Tankless & tank water heaters
Hard water and tankless heaters are a bad combination. If you are installing one in Orange County, size the softener at the same time.
Why the two decisions belong together
A tankless heater works by pushing water rapidly across a very hot, very compact heat exchanger. That is precisely the condition under which dissolved calcium comes out of solution and plates onto metal. On Orange County water, a tankless unit installed without softening will begin losing output to scale from the day it is commissioned.
The Water Quality Research Foundation study found that water heaters running on softened water hold their thermal efficiency essentially constant across the unit’s life, while units on untreated hard water measurably lose it. The same work found that on sufficiently hard inlet water, a softener installed alongside a tankless heater can recover its own cost in as little as a year.
Source: Water Quality Research Foundation / Battelle Memorial Institute (opens in a new tab)
What we install and service
- Tankless water heater supply and installation, including recirculation
- Conventional tank water heater replacement
- Softener sized together with the heater rather than bolted on afterwards
- Descaling and service for units that have already scaled up
- Pressure regulator replacement where inlet pressure is out of range
The honest caveat on gas storage tanks
For a tankless or electric heater, softening is unambiguously the right call. For a conventional gas storage tank it is a little more nuanced: the research notes that fully softened, chemically aggressive water can shorten the life of the sacrificial anode inside the tank, so the anode wants inspecting on its normal schedule rather than being forgotten.
It is not a reason to skip softening — the scale-prevention benefit is larger — but it is the kind of thing your installer should mention up front, so we are mentioning it here.
Source: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, 2013 (opens in a new tab)
Related published pricing
| Pressure regulator replacement | From $250 |
| Main house pressure regulator | $350–$650 |
Questions people ask about this
Will softened water damage my water heater?
For a tankless unit or an electric heater, softening is straightforwardly good: PNNL found that water heaters running on softened water hold their efficiency across the unit’s life, while units on hard water lose it. There is one nuance worth knowing — the same body of research notes that very aggressive, fully softened water can accelerate corrosion of the sacrificial anode in a conventional gas storage tank, so the anode wants checking on its normal schedule. Your installer will raise this if you have a tank heater.
Source: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, 2013 (opens in a new tab)
Does a water softener actually pay for itself?
On hard enough water it can. The Water Quality Research Foundation study found that on sufficiently hard inlet water a softener can recover its cost in as little as a year on a tankless water heater installation, and peer-reviewed life-cycle research found that reducing limescale extends the expected lifespan of washers, dishwashers, and other hot-water appliances. Whether it pays back for you depends on your hardness and what equipment you are protecting, which is exactly what the free test establishes.
Source: Water Quality Research Foundation / Battelle Memorial Institute (opens in a new tab)
What size water softener do I need?
Multiply your water hardness in grains per gallon by roughly 50 gallons per person per day, by the number of people in the house, by a seven-day regeneration cycle, then round up to the next standard grain capacity. A four-person household on 14 grain water needs about 19,600 grains removed per week, which is a 24,000 grain unit. The calculator on this site does this for you using your city’s published hardness.
Who does the work
Meet the licensed team behind the work
This site does the measuring. Crystal Clear Water is the licensed team we partner with on every install — your trusted expert in water quality and energy-efficient home solutions. Here's what that license covers, what the warranty promises, and what people who've had them in the house actually said.
Crystal Clear Water LLC
The licensed team we work with on every install. State-licensed in California and operating in Orange County since 2008. If warranty work is needed years later, you get their crew — not a call center.
- License
- CSLB #872771
- Status
- Bonded & insured
- Operating since
- 2008
- Service area
- Orange County · Los Angeles County · Riverside County
Rating from Google Reviews, not collected by us. See the profile (opens in a new tab) · Verify the license (opens in a new tab)
Water softener systems
| Full system warranty | 10 years |
| Brine tank, tank housing and control valve housing | Lifetime |
| Free onsite service | 1 year |
Reverse osmosis systems
| Standard 5-stage reverse osmosis systems | 5 years |
| Free onsite service | 1 year |
| Filter replacement reminders and product support | Lifetime |
What upkeep costs later
| Softener service maintenanceEvery 5 years | $200 |
| Resin replacementEvery 15–20 years | $500–$800 |
Warranty and maintenance terms exactly as the installer publishes them. Source (opens in a new tab)
In their own words
“I can see why they have so many 5 stars. Got to give credit where credit is due, CCW was amazing. Quick to quote, quick to answer and easy to schedule. They arrived right on the dot and got my water softener system running fast. The guys who came were all honest, professional and friendly. Set up my unit outside and it looked super clean. I shopped around and their pricing was by far the best for the best system (Clack). I already recommended them to my family and now my sister is looking to get a system done by them too. Loving my soft water so far, thanks Tony and team!”
“Tony is very professional and knowledgeable. I spent $98 on an inspection from another technician, but they couldn't figure out why my water softener wasn't working. Another company then quoted me nearly $2,500 to replace the circuit board, resin, and other parts. Tony spent about 45 minutes and fixed everything for just a little over $300. Highly recommended!!!!”
“We had a wonderful experience with Crystal Clear Water. Tony came out and gave us a quote for a water softener and RO system hookup. The quote was detailed, competitive, and included everything we needed to make sure the softener worked properly. When it came time to do the job, the team showed up on time and asked clarifying questions to make sure it was done the way we wanted it. Once everything was all hooked up, they walked me through what was done and how we needed to care for it. I really appreciated how detailed they were and the fact that I received a text when they were on their way that included a picture and the name of the technician that would be arriving.”
The other systems
What each one is actually for, in plain terms.
Water softenersRemoves the calcium and magnesium that scale your pipes, water heater and fixtures.
The whole-home system. It is the only one of these that actually removes hardness, so it is the one that protects the building.
Reverse osmosis drinking waterA dedicated drinking and cooking tap, filtered down to the dissolved solids a softener leaves behind.
A softener treats the house; reverse osmosis treats the glass you actually drink from. Most households that install one install both.
Whole-home filtration & conditionersCarbon filtration for taste and odour, and salt-free conditioning where a softener is not an option.
Worth knowing before you buy: a conditioner prevents some scale but does not remove hardness. It cannot do most of what a softener does.
Commercial & officeCommercial softeners, commercial reverse osmosis, and bottleless office drinking water.
For restaurants, salons, offices and property managers. Bottleless coolers usually replace a delivery contract outright.
Book the free water test
A licensed installer tests your tap, checks the plumbing loop, sizes the system and quotes it. No charge, and no obligation at the end of it.
- We send your details to the installerCrystal Clear Water LLC, CSLB #872771.
- They call to arrange a timeUsually the same day, and they work around your schedule.
- They test, size, and quote on siteYou get the number for your tap, not your district’s average.