Spots on dishes
Cloudy glasses and white film, even after the dishwasher.
★ 4.8 Stars · 8,500+ Google Reviews · Calls answered 24/7
Water Softener Installation & Service in Northern California
White spots on every glass? Crusty faucets, cloudy shower doors, and soap that never seems to rinse? That's hard water. Earl's Plumbing tests it for free, sizes the right softener for your home, and installs it clean.
Call or text (530) 343-0330 — a real person answers, day or night.
Earl's Plumbing installs and services water softeners throughout Northern California, from Shasta County to Placer County, family-owned since 1998.
We test your hardness for free, then install and service whole-home softeners for city water and private wells, including softener plus filtration or RO combinations, with no service call fee.
Call or text (530) 343-0330.
Free hard water test
$0 service call fee
City & well water
Install & repair
Financing (OAC)
CSLB #772565
Start here
Free Hard Water Test
- We test your hardness right at the tap
- Softener, filter, or both, explained honestly
- Sized for your home, with one upfront price
No service call fee · City & well water
Signs You Have Hard Water
Hard water leaves clues all over the house. If these sound familiar, a softener is probably the fix.
Crusty fixtures
White scale on faucets, showerheads, and aerators.
Cloudy shower glass
A film that comes right back after you scrub it.
Soap won't lather
More soap, less suds, and scum on the tub.
Dry skin, dull hair
Soap residue that hard water leaves behind.
Noisy water heater
Popping and rumbling from mineral sediment in the tank.
Stiff, dingy laundry
Minerals keep detergent from doing its job.
Appliance buildup
Scale in coffee makers, dishwashers, and ice makers.
The Spots You See Are the Small Part
The same minerals that film your shower door are building up where you can't see them: inside water heaters, tankless units, valves, toilet tanks, and appliances. Scale forms fastest when hard water is heated.
Cal Water's 2024 report lists Chico's average hardness at 122 ppm, which it classifies as moderately hard. Plenty of wells in the area are harder.
- Less scale in water heaters and tankless heat exchangers
- Fewer spots on glass, fixtures, and dishes
- Soap and detergent that actually rinse
Softener, Filter, or RO? They Do Different Jobs.
The right answer depends on what's actually in your water. Many homes end up with two of these.
🧂 Water softener
- Removes calcium and magnesium
- Treats the whole house
- Stops spots, scale, and soap scum
- Not a drinking-water filter
🏠 Whole-home filtration
- Sediment, chlorine taste, iron, or odor
- Treats water as it enters the house
- Often paired with a softener
- See water filtration
🚰 Reverse osmosis
- Drinking and cooking water at one tap
- Under the kitchen sink
- Great partner for a salt-based softener
- See reverse osmosis
The Honest Fine Print on Softeners
Softeners are great at what they do. Here's what to know before you buy one.
They need salt. Or potassium chloride. Check the brine tank about once a month.
Sodium-restricted diet? Ask your doctor. Potassium or an RO tap for drinking water are easy options.
Regeneration uses water. Proper sizing and settings keep that to a minimum.
Soft water feels different. Some people notice a slippery feel at first. That's soap rinsing clean.
Drain and septic matter. We check where the discharge goes and any local rules before installing.
It won't make unsafe water safe. Bacteria, nitrates, or PFAS need testing and different treatment.
Test First. Then the Right Size.
An undersized softener lets hard water through. An oversized one wastes salt and water. Here's how we get it right:
- Free hardness test and a look at what you're noticing
- City or well? Wells may need iron and sediment checked too
- Sized to your household and hardness, programmed correctly
- Clean install with a bypass valve and proper drain
- Walkthrough of salt, bypass, and what to watch for
Real Softener Installs by Earl's
Indoors, outdoors, on their own, or paired with filtration.
Chico
Whole-Home Softener
Tied in at the main with a bypass for easy service.
Yuba City
Outdoor Install
No room inside? Outdoor installs work for many homes.
Combined
Softener + Filtration
Hardness plus taste or sediment, handled in stages.
Well water
Test Before Treating
Sediment and UV first on wells that need it.
Hard Water Coming Back? We Service Softeners Too.
If the spots are back, the softener needs attention. We repair and service most softeners, even ones someone else installed.
- Salt bridges and brine tank problems
- Settings and regeneration timing reset for your water
- Leaks, bypass valves, and drain lines
- Worn-out units replaced with the right size
Why Homeowners Choose Earl's for Softeners
Plumbers first, not a water-treatment sales team.
