Water Softener in Fairfax Station, VA

Fairfax County lists Fairfax Water as the water provider here, with hardness of about 77 to 147 mg/L from its Occoquan plant and 70 to 185 mg/L from its Potomac plant. If your property has its own well instead, test the water first. Call the number on this page to be connected with a local plumber in Fairfax Station.

Water softener tank and brine tank with a filtration system in a basement utility room, water softeners & filtration in Fairfax Station, VA

Signs your home needs a softener

White mineral rings on sinks, tubs and toilet bowls
Glass shower doors that cloud over between cleanings
A water heater that crackles or takes longer to recover
Reduced flow from showerheads with crusted nozzles
An older softener that uses salt but leaves the water hard

Water in Fairfax Station

Fairfax Water draws from the Occoquan Reservoir at its Griffith plant and the Potomac River at its Corbalis plant. Its analyses put Griffith water at about 77 to 147 mg/L, roughly 4.5 to 8.6 grains per gallon, and Corbalis water at 70 to 185 mg/L. That's moderately hard to hard, and the reading at your sink shifts with the season and the plant supplying it.

Fairfax Station is a large-lot area, and service can vary by address. If your home draws from a private well, the water needs a lab test for hardness, iron, manganese and pH before choosing equipment. If county sewer doesn't reach your street, regeneration water goes to a private onsite wastewater system, and a metered, high-efficiency unit keeps that volume down. Ask the plumber to check both before quoting.

The median home here was built around 1982. Many have walk-out basements with the main near the water heater and a floor drain, a good layout for a softener.

Call now to be connected with a local plumber in Fairfax Station.

(202) 915-7612

What affects the cost

Public water versus a well with extra filtration needs
Capacity for larger homes and several bathrooms
Distance from the main to a drain and an outlet
Replacing stiff or leaking valves at the main
Carbon filtration for disinfectant taste on public water
Removing an existing system

What happens when you call

The number on this page is a free referral line, not a plumbing company. It connects you with an independent plumber who works in Fairfax Station. Say whether you're on Fairfax Water or a well, whether the home is on county sewer, and what you're seeing at the taps. Fairfax Water uses chloramines most of the year and free chlorine about April through June; if taste is part of the complaint, mention it so the plumber can suggest a carbon stage. Fairfax County Land Development Services handles plumbing permits for Fairfax Station.

Water Softeners & Filtration questions in Fairfax Station

Why does my hardness reading change from season to season?

Fairfax Water's connected system draws from both the Occoquan Reservoir and the Potomac River, and each source changes through the year. Its plant analyses show ranges, not a single number.

We are on a private well. What should be tested before a softener goes in?

Hardness, iron, manganese and pH at minimum. Those results decide whether the well needs a filter ahead of the softener and how the softener should be set.

Is a softener a good fit for a home that is not on municipal sewer?

It can be, with a metered unit that regenerates only when needed. That limits how much brine reaches a private onsite wastewater system. Ask the plumber to size the unit with that in mind.

Will softened water add sodium to what we drink?

Some sodium is added in proportion to the hardness removed. Potassium chloride in the brine tank, or an unsoftened kitchen tap, avoids it.