Water in the Boise area comes from the Boise River and from deep aquifer wells, and depending on where you live it tests anywhere from moderately hard to very hard. That hardness is what leaves spots on glasses, scale on shower doors, and a crust inside your water heater. Summit Plumbing tests your water at the tap, explains the numbers, and recommends only what those numbers call for. For most homes that is a properly sized ion exchange softener. For drinking water, a reverse osmosis system under the kitchen sink removes what a softener does not. For homes on private wells outside city water, we add sediment or iron filtration when the test shows it is needed. We install with a bypass valve, a drain connection that meets code, and a plan for salt delivery or service if you want it. We do not sell systems for problems your water does not have.
Signs your water is hard enough to treat
- White scale on faucets, shower heads, and glass doors
- Soap does not lather and skin feels dry after showers
- Water heater pops and rumbles when it fires
- Dishwasher leaves cloudy film on glasses
- Faucet cartridges and aerators clog every year or two
- Bottled water habit because tap water tastes off
What a softener or filtration install includes
- On site hardness, chlorine, and total dissolved solids test with the results explained
- Sizing based on grains of hardness, household size, and fixture count
- Softener or filter installed on the main line with a bypass valve
- Code compliant drain and overflow connection
- Reverse osmosis faucet and tank at the kitchen sink if selected
- Startup, programming, and a walkthrough of salt and filter changes
How a water treatment install works
- Call (208) 555-0142 and we schedule a water test at your kitchen tap.
- We go over the results and quote the system that fits, with sizing shown in writing.
- Our plumber installs the unit at the main line, connects the drain, and adds a bypass so you can isolate it.
- We program the regeneration schedule to your usage and flush the lines.
- We show you how to add salt or change filters and leave a service schedule.
Water softener and filtration pricing
A residential softener sized for a family of four, installed on an accessible main line, starts from $1,900 including the drain connection and bypass. Reverse osmosis systems for the kitchen sink are quoted separately and cost less. What changes the price is the hardness level, which sets the unit size, where the main line enters the house, how far the drain is, and whether a loop needs to be added in a home that was not plumbed for a softener. We list the equipment and labor separately, and we can quote a salt delivery schedule if you want one.
Hard water in Boise and the Treasure Valley
Hardness here varies more than most people expect. Homes served mostly by river water may test around 5 to 10 grains, while neighborhoods on deep wells, and most private wells in Kuna and rural Ada County, can test 15 grains or more. Hardness can also shift by season as the utility changes its source mix. That is why we test at your tap instead of quoting from a map. The dry summer air makes scale spots on glass and fixtures more visible, and the mineral load is the main reason water heaters here fail early. Softened water also lets tankless heaters and dishwashers run with less descaling.
Questions we get about this
Is Boise water hard enough to need a softener?
Usually yes, especially in well fed neighborhoods and on private wells. Anything above 7 grains per gallon causes scale, and much of the valley tests higher. We test at your tap and show you the number before recommending anything.
Will a softener make my water taste salty?
No. A softener adds a small amount of sodium in exchange for calcium and magnesium, well below what you would taste. If sodium is a concern, potassium chloride works in place of salt, or a reverse osmosis tap handles drinking water.
Do I need a filter and a softener?
They do different jobs. A softener removes hardness. Filters remove chlorine, sediment, or specific contaminants. On city water most homes need a softener and, if they want better tasting drinking water, a reverse osmosis system at the sink.
Can I install a softener in a house without a loop?
Yes. We add the connection at the main line, usually in the garage, utility room, or crawl space near where water enters. The quote includes the loop and the drain line if they are not already there.
How often do I add salt or change filters?
Most families add a bag of salt every four to eight weeks, depending on hardness and usage. Reverse osmosis filters change once a year, and the membrane every three to five years. We leave a schedule with the unit.
Is a salt free conditioner as good as a softener?
No. Conditioners change how scale forms but do not remove hardness, so you will still see spotting and buildup in heaters. They have a place where a drain is impossible, but for Boise water we recommend a true softener.