water softener maintenance

Surprise: Your Water Softener it is likely not working properly or at all. Keep the waste away from your garden, as salt kills plants. Is it hard calcium? Consult your water softener’s manual for the recommended salt for your specific product. Your e-mail will never sold or shared! To learn more about if your water softener may need annual maintenance, and why. Warm, close conditions can contribute to the formation of a salt bridge, which prevents your system from working optimally because it prevents the salt from coming into contact with the water. Some water softeners regenerate on a timed schedule. If your household's water use has increased or your water has become harder, set the timer to regenerate more often. Unsure of what size water softener you need? Without regeneration, those beads would become too heavily immersed with minerals to function properly. Here we provide an owner's guide to water softener controls, what they are, what they do, how to set them - for water softener or water conditioner maintenance, including water softener adjustment of the regeneration or backwash cycle frequency and the water softener salt dose. There are tons of manuals available on the internet. For more tips, including how to choose salt for your brine tank, read on! If the salt is low, refill the tank to no more than 2/3 full. There will be a button or knob on the control panel that will allow you to switch the system to automatic. If you use block salt, it may be best to have a technician raise your water level to submerge the block completely. This includes a yearly visit to check on the operation of the water softener, a clean of the softener resin with a specialist cleaner, and a water test to ensure that your unit is operating at its maximum efficiency. Over time, you will need to rinse the iron out. How often should the maintenance of your water softener be done for optimal performance? To clean your brine tank, you will need a place to dump the brine from the tank, like a pit or gravel bed in your yard. Adding salt is really easy, too. If only hot water is softened, try making coffee using hot tap water only, drawing it even before it's hot. My softener uses 80 lbs of salt a month. The lifespan of the resin depends on the quality of water it is treating. There are some simple reasons why a water softener malfunctions, but before getting into the fixes, first let’s briefly review how it works. In order to make water softener regeneration possible, all you need to do is keep the unit topped up with block salt. A Kinetico water softener is designed to work with no regular maintenance required. The only way to get rid of it is a more comprehensive purification system. Learn more about us. They will argue that any water hardness over 1 ppg requires softening. As a general rule, fill the tank at least half-full with salt, and keep it at least 3 inches (7.5 cm) above the water level. Hard water contains high levels of calcium and magnesium, which causes limescale buildup in pipes and appliances and interfere with soap’s ability to clean. The regeneration process relies on the salt that you add to softener to restore them with the sodium they need to do their job. Clean the venturi valve The venturi and nozzle create the suction to move brine from the brine tank into the resin tank during the regeneration cycle. If it’s not easily breaking, find something sharper and heavier to use. wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. Cleaning your tank takes some time, but the process is simple once you know what to do, and it will save you money on expensive repairs in the long run. Most problems that lead to repairs are ones that you can prevent with regular maintenance: an empty brine tank, a jammed valve, or parts that need cleaned. Rock salt (coarse salt) is cheap but contains more impurities, which decreases efficiency and dirties your tank, requiring more frequent cleaning. Few Things Taste Better Than Clean, Filtered Water! This process should be done twice a year to keep the wa… Don’t rely on Google or Siri, as they can’t tell you what your manual can. If you have exceptional plumbing skills, you could add a pre-filter on your own, but if not, you should contact a professional to install one for you. To dissolve salt mush, you will need to drain the softener, dig out all the old salt, and replace it with fresh salt. This article was co-authored by our trained team of editors and researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. Water softener repairs, depending on the issue, can cost between $150-$600 on average. Water Softener Maintenance: The 6 Must Do’s 1.) All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published, This article was co-authored by our trained team of editors and researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. Water Softener Maintenance. References. The salt pellets should be high enough to cover any visible water in the tank. Add fresh salt to the tank, filling it no more than 2/3 full. How do I calibrate my Morton water softener. Through regular checking of the salt level, cloudy glasses, soapy water, or bubbly water can be avoided. Standard rock salt may be less expensive, but it is not the best choice because it contains more insoluble minerals that can result in not only