Cities We Serve
Austin Area:
San Antonio Area:
Not seeing your area? Give us a call at (833) 656-4056
Water Quality
The Right System Depends on What Is in the Water
Water treatment is a category where homeowners get sold the wrong thing all the time. A filter will not fix hard water. A softener will not take chlorine out of your shower. A reverse osmosis unit under the sink does nothing for the water heater. Each system solves a specific problem, and the honest first step is finding out which problems you actually have.
In Austin and San Antonio, hardness is almost always on the list. The region’s water comes through limestone, and San Antonio’s Edwards Aquifer supply in particular carries a heavy load of dissolved calcium and magnesium. That is the white crust on the shower door, the spots on the glasses, the scale that shortens a water heater’s life and clogs faucet aerators. Municipal water in both cities is treated and disinfected, so what people notice after hardness is usually chlorine taste and smell, and sometimes sediment after a main break or in older neighborhoods.
Radiant’s licensed plumbers test your water, explain what the numbers mean, and match a system to them: a softener for hardness, a whole-house filter for chlorine, taste and sediment, a salt-free conditioner for scale control without salt, or reverse osmosis for drinking water. Often the answer is two of them together. Sometimes it is one, and we will not sell you the second.
Looking for your local team? See water quality services in Austin or water quality services in San Antonio.
- Test first, recommend second Hardness, chlorine and dissolved solids checked at your tap before anyone names a system.
- Only what you need If a softener alone solves your problem, that is the quote you get. No bundles you did not ask for.
- Home Comfort Guarantee An accurate quote before work begins, honored for 72 hours, and licensed, bonded, background-checked plumbers doing the install.
What to Watch For
Signs Your Water Needs Treatment
Each of these points at a different problem and a different fix.
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White crust on fixtures and shower glass
Hardness. The minerals dry on every surface the water touches. A softener removes them; a conditioner keeps them from sticking.
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Spotted dishes and stiff laundry
Hard water fights soap, so you use more detergent and get worse results. Softened water fixes both.
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A pool smell from the tap or shower
Chlorine or chloramine from municipal disinfection. Safe, but not pleasant. A carbon filter takes it out.
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Drinking water that tastes flat or off
Dissolved solids and disinfection byproducts. Reverse osmosis at the kitchen sink is the fix for drinking and cooking water.
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Water heaters that do not last
Scale on the bottom of the tank or in a tankless exchanger. Softening the supply is the single best thing you can do for the heater.
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Dry skin, dull hair, itchy after showers
Soap and minerals leaving a film that does not rinse. People notice the difference after softening within a week.
What We Install
Water Treatment Systems We Install and Service
Each one solves a different problem. Most homes here need one or two, not all four.
- Water softeners Ion-exchange softening that removes the calcium and magnesium behind scale, spots and soap film.
- Whole-house filtration Carbon and sediment filtration at the main line for chlorine, taste, odor and particles at every tap.
- Salt-free conditioning Scale control without salt, brine or a drain, for homes that want less upkeep or cannot discharge softener brine.
- Reverse osmosis Under-sink or whole-home RO for drinking and cooking water with the dissolved solids removed.
- Water testing Hardness, chlorine and total dissolved solids at your tap, explained in plain terms.
- Repair and service Softeners that stopped regenerating, filters overdue for a change, RO systems running slow. We service what we install and most of what we did not.
How It Works
From a Water Test to Better Water
Nobody should buy a water system without knowing what is in their water first.
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We test at your tap
Hardness, chlorine, dissolved solids and a look at the fixtures and water heater for what the water has already done.
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We explain the results
What the numbers mean for your plumbing, appliances, skin and drinking water, and which of them actually bother you.
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You get a written quote
The system or systems that fit, priced in writing and honored for 72 hours. Financing available if you want it.
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We install and set it up
Plumbed in by a licensed plumber, programmed for your water and household, and explained so you know what upkeep it needs.
Current Specials
Save on the work your home needs most.
Not Sure What Your Water Needs?
Start with a test and a straight answer. No system gets recommended until we know what is in the water.
What Our Customers Say
Don't just take our word for it — hear from our satisfied customers
★★★★★
I had Radiant Plumbing replace my tankless water heater, damaged in the Feb. 2021 snowmageddon storm with a new unit. The process was smooth and professional from start to finish. The plumber, James, was extremely knowledgeable and thoroughly explained my options to me. The cost and time to perform the installation were just as estimated. When he was done, James explained how to maintain the system, what service would be needed and how to perform it, and answered all of my engineering geek questions. It was a thoroughly positive experience. I have used several different plumbers in Austin over the past 15 yrs, but my search is over - I will not hesitate to call Radiant next time and would recommend them unreservedly.
