Water softener installation for Sussex and Lisbon homes
On Village water in Sussex, the published 300 mg/L tells the plumber roughly what to expect at your tap. On a private well in Lisbon or nearby, your lab report or the first test of the day is the only guide. Either way, the visit starts with that test.
Call (262) 829-5961Mon to Fri, 7am to 5pmSetting a softener for Sussex's 300
Softener settings work in grains per gallon, so the Village's 300 mg/L becomes 17.5 once divided by 17.1. That figure, checked against the reading at your tap, and the size of your household are what the system is sized from.
On a private well, the lab report you read us on the call stands in for the Village figure until the plumber tests the tap.
What the plumber does, step by step
Test the water first. Pull any old softener. Set the new softener with its brine tank near the point where water comes into the house, connect the bypass, and lead the discharge line to a drain, leaving an air gap where it empties.
Then fit the RO faucet for drinking water beside the kitchen sink and retest at your tap, repeating until the reading is zero. On Village water that means 17.5 grains in and zero out.
Why the drain connection makes this a plumbing job
Wisconsin regulates the link between a softener's discharge line and your drain as plumbing; the statute is Wis. Stat. ch. 145, and the air gap is part of that link. That is why the work goes to a plumbing contractor who holds a Wisconsin license.
Ours is the quote, sizing, equipment and scheduling side. The plumbing belongs to the contractor.
Finding the spot in a Sussex house
The softener goes where water comes into the house: down in the basement, in a utility room or out in the garage, with an outlet and a drain nearby. If you already have a softener, its spot is usually the natural place to start, since it was put there for the same reasons.
Common questions
How do I know whether my Sussex house is on Village water?
Look at who sends the water bill. A bill from the Village of Sussex means you are on its system. A well on your property means you are not, and the 300 figure is not yours.
Is the drinking faucet a separate purchase?
No. The RO faucet is part of the whole-home package, and nobody buys it as a separate item.
What does the retest show?
The hardness at your tap after the new softener is up and running. The plumber keeps checking until it reads zero, and the job is judged by that reading.