Sizing a softener for very hard water
Monterey Park city wells average 220 mg/L hardness, very hard by USGS standards.
Updated · 3 min read
Bottom line
Convert your hardness to grains per gallon (220 mg/L is about 12.9 gpg), multiply by daily household use, and choose a softener whose capacity covers several days between regenerations. A bypass, a drain and a nearby outlet are the install basics.
Contents
How hard Monterey Park water is
The city's 2025 water quality report puts average hardness of its well water at 220 mg/L. On the USGS scale, anything over 180 mg/L is very hard.
Not every address is on city water; parts of town are served by other companies. Check your bill and use your own supplier's number.
Turning that into a softener size
Softeners are rated in grains. One grain per gallon equals about 17.1 mg/L, so 220 mg/L works out to roughly 12.9 grains per gallon.
Multiply that by the gallons your household uses in a day. A system sized to go several days between regenerations uses salt and water more efficiently than one that regenerates daily.
Where it goes in the house
Many Monterey Park houses, with a median build year of 1963, have the main line entering near the front hose bib or the garage. That is usually where the softener tank sits.
It needs a drain for regeneration water, a standard outlet, and a bypass valve. Outdoor bibs are typically left on hard water for the yard.
Keeping it working
Check the salt tank monthly and break up any crust (a salt bridge) that forms. Have the resin and valve looked at if water starts feeling hard again.
Before you call
Will a softener help my water heater?
Yes. Less scale settles in the tank or heat exchanger, which keeps heating efficient.
Should the kitchen cold tap be softened?
Many owners leave one cold line unsoftened for drinking and cooking. We can plumb it that way.
How much salt will a softener use?
It depends on hardness, household use and the control head. Demand-based heads use less than timer-based ones.