Water softener installation in London
Most of London sits on chalk, and the water that comes out of the tap is hard enough to shorten the life of a boiler, fur up a shower and leave scale on everything it touches. A softener deals with the cause rather than the symptoms. We size them, fit them and service the ones already in place.
- Gas Safe registered and fully insured
- DBS-checked engineers
- Emergency callout available 24/7
- Price agreed before work starts
Mon–Fri 8:00–17:30 · Emergency callout available 24/7
Get a price for water softener installation
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What this includes
- Water softener installation, sized to the household
- Bypass valve so the house still has water during servicing
- Drain and overflow connections done to regulations
- A separate hard tap kept for drinking and cooking
- Servicing, resin checks and repairs to existing units
- Scale reducers where a full softener will not fit
Worth knowing first
Some of this may save you a callout entirely. We would rather tell you than not.
London water really is hard
Across most of the Thames Water supply area the water is classed as hard to very hard. That is why kettles fur up in months and shower screens never look clean. It is not your cleaning — it is the water.
Where it goes decides how easy the job is
A softener has to go on the rising main, after the stopcock and before everything else, and it needs a drain within reach. Under the kitchen sink is the usual spot; a garage or utility room is easier if the main passes through it. Tell us where your stopcock is and we can usually tell you the answer on the phone.
You should keep one tap unsoftened
Softened water carries more sodium, so the guidance is to leave one drinking tap on the hard supply for drinking, cooking and filling a kettle. We fit that as standard rather than as an extra.
Salt is the running cost, and it is small
Block salt is easier to handle than tablet salt and most machines take either. A typical household gets through a few pounds a month. If someone quotes you a softener that never needs salt, they are selling you a scale reducer, which is a different product.
Common questions
Will a softener protect my boiler?
It stops new scale forming in the heat exchanger, which is the part hard water damages most expensively. It cannot remove scale that has already built up — that is a separate job.
Does it need a drain?
Yes. Softeners flush themselves on a cycle and that water has to go somewhere. It is the constraint that usually decides where the unit can be installed.
Can you service a softener I already have?
Yes, including ones we did not fit. Most problems are salt bridging, a blocked injector or a valve rather than the resin, and those are all repairable.
Will I notice a difference?
Most people notice soap lathering more and the shower screen staying clear. If you have very sensitive skin you may notice that too. What you will not notice is the scale that stops forming inside the boiler.
Part of our water supply & treatment work
If the job turns out to be a repair rather than an installation, these are the pages that cover it.
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General Plumbing
Taps, toilets, radiators and pipework. The jobs that never quite get done.
More on General Plumbing -
Boiler Service
The annual check that keeps a boiler safe, efficient and inside its warranty terms.
More on Boiler Service
Other appliance work
Need water softener installation in London?
Tell us what’s happening and where you are, and we’ll tell you what it costs before anyone starts work.