Water softener installation
A softener does its job best when it's sized to your water and the people using it. Here's what goes into a good installation.
A water softener is a tank of resin beads that grabs calcium and magnesium as water flows through, paired with a brine tank that holds salt. On a schedule, or when it senses it's running low, the unit regenerates: it rinses the resin with salty brine to knock the hardness loose and sends it down a drain. Set up right, the house gets soft water and you add a bag of salt now and then.
Why does sizing matter?
The installer should start with a hardness reading in grains per gallon and how much water your household uses. Those two numbers set the resin capacity and how often the unit regenerates. An undersized softener runs out between regenerations and lets hard water through. An oversized one costs more up front and can waste salt and water. Las Cruces Utilities describes its water as hard but doesn't publish a number, and wells around the valley vary, so a test comes first.
What does a typical install include?
- Water test. Hardness at a minimum. The city's report mentions manganese and iron, and wells can carry more of both, so ask whether those were checked too.
- Location. Usually where the main line enters the house, often in a garage or utility closet. Units in a hot garage or outside need shade and freeze protection for the occasional cold desert night.
- Bypass valve. Lets you send water around the softener during service, or for lines that don't need soft water.
- Drain and power. The unit needs a drain with an air gap for regeneration water and an outlet for the control valve.
- Setup. Programming the hardness and household size, then showing you how to add salt and put the unit in bypass.
Should the yard get softened water?
Usually not. NDSU Extension says softened water isn't recommended for lawns, gardens and houseplants because of its sodium. In a dry place like Las Cruces, where most landscaping runs on drip lines and hose bibs, installers commonly leave irrigation and outdoor taps on hard water. Ask how the plumbing will be split.
What affects the price?
- The size and type of unit
- How much re-piping it takes to reach the main line
- Whether a drain and outlet are close by
- Add-ons like a sediment pre-filter or a reverse osmosis tap
The water treatment company prices the job once it knows your water, your plumbing and what equipment fits. We don't quote prices, and any number you hear over the phone before someone has tested the water and seen the install spot is only a rough starting point.
Where we connect you with help
Common questions
Do I need a softener on Las Cruces city water?
It's your call. The city describes its groundwater as hard. If scale and spotting bother you or you want to protect appliances, a softener helps.
Who can install a water softener in New Mexico?
Softener installs tie into your plumbing, which the state Construction Industries Division licenses under classifications like MM-1. Ask what CID license the company or its plumber holds.
Related services
More background: Las Cruces hard water guide.
Crusty faucets, cloudy glasses or a softener that gave up?
Call the number above and a local water treatment company will help you sort out what your water needs.