Free · private · browser-based

Plan your whole-house water system before you buy.

Turn your household size, hardness, flow needs and water-test clues into a practical treatment plan. No account. Lab values stay in your browser.

Build my planInterpret my lab report
Local calculation17.1 mg/L = 1 gpg hardnessEPA/NSF source-led guidance

A better order of operations

1
Know the sourceMunicipal water and private wells start with different evidence.
2
Size for flowWhole-house equipment must pass the flow your home actually needs.
3
Match the problemHardness, sediment, iron and health contaminants are not interchangeable.
4
Check certificationMatch certification claims to the contaminant you actually want reduced.
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Hardness translated

Enter ppm/mg/L or grains per gallon. We normalize the number and show the USGS hardness class.

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Flow target

Use a known measured peak flow or, when unavailable, a clearly labeled bathroom-count fallback estimate.

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Treatment order

Get a prioritized sequence based on your inputs; water safety still depends on appropriate testing and local professional guidance.

Build your water-system plan

Use numbers from your utility Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) or a certified lab when you have them. Unknown fields can be left blank.

Planning estimate — not a water-safety determination. Verify health-related concerns with a certified lab/utility and verify final equipment, plumbing, certification and code requirements before purchase or installation. Safety & legal limits.
Start with an example or enter your own measurements

Example values are for exploration only — replace them with your own CCR or lab results.

01 Home + water source
Leave blank for a planning estimate.
Planning default from the Penn State softener-sizing example; use your measured softened-water use if known.
Use a measured household value if you know it. Exclude irrigation or other water that bypasses the softener.
02 Water-test numbers
Enter your own result. If you are only exploring, choose “Estimate / not measured” below.
Used only to grade sizing confidence — not water safety.
Advanced water chemistry (optional): iron, manganese and pH
03 Sizing preferences
A planning window, not a universal manufacturer setting.
Extra design margin for variation in use.
04 Optional water clues
Show sediment, odor, disinfectant and health-flag questions
Check your utility CCR. Carbon performance claims differ by contaminant and product.

This tool estimates sizing and treatment sequence. It does not determine whether water is safe to drink and does not replace a certified lab, utility report, plumber, water-treatment professional or applicable code.

Before you buy

Five checks that prevent expensive mistakes

Verify the exact model's service flow, pressure drop, usable capacity, certified claim and ownership cost — then confirm installation requirements.

Open buying checklist
Side-by-side sizing comparison

See how two hypothetical systems differ in regeneration timing, yearly salt use and flow headroom before comparing real product specifications. Open the free comparison lab →

Useful calculators

Ten focused tools for interpreting lab results, sizing, comparing equipment and estimating ownership cost.

Private Well Lab Report InterpreterPaste or enter common lab results and turn them into a source-led follow-up checklist.Well-water toolProduct fit checkerCompare a candidate system’s service flow and usable capacity against your house.Buyer toolPressure drop budgetAdd treatment losses at your design flow and check the downstream pressure margin.Hydraulic toolHardness converterppm / mg/L ↔ gpg + USGS classSoftener size calculatorDaily grains + planning capacity bandFlow-rate plannerEstimate simultaneous GPM from fixturesRegeneration intervalUsable capacity ÷ daily grain loadSalt-use calculatorRegeneration settings → annual salt cost10-year ownership costEquipment + install + consumables + energySoftener efficiencyCompare usable grains per pound of salt and estimate annual salt demand.
Built to reduce guesswork

Most calculators stop at a number. This one checks the decision.

Use the planner to size the need, then test a real product’s service flow and usable capacity and build a pressure budget for the full treatment train before you buy. The site never treats a nominal label as proof of fit.

Evidence gradeShows when the result rests on lab/utility data versus estimates.
Hydraulic checkCompares service flow and adds pressure-loss data at the flow you actually need.
Usable-capacity checkSeparates nominal grain labels from the capacity you can actually enter.
Safety gateHealth-contaminant selection stays outside the generic sizing engine.

Start with evidence, not a product page.

Municipal water: read your CCR. Private well: use a certified laboratory before treating a health concern.

Interpret a well lab report
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