What's your zip code?

Are you on city water or a private well?

Is there a drain within about 15 feet of your main water shutoff?

A softener flushes itself every few weeks and that water has to go somewhere. A laundry drain, utility sink, or floor drain all work.

Any reason you'd want to avoid salt?

A few California cities restrict salt-based softeners. Some people just prefer not to handle salt.

How big is the household?

This sets the tank size. A bigger tank doesn't flow faster, it runs longer between cleanings and lasts longer before the media needs replacing.

How long do you expect to be in this home?

Bay Area utilities use chloramine year round, and chloramine is what wears softening resin out. Keeping the carbon in its own tank protects the resin, which changes how long the system lasts.

Do you want filtered drinking water at the kitchen sink?

A whole-home system treats every tap. A reverse osmosis unit under the sink goes further on the water you actually drink.

Do you know your iron level?

Iron above 7 ppm needs a different system than iron below it. This is the one number that changes the whole build.

Any rusty staining or rotten-egg smell?

Orange stains mean iron. A sulfur smell means the build changes regardless of the iron number.