Questions · Water treatment
The softener loop in a new build
A softener loop is the plumbing a builder leaves in the garage so a softener can be added later: two stubbed lines and a bypass, so the water can be routed through a unit instead of straight past it. It is preparation, not equipment, and it usually still needs a drain and power.
How to tell what you actually have
- Two capped or valved stubs on the garage wall, close together
- A bypass arrangement so water can run straight through when nothing is installed
- A nearby drain connection, which some builders leave and some do not
- An outlet within reach, because a softener needs power to regenerate
- Enough floor space beside the loop for the tank and a brine tank
What usually still has to be added
The two things most often missing are the drain and the power. A loop that has neither is still useful, it just means the install includes running those properly rather than only connecting a unit.
The other thing worth checking is what the loop actually feeds. A loop that only feeds part of the house leaves fixtures on untreated water, and that is much easier to find out before a unit is bought than after.
In a house that is still being built
- Ask where the loop feeds from and what it covers
- Ask for a hose bib left on untreated water if you plan to water with it
- Ask where the drain terminates
- Check the static pressure once the house is live, since that affects everything downstream
From the job log
Work we’ve done
Answers
Does having a loop mean I have a softener?
No. The loop is just the plumbing. Plenty of Valley homeowners find out at closing that the loop is prepared and empty.
Can a softener be installed without a loop?
Yes, it becomes more of a plumbing job because the tie in and the bypass have to be made. Where the loop exists, the install is simpler.
Should the hose bibs be softened?
Usually not. Irrigation and hose bibs generally do better on untreated water, and it saves the unit regenerating for water going on gravel.
If you need this done
- Water softenersValley water is some of the hardest in the country. A softener removes the minerals that scale fixtures, spot glass and shorten a water heater's life.
- Whole-home water filtrationCuts sediment, chlorine and taste at every faucet, installed with a bypass so it's easy to service.
- Valves, hose bibs and water hammerShutoffs that won't turn, washer valves, outdoor hose bibs, and arrestors for pipes that bang when a valve closes.
- Where we workEvery town and ZIP across the Valley we cover.
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