Free hardness test
Real numbers from your tap, not a scary demo.
Sized right
Matched to your hardness and household, not the biggest unit on the truck.
Licensed plumbers install it
Proper bypass, drain, and connections. CSLB #772565.
No service call fee
One upfront price before any work. No pressure.
Financing available
Financing on approved credit.
Local for 28 years
Three Northern California offices, here when it needs service.
Your Shower Door Shouldn't Be a Second Job
Hard water starts as a cleaning annoyance. Spots on the glasses, film on the shower door, crust on the faucet. Then it turns into a plumbing problem, because those same minerals are building up inside your water heater and every valve in the house.
We'll test your water for free, show you the actual hardness number, and tell you straight whether a softener makes sense, what size, and whether you need anything else. No fear-based sales pitch. Just the right system, installed right.
— Clinton EarlOwner, Earl's Plumbing · Your Friend in the Business
28
Years serving Northern CA
8,500+
Google reviews
$0
Hard water test
24/7
Calls answered
Chico 4.8 ★ · 5,039 reviews
Redding 4.8 ★ · 2,527 reviews
Yuba City 4.8 ★ · 1,002 reviews
Call or Text Your Nearest Earl's Office
Three local offices covering eight Northern California counties. Every line takes calls and texts.
Redding
Redding · Anderson · Cottonwood · Shasta Lake · Palo Cedro · Red Bluff · Corning
(530) 244-3275
Book Your Free Hard Water Test
Book in about a minute. Tell us if you're on city or well water and what you're noticing.
1Pick your service
2Choose a time that works
3Get a confirmation — done
Rather talk to a person? Call or text (530) 343-0330 — we answer 24/7.
Not sure if you need a softener, a filter, or both? Call and we'll help you decide: (530) 343-0330.
Water Softener Questions, Answered
Hardness, sodium, salt, wells, and water heaters. Straight answers here.
Do I need a water softener?
You probably have hard water if you see white spots on dishes and shower glass, crusty buildup on faucets, soap that will not lather, or scale in your water heater. Chico city water averages about 122 ppm hardness, which Cal Water classifies as moderately hard, and many wells are harder. A free hardness test confirms it.
What is the difference between a water softener and a water filter?
A water softener removes hardness minerals, mainly calcium and magnesium, that cause spots, scale, and soap problems. A water filter reduces sediment, chlorine taste, or specific contaminants, depending on the filter. A softener is not a drinking-water filter, so homes with both hardness and taste or contaminant concerns often pair a softener with filtration or RO.
Does a water softener add sodium to my water?
A salt-based softener adds some sodium to softened water, and the amount depends on how hard the water was to begin with. If you are on a sodium-restricted diet, ask your doctor. Options include using potassium chloride instead of salt, or adding a reverse osmosis system at the kitchen sink for drinking and cooking water.
What is the difference between a salt-based softener and a salt-free conditioner?
A salt-based softener removes hardness minerals through ion exchange, so it reduces spots, scale, and soap problems. A salt-free conditioner does not remove the minerals; it changes how they behave to reduce scale buildup in pipes and appliances. Conditioners need less upkeep, but they generally will not stop spots on glass the way a true softener does.
How often do I need to add salt to a water softener?
It depends on your hardness, household size, and water use. A good habit is to check the brine tank about once a month and keep it from running low. Also watch for salt bridging, a hard crust that looks full on top but leaves an empty space underneath, so the softener cannot make brine and hard water returns.
Can a water softener be used on well water?
Yes, but well water should be tested first. Wells can have sediment, iron, sulfur, low pH, or bacteria along with hardness, and those can damage a softener or need different treatment. The usual setup is a sediment filter first, then the softener, then additional treatment like UV or RO only if testing shows it is needed.
Will a water softener help my water heater?
Yes. Hard water forms scale faster when it is heated, which builds up as sediment in tank water heaters and inside the heat exchanger of tankless units. Softened water reduces that scale, which can help efficiency, cut down on popping and rumbling, and stretch the time between tankless descaling visits.
How much does a water softener cost?
It depends on your hardness, household size, water source, and where the softener goes. That's why we start with a free hard water test. We'll show you the numbers, size the system right, and give you one upfront price with no service call fee. Financing is available on approved credit.