Frequently Asked Questions About Water Softeners

Over the years we have been asked many questions about Water Softeners. This is a collection of the top questions we are asked.

 

Should I install a water softener?

Q: Would I regret installing a water softener in my property?

A: No, we have never had a customer tell us they regretted fitting a water softener in their home, everybody loves them!

Installation?

Q: How do I get my water softener installed in my property?

A: West London Water Softeners provide low cost expert installation of water softeners, water filters, and boiling water taps. 

They will advise you on the viability of installing a water softener in your home.

Flow Rate?

Q: Will a water softener cause a noticeable loss of flow or pressure to my showers?

A: No, probably just about every customer asks this question but rarely ever come back and tell us they have experienced a noticeable drop in flow rate.

In reality if you put any form of restriction on the incoming water main you will reduce the flow, but in this case the drop is negligible being maybe 1-3 %.

Example:

Peak flow rate on the TwinTec S4 is 65 litres per minute with Infinity T4 being comparable. 

 

  • Hand held shower head 10 litres per minute.
  • Dinner plate style shower head 15 litres per minute.
  • Deluge Shower head 25 litres per minute

Even 3 good size showers running simultaneously are covered.

Deluge showers are likely be run via a header tank/whole house pump system so softening the tank feed is the best option.

Don’t’ hesitate to ring or send us an email for free advice on the best water softener for your plumbing setup.

Salt Usage?

Q: How much Salt will my softener use?

A: As a rule-of-thumb your water softener will use 1 block per person, per month of salt.

Case in point: There are 2 in our household and we shower mostly once per day. We use the washing machine and dishwasher just about every 2nd day. 

Our TwinTec S4 consumes exactly 2 blocks per month.

However this is only a rule-of-thumb and can change depending on how hard the water is in your area, whether your installer has correctly specified and setup your water softener, (our installers will always correctly set up and fine tune our water softeners) and of course if you have teenagers; goes up.

Running Cost?

Q: How much will it cost to run my water softener?

A: As a rough guide between £2.50 - £3.00 per person per month. This will vary depending on how much water and therefore salt, your household uses, and how much you are paying for your salt.

The more you buy at once, the cheaper it gets!

Servicing?

Q: Do I need an annual service for my water softener?

A: No, no annual service is required for a TwinTec or Infinity water softener.

Longevity?

Q: How many years service can I expect from my water softener ?

A: It is not unusual to get 25 years service from a high quality water softener such as TwinTec or Infinity.

Warranty?

Q: What warranty do I get with my TwinTec or Infinity Water softener?

A: 2 years labour, 10 years parts MANUFACTURERS WARRANTY.

Unlike most water softener company’s, West London Water Softeners are a Non-Servicing dealer which means when you purchase a water softener from us the warranty is provided by the manufacturer.

It’s very rare but if you are unlucky enough to suffer an issue with your water softener, the manufacturers own service team will (in most cases) attend your property within the first 2 years to rectify the issue, totally free of charge. You then have a further 8 years of free parts cover.

Variation to warranty cover

As we are a "Non-Servicing" dealer our labour warranty, as with the parts warranty is provided by the manufacturer. In most cases the manufactures service team will come to site to affect a repair or replacement but in some circumstances where the geographical area of installation is not covered by the service teams, the customer is required to return the product to the manufacturer for repair. Please ask us whether your postcode area is covered by the manufactures service teams. The manufactures service teams area may vary without notice and areas that were previously covered may subsequently no longer have cover. Further to this and in the case of "supply only" where West London Water Softeners has not effected the installation of the water softener, the 10 year parts and 2 year labour manufacturers warranty shall only apply where the water softener has been correctly and competently installed and commissioned in accordance with the manufactures instructions. Where the manufacturers servicing engineer determines that a fault has arisen due to incorrect application, preparation, installation or commissioning of the product, then the normal hourly service fee and parts cost shall apply for which the purchaser will be liable to pay on completion of the work directly to the manufacturers service department.