Scale is the single most expensive thing in your utility room, and it never sends an invoice. It shortens the life of every dishwasher, steamer, boiler, ice machine and washer you own, and it does it quietly — until the equipment fails during service hours. We install, repair and maintain commercial water softeners across Los Angeles County, and we have been doing it for over 20 years.
Call (310) 807-2764 Request a Site Assessment
System down? We repair commercial softeners
A failed softener is not a maintenance item you schedule around — it is unsoftened water reaching equipment that was specified for soft water. Scale starts forming immediately.
We service and repair commercial water softeners across Los Angeles regardless of who installed them or what brand they are:
- Control valve failures — units stuck mid-regeneration, cycling constantly, or not regenerating at all
- Salt bridging and mushing in the brine tank, the most common cause of “the softener stopped working”
- Exhausted resin — commercial resin beds wear out faster than residential; hard water gets through even though the unit appears to be running
- Undersized systems that cannot keep up with peak demand and regenerate during business hours
- Leaks, bypass failures and drain line problems
- Systems abandoned by their installer, where nobody has serviced the unit in years
If a repair is the right answer, that is what we will tell you. We would rather service a working system for years than sell you a replacement you did not need.
How hard is Los Angeles water?
Hard enough to matter commercially, and it varies significantly depending on where your facility sits. LADWP publishes the numbers by zone:
| Service area | Average hardness | Range |
|---|---|---|
| San Fernando Valley & Western LA | 8.6 gpg (147 mg/L) | 5.4 – 16.1 gpg |
| Silver Lake, Downtown & South LA | 9.8 gpg (168 mg/L) | 5.4 – 17.0 gpg |
| Eastern LA & the Harbor | 16.3 gpg (279 mg/L) | 16.1 – 16.4 gpg |
Source: Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, published water hardness values by Water Quality Area. Neighboring cities run harder still — Burbank averaged 16.6 gpg in 2024 and Glendale Water and Power classifies its supply as very hard at over 12 gpg.
Anything above 7 grains per gallon is classified as hard water; above 10 is very hard. Every LADWP zone crosses the “hard” threshold, and Eastern LA and the Harbor sit firmly in “very hard.” A facility in Boyle Heights or San Pedro is dealing with roughly twice the mineral load of one in Encino — which is why sizing a commercial system off a citywide average is a mistake, and why we test at your tap.
What scale actually costs a business
Residential hard water is an annoyance. Commercial hard water is a line item.
- Water heaters and boilers. Scale insulates the heat exchange surface, so the burner runs longer to hit the same temperature. You pay for that in gas every single day, and the unit fails years early.
- Commercial dishwashers. Scale on the heating element and spray arms means longer cycles, spotted glassware, more detergent and rinse aid, and eventual element failure.
- Steamers, combi ovens and espresso machines. The most scale-sensitive equipment in any kitchen. Manufacturers commonly require softened water — and scale damage is excluded from most commercial warranties, so the repair bill is entirely yours.
- Ice machines. Scale reduces output and ice quality, and it is the leading cause of premature compressor and evaporator failure.
- Commercial laundry. Hard water deactivates detergent before it can work, so you use more chemistry to get a worse result, and linens grey and wear out faster.
- Plumbing. Scale narrows pipe interiors over time, dropping pressure across the whole facility.
- Downtime. The real cost is not the repair. It is the service you could not deliver while the equipment was out.
Commercial and industrial systems
Sizing is the whole job. A system that is too small regenerates during peak hours and sends hard water to your equipment exactly when you need it least; one that is too large is capital you did not need to spend. We size on your measured hardness, your peak flow rate and your daily volume — not on square footage.
Praz Commercial Water Softener — 78 GPM
250,000 grain capacity, 78 gallons per minute. Metered digital control valve, so it regenerates on actual water consumption rather than a timer — which cuts salt and water use significantly at Los Angeles hardness levels. Suits restaurants, cafes, salons, medical and dental practices, small hotels, laundromats and light manufacturing. Parts and labor warranty.
Praz Industrial Water Softener — up to 1,200 GPM
Up to 1.2 million grain capacity, up to 1,200 gallons per minute. For high-volume facilities: large commercial laundry, food and beverage production, car washes, cooling towers, hotels and multi-tenant buildings. Twin-tank configurations available where the process cannot tolerate any interruption in soft water.
