The North Downs run right across Kent, and the chalk underneath them is a big reason the county's water is so hard. We cover west and north Kent from our base in Chiswick, mostly the towns within easy reach of the M25, M20 and A2. If you've got a crusty kettle and a shower screen that's never quite clear, you're in good company.
Kent's water companies
Kent is supplied by several companies, and it's one of the more confusing counties for it. South East Water and Southern Water each supply large parts of Kent, and Affinity Water supplies the Folkestone and Dover area in the east. Places close to the London border can be different again. Look at your water bill to see which company you're with.
Much of Kent's water comes from groundwater in the chalk, and it's hard. Use your supplier's postcode lookup to check:
- South East Water hardness information
- Southern Water hard water checker
- Affinity Water hardness lookup
Kent homes we fit softeners in
Victorian villas and terraces. Tunbridge Wells, Sevenoaks and Tonbridge have plenty of handsome Victorian houses, from big villas to modest terraces. In the larger ones there's usually a cellar, utility room or scullery that makes a great home for a softener. In the smaller terraces, it's the kitchen sink cupboard.
Medway terraces. Chatham, Gillingham and Rochester have long streets of Victorian and Edwardian terraced housing. Kitchens are compact and often in a rear extension, and the mains can enter at the front. We'll find a spot that treats the whole house without running pipes all over the place.
New-build estates and garden towns. There's been a lot of new housing in north Kent, from Ebbsfleet and Dartford to the edges of Maidstone and the Medway towns. These houses usually have a combi or a compact cylinder and a small utility area. A mid-size metered softener in the utility cupboard or under the sink is a common set-up.
Oast houses, farmhouses and village homes. Out in the Weald and on the Downs, some older homes have unusual plumbing, long supply pipes from the road or outbuildings where the mains comes in. We'll walk the route with you at the survey.
Very hard water, very busy kettles
Hard water costs you in two ways: what you can see and what you can't. You can see the white marks on taps, tiles and glass, and the scum on the bath. What you can't see is scale inside your heating system. A combi's heat exchanger gradually scales up and works harder for the same hot water. A cylinder's coil and immersion element get a crust that slows heating. Electric showers, dishwashers and washing machines all suffer. A softener stops new scale forming in all of them. If you've been told a magnetic or electronic scale reducer will do the same job, read our fair comparison first.
Keeping drinking water unsoftened
Every softener we fit includes a separate drinking tap at the kitchen sink, connected to the mains supply before the softener. It's for drinking, cooking and baby formula. With water as hard as much of Kent's, the extra sodium that softening adds isn't something you want in your tea.
On the road
We come round the M25 and down the M20, M26 or A2, depending on where you are. Most of Kent is easy for parking, though town centres like Sevenoaks and Tunbridge Wells have permit zones in places. Just tell us if there's anything we should know.
Kent towns we cover
- Dartford and Swanley
- Gravesend and Ebbsfleet
- Sevenoaks and Westerham
- Edenbridge
- Tonbridge
- Royal Tunbridge Wells and Southborough
- West Malling and Kings Hill
- Maidstone
- Rochester, Chatham and Gillingham
- Strood
Further into Kent? Give us a call and we'll tell you honestly whether we can help. You can also see all the areas we cover, including South London next door.
Kent FAQs
Is Kent water hard?
Yes, most of Kent has hard water. Much of the county's supply comes from groundwater in the chalk, which dissolves calcium and magnesium as rain soaks through it. The exact level depends on your supplier and postcode, so check their website for your figure.
Who supplies water in Sevenoaks and Tunbridge Wells?
Several companies supply Kent, including South East Water, Southern Water and Affinity Water, and the boundaries are complicated. The quickest way to be sure is to look at your water bill, then use that company's postcode lookup for hardness. We'll also test your water at the survey.
Do you cover the whole of Kent?
We mainly cover west and north Kent, including Dartford, Gravesend, Sevenoaks, Tonbridge, Tunbridge Wells, Maidstone and the Medway towns. If you're further east, give us a ring and we'll tell you whether we can get to you. Everything is run from our Chiswick base.
What to do next
Have a look at how installation works, or book a service for an existing softener. Want to understand what scale does inside your boiler? Read limescale and your boiler. Not sure how hard yours is? Here's how to check. Then use the form below to book a free survey.