8/9/23 Update: I have subsequently used Radiant for a toilet repair, faucet installation (Danny), and drain work (Ezekiel) and they have continued to impress with knowledgeable, friendly plumbers and quality work.
8/9/23 Update: I have subsequently used Radiant for a toilet repair, faucet installation (Danny), and drain work (Ezekiel) and they have continued to impress with knowledgeable, friendly plumbers and quality work.
★★★★★
We called Radiant Plumbing after we noticed a water leak in our kitchen. We were in a time crunch and they were able to schedule us quickly, before we left for vacation. They sent their representative, Preston Nichols, and he was excellent to deal with! He was on time, skillful, friendly, and very professional. It turned out to be a problem with our dishwasher but Preston was quick to diagnose it and set our minds at ease. While he was here, we mentioned that our one year-old water heater needed to be flushed. Preston was quick to take care of that, as well, saving us time and money in the process. Radiant charged us almost half the price another plumber quoted us for that service! While Radiant Plumbing isn’t our usual plumber, they gained a new customer. We won’t hesitate to call Radiant again in the future based on our VERY positive experience with them.
★★★★★
Had 3 different systems installed by them approx. 3 years ago for a total of approx $20k. I was quite happy with the install until the year later when they came for a maintenance call and started finding deficiencies in their own install. they wanted extra money to address those deficiencies. Now I am in the process of selling my home and an inspector has found a few items that need to be addressed and they will not even look at the report unless I schedule a $139.00 service call. Very poor customer service.. This company does not stand by their work and would not recommend.
I am revising my review of this business from 1 to 5 stars. After my original review I was contacted by the company's service manager and he made sure that I was taken care off. I had a team of 3 technicians coming to my house to double check the system and make the necessary adjustments. I was very satisfied by their attention to details and professionalism.
I am revising my review of this business from 1 to 5 stars. After my original review I was contacted by the company's service manager and he made sure that I was taken care off. I had a team of 3 technicians coming to my house to double check the system and make the necessary adjustments. I was very satisfied by their attention to details and professionalism.
Maintenance Membership
Join the Care Club
Home maintenance for $9.99 a month.
Care Club members get two HVAC tune-ups and a plumbing safety inspection every year, priority scheduling, no dispatch fees — ever — and 5% off every repair.
- Priority scheduling
- Seasonal HVAC tune-ups
- Annual safety inspection
- Exclusive member discounts
- Free dispatch on repairs
- No long-term contracts
Water Quality Questions
How do I find out what is actually in my water?
Two ways, and they are complementary. Your water utility publishes an annual water quality report that lists what was measured at the plant, including hardness and disinfectant levels. That tells you what left the treatment facility. A test at your tap tells you what arrives at your house after the mains, your service line and your own plumbing, and it is what we base a recommendation on. We check hardness, chlorine and total dissolved solids on site and explain what each number means for your fixtures, water heater and drinking water. If you have a specific health concern, a certified lab test is the right tool and we will say so.
Softener, filter, conditioner or reverse osmosis: which one do I need?
Match the system to the complaint. Scale, spots, soap scum and a short-lived water heater are hardness problems, which a softener removes and a conditioner manages without salt. Chlorine taste and smell in the shower and at every tap is a filtration problem, handled by a whole-house carbon filter. Drinking water that tastes off or that you want as clean as possible is a reverse osmosis problem, solved at the kitchen sink. Many Central Texas homes end up with a softener plus an RO tap, because that pair covers the two things people notice most. We will tell you which applies to you after testing, not before.
Is the tap water in Austin and San Antonio safe to drink?
Municipal water in both cities is treated, disinfected and monitored to meet federal and state drinking water standards, and the utilities publish their results every year. Water treatment at home is usually about the things those standards do not cover: hardness, which is a nuisance and a plumbing cost rather than a health issue, and the taste and smell of the chlorine used to keep the water safe on its way to you. Reverse osmosis goes further and removes most dissolved solids for people who want that for drinking and cooking. If your home has older plumbing, a private well, or a specific concern, a lab test is the right starting point and we can point you to one.
Will treating my water make my water heater and appliances last longer?
Softening will, noticeably. Hardness minerals come out of solution when water is heated, which is why the scale builds fastest in the water heater, the dishwasher, the coffee maker and the hot side of every faucet. A softener removes those minerals before they get there. Tank heaters stop accumulating sediment, tankless units stop needing aggressive descaling, and the dishwasher and washing machine run the way their manufacturers intended. A conditioner helps by keeping scale from adhering, though it does not remove the minerals. Filtration and reverse osmosis are about taste and contaminants rather than appliance life, so if the water heater is your concern, softening is the answer.
*Offers cannot be combined with other promotions or applied to dispatch fees. No cash value. Must present offer at time of service. Call for details.
