What To Expect at Your Culligan Water Softener Installation

Making the decision to have a water softener installed is the first step toward cleaner, soft water throughout your home. You’ll no longer have to deal with common hard water problems such as spotty glasses and shower doors; buildup in faucets, showerheads and water-using appliances; and dry skin and hair.

Once you’ve purchased a water softener, installation is the next step. Working with your local service provider is recommended to ensure your water softener installation is done correctly.  But what does water softener installation require? How long does the installation take? Here’s what you can expect.

How Water Softener Installation Works

Timing can range depending on the home, but the average installation takes about 2 hours. Your local Culligan technician will bring all the required equipment and tools. They’ll need access to the area where the softener will be installed, as well as to the water supply’s entry point.

Your Culligan water softening system will be installed on a level surface, near where water enters the home. (If your home has well water, A drain and power source should also be near the softening system. If you’re replacing an old softener, we can remove it and haul it away for you at no additional cost.

Culligan water softening systems work using ion-exchange technology. The softener is a pressure tank filled with resin beads that remove hardness ions (like calcium and magnesium) from water and replace them with softer sodium ions. This softener is connected to a brine tank filled with salt. When the softener becomes loaded with minerals, the salt from the brine tank rinses the resin beads and the minerals are discharged into a drain. (This process is called regeneration.)

Your softener and brine tank will already be ready to use when it arrives at your home. Your Culligan Water installer will expertly connect your water softening system to the water supply, the drain and the salt-filled brine tank, and you’ll be all set. Enough salt is provided at your installation to last at least 3-4 months.

How to Maintain Your Water Softener

After the system is installed, your specialist will show you how to maintain your water softener, which fortunately doesn’t require a lot of work. periodically replenish the salt and provide you with an estimate of how often you’ll need to refill the salt in the brine tank. This is based on your water usage and the number of people using water.

The most common problem people have with water softeners is forgetting to refill the salt. If this happens, it may take several days for the system to get the water soft again. To avoid this issue, we recommend that you take advantage of Culligan’s salt delivery service. With this service, three to four times a year, your local Culligan water expert will deliver salt bags to your home, fill your brine tank and usually, conduct an inspection of the unit as well.

If you selected a Wi-Fi-connected Culligan water softening system with smart features, it will automatically monitor the salt level and tells you how many days of salt are remaining. An easy-to-read display will provide system alerts and let you know your softener is working.

Culligan Water products are backed by third-party organizations such as the Water Quality Association and IAPMO R&T, and we have more than 85 years of leadership in the water-softening industry. However, if any questions or issues with your system arise, just call us and we’ll have one of our professionally trained technicians diagnose the problem and make sure your system is operating at peak efficiency.

Seeing the Results of Soft Water

It generally takes about 48 hours for the results of softened water to become noticeable. Your cold water should be soft right away; however, because your hot water tank starts out full of your existing hard water, you need to use that water before it will be replaced with soft water. Once the hard water in your hot water heater is completely drained and you’re using softened water, you’ll likely notice these changes for the better:

  • You can use less soap – on yourself, your clothes and your dishes.
  • Lather will form faster, whether you’re washing your hands or your hair.
  • In the kitchen, you’ll see fewer spots on glasses, dishes and cookware – even without rinse aid in your dishwasher.
  • Your laundry will be softer to the touch – even without using dryer sheets.
  • Cleaning your home will be easier – you’ll see less limescale buildup around faucets and drains and less soap scum on showers and tubs. Your water-using appliances will work more efficiently and can last longer.
  • You may notice a “slippery” feeling to the water when showering or bathing – this is completely normal and is caused by the natural oils in your skin being allowed to reach its surface

Here at Culligan, we have more than 85 years of expertise in water problems and solutions, serving 50 million customers per year. Our innovative systems are built to last, so you can feel confident that you can enjoy your soft water for many years to come.