Any DIY water softener suggested brands?

[Wulf202]

I wouldn't replace the water heater for fun trouble shoot it first. Buying a spare isn't a terrible idea though. When its running does it crackle like the water is boiling? Im assuming its gas.

There really isnt much complex about a standard water heater. Two pipes a flue and the gas. Thats % 75 of the complexity of the water softener.

Also. You should find where the sprinklers are fed and be sure to install after that. Also leave the hose spigots hard water and or add a seerate soft water spigot. If for example you're washing the car its nice to use soft water but watering the roses is a waste and possibly damaging

[Ramsker]

I wouldn't replace the water heater for fun trouble shoot it first. Buying a spare isn't a terrible idea though. When its running does it crackle like the water is boiling? Im assuming its gas.

There really isnt much complex about a standard water heater. Two pipes a flue and the gas. Thats % 75 of the complexity of the water softener.

Also. You should find where the sprinklers are fed and be sure to install after that. Also leave the hose spigots hard water and or add a seerate soft water spigot. If for example you're washing the car its nice to use soft water but watering the roses is a waste and possibly damaging

Water heater is gas. There's nothing really wrong with it at this stage, but it's been operating for 10 years with the hard water and I'm kind of figuring the typical life expectancy isn't too many more years. Have seen a few people we know with units right around 10 - 12 years flood their basements in the last year. Our basement is finished and just got new carpet, so I'm more playing the odds there and being proactive. I "could" wait on that, but seems the smart thing to do.

I need to take a closer look, but I don't know that I'm going to have a good spot to try and hook a softener in after the sprinkler line. With the finished abasement (done before we bought it) I'm not sure there's a viable place to tie it after it that will work based on where the lines run in the ceiling. There's a utility room where the water heater & furnace are and a small utility closet right where the main line comes in. So those are probably the only places for it. I'll scope out the furnace/heater room closer and that might allow a hook in that can go after the sprinklers. Might miss some of the water branches to the house but probably still hit the main ones.

[SideShow Bob]

I don't Know Squat about water softeners, but as far as water heaters, mine was going on its 11 th year when it took a dump last late winter the day after we got back from a week out of town.
If this would have happened the day we left, we would have came home to an indoor swimming pool / ice skating rink when the water rose enough to extinguish the furnace.
At least install one of those collection pans under your water heater and pipe it to the floor drain in the basement.