Installations

Water Softener Installations

Southern Softflow have been installing water softeners in homes across Dorset, Hampshire and Wiltshire for over 25 years. We take pride in always offering what we believe to be the best solution for your home. Below, we describe how we evaluate what is needed for a water softener installation and what to expect on installation day.

How is a water softener installed?

The first stage of a water softener installation is the survey. In the survey, we will evaluate:

The water hardness.
Incoming mains pressure.
Location of the mains stop cock
Size of pipework
Drainage and overflow
Drinking water taps
Your outside tap

What happens at installation?

Installations generally take about half a day. On arrival, our plumber will go through the notes from our survey to ensure that you are happy with the installation we have planned. The work will then be carried out to a high standard, leaving your home as tidy as we found it. Your water will normally be off for around 2-3 hours. So we advise to fill the kettle before we arrive for any emergency tea or coffee you may require. Once the water softener is installed, we will commission the machine. This involves putting the machine through two regeneration cycles to ensure that the machine is ready to go. Our plumber will then walk you through some basic information about to how to operate the system, and then you are ready to enjoy the benefits of your new water softener.

If I move, can I take my water softener with me?

Of course! We typically offer a disconnect, store and re-install service for our customers. This will involve:

Visit to your current home, disconnect the softener and close the existing connections.
Store your water softener at our unit, and perform a healthcheck of your system to ensure it is in working order for re-installation in your new home.
Survey your new home, as per above, to work out an installation plan.
Re-install at your new home, hopefully as soon as possible after you have moved in so you don't live with hard water again for too long!

Why do I need a drinking water filter?

What water filter do I need for my home?

The first question we ask when someone asks us about drinking water filters is “what do you want to remove from your drinking water?” or “is there anything in particular you are concerned about?”.

The reason we ask these questions is because there are many types of drinking water filters, and they can all do different jobs. Some customers are guided by budget, or simply great-tasting water. Others are concerned about microplastics, pharmaceuticals and are looking for comprehensive filtration. To help give you and idea of what is possible, we have created a table below.

Basic filter - similar to filters used in jug filters, but installed onto a drinking water tap.
Advanced filters - used to remove specfic contaminants as well as improving taste and smell. Note from the table below, these can often remove a particular type of contaminant (but not all at once).
Reverse Osmosis - comprehensive drinking water filtration.