Hardness is the amount of calcium, magnesium, and lime in your city or well water. Understanding the hardness of your water is crucial for optimal performance from your water softener. Don't worry, it's easy to program the right hardness level with just a few simple steps.
Click each step below to expand directions.
Step 1 - Retrieve Data
You'll need to find the levels of Hardness and Clear Water Iron in your water supply first. Check out our article How to Test for Hard or Soft Water for help.
- If you've got Well water – take a sample of your water to a treatment facility to have it tested.
- If you've got City water – call your local water supplier and ask for both Hardness and Clear Water Iron values.
Step 2 - Calculate Hardness
Once you've got your levels of hardness and clear water iron you can calculate hardness. The softener communicates in GPG (Grains per gallon). If your hardness number is not in GPG you'll need to do a little math. Don't worry, the numbers you need are below. If your hardness number reported in PPM or MG/L, divide that number by 17.1 to convert to GPG. Here's an example:
250 ppm / 17.1 = approx 15 gpg Hardness
Step 3 - Calculate Clear Water Iron
If you do not have Clear Water Iron, skip to Step 4.
If you've got Iron in your water supply, you'll need to do a little more math. You'll want to multiply the iron value by 5, then add that number to your hardness value. Example:
2 ppm Iron x 5 = 10 ppm Iron
10 pm Iron + 15 gpg Hardness = 25 gpg Total Value
Step 4 - Program Your Softener
Finally, you'll want to find the Hardness programming screen by scrolling through the menu on your softener with the Program/Select button. "Hardness" will show up on the bottom of the screen like pictured below. Then, use the Up/Down arrows to set your correct hardness value.
Note: If you decide to use the alternative KCl (Potassium salt), you'll need to add an additional 25% to the final hardness programming. Visit our Potassium Chloride Alternative article for more information.
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