Water Softener
Salt-based and salt-free softeners that stop scale, save your appliances, and make water feel great.
Materials
What we install vs. what corner-cutters use.
Valve
Fleck 5810 SXT or Kinetico non-electric.
Bottom-shelf clamshell valve.
Why it matters: Better valves last 20+ years; low-grade valves fail in 3–5.
Resin
High-capacity 10% crosslink resin.
Standard 8% crosslink.
Why it matters: 10% resin lasts 20+ years vs 10 for 8%.
Install
Full bypass with brine tank on drip pan.
No bypass, no pan.
Why it matters: Bypass and pan prevent floods during service or overflow.
Process
A predictable path — with real durations.
Water test
30 minMeasure hardness, iron, TDS.
Install
2–3 hoursCut in at main, install bypass, softener, brine tank.
Program & regen
1 hourProgram valve, initial regeneration, retest hardness.
Customer projects across Houston
Drag to reveal the water softener transformation.
Recent water softener projects from neighborhoods across the Houston area. Drag the slider on each image to see the before and after.
Why us
Why homeowners pick Modern Builders for water softener.
We size softeners to your household grain-per-day demand, not just square footage. An undersized unit regenerates too often and burns through salt. We install with a full bypass so servicing doesn't require shutting off water to the whole house. Our salt-based installs come with high-efficiency valves that use 25% less salt and water per regeneration than standard units.
FAQs
Answers before you ask.
Do I need a softener with the city water?+
If dishes spot, shower doors film, or your water heater is loud with scale — yes. Almost every Houston-area home benefits.
Salt vs salt-free?+
Salt-based actually softens; salt-free prevents scale but water still tests hard. Salt-based is the real fix.
How much salt will I use?+
A properly sized unit uses 30–50 lbs of salt per month for a family of 4.
Is the sodium bad for me?+
A softener adds about 20 mg of sodium per glass of water — less than a slice of bread. Homes with sodium restrictions can use potassium chloride instead.
Related reading
Go deeper before you decide.
Get a quote — we do it right.
Fixed-price proposals, real timelines, no corners cut. Tell us about your water softener project.
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