What should my water softener hardness be set at?

Basic water softeners are simple to set, you just need to know the hardness level of your water. Once you understand exactly what the hardness level is you will want to set the softener in accordance with the level. For instance, if your hardness is running at a 25, you would set it to 25 on the unit.

Likewise, what hardness should my water softener be?

7 grains per gallon

Also, how do you adjust the hardness on a water softener? Press the UP or DOWN buttons to set your water hardness number. NOTE: If your water supply contains iron, compensate for it by adding to the water hardness number. For example, assume your water is 20 gpg hard and contains 2 ppm iron. Add 5 to the hardness number for each 1 ppm or iron.

Secondly, what does the hardness number on a water softener mean?

11-04-2009, 04:18 PM. Re: How to adjust water softener hardness. The hardness setting is a number that is determined by the "grains" of hardness in your water and the iron content. You cannot set how hard or soft you want the water. It is either hard or soft--no adjustment for in between.

Is it OK to drink softened water?

However, there has been no official verdict to state that drinking softened water is a problem and softened water is considered safe to drink. Areas with especially hard water will require more salt to soften the water, and therefore the softened water contains higher sodium levels.

24 Related Question Answers Found

What happens if I stop putting salt in water softener?

When there's no salt left at all, your system will be attempting to recharge the media with raw water instead. This has no effect on the media, so hardness minerals will start creeping back into the water you're using throughout your home.

How do you calculate water hardness?

If a test for hard water is measured in parts per million or milligrams per liter you can take the total hardness level and divide it by 17.1 to get hardness in grains per gallon. For example if your water test shows 250 mg/L hardness you actually have 14.62 grains per gallon.

Is 25 ppm hard water?

You can take a water sample to a water test lab to have its hardness measures. You can convert among water hardness measures. Water with hardness of 25 ppm = 25 mg. of hardness-causing minerals per liter of water.

How hard is too hard for water?

Interpreting Test Results

Classification	mg/l or ppm	grains/gal
Slightly hard	17.1 - 60	1 - 3.5
Moderately hard	60 - 120	3.5 - 7.0
Hard	120 - 180	7.0 - 10.5
Very Hard	180 & over	10.5 & over

What is the average water hardness in my area?

Water Hardness Table of Classifications

grains per gallon (gpg)	milligrams per liter (mg/L) parts per million (ppm)	Water Quality Association Classification
1 to 3.5	17.1 to 60	slightly hard
3.5 to 7.0	60 - 120	moderately hard
7.0 to 10.5	120 - 180	hard
10.5 +	180 and over	very hard

Does water softener salt cause high blood pressure?

Water Softener and a Raise in Blood Pressure

In areas with very hard water, the softened water coming from your tap can actually add a significant amount of sodium to your diet. The harder the water, the more sodium the softening system must add to replace the dissolved calcium and magnesium.

How much salt do I put in my water softener?

The amount of salt you should add to your softener will vary by the level of hardness in your water and the amount of water your family consumes. The average family of four with hard water, or levels around 7-10 grains per gallon hardness, will typically use about 10 lbs. of salt each week.

How many gallons of water does it take to regenerate a water softener?

Daily Water Use: 4 People X 75 Gallons per day = 300 gallons per day. Daily Softening Requirement = 10 grains per gallon X 300 gallons per day = 3000 grains per day. In the example above, the softener will be removing 3000 grains per day. A softener is usually sized to regenerate about once per week.

How often should your water softener regenerate?

How Often Should My Water Softener Regenerate? It is generally agreed upon that regular regenerations are the best, because they keep the resin bed active. This should be every two to three days, although highly efficient softeners may generate every day or even multiple times a day.

How many gallons of water does a water softener use during regeneration?

The frequency of regeneration cycles and volume of backwash created depends on the hardness of the water, the amount of water used in the building, and the size of the water softener. Used properly, softeners regenerate one to three times per week and produce between 40 and 150 gallons of brine per week.

How can we remove hardness of water?

Softening is the process of removing the dissolved calcium and magnesium salts that cause hardness in water. It is achieved either by adding chemicals that form insoluble precipitates or by ion exchange. Chemicals used for softening include calcium hydroxide (slaked lime) and sodium…