Tailor your home’s water hardness and reduce salt use with a blending valve
Water softener blending valves are effective tools for reducing home salt use and protecting fresh water. They work by diverting some hard water coming into your home and blending it with softened water, producing water that is mostly softened but still contains a low level of hardness. As a result, your softener uses less salt while still protecting your home water systems from the effects of very hard water.
Blending valves also allow you to tailor water hardness to your preferred level — a plus if you aren’t a fan of the slippery feeling of completely soft water.
Three steps to get a blending valve
Follow these three steps to get a blending valve for your home’s water softener:
- Determine if your softener is a good fit
- Choose a blending valve installer
- Request a blending valve
Determine if your softener is a good fit
The easiest time to get a blending valve is when you’re buying a new softener. Many softener brands in our area, including Capital, Hellenbrand and Culligan, have models that are compatible with blending valves. All you need to do is request a blending valve when buying the new softener.
If you’re adding a blending valve to your existing softener, check whether a blending valve is compatible with your softener model. The softener brands and models listed in the table below are known to be compatible with a blending valve. If your softener isn’t listed below, contact your softener manufacturer to see if there’s a valve compatible with your model.
| Brand | Models | Compatible valve |
|---|---|---|
| Addie | CM1, CM125 | Clack external in-line mixing valve |
| Capital | Windsor Series (WS), Bella Series | Clack external in-line mixing valve |
| Culligan | High-efficiency (HE) water softeners | Built-in |
| Fox | DC Series | Clack external in-line mixing valve |
| GE | GXSH40V, GXSH45V, GXGXSHC40N (Smart softener) | Built-in |
| Hellenbrand | E Series, ProMate, H100, H125 | Clack external in-line mixing valve |
| Proficient H2O | Pro100, Pro300 | Clack external in-line mixing valve |
| Rheem | RHS42, RHW42 | Built-in |
If your softener is old (15+ years) or not working properly, it’s better to replace it than add a blending valve.
Choose a blending valve installer
Several plumbing and water softener companies in our area can install a blending valve. These companies have confirmed that they offer blending valves, but if your preferred plumber isn’t on this list, ask if they can install a valve.
- Hellenbrand
- HJ Pertzborn
- Hooper
- KJM Plumbing
- Monona Plumbing
- Sheldon Plumbing
- Swinehart Plumbing
- WF Butler Plumbing
Request a blending valve
When contacting an installer, let them know the brand and model of your softener so they can confirm that they can provide a blending valve. Also, let them know the hardness blend you’d like the blending valve to produce. You can use our salt reduction calculator to help choose your blend.
If you’re not sure, start with a hardness blend of 20% hard, 80% soft water. Depending on the source water hardness at your home, this blend translates to a hardness level of 3 to 6 grains per gallon in your water. The higher the percentage of hard water, the more salt you save.
Blending valves are adjustable, so you can always set them to a lower or higher hardness to suit your preference. It’s easy to find the blend that’s right for you!