decreased softening capabilities but a muddy tank that you will need to clean more often than you like. It’s Easy! This signifies excessive iron buildup that manifests in your resin bed. Water softeners can last up to 20 years, but to keep them working efficiently, regular maintenance is required. For more tips, including how to choose salt for your brine tank, read on! Your salt is in the brine tank, and this is where the softening action occurs. ” O Lemons says: October 8, 2020 at 9:13 am. Using your broom, gently break up the bridge. If a valve leaks or drips, disassemble it and replace any damaged washers or seals. Most people use 1-2 bags per month, depending on water hardness levels, household size, and tank capacity. When you clean out the tank of a traditional electric softener, make sure you allow all the salt in the system to dissolve before scrubbing thoroughly with soapy water and filling it back up again. This way you can be sure there's no build-up of residue. If your system begins regenerating on an unusual schedule, something may be wrong. If your broom hits something hard that’s not on the bottom or sides of the tank, there’s a salt bridge. Check the manual first to make sure your softener can handle it. If I don't have a manual for my water softener, how can I identify the type of recharge timer/controller I have so I can learn how to set it properly? If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. Some people can replace the resin tank on their own, and others prefer to hire a water softening professional. Once the tank is empty, disassemble the tank to clean it. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. There is sulfur in your water. If you have any issues troubleshooting your system please feel free to contact us. Double check that the bypass valve is open, the regeneration timer is set, and that there are no kinks in the hoses. Commercial water softener servicing maintenance repair One of the most important things regarding commercial water softeners, is having regular maintenance service work carried out on them. When it comes to maintenance water softeners tend to be very low key. How do I set up the clock on my SPWTPRTS control head replacement? Watch for Salt Bridges and Salt Mushing. Water softener maintenance begins with checking the hardness of the system, and continues with checking the brine tank. Our water softener's intake once clogged with sand when our well had a "collapse event", which reduced pressure dramatically. These units need a tank for resin beads as well as a salt chamber or brine tank which should be kept topped up to keep it working effectively. (The farther away from the source, the lower the pressure will be.) It’s wise to have your water softener professionally serviced every few years. Set the water softener to regenerate, and you’re good to go. Here are some signs that something is amiss: crusty pipes, discolored or brown water, soap that doesn’t lather, and/or a change in your water’s taste. Although much of the care and maintenance of a water softener system can be handled by homeowners themselves, if you have questions about maintaining a water softener, have an emergency, or need to purchase a new water softener, please contact ClearWater Well & Pump. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Almost all well water in the US contains sulfur. If a medical condition restricts your sodium intake, switch from sodium chloride (regular salt) to potassium chloride. If all else fails, have a plumber investigate your resin tank. This usually takes about two hours. With only a few steps, you can maximize the lifespan of your system and keep your water safe and soft for years to come. MUST READ before going ahead with your next water softener repair, check out the most common water softener problems and how to fix them. It depends on water hardness and usage. Drew. Shut off the water and clean the injector and the injector screen. Yes. Salt is an essential part of the water softening process, as it regenerates the resin beads to prepare them for more softening. After entering in your water hardness levels, setting the timing parameters for regeneration and making sure the salt is properly refilled, there really isn’t much else for you to do. Wait at least a couple hours before regenerating the tank, to give the salt time to dissolve. Remove the loose salt pellets from the top by scooping them up with a plastic container. If it should become plugged with sand, silt, dirt, etc., the conditioner will not work and you will get hard water. A choice is made to soften all the water in the house, or only the water to the hot water heater, leaving the cold water line hard/unsoftened. That might be about every six months or so for the average household. The best way to test for a salt bridge is to take a broom handle and carefully push on the top of the salt with a little pressure to break it up if it has solidified. If your salt level is too low, your softener won’t be able to soften water, so this is an important tip. Part of regular maintenance of your water softener is knowing what the characteristics of your water are. Technically everything in a water line reduces pressure, even the pipe! A good water softener can last years without professional attention, especially if you keep up with