You are in: Front page / Aquifer Water / Do You Need a Water Softener North of Orlando?
Aquifer Water · Orlando · Winter Springs · Oviedo · Sanford · Lake Mary · Geneva
Do You Need a Water Softener North of Orlando?
A water softener in Florida only earns its keep if your water tests hard. Get a hardness number in grains per gallon first, then weigh the salt, sodium, regeneration water and upkeep that come with it.
Softener sales calls tend to arrive soon after you notice spots on the dishes. Before you sit through one, get a number. OUC and Winter Springs are the only two suppliers here with a published hardness number, and both fall in the hard range, but most homes here are served by a utility that prints none, and private wells vary from one property to the next.
How does a water softener work?
A softener swaps minerals. Water runs through a tank of resin beads that release sodium and take up calcium and magnesium, the two minerals behind scale and soap scum. When the beads are loaded with hardness, the unit runs a regeneration cycle, rinsing them with salt brine and sending the rinse water down the drain. It treats hardness; it is not a filter for sulfur smell, bacteria or chlorine.
What should a test show before you buy?
Total hardness, stated in grains per gallon, is the figure to have on paper. By Penn State Extension's yardstick, scale and soap film usually aren't a major problem under 7.0 grains per gallon; its hard class runs from 7.0 up to 10.5. By the usual conversion of 17.1 mg/L to a grain, OUC's published 129 mg/L comes to about 7.5 grains per gallon, and Winter Springs' stated 150 mg/L comes to about 8.8 (the city rounds to 8). Penn State's very hard class starts above 10.5 grains.
Where local water sits on Penn State's grains-per-gallon scale
| Water | Grains per gallon | Penn State class |
|---|---|---|
| OUC (129 mg/L published) | about 7.5 | Hard (7.0 to 10.5) |
| Winter Springs (150 mg/L stated) | about 8.8 | Hard (7.0 to 10.5) |
| Other local utilities | not published | Ask or test |
| Private wells | varies by well | Lab test |
If your bill comes from Seminole County, Casselberry, Oviedo, Altamonte Springs, Longwood, Lake Mary or Sanford, ask the utility for its average total hardness or use a home test kit. On a private well, ask the lab to include hardness, iron and hydrogen sulfide alongside the yearly bacteria and nitrate test our private wells story describes. Iron and sulfide call for different equipment, covered in the rotten-egg smell story.
What are the downsides of softened water?
There are three worth knowing. First, sodium: Penn State says softening adds 7.5 milligrams of sodium per quart for each grain of hardness removed. Second, Sanford's water FAQ cautions that softening leaves water more corrosive, which can wear on indoor plumbing as the years pass and that the added sodium can interfere with blood pressure control. Third, upkeep: the same FAQ warns that home treatment units without regular maintenance can turn into breeding grounds for bacteria and slime.
There is also a smell to watch for. Florida DOH says a rotten-egg odor in both hot and cold water, but only on the softened lines, likely means sulfur bacteria in the softener, and Penn State notes a softener can rarely give those bacteria a place to grow.
Softener trade-offs at a glance
| Issue | What the source says |
|---|---|
| Sodium | About 7.5 mg per quart added for each grain removed (Penn State) |
| Pipes | Softened water is more corrosive indoors (City of Sanford) |
| Maintenance | Neglected units can harbor bacteria and slime (City of Sanford) |
| Water use | About 50 gallons per regeneration (Penn State) |
| Odor | Smell only on softened water points to the softener (Florida DOH) |
Does a softener cause trouble on septic?
It can add a lot of water at once. Penn State estimates about 50 gallons of water for each regeneration cycle and says the extra flow might, or might not, be too much for a septic system. A demand-controlled unit that regenerates after a set number of gallons generally wastes less salt and water than one on a fixed timer. Homes on septic in Geneva, Chuluota and Black Hammock should read our septic pumping and care notes, since EPA advises spreading water use out rather than loading the drainfield in one go.
What certification should a softener carry?
Look for NSF/ANSI 44. EPA WaterSense says to choose a softener certified to NSF/ANSI 44, or a scale-reduction device certified to IAPMO/ANSI Z601. NSF/ANSI 44 also has a voluntary efficiency rating for softeners that use 5.0 gallons of water or less per 1,000 grains of hardness removed, a handy way to compare how thirsty two units are.
Does a tankless water heater need softened water?
It needs protection from scale one way or another. Rinnai's V53e manual says installations in hard-water areas must treat the water and/or flush the heat exchanger regularly, and lists a total hardness limit of 200 mg/L. Its flush uses food-grade white vinegar pumped through the unit, but other models differ, so follow your own manual. Our water heaters story has more on tank and tankless care.
What changes after a softener goes in on a well?
The well should be disinfected. Florida DOH lists installing or repairing treatment devices such as softeners among the times to shock chlorinate a private well, and its home method has you bypass softeners and filters while the bleach is in the lines. Retest with a certified lab before drinking.
Readers often ask
How many grains of hardness is worth softening?
Penn State says water under 7.0 grains per gallon probably won't cause major scaling. Above that, it's a judgment call based on how much scale and soap film bother you.
Is softened water safe to drink?
For most people the added sodium is small, but Sanford's FAQ notes it can matter for anyone controlling blood pressure. Penn State's figure of 7.5 mg per quart for each grain removed lets you work out your own amount.
Will a softener fix my rotten-egg smell?
No. Softeners trade hardness minerals for sodium; sulfide needs aeration, oxidizing filtration, carbon or chlorination matched to the tested level.
How much water does a softener use?
Penn State estimates about 50 gallons per regeneration. Demand-controlled units regenerate only after a set amount of water has passed through.
Why does my softened water smell?
Florida DOH says an odor in hot and cold water that shows up only on softened lines likely comes from sulfur bacteria in the softener. Follow the maker's cleaning steps or ask the installer.
Where this came from
- Penn State Extension — Water Softening — how softeners work, hardness classes, sodium, regeneration water
- City of Sanford — Drinking Water FAQ — corrosion, sodium and maintenance cautions
- Orlando Utilities Commission — Water quality reports — OUC hardness
- City of Winter Springs — Potable water page, archived — Winter Springs hardness
- EPA WaterSense — Guide to Selecting Water Treatment Systems — NSF/ANSI 44 and efficiency rating
- Florida DOH — Well Water Facts: Odor & Staining — odor from softened water
- Florida DOH — Well Water Facts: Well Disinfection — disinfect after installing softeners
- Rinnai — V53e manual — tankless hardness limit and flushing
- EPA — How to Care for Your Septic System — spreading out water use