Turn the water back on slowly. Open a faucet nearby to let air out of the pipes. You’ll hear gurgling and sputtering—that’s normal; it’s the system burping after a meal of hard water. Run the softener through a manual regeneration cycle (check your manual for the button combo). I hit the wrong button and flooded the floor slightly. My wife brought me a mop and a beer. Priorities.
How to Install a Water Softener With a Well (With Pictures)
Testing the waters (literally):
After a full cycle, test the water hardness with a simple strip kit. If it’s below 1 grain per gallon, you’re golden. If not, adjust the settings or check for a leak. I got a reading of zero, and I felt like a plumbing god for about three minutes. Then I realized I had to clean the pile of tools in the corner.