the maintenance. Your manual may provide instructions for how to check it yourself, but attempt it only if you are comfortable working with plumbing and electricity. When I plugged it back in it did not seem to be working anymore. You can remove the salt plate and clean it with cold water and dish detergent. You may need to clean out your resin tank if you notice that your water softener is turning your water brown. Common causes of bridging include high humidity, temperature changes, or the wrong type of salt. This article has been viewed 167,556 times. Explore other popular Home Services near you from over 7 million businesses with over 142 million reviews and opinions from Yelpers. A water softener protects your home from hard water by eliminating calcium and magnesium ions from the water. About once a year, empty your water tank and scrub it with soapy water. Your water softener is an investment, after all, so you should treat it as such. Following these seven water maintenance tips will ensure that you boost the performance and extend the life of your water softener. Home Water Softener System Maintenance While hard water is generally safe to use, the minerals and metals inside can wreak havoc on your appliances. Push the valve to the bypass position, then turn off power to the water softener. If you find a salt bridge, turn off the water to the water softener, either from the incoming faucet or by using the bypass valve. Check the brine tank and salt level to maintain the balance between the minerals used in the water softening process. This thick sludge layer prevents the water softener from cycling through the regeneration process. Water softener suppliers usually offer maintenance packages with reasonable annual fees for regular servicing that makes having a top-performing, long-lasting water softener system effortless for the homeowner. However, it’s still a good idea to check more frequently than that. Clean the injector. Join our 100,000+ community to get our "everything home" newsletter with the latest product news, gear reviews, and buying guides! Use a water hose to rinse the inside of the tank. At the same time as you check the brine tank, close and open the bypass valve that cuts off the softener from your water supply to prevent it from getting stiff. Some can taste the difference between softened and unsoftened water and in fact, thus choose to leave cold/drinking water untreated, using it for houseplants and such. Our mobile service team provides preventative maintenance and performance checkups to keep your cooler, softener, and drinking or filtration systems operating at peak performance. Regular water softener maintenance is especially important in places in greater Phoenix, where water hardness levels are often as high as 17 grains per gallon (GpG) in residential areas. You can follow the steps for cleaning the brine tank for cleaning mush. Make sure not to overfill the tank with salt. You can then use ¼ cup of household bleach or vinegar for every 4-5 liters of clean water and pour it in the tank and let it sit for 15 minutes. Regeneration, a key process in water softening, is when the system flushes minerals from the resin beads. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. If the computer display is not working, check that the circuit is powered and all wires and fuses are intact. As commercial water softeners are installed to remove hard water lime scale build up, and protect the hot and cold water systems, it is vital that they are working to there maximum performance. When you consider all of the complexities of average water softeners, it’s easy to see why most people put off cleaning their systems. I had to unplug my water softener. I can go through that much salt in the summer when I'm watering the grass and topping the pool. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 167,556 times. If you have repeated problems with bridging, use less salt, and let the salt drop lower between refills. Turn the water back on and add about ten inches of water. To remain in optimal condition, a water softener requires regular maintenance. Testing water for things like hardness, Iron, ph, and TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) is actually very easy and a basic water test kit is very inexpensive and easy to use. Conceivably, yours could even be clogged with hard-water deposits. I have a well water softener and replaced the system two months ago but I'm still getting a rotten egg smell with light yellowish water, what could be causing this problem? The sodium ions “swap” with magnesium and calcium through the ion exchange process. Evaporated salt is more expensive, but it is the most highly effective at treating hard water. Hard water deposits tend to show up quicker in hot water connections, and a water heater, an expensive item, will fail from sooner from buildup. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/c\/c4\/Maintain-Your-Water-Softening-System-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Maintain-Your-Water-Softening-System-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/c\/c4\/Maintain-Your-Water-Softening-System-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/aid3111352-v4-728px-Maintain-Your-Water-Softening-System-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"