Water Softener Installation FAQ

Here are questions - and the answers - that we are commonly asked about water softener installation. If you're wondering about something that doesn't appear on this list, please reach out to us. We count on your feedback to keep this page complete!

Can The Water Softener Be Transported On Its Side?

Yes! Although we encourage our couriers and delivery companies to ship our systems standing up, there is nothing automatically wrong if they arrive on their side. There are two boxes that comprise your new softener - the Media Tank and the Brine Tank. There is nothing inside the media tank that will become damaged or "rearranged" if the box is transported on its side. The brine tank contains several items and if this tank arrives on its side it is a good idea to inspect the individual items - especially the control valve - for any potential damage. With that being said, it would take significant mishandling for that to occur.

Can I Put The Softener Boxes On Their Side To Transport Them In My Car?

Yes you can. You may want to first open the brine tank box and remove the softener control valve. Don't worry - putting the media tank on its side won't damage any internal components or "rearrange" any of the internal components.

How Much Salt Should I Add To The Brine Tank?

We recommend that when you first buy softener salt that you buy three or four bags. Once you have the softener set up and installed, add half of a standard 45 pound (22.5 kg) bag to the brine tank. This will be enough salt to operate the softener for several regenerations but isn't so much that it will fully obscure what's happening in the brine tank if you need to do any early troubleshooting. Once you're sure that everything is working as you'd like, you can fill the brine tank to the top with salt.

What Type Of Salt Should I Use In My Softener?

Aquatell water softeners aren't picky about the salt that's used. Our general rule is any salt that you can buy in a store, in a bag that's labelled "water softener salt" will work very well. Sodium-based salt (this is "normal" softener salt) will do a superior job regenerating your softener as compared to Potassium-based salt.

How Do I Account For Iron In When I Program My Softener?

To properly compensate for iron in your water, you'll need to add 3 Grains Per Gallon (GPG) to your programmed hardness value for every 1.0 mg/L (PPM) of iron that's present. If you have Manganese (Mn) in your water also, add this to the iron value, and then multiply this total by 3 to arrive at the extra hardness that needs to be added. Doing this will ensure that your softener regenerates at the correct frequency and the water softener resin is kept healthy.