How a water softener works
Most whole-home softeners use ion exchange. Hard water flows through a tank filled with small resin beads. The beads grab the calcium and magnesium that cause scale and swap them for a small amount of sodium (or potassium, if you prefer). Every so often the unit rinses the beads with salty water from the brine tank to recharge them, then flushes that rinse water down the drain.
- Resin tank: the tall tank where the softening happens.
- Brine tank: the shorter tank you add salt bags to.
- Control valve: the head on top of the resin tank that decides when to regenerate.
- Bypass valve: lets you send water around the softener for repairs or outdoor use.
Softener loops in Las Vegas homes
Because valley water is so hard, many Las Vegas homes were built with a softener loop: a pre-plumbed connection, usually in the garage, where a softener can be hooked into the main line. If you have one, installation is usually simpler. If you don’t, the installer can look at where your main line enters the house and where a drain is available, then explain the options in the estimate.
See water softener cost in Las Vegas for what affects the price.
Choosing an installer in Nevada
Plumbing work in Nevada is generally done by contractors licensed through the Nevada State Contractors Board. Before you hire anyone, ask for their license number and look it up, ask what the estimate includes (unit, bypass, drain line, startup, haul-away of an old unit) and ask about the warranty on both the equipment and the labor. If you live in an HOA, check whether there are rules about equipment placement.