Replacing a softener in New Berlin
In New Berlin, a softener’s age says something about its settings. One put in on city water before July 2009 was set up for groundwater, and the city has been on lake water since.
Call (262) 829-5961Mon to Fri, 7am to 5pmOn city water, replacing may not be the right move
If your old softener is on city water and has stopped working, the utility’s position is that you should no longer need one. Replacing it is a choice, not a necessity, and the call treats it that way. Nobody on that call will tell you that you need a new one when the utility says otherwise.
If it still runs but was set for well water before 2009, the first step is a new setting that matches today’s lake water.
On a well, same groundwater, new softener
A house on a private well draws from the aquifer the city used before 2009, which the utility published at 18 to 32 grains. A replacement there is sized from your own lab results and your household size.
Any iron on the report is worth mentioning too.
Telling us about the old unit
Its location, whether the house has been on city water or a well, and your household size. If you know when the old one went in, mention that too, since in New Berlin the date hints at what it was set for.
How the swap goes
The swap starts with the old unit: the plumber disconnects it and carries it out. Then the new softener stands up beside its brine tank, the bypass goes in, and the plumber routes the drain line to a drain over an air gap.
At the kitchen sink the plumber adds the RO drinking tap, then tests again at the kitchen tap until no hardness shows.
Common questions
My softener predates 2009. Is it set wrong?
If the house is on city water, it is probably still set for the old city groundwater, which ran 18 to 32 grains, rather than today’s lake water at about 8. That is worth fixing whether or not you buy anything.
Do I need to replace a dead softener on city water?
Not necessarily. The utility says city customers should no longer need one. It is your call, and nobody on the phone will push you either way.
Does a replacement come with the RO drinking tap?
Yes. A replacement is a whole-home softener like any other, so the RO tap for the kitchen sink comes with it and is never sold as a separate item.