Category Water Softeners

Concise guidance on choosing, installing, maintaining, and optimizing home water softeners within the broader home water system, including impacts on water heaters, filtration, and plumbing.

Installation Guides

Refrigerator Ice Maker Water Line Sizes: Pick the Right One and Avoid Leaks

Close-up of a stainless steel braided refrigerator water line connected to a valve, with a measuring tape in the foreground.

Fridge ice-maker water line sizes, compatibility with filtration, softeners, plumbing, heaters, and tips to pick the right size.

Bob McArthur
March 7, 2026

Installation Guides

Installing a 240-Volt Tankless Water Heater: A DIY Guide to Wiring and Breaker Sizing

Close-up of a technician wiring a 240-volt tankless electric water heater, showing copper plumbing and electrical components.

Install 240V tankless heater: wiring, breaker sizing, safety, and connections for home water softeners, filtration, plumbing.

Bob McArthur
March 5, 2026

Installation Guides

How to Start Your Water Heater: A Straightforward Guide for Rheem and Honeywell Models

Red push-button emergency shutoff switch labeled 'Heizung Notschalter' mounted on a beige wall

How to turn on Rheem/Honeywell water heaters: safety checks, startup steps, and fixes for homes with softeners and filtration.

Bob McArthur
February 22, 2026

Installation Guides

Water Heater Installation Time and Difficulty: A Pro’s Breakdown

Close-up of a weathered metal hand sculpture catching a stream of water from a spout.

Estimate install time for water heater/tank; DIY vs pro, prep, permits, steps, safety, difficulty, tips for home water systems.

Bob McArthur
February 19, 2026

Installation Guides

Water Heater Power, Circuit, and Venting Requirements: A Homeowner’s Guide

Laundry room with a wall-mounted water heater above a front-loading washer and dryer.

Electrical power, circuit sizing, and venting for gas, electric, and tankless water heaters; home water softener and filtration.

Bob McArthur
February 18, 2026

Installation Guides

Submersible Pump Selection: Get the Right Size, Flow, and Features

Close-up of a pipe manifold with gauges on a submersible pump setup.

Choosing a submersible pump: size, flow, features, and compatibility with water softeners, heaters, filtration, and plumbing.

Bob McArthur
February 14, 2026

Installation Guides

DIY Water Tank Installation: Get Your Outlet Connections Right

Exterior view of an elevated water storage tank mounted on a vertical pedestal with outlet piping visible against a cloudy sky.

How to install a water tank and connect outlets for a home water system: softener, heater, home filtration, and plumbing.

Bob McArthur
February 13, 2026

Installation Guides

DIY Electric Water Heater Install: Wiring and PVC Pipes Done Right

A technician wearing an orange shirt and yellow hard hat stands in a utility room, inspecting a wall-mounted electric water heater with exposed copper pipes and blue plumbing lines.

Install, wire, and adjust a water heater using PVC and gauge; safety checks, leaks, plumbing; covers water softener/filtration.

Bob McArthur
February 11, 2026

Installation Guides

DIY Sump Pump Installation: Stop Basement Flooding for Good

Close-up of a gray pressure tank with fittings and a discharge hose, part of a basement sump pump setup.

Stepwise sump pump install: prep, pit, wiring, discharge, valve, testing, maint.; ties to basement plumbing and water systems.

Bob McArthur
January 28, 2026

Installation Guides

How to Install a Sump Pump Battery Backup and Stop Basement Floods

Person installing a sump pump battery backup in a dim basement with a window, surrounding tools and equipment.

Install a sump pump battery backup to prevent floods during outages; wiring, safety, testing, and battery options for homes.

Bob McArthur
January 15, 2026