//Quick answer
- Scale on fixtures and in the water heater: softener.
- Chlorine smell, sediment, taste: filtration.
- Drinking and cooking water: reverse osmosis at the kitchen sink.
- Pricing is not published; quoted after the test.
01Definition
What does each system do?
A softener swaps calcium and magnesium for sodium on a resin bed that regenerates with salt; it treats hardness only. Whole-home filtration runs the main line through sediment and carbon stages; it treats particles, chlorine, taste and odor. Reverse osmosis pushes water through a membrane at one point of use; it treats dissolved solids for drinking water.
Why do many homes end up with two?
Because hardness and taste are different problems. A softener for the house plus reverse osmosis at the kitchen sink is the common pairing when the test shows both. A filter plus a softener is the pairing when chlorine and hardness are both present.
02Which fits
When does the test say softener?
Hardness above what the household is willing to live with, scale on glassware and fixtures, and a water heater that rumbles or a tankless that throws scale codes.
When does it say filtration, or RO, or nothing?
Chlorine smell or sediment: filtration. Taste in drinking water only: RO. And sometimes the honest answer after the test is that you do not need anything, which Done-Rite will say.
//What it costs
| Item | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Water testing | Call for pricing | Call for pricing. No trip charge. |
| Water softener installation | Call for pricing | Quoted after the test. |
| Whole-home filtration | Call for pricing | Quoted after the test. |
| Reverse osmosis installation | Call for pricing | Quoted after the test. |
Water treatment pricing has not been published. The site never estimates it.
//Side by side
Water softener
- True hardness removal, whole house
- Protects water heaters and fixtures
- Does not filter
- Salt and a drain connection
Whole-home filtration
- Sediment, chlorine, taste at the main
- Every fixture benefits
- Does not remove hardness
- Media and cartridges need changing
Reverse osmosis
- Drinking-water quality at one tap
- Handles dissolved solids
- One tap only; slow
- Sends a portion to the drain
03What goes wrong
What goes wrong when the system is chosen before the test?
A softener sold for a taste complaint or a filter sold for a scale complaint. Equipment that does not touch the problem. The test costs less than the wrong system.
04Proof
- Jason Shen, Google, September 16, 2026: "Daniel did an excellent job installing my whole house carbon filtration and water conditioning system. He also flushed out my tankless water heater."
- No trip charge, a 1-hour response time, and 24/7 emergency service.
- 1 year minimum warranty on labor. Manufacturer warranty handling varies by manufacturer.
- California CSLB C-36 licence #998069. Licensed, bonded and insured, with workers compensation.
05Action
Test first
Done-Rite tests your water and recommends equipment based on the result. Water treatment pricing has not been published; call for pricing after the test. No trip charge.
//Keep going
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//Terms used in this guide
Where this applies
Done-Rite runs these calls across Orange County from its shop in Anaheim, CA, with no trip charge in any city it serves.
Common questions
A softener handles hardness and scale for the whole house. Whole-home filtration handles sediment, chlorine and taste at the main. Reverse osmosis polishes drinking water at one tap. Many homes end up with a softener plus RO at the kitchen sink.
