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You should have your heat pump serviced at least once a year. If you use your heat pump for heating and cooling, you should service it twice annually, in the fall and the spring.

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The average life span of a heat pump is 10-15 years. Because heat pumps run year-round to heat and cool your home, they don’t always last as long as a typical heating or cooling system. However, you can extend the life span by ensuring that your unit is routinely maintained by an HVAC professional.

Water Softener Regeneration: How Many Days Can Yours Go Between Cycles?

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Last Revised: 2/19/2025

Is your water softener regeneration programmed to take place too often, or not enough? Have you ever wondered exactly how many days should pass between regenerations? Understanding this process is crucial to ensuring that your water softener works efficiently and lasts as long as possible.

At Mattioni, our team of water conditioning and water treatment experts assist homeowners through this process every single day, so that they don’t have to think twice about the hardness of their water. In this article, we’ll give you the simple formula needed to calculate the number of days between regenerations and complete your water softener setup. After reading this, you’ll be prepared to take the next step in your water softener setup and be one step closer to better water.

Key Facts & Terms:

75 Gallons: The average amount of water used per person per day.

Grains per gallon (GPG): A measurement of the hardness of your water supply – scaling from 0 up indefinitely. A measurement of over 7 grains per gallon is considered hard water. Find this number by conducting a water quality test, using a hardness meter, or hiring a professional plumber.

Grains: A measurement of the capacity of water softeners, designed to match the usage and hardness of a household. Sizes are typically offered in: 16,000, 24,000, 32,000, 40,000, 48,000, and 64,000 grains.

Regeneration: The process of flushing out old minerals from the resin beads in a water softener, so that the system can continue to soften water.

The Simple Formula to Calculate Your Water Softener’s Regeneration Schedule

Your household’s daily water usage (in gallons) and the hardness of your water (in grains per gallon) are the two variables that determine which capacity of water softener (in grains) you should install in your home. They’re also the main variables used to calculate the number of days between regenerations.

When you get to the point where you must manually enter the number of days between water softener regenerations, follow this simple formula:

How to Calculate Your Water Softener’s Regeneration Cycle

Let’s use the following situation as an example to illustrate the formula:

A 4-occupant home, with a water hardness of 12 GPG, has installed a 40,000-grain water softener

Determine Your Daily Water Usage

First, calculate your total daily household water usage by multiplying the number of occupants by 75 – Example: 4 occupants * 75 gallons/person = 300 gallons per day

*Pro Tip: Check a recent water bill for the precise amount of water your home uses.

Find Your Daily Grain Usage

Next, determine the total grains used daily by multiplying total household water usage by your water hardness – Example: 300 gallons * 12 GPG = 3,600 grains per day

Calculate for the Number of Days Between Regenerations

Then, divide the capacity of your water softener by the total grains used daily to determine how many days between regenerations you’ll need – Example: 40,000 grains / 3,600 grains per day = 11.1 days (rounded to 11 days.)

That’s it; the simple three-step process that tells you how many days between regenerations to complete your water softener’s setup. By substituting the numbers of your situation into our example, you can easily figure out the answer for your home.

Remember to keep 75 gallons per person per day constant (unless using an accurate measurement from a water bill), and that you’ll need an up-to-date water quality test conducted to find your grains per gallon (GPG).

Should You Install Your Water Softener Yourself or Hire a Professional?

Now that you understand how to calculate your water softener’s regeneration schedule, you can ensure optimal performance. While installing your water softener on your own can be an effective strategy to save money, it also comes with risks. For instance, homeowners often accidentally damage their plumbing system when completing DIY installations, leading to costly repairs and major inconveniences. Or, the system may be installed improperly, resulting in a system that doesn’t function as it should.

A professional plumber can offer sound, reliable services that ensure your home’s plumbing system is protected and your new water softener operates as it should. Hard water can cause build-up and damage appliances, so proper installation and regeneration timing is key.

If you run into any complications or are not entirely confident in your plumbing knowledge or skills, it’s always advisable to bring in a professional plumber.

The team at Mattioni handles water softener installations and maintenance services almost every day. We know these systems inside and out, and can get yours operating smoothly and efficiently. We’ll make sure that you have all you need to know to keep your water softener operating properly for the long haul.

Not sure where to start? Call Mattioni now at (610) 400-8510 or book an appointment online to get started. Just because your water’s hard, doesn’t mean your installation has to be.