Our office in Chiswick is a stone's throw from the start of the M4, which makes Berkshire one of the quickest counties for us to reach. We mainly cover east and central Berkshire, from Slough and Windsor out to Reading, and the water along that stretch is hard. Here's what's useful to know before you get a softener fitted.
Who supplies Berkshire's water?
Reading and a large slice of the county get their water from Thames Water. Parts of the county are supplied by other companies, including Affinity Water and South East Water, and the lines between them don't always match the town names you'd expect. Your water bill tells you for sure.
A lot of Berkshire's supply is drawn from the Thames and its tributaries, like the Kennet, or from chalk groundwater, and it's hard. To see your own figure, use your supplier's postcode tool:
- Thames Water water quality checker
- Affinity Water hardness lookup
- South East Water hardness information
What kind of home have you got?
Victorian terraces in Reading, Windsor and Maidenhead. Reading in particular has streets and streets of red-brick Victorian terraces near the town centre and the university, plenty of them shared houses or converted flats. Small kitchens, tight under-sink space and a stopcock that's often at the front of the house. A compact non-electric softener under the sink is usually the answer here.
New town and estate houses in Bracknell and Wokingham. Bracknell was one of the post-war new towns, and both it and Wokingham have grown a lot with newer estates since. Family houses with a combi or a small cylinder, a utility area or garage, and two bathrooms are typical. These are straightforward installs where we'd normally suggest a metered softener sized for the household.
Larger homes around Ascot, Sunningdale and the Thames villages. Several bathrooms, big unvented cylinders, plant rooms and often a lot of high-end appliances. Peak demand is the thing to plan for here, so a twin-tank or high-flow unit may be the right choice.
Flats in Slough, Reading and Maidenhead town centres. There's been plenty of flat building near the stations along the Elizabeth line. If you're in one, the utility cupboard is usually our first look. Check whether your lease or building management needs to know about plumbing work.
Hard water and the kit in your house
In a combi boiler, hard water leaves scale on the heat exchanger, which can mean slower hot water and a noisier boiler over time. In homes with a cylinder, the coil and immersion element scale up instead. Electric showers, power showers, washing machines, dishwashers and kettles all feel it. A softener stops new scale forming throughout the house, and keeps showers and glass looking better for longer. If you've had a softener for years and the scale's crept back, the problem might be the softener itself: our troubleshooting checklist is a good first step.
The drinking tap
We fit a separate tap at the kitchen sink that stays on unsoftened mains water, with every softener we install. Use it for drinks, cooking and formula. If you're expecting, our guide to hard water and a new baby covers bath time and bottles.
Getting to you
It's straight down the M4 for most of Berkshire, with the M25 and A322 for Ascot and Bracknell. Parking is generally easy outside central Reading and Windsor, where a visitor permit or a nearby car park helps.
Berkshire towns we cover
- Slough and Langley
- Windsor and Eton
- Datchet and Old Windsor
- Maidenhead and Cookham
- Ascot, Sunninghill and Sunningdale
- Bracknell and Crowthorne
- Wokingham and Winnersh
- Twyford and Wargrave
- Reading and Earley
- Woodley and Caversham
- Theale and Tilehurst
Further west towards Newbury? Get in touch and we'll let you know. See all areas we cover.
Berkshire FAQs
Is Reading water hard?
Yes. Reading is supplied by Thames Water and the water is hard, as it is across most of Berkshire. Much of it comes from the Thames, the Kennet or chalk groundwater. Check the figure for your postcode on the Thames Water website.
Who supplies water in Windsor, Slough and Maidenhead?
Thames Water supplies much of east Berkshire, but Affinity Water and South East Water also supply parts of the county. The boundaries are irregular, so check your water bill rather than assuming from the town name. Each company publishes hardness by postcode, and we test your water at the survey too.
Can a softener go in a Victorian terrace in Reading?
Usually, yes. A compact non-electric softener fits in most standard kitchen base units, and that's where most terrace installs go. If the sink cupboard is too crowded, an under-stairs cupboard near the stopcock is the usual alternative. We'll confirm the best spot at the free survey.
Next steps
See how installation works, or book a service or repair. Our guide to how often to service a softener explains what a yearly check involves. When you're ready, the form below gets you a free survey and water test.