Need help installing a water softener.

[delirium]

I am gong to intall a water softener in my house, but I dont know where the main water line is. I think it is a 1" copper pipe that goes into the water heater, but isnt that only for the hot water? Can anyone help me find the water main spot to install the softener?

My garage is fully finished. Walls, ceiling, painted, floor painted, etc... so I can not see where the pipes run. It almost seems from looking where the pipes emerge from the finished walls, that the pipes are running thru the celing of the garage?

I can find the pipe at the top of the water heater that has the shut off valve on it, which i guess is the cold water inlet. But by putting the water softener on that line, wouldnt I only be softening the hot water? What about cold water?

Does cold & hot water for the whole house go thru the water heater?

Thanks in advance

[captwally]

Is your water provided by a well or a municipality? If it is a well you should have a pump and pressure tank, though if you have a submersible pump in the well, the pressure tank is all that you normally would see above ground unless your house is quite outdated. (for some weird reason pressure tanks were actually buried in the ground 50 or 60 years ago!) If this is the case, mount the water softener just after the pressure tank so that it services your entire house. You are correct in the observation that if you mount it on the cold water inlet of your hot water heater, it will only soften the hot water.

If you have city water, you should be able to determine where it enters your house by tracing it from the water meter close to the street to your house. Mount the water softener at or near that location, but be careful. Many homes built in the past few years have the outside hose fittings plumbed separate from the rest of the house so that you aren't wasting salt by watering your lawn with softened water. Make sure you tie into the house water and don't exclusively soften the water to your hose bibbs!

Softening/conditioning improves water no matter where it is used, but remember, its greatest benefit is in increasing the life of your hot water using appliances: water heater, dishwasher, showers, etc. Try your best to tie into your whole house, but if you can only tie into the hot water, that is much better than nothing. Your pipes may well be running through the ceiling, but I bet there is a convenient place closer to eye level where you can tie in. You will use valuable space in your basement, but it is well worth the sacrifice, and easy enough to hide cosmetically. Good Luck!