Build Your Own Whole House Water Treatment System
Design a custom water softener, iron filter, sediment filter, carbon filter, pH neutralizer, or arsenic reduction system, sized for your household, priced live, and assembled to order in California. Choose your tank size, media, control valve, and jacket, and see exactly what the system will deliver before you buy.
What you can build
Water Softener
Removes hardness minerals that cause scale, spotting, and dry skin. Ion-exchange resin regenerated with salt.
Iron & Sulfur Filter
Removes iron, manganese, and rotten-egg odor from well water using Katalox Light, Filox, or Greensand Plus.
Sediment Filter
Traps silt, sand, and fine particulate that make water look cloudy. Micro-Z zeolite or anthracite.
Carbon Filter
Reduces chlorine, chloramine, taste, and odor on city water. Coconut-shell or catalytic carbon.
pH Neutralizer
Corrects acidic water that corrodes copper pipes and leaves blue-green staining. Calcite and Corosex blend.
Arsenic Reduction
Certified arsenic removal on ResinTech ASM-10-HP resin. Available as a lead/lag pair for best results.
How we size your system
Getting the size right matters more than any single component. An undersized system runs out of capacity between regenerations; an oversized one wastes salt, water, and money. Our builder sizes every system from two numbers: your household's peak flow demand and, for softeners, your water hardness and daily usage.
Sizing a water softener
Softener capacity is measured in grains. We calculate the grains your household removes between regenerations from the number of people, your hardness in grains per gallon, and any dissolved iron (each 1 ppm of iron adds roughly 4 gpg of effective hardness). We then check that against peak flow so the system never chokes when several fixtures run at once, and take whichever number demands the larger tank.
| Tank size | Media volume | Grain capacity | Typical household |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 × 44 | 0.75 cu ft | 24,000 grains | 1–2 people, 1 bath |
| 9 × 48 | 1.0 cu ft | 32,000 grains | 2–3 people, 1–2 baths |
| 10 × 54 | 1.5 cu ft | 48,000 grains | 3–4 people, 2–3 baths |
| 12 × 52 | 2.0 cu ft | 64,000 grains | 4–5 people, 3 baths |
| 13 × 54 | 2.5 cu ft | 80,000 grains | 5–6 people, 3–4 baths |
| 14 × 65 | 3.0 cu ft | 96,000 grains | 6+ people, 4+ baths |
Sizing a filter
Filters are sized on flow, not capacity. Each media has a service flow rate measured in gallons per minute per cubic foot, and a backwash rate measured in gallons per minute per square foot of tank cross-section. The backwash number is the one people miss: if your well pump or city supply can't deliver enough flow to lift and rinse the bed, the media channels and stops working — regardless of how good the media is. Our builder checks both, and tells you which one is the limiting factor on your build.
Filter media comparison
| Media | Removes | Backwash rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Katalox Light | Iron, manganese, hydrogen sulfide | 8 gpm/ft² | Lower backwash demand — best choice for wells with a modest pump. |
| Filox | Iron, manganese, hydrogen sulfide | 12–15 gpm/ft² | Highest removal capacity per cubic foot. Needs a strong backwash. |
| Greensand Plus | Iron, manganese, hydrogen sulfide | 12 gpm/ft² | Regenerates with potassium permanganate. Works where other media stall. |
| Coconut carbon | Chlorine, taste, odor | 7 gpm/ft² | High fine-pore structure. The standard choice for city water. |
| Catalytic carbon | Chloramine, chlorine, odor | 7 gpm/ft² | Specially treated to break down chloramine, which ordinary carbon barely touches. |
| Micro-Z zeolite | Fine sediment to ~5 micron | 10 gpm/ft² | Roughly five times finer filtration than ordinary sand. |
| Anthracite | Coarse sediment and grit | 10 gpm/ft² | Lower-cost coarse bed, good ahead of another filter. |
| Calcite / Corosex | Low pH (acidic water) | 8 gpm/ft² | Blend ratio calculated from your tested pH. |
| ScaleStop TAC | Scale (no salt, no drain) | None required | Conditions rather than softens — prevents scale without removing hardness. |
Control valves we offer
The control valve runs the regeneration cycle and determines how much water the system can pass. Every valve below is available in the builder, and we'll tell you which ones can actually handle your tank and media combination — some pairings need more drain flow than a smaller valve can deliver.
| Valve | Service flow | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Fleck 5600 SXT | 20 gpm | The most-installed valve in the industry. Simple to service, parts available everywhere. |
| Fleck 5800 SXT | 21 gpm | Larger drain passage for cleaner backwashing on tall tanks. |
| Fleck 5800 XTR2 | 21 gpm | Full-color touchscreen with on-board diagnostics and usage history. |
| Fleck 2510 | 19 gpm | Heavy-duty commercial-grade body for large tanks and demanding well water. |
| IPW WS1 | 27 gpm | Quiet ceramic-disc operation and long service life. A pro favorite. |
| IPW WS 1.25 High Flow | 34 gpm | Highest flow available — for large homes running several fixtures at once. |
Tank jackets
Jackets are optional. A neoprene sleeve stops condensation from dripping off a cold tank onto the floor and hides the tank in a finished space — the practical choice for garages and basements. A polished stainless jacket turns the tank into something you don't mind seeing, for utility rooms or anywhere it's in view. Left bare, the tank ships in durable black composite, which is perfectly fine out of sight.
Frequently asked questions
What size water softener do I need?
For most homes, tank size follows household size and hardness. A 3–4 person home at average hardness is typically well served by a 10 × 54 tank (1.5 cu ft, 48,000 grains); a 5–6 person home usually needs a 13 × 54 (2.5 cu ft, 80,000 grains). Dissolved iron raises the effective hardness, so wells often need a size up. Our builder calculates this for you from your people count, hardness, bathrooms, and iron level.
Does a bigger control valve mean more water flow?
Usually not. In most residential builds the media bed is the limiting factor, not the valve — so upgrading the valve alone won't increase flow. More flow comes from more media, meaning a larger tank. A bigger valve buys you metering, electronics, reliability, and backwash headroom. Our builder shows you which side is the ceiling on your specific configuration.
What is a lead/lag arsenic system, and do I need one?
A lead/lag configuration runs two vessels in series. Raw water passes through the first (worker) tank, and a second (polisher) tank catches anything that breaks through. Sample valves between the vessels let you test the midpoint and change media before arsenic ever reaches the tap. The manufacturer recommends this configuration, and it's our default — a single vessel is available at lower cost, but nothing sits behind it once the resin is exhausted.
What's the difference between Katalox Light, Filox, and Greensand Plus?
All three remove iron, manganese, and hydrogen sulfide. Filox has the highest removal capacity per cubic foot, so it handles severe well water in a smaller tank — but it needs a strong backwash (12–15 gpm/ft²). Katalox Light backwashes at a gentler 8 gpm/ft², making it friendlier to wells with a modest pump. Greensand Plus regenerates with a potassium permanganate solution rather than relying on raw water chemistry, so it keeps working where the others stall — particularly with sulfur, manganese, or low-oxygen water.
Do I need a water softener or a salt-free conditioner?
A softener removes hardness minerals through ion exchange and requires salt and a drain line. A salt-free conditioner uses TAC media to convert hardness into microscopic crystals that pass through your plumbing instead of sticking to it — no salt, no drain, no regeneration. Choose a softener if you want the slick-water feel and true hardness removal; choose salt-free if scale prevention is the goal and you'd rather not add sodium or run a drain.
How long does it take to ship?
Every system is assembled to order for your specific water configuration. Standard builds ship in 3–5 business days. Arsenic reduction systems are built to order with a 14-day lead time. Assembled systems ship by freight; unassembled systems ship by parcel.
Can I install it myself?
Yes. Systems can ship unassembled by parcel, which is the most economical option and lets you handle the tank and media separately. If you'd rather it arrive ready to plumb in, choose the assembled option and we'll load the media, mount the valve, and ship it by freight. All systems include a bypass valve and the fittings for your chosen connection type.
Related collections
- Water Softeners — complete systems and replacement parts
- Whole House Filtration Systems
- Media and Resin — Katalox, Filox, Greensand Plus, carbon, calcite
- Water Softening Media — ion-exchange resin
- Fleck Valves and Control Valve Parts
- Fiberglass Mineral Tanks
- Sediment Filters · Carbon Filters
Ready to build? Use the interactive builder below to configure your system and see live pricing. If you'd rather talk it through, call 714-541-6600 and we'll size it for you.
