explain. were they being cheap.
I think high temperature can cause more of the salts in the water to precipitate in the pipes, and on the taps and sinks. Therefore the system may have been installed to combat only the worst of the precipitation. So in short, there's a reason why only the hot water, but yes it's also being cheap.
Actually it was piped back into the main so hot and cold got softened water. As to hot water precipitating more salt...really heat increases solubility for most salts so it would make a higher salt concentration within the water which would potentially lead to more salt available to nucleate on surfaces
Can a water softener be installed in the main water line before the water meter?
how much of the salt (sodium) gets added to the water ? is it safe to drink that water ?
San Ramon yes
It's about 100mg sodium per 8oz of water.
they say 1 glass of soft water has the same amount of sodium as a plain slice of white bread
u for got to put the blue sleeve for the copper thats under ground
Depends on how hard your water is.
I bet that installment cost a lot of money for that homeowner. It probably cost a couple thousand, and then you gotta pay for maintenance lol
true. lol
Or...it was free from the show/culligan. 😉. I know on good authority.
mucica
What if you rent
Then use compression fittings so you can easily disconnect the softener and take it with you when you move.
That backwash line will rot in no time from salt,should have used cpvc.
Uh..... Why not use much cheaper and much less reactant pvc piping?
Kristopher Buchanan that’s what I was thinking, I’m a plumbing apprentice in Virginia and whenever we excavate to run water lines underground we use PVC pipe suited for that. I’ve never seen copper lines being put into the ground for anything so I’m interested in knowing as well.
Brandon Ruiz Arizona homes run copper piping underground through slab
Should you leave hard water to your drinking water tap in kitchen as hard water does not taste good
Great!! Lol I came here thinking you just buy the water softener and some hose to do it yourself but clearly it’s NOT! will need to hire a professional...
So now your water sprinklers will water your lawn with soft water
The painted faucet is still hard water.
Phoenix's main water supply is from the salt river not from the CAP, this guy is a gherkin, most CAP water goes to Tucson and agriculture.
how to remove water salt without ro
I've only been a plumber for approx. a year.
However, "This old house", just helped me realize how much of a bunch of incompetent morons they are , and how proficient I've become in The last year!
First of all, all that exposed copper...
Ten different connections, routing under this and that..!!???
Put the unit in the garage near the waterheater.
Then make access in the wall, via Sawzall or oscillator, and all you have to do is add a couple of new "stub-outs", pro press, and you're done!!!!
A third of the cost that would be required to do it thier way!!!
Just another example of the accepted norm, being a way that "professionals" can take monetary advantage of the common consumers unawareness.
Anyone looking to get one of these I recommend PVC and Pex to run the system it's much more cost effective. that copper won't last as long and it's pricier.
pvc doesn't last as long as copper.
Learn to solder!
Copper is king!
PVC is not legal for potable water. PEX is what you may have meant?
@@paulmryglod4802 PVC is approved by the International Building Code for potable water.
There's a flash frame when the gfx goes off at :28
Hope the warranty covers the concrete in a few years when it settles and needs to be replaced on the walk way. It will crack
Sooo disappointed, this was a video on running copper lines outside a home and no information on the softner hook up at all.....Rich, love ya man and maybe that increases my disappointed enough to comment.
I agree, most people have a loop installed in their home prior to being built and therefore do not need to run copper pipes along the outside of our garage wall (yikes), we just need to know how to install the softener to the loop. This video does not assist with that.
scott lund u
That's because 90% of the job is running the water lines. The information your looking for is common sense.
Yeah but this house's set up wasn't ideal for a quick easy common sense how-to video
@@highcotton63664 I agree, the only reason I can think of why they did the lines outside is because they didn't have access to make the loop inside to get the lines to the garage, maybe a finished basement
Propress
Ok weird question...I have hard water issues..I have well water and a 2500 gallon water tank..this was my dads place so I was never aware of any hard water issues during the 20 years he and my mom lived there..they've passed now and years later there is a bad hard water issue..years ago I noticed a 40lb bag of salt next to the water tank..was he adding salt to the water?.just salt and hiw much per gallon?🤔😁
I saw everything except installation process. that s ridiculous
a day and a half job condensed into 15 mn
This installation supplies soft water throughout the whole house including the irrigation system. Watering plants with soft water will kill your lawn and plants due to the sodium.
No it won't. minuscule amount of sodium..Nowhere near enough to kill plants and lawn.
Incorrect...the irrigation was piped off before the softened loop.
Seriously that is your video on how to install a water softener? LOL
So much for diy 😂
I can just see the home value plumet slightly with those godawfull conspicuous pipes...
It would have been easier and far cheaper to put the softner right at the inlet pipe, build a box for it, add an outlet. The gherkin doesn't even explain the brine tank, salt, and the function therein. All that copper running around the garage is so janke and ridiculous.
Why in the heck did this installer do this. What a waste of time and resources. How about install the softener to another location or perhaps shoot the water lines into the attic and up and over to garage and back. This is how contractors scam individuals. Ask questions people and get more than one estimate.
this is the worst water softening company, avoid at all costs