Creating Space for Storage
This customer wanted their softener to be square on in the cupboard, making it easy to access, and so we created a 3/4 shelf for them on a neat chrome bar.
Under the hob
This softener is neatly fitted under the hob, and we have even left them with 3/4 shelf unit for extra storage, and placed the bypass set alongside so that it is easily accessible, if needed.
Fitting into a utility cupboard within a Dartford flat
This new flat had limited space for a softener, so we created a shelf of the same slatted pine style, and slipped it in a neat gap, with the bypass set discretely hidden underneath, yet still easily accessible.
Salt Licks were the original inspiration for softener salt blocks
Harvey Bowden of Harvey Softeners (In the days when he was trading as Kinetico UK) was given the idea for the salt block by a friend of his, called Geoff. Geoff said to Harvey, "Harvey, if you created blocks of salt like animal licks, then there would be less mess in the home caused by salt granules or tablets"
Salt scum is very damaging for softeners
One of the risks of sea or lake salt is the scum created in the brine cabinet, which can leave an oily residue and coat the inner workings of the softener, causing mechanisms to slip.
Sand in Sea and Lake salt is very damaging to softeners
Many suppliers of salt don't care about the damage caused to softeners, sometimes because they don't know that is in fact damaging customer softeners, and unfortunately in some cases where they do know, they prefer customers use poor quality salt as this reduces the life of the softener. The wrong type of salt can leave grit in the brine cabinet, which can be sucked up by the brine valve, and scratch & score the valve, creating permanent damage.
A commercial softener in a Hove block of flats
We look after all types of softeners, including this block of flats in Hove. When we first took over the contract, the softener had been condemned by another company. We identified that in fact all that was wrong was that one of the resin cylinders had failed, and were able to replace it, saving the customer a significant amount of money in the process.
A Canary Wharf apartment
This softener is installed in a utility cupboard in a Canary Wharf apartment. We built a cabinet to sit the softener onto, meeting all the drain and overflow needs of the softener.
An outside installation with a suitable hard-plumbed drain
Fitting this softener outside required running a suitable drain to the outside gulley. The softener is perfectly ensconced within this purpose-made insulated aluminium outside cabinet.
Creating a base for an outside installation
What's hidden under here? This softener would have sat on the soil, but instead, we laid a concrete paving slab on to sharp sand, creating a suitable and firm base for the softener to sit on.
A compact installation, neatly tucked away
What's underneath the cabinet? Here we have a Minimax Innova, perfectly installed and ready to be insulated.
Tucking the softener into a corner cupboard, under the kitchen sink
This customer wanted the softener fitted side on in the cupboard, which we have done, placing it on to the base of the cupboard, We fitted the bypass set neatly to the right-hand side, and the filter is at the rear of the cupboard, giving the client refreshing softened-filtered drinking water.
A Hague Water Softener, in the garage
This Hague water softener is installed in an insulated garage/exercise space. We were replacing a 2-year-old EWT softener that was already in this home, but was giving the customer hard water. Cheaper Chinese EWT softeners are frequently sold with a service contract which can be quite costly for the customer, but when it comes time to call on the service team of EWT, the customer found that they were completely unable to get the machine looked at.
A professional window cleaner in Crawley
This window cleaner had heard about our extensive experience in the window cleaning sector, and was having several problems with their installation where their water quality was very poor, leaving water staining on windows. We completely redesigned their system, and professionally installed this Minimax Major, which softened the water down to 0 hardness, and added a professional RO system and DI resin tank. Perfect for a business that totally relies on the purity of their water always being 99.99% pure!
The full package
This client wanted softened water in their home, as well as boiling water on tap. Whilst there are various boiling water taps on the market, nothing is as reliable and works as efficiently as the Quooker, here with a Chrome Flex tap, all neatly tucked under the kitchen sink. The Quooker runs on softened water, which means it will never scale up, prolonging the life of the machine considerably, and saving them thousands of pounds on servicing costs over the life of the Quooker.
Minimax Innova along with purified Reverse Osmosis water
This customer is a regular returning client of ours who has had softeners from us previously in her last home and tenanted properties, and this was for her new home. Her key requirement was completely soft water, and the best quality drinking water, specifically to remove pharmaceuticals from the water supply. All are neatly tucked away in a spare space in the utility cupboard.
Where's Quooker?
In a game akin to 'Where's Wally?' this Quooker Combi was ticked away neatly into a kitchen cupboard, and unless you knew it was there, you would only know when you started to look around for the kettle. The Combi gives boiling water and hot water, so this customer no longer has to wait 52 seconds for the kitchen hot tap to give hot water as it is now instantaneous too!
A private school near Maidstone in Kent
When we took over this contract, the previous hot water softener that was installed here had been installed on cold water hoses, and the resin cylinder had also failed, literally causing the inner part of the cylinder to peel away from the outer, creating a permanent risk of a hot water release. As soon as the school spotted something was wrong, they called us in. We properly installed a new hot water softener, and also serviced their two other softeners, giving everything a new lease of life.