Commercial filtration and reverse osmosis
Softening removes hardness. It does not remove chlorine, chloramine, taste, odor or sediment — and for anything your customer drinks or that goes into coffee, ice or food, that matters. We pair softeners with whole-facility filtration and commercial reverse osmosis where the application calls for it.
Industries we serve
- Restaurants, cafes and bars — dishwashers, steamers, combi ovens, espresso machines, ice machines
- Commercial laundry and laundromats — detergent efficiency, linen life, washer longevity
- Hotels and multi-tenant buildings — guest experience plus boiler and plumbing protection
- Salons and spas — water quality is directly visible in the service you deliver
- Medical and dental practices — autoclaves, sterilizers and dental units are scale-sensitive
- Car washes and detailing — spot-free rinse depends on treated water
- Food and beverage production — process water consistency
- Offices and commercial property — plumbing protection, plus bottleless water coolers for staff
Maintenance, salt delivery and service plans
A commercial softener is not equipment you install and forget. It needs salt, periodic valve inspection, resin monitoring and occasional adjustment as your usage changes.
- Scheduled salt delivery — we deliver and load it, so nobody on your team is hauling bags
- Bi-monthly checkups — valve function, brine draw, hardness verification at the tap
- Preventive service before failures, not after
- Priority response for service customers when something does go wrong
Areas we serve
Commercial service across Los Angeles County: Downtown LA, the San Fernando Valley, the Westside, Hollywood, Eastern Los Angeles, the Harbor area, South Bay, Pasadena, and the Tri-Cities. We are headquartered in Burbank and also serve Glendale, North Hollywood, Studio City, Sherman Oaks, Van Nuys, Sun Valley and Toluca Lake. For homes, see our residential water softener page.
How it works
- Free on-site assessment. We test your actual water, look at your equipment and your peak demand, and identify what is failing and why.
- A sized recommendation with a firm price. Correct capacity and flow rate for your facility — including telling you when the smaller system is sufficient.
- Installation scheduled around your operation. Early, late or closed days. We plan the work so it does not cost you service hours.
- Ongoing service. Warranty on parts and labor, scheduled maintenance, salt delivery and priority response.
Call (310) 807-2764 Request a site assessment
Frequently asked questions
Do you repair commercial water softeners you did not install?
Yes. We service and repair commercial systems of any brand across Los Angeles — control valves, resin replacement, brine tank problems, leaks and undersized systems. If the unit can be economically repaired, we will recommend that rather than a replacement.
How much does a commercial water softener cost in Los Angeles?
It depends on your measured hardness, peak flow rate and daily volume. A restaurant and a commercial laundry in the same building need very different systems. We give you a firm price after an on-site assessment rather than a range over the phone.
What size commercial water softener do I need?
Sizing depends on three things: your water hardness in grains per gallon, your peak flow rate in gallons per minute, and your total daily water use. Undersized systems regenerate during business hours and let hard water through when demand is highest. Our commercial line runs to 78 GPM and 250,000 grains, and our industrial systems reach 1,200 GPM and 1.2 million grains.
Will a water softener void or protect my equipment warranty?
Many commercial manufacturers require softened water as a condition of warranty, and most exclude scale damage from coverage. Installing a properly sized softener generally protects your position rather than threatening it — but check your specific equipment documentation, and we are happy to look at the requirements with you.
How often does a commercial system need salt?
It depends entirely on volume and hardness — a busy restaurant may need salt weekly while a small office runs monthly. Metered systems regenerate on actual usage rather than a timer, which reduces consumption. We offer scheduled salt delivery so it is not something your staff has to manage.
Can you install without shutting down our business?
In most cases yes. We schedule commercial installations around your operating hours — early mornings, evenings or closed days — and plan the plumbing work to minimize the time your water is off.
What is the difference between a water softener and commercial filtration?
A softener removes the calcium and magnesium that cause scale and block detergent from working. Filtration removes chlorine, chloramine, taste, odor and sediment but leaves hardness untouched. Equipment protection needs softening; anything a customer drinks or that goes into food, coffee or ice usually needs both.