Will a Water Softener Affect Your Home’s Water Pressure? Insights from a Pentair Water Softening Company in Batavia, Illinois

Are you thinking about buying a water softener, but are worried that it might impact your water pressure — especially in the shower or when you are doing your dishes? If so, you are not alone. This is one of the most common worries people have before installing a softener, and understandably so. Nobody wants weak water pressure slowing down their daily routines.

If your system is properly sized and installed, a water softener should not affect your water pressure at all. In fact, in many cases, it can even improve the overall efficiency of your plumbing system. Below, this Pentair water softening company in Batavia, Illinois is going to explain how that works.

Prevent pressure problems with the perfectly sized system.

A water softener’s job is to remove the minerals that make water “hard,” mainly only calcium and magnesium. The system filters these out by running your water through a resin bed, where the minerals are replaced with sodium or potassium. This process does slightly change how the water moves through your plumbing. However, if the system is designed and installed properly, the difference is so minor that most people will not even notice it.

Where problems do sometimes occur is when the softener is too small for your home or has not been maintained. For example, a water softener with a resin tank that is too small for your family’s water use can easily create a bottleneck in the system. Similarly, if the resin bed inside is old or blocked, it could bring the water pressure down.

This is why any good Pentair water softening company in Batavia, Illinois will take the time to decide exactly what size system you need. They will test your water’s hardness and evaluate your household water usage to match you with a system that keeps your water pressure consistent.

The relationship between water flow and pressure in your home.

Water pressure and water flow are closely related. Pressure is the force that moves water through your pipes, whereas flow rate is the amount of water moving through the pipes at any given time. A good water softener needs to handle both. For example, if you have a big family and everyone is using water at the same time, you will notice weaker pressure if your water softener can’t handle that kind of flow. 

Pentair systems are available in different sizes for just this reason. Their Autotrol 255 can support flow rates up to 15.5 gallons per minute or gpm, which is plenty for most homes. And for larger homes with more demanding water usage, something like the Autotrol 268 can manage up to 25 gpm.

Can soft water restore and maintain water pressure?

Hard water causes mineral buildup in your pipes, faucets, and appliances. That buildup can restrict flow and slowly reduce your water pressure. According to the Water Quality Association, showerheads using hard water lost up to 75% of their water flow in less than a year and a half, whereas faucets were clogged in only a few weeks. Water heaters also suffered and lost efficiency over time. But when used with soft water, everything stayed closer to factory performance for much longer.

So, if you live in an older home or have been using untreated hard water for years, installing a water softener could restore or even improve your pressure once the buildup starts clearing out.

Modern softeners, especially from brands like Pentair, are made to keep your water pressure steady. They include features like full-port bypass valves, smart regeneration, and Durable Noryl valves. What’s important is to have the system installed by an experienced Pentair water softening company in Batavia, Illinois, like Johnson Water Conditioning.

Looking for a Pentair Water Softening Company in Batavia, Illinois?

Are you tired of dealing with the problems caused by hard water? If so, and if you’re ready to have a new water softener installed by the best Pentair water softening company in Batavia, Illinois, Johnson Water Conditioning is just a call away. Contact us today to request your free quote.