Swapping out an old softener in Brookfield
Brookfield’s chloride guidance asks two things of a softener: a setting of 23 grains, and demand-initiated control instead of a timer. If the unit in your house runs on a clock, the city’s own guidance is a reason to look at replacing it.
Call (262) 829-5961Mon to Fri, 7am to 5pmA timer softener and the city’s guidance
A timer-controlled softener regenerates on a schedule. Brookfield’s chloride-reduction guidance asks residents to move to demand-initiated control instead, and demand-initiated is the only control on the softeners we supply.
Not sure how yours is controlled? Describe it on the call, and mention the brand if you know it.
Before replacing anything, check the setting
The city’s guidance gives a setting of 23 grains. If your current softener is dialed well above that, the advice applies to it today, replacement or not.
A working unit at the right setting may have plenty of reason to stay. We would rather tell you that on the call than sell you a softener you do not need.
What the plumber does with the old one
On install day the old softener is disconnected and taken out before anything new goes in. If it stood near the water service, a drain and a power outlet, that same corner suits the replacement.
After that, a replacement runs like any first installation: bypass valve, drain line ending over a drain with an air gap, the drinking-water faucet at the kitchen sink, then repeated tests at your tap until hardness reads zero.
Getting the new one right for Brookfield water
City homes have a published range of 23 to 34 grains and a city-recommended setting of 23. Sanitary District No. 4, which serves the Town of Brookfield, lists its water at 32 to 35.
Share the address on the call and the sizing works from the system you are actually on, together with the head count in your household.
Common questions
My old softener still works. Should I replace it?
Not necessarily. If it softens your water and you are happy with it, keep it. If it runs on a timer, the city’s guidance asks for demand-initiated control, which is worth knowing before you decide.
Does the new softener go in the same place?
If the old corner is near the water service, a drain and a power outlet, yes. If something about that spot has changed, say so on the call and the job gets planned around it.
Do I still get the drinking-water faucet with a replacement?
Yes. The reverse-osmosis faucet at the kitchen sink is part of every whole-home system, whether it replaces an old softener or is the first one the house has had.