York Region water hardness
Newmarket's tap water is a blend of groundwater and treated lake water supplied through York Region, and it tends to be moderately hard. Homes on private wells in King, East Gwillimbury and Whitchurch-Stouffville often have harder water, sometimes with iron. You can check hardness with a test strip, or look up the Region's latest water quality report. Hardness is usually given as mg/L or as grains per gallon.
Sizing
- Count the people in the house and estimate daily water use.
- Multiply by the hardness to get the grains to remove each day.
- Pick a softener that regenerates every week or so at that load.
- Iron or manganese may need a dedicated filter ahead of the softener.
Bypass and drain
Softeners need a bypass valve so you can isolate them for service, a drain for the regeneration water, and an outlet if the control head is electric. The drain must have an air gap. Hose bibs typically stay on unsoftened water to save salt. We usually leave the kitchen cold line on hard water too if you prefer to drink unsoftened water, or install a reverse osmosis tap for drinking.
- Cut in the bypass near the main.
- Set the tank and brine tank on a level spot.
- Run drain and overflow lines with air gaps.
- Program for your hardness and run the first regeneration.
Signs you need this in your house
- Scale on taps and kettles
- Soap doesn't lather
- Tank heater scaling
- Spots on glass
Questions people ask us
Will softened water feel slippery?
Yes, a little. That is the soap rinsing differently, not residue.
What will salt cost me in bags?
It depends on hardness and use. Many households add a bag or two a month.