A home to be proud of
If you are installing a softener into your home, you can rely on us to respect your home as though it were our own. We only install one softener a day, and we take our time so that the job is done properly, first time.
In this home, I wanted to ensure that the customer's softener took as little space as possible, so we created a shelf for them on a neat and tidy chrome bar. The customer was happy for us to discretely hide the hoses below the base of the unit, maximising storage space, and we fitted the control bypass set on the right-hand side where it is easily accessible. We then fitted a filter to give softened-filtered water to the main kitchen tap, which is what most of our customers prefer.
A different type of layout
This client wanted the softener laid out in the centre of the kitchen cupboard, so we created a neat compact bypass set on the right, and hid all the pipework away, and finished it with a filter to give softened-filtered drinking water.
Some installations are tighter
The owners of this kitchen wanted the softener to take up as little space as possible as storage space was at a premium, and so we made sure they still had plenty of storage. Incidentally, at the back is a white round object which is the water meter - and the Minimax uniquely has the same type of water meter as is used by the water authority. So it measures even down to a really slow-dripping tap, guaranteeing completely soft water all of the time!
A garage installation
Sometimes the only place to install a softener is wherever you can find a good home for it. In this home, we installed it next to the unvented hot water cylinder, onto a shelf. Everything is at eye level and takes up as little space as possible. This was a replacement for an EWT softener, approximately 3 years old, which had failed. The customer had tried to contact EWT, but they were just interested in selling them a replacement softener, despite them paying for an annual service contract. Their new Minimax Innova, however, requires no annual servicing, and so will save them a lot of money over the life of the softener.
A corner cupboard installation
There are so many ways to install a water softener neatly, and here we did so in this home in Hassocks, West Sussex, and we made sure that the customer didn't lose their storage shelf either.
Voila, it Fits!
This customer wanted boiling hot water via a large Pro7 tank, on tap, along with chilled, filtered and sparkling water. It all had to fit around the plumbing in the under-sink cupboard, and taking up as little space as possible was critical. It was a tight fit, but we were able to create Mary Poppins magic and make it all fit!
Very few under sink cupboards are ready for a softener to be installed
When I first met this customer, the trap of the sink took up much of the cupboard, and the client feared that they would not be able to fit a softener in the space. We used a space-saving trap, and, as if by magic, it not only all fitted, but they came away with the feeling that they actually had more space in the cupboard than they started with! A win-win!
Where can my softener be installed?
This customer had been told that they would need to lose a larger kitchen cupboard for their softener to be installed. Their preference was that it went under the sink, and when I assured them it could easily be done, they were very understandably very sceptical. I explained to the client that all we do is install and maintain water softeners, and so we are experts at not only making things fit, but also making sure that the installation is neat and professional.
Sometimes the client prefers a different type of finish
My preference is that the bypass control set is always very easily accessible, which makes our installations a little trickier to do. In this case, however, the customer wanted the bypass set hidden neatly at the back of the cupboard, and it looks great!
What if there is no space to fit the softener in the cupboard?
In this home, the only way the softener was going to fit was to cut a very neat hold through the base of the unit and place the softener onto the floor of the kitchen. The hoses run around the back, and the drinking water filter is neatly at the ear too.
A Quooker boiling water tap, along with chilled, filtered and sparkling water
The new Quooker Cube, which produces sparkling and chilled water takes up so little space!
Minimax M3 with softened-filtered drinking water and boiling water
This customer opted for the original block salt M3 and alongside we fitted a Quooker boiling water tap, and our own filter to give softened-filtered water to the main cold kitchen tap.
The Culligan SoClear water purifier is a powerful compact system
This water purifier is immensely popular and produces purified water clear of organic compounds, bacteria, viruses and even pharmaceutical drugs. When we know that every drop of water on our planet has been through at least 7-sets of kidneys, it makes us realise that removing pharmaceutical drugs is often left to the homeowner to do if they feel they want to.
Installation of a softener in a garage in Brighton
This water softener was extremely challenging to install, but we were able to place it on a shelving unit within the garage, and then creatively find a way to get the drain back into the house.
A Dartford Apartment block
Also a difficult installation, we installed this softener by creating a wooden shelf, and then placing it at a high level in the boiler room. Finding a suitable drain was interesting, and took quite a bit of skill to fit.
A Qettle Boiling Water System
We are not big fans of the Qettle boiling water system for various reasons, but this customer had been convinced by someone else that it was the best system for their home. It was supplied by the customer and we fitted it, alongside our filter to give softened-filtered drinking water to the main cold kitchen tap.
Can you spot the Quooker?
Inside this cupboard, there is a Quooker Pro3 Tank, a Minimax Innova, a drinking water filter and a pull-out bin! Amazing how much can be fitted into a tight space!