Temple Hills is served by WSSC Water, and in a community built largely from the 1950s through the 1970s, softener work often involves older mains and shutoff valves as much as the unit itself. Test your hardness, bypass a failing unit, and get it looked at. Call the number on this page to be connected with a local plumber in Temple Hills.
About Temple Hills
Temple Hills is mostly garden apartments, duplexes and single-family neighborhoods, and the median home was built around 1973. Many plumbing systems here are 50 years old or more. WSSC Water supplies the area with treated Potomac and Patuxent river water, disinfected with chlorine and dosed with a corrosion inhibitor that protects pipes on the customer's side. WSSC's report doesn't list hardness for Temple Hills, so a test at your own faucet is the reliable guide. The Temple Hills mailing address also covers more ground than the community itself; the water provider on your bill is what counts.
What to do now
- Find the bypass. On an existing softener, learn where the bypass valve is so you can isolate the unit if it leaks.
- Check the main shutoff. In older homes it may be stiff or seized; don't force it, but tell the plumber.
- Test the water. A hardness kit on cold kitchen water gives the figure a new softener needs.
- Look in the brine tank. Salt should sit above the water; a crust or standing water signals a problem.
- Ask about shared lines. In a duplex or apartment, confirm with the owner whether you control your own main before planning an install.
Symptom guide
| Symptom | Likely cause |
|---|---|
| Hard water returned suddenly | Empty brine tank, salt bridge or clogged injector |
| Rusty water only on hot taps | Aging water heater, not the softener |
| Weak flow through the house | Old supply pipe, fouled resin or a clogged prefilter |
| Unit drains for hours | Control valve stuck mid-cycle |
| Puddle at the base | Cracked bypass or brine tank overflow |
Cost factors
Hardness and household size set the unit's capacity. Older Temple Hills homes may need a section of pipe or a new shutoff at the tie-in, which adds labor. The distance to a drain, the need for an outlet, and removing old equipment also count. A plumber may advise sorting out a failing water heater first, since rusty hot water is a heater problem a softener won't solve. Plumbing permits here come from WSSC Water, not the county, and water heater replacements need one.
Water Softeners & Filtration questions in Temple Hills
Is an older softener worth repairing?
Will a softener get rid of the chlorine taste?
Where is a softener usually installed?
Does softened water add sodium to what I drink?
More plumbing services in Temple Hills
Water Softeners & Filtration nearby
Helpful guides
Sources
Last updated: