Keeping your water softener in good working condition is important, but it can be difficult to do. However, with a little planning and some simple maintenance, you can keep your water softener ready for use as long as possible.
Maintaining your water softener can be easy if you know what to do.
Maintaining your water softener can be easy if you know what to do. You’ll want to make sure that you have a plan for when things go wrong, and be prepared with the information needed to get your system back into service quickly.
Have the number of a reputable water softener repair professional handy, so that they can help with any problems that arise during maintenance or repairs. This person should also have access to all parts needed for fixing any issues with your unit (like resin beds).
Plan ahead for an emergency by having the number of a reputable water softener repair professional.
If your water softener breaks down, it can be frustrating to figure out how to fix it. A good approach is to plan ahead for an emergency by having the number of a reputable water softener repair professional on hand. This will make sure that you don’t have to scramble at the last minute and waste time trying to find someone who knows what they’re doing.
Another thing you’ll want in your emergency kit is some basic tools, including:
- A flashlight (it doesn’t have to be fancy)
- Extra batteries (you never know when you might need them)
How to Maintain Your Water Softener
To maintain your water softener and keep it running smoothly, there are a few steps you can take. The first step is to remove the bypass valve from the system. This will allow you to drain any excess water that has built up in your softener tank when it was not being used.
After removing this valve, you’ll need to remove all of the resin bed and gravel from inside of your system so they aren’t damaged by any residual water inside them (which may contain minerals).
Once these things have been removed, let them dry completely for 24 hours before filling up with clean water again—you don’t want any minerals getting into your new shipment of salt!
When everything’s dried out completely, put in enough new brine salt so that an inch or two remains above where we want our level at all times while maintaining proper operation throughout its lifetime (more on this below).
The first step is to switch off the water supply.
The first step is to switch off the water supply. You’ll want to make sure that your water supply is turned off before starting any maintenance, so that you can safely work around it during that time. If you have a tankless or well-less water heater, this will be especially important if it has shut-off valves on the top of its housing.
To turn off your water supply:
- Shut off all faucets in the home (including toilets).
- Turn off main valves at sinks and toilets anywhere in town where there are multiple taps (such as shared bathrooms).
Remove the bypass valve.
How to remove the bypass valve:
- Turn off your water supply to the softener and drain it.
- Use a wrench to loosen the valve in your water line about 1/4 inch (6 mm) from its base, then pull out with pliers or other suitable tool until you hear it pop free of its mounting hole in the wall of your home’s plumbing system.
- Remove this assembly by lifting up on it while simultaneously pulling away from its mounting location on the wall of your home’s plumbing system; this should allow you access both ends (or sides) of this component so that they can be pulled out together with ease after removing them from their respective locations inside of yours.”
Remove the resin bed as well as the gravel underneath it.
Remove the resin bed and gravel from the tank.
Rinse the tank thoroughly with cold water to remove all dirt, sand, and other contaminants.
Replace the resin bed, then fill up with fresh water.
Let the tank dry for about 24 hours and then refill it with water.
After you’ve run your water softener, let it dry for about 24 hours. This allows the resin to completely settle out of the tank and back into its original form, which will make it easier to clean later on.
After letting the tank dry for 24 hours, refill it with fresh tap water (make sure that this is not chlorinated). The reason we are doing this step is because if you haven’t let your tank dry properly before refilling with new water then there’s a good chance that any leftover chemicals could react with whatever else was in there before and cause an unappealing cloudiness or other problem like rusting metal parts inside your machine!
Be sure to do a thorough flush of the system every six months.
- Be sure to do a thorough flush of the system every six months.
- Use a clean bucket to fill your tank with water, then let it sit for 24 hours. This will allow any mineral deposits to settle out and make it easier for you to empty later on.
- After that, use an old garden hose or other device (such as a coffee filter) to flush out the brine tank by running cold water through it until all signs of residue have disappeared from inside its walls (it should take about 20 minutes).
If you’ve been following our advice so far, this should be enough maintenance work for one year!
Make sure you’re using the right kind of salt.
Once you’ve installed your water softener, it’s important to make sure that the salt is being used correctly and in the correct amount.
Salt (sodium chloride) is the most common type of salt used in water softeners. It dissolves easily in water and can be found at grocery stores or online. Sodium sulfate is another type of salt commonly found in most home water softeners, but it’s not quite as effective at removing waste products from your pipes as sodium chloride does—so if you have an older model without a built-in backwash system (which we’ll explain below), then this might not be ideal for you!
Consider replacing your brine tank.
If you’ve been using your water softener for a while and are noticing that the brine tank is breaking down, consider replacing it. The brine tank is made of plastic and can break down over time. Replacing this part will extend the life of your water softener by at least five years.
How Often Should You Clean Your Water Softener?
You should clean your water softener once a year. If you have hard water, it’s okay to clean it more often; just make sure not to do so too frequently or the salt will wear out faster.
Rinse the tank thoroughly with cold water.
- Rinse the tank thoroughly with cold water. Cold is important because it helps dissolve any remaining resin that may be in the tank. If you don’t have a garden hose, use your kitchen sink or wash basin and fill it up with cold water until it’s almost full (a little over halfway). Then turn on some music while you wait for your machine to fill up with fresh water!
- When all of the resin has dissolved in its entirety, remove any residual pieces by brushing them out of sight using a brush made specifically for this purpose (e.g., “resin brush”).
Maintaining your water softener is important to keep it working properly and last longer.
Maintaining your water softener is important to keep it working properly and last longer. The frequency of cleaning depends on how often you use the unit, but also on what kind of water you have in your area.
Some areas have hard water, which means that the minerals in their water give off a lot of calcium that can clog up pipes and cause problems with filters. If this sounds familiar to you, then we recommend taking steps toward reducing the amount of calcium in your system by using an ion-exchange resin cartridge with high-quality salt products (like our ones).
Conclusion
Water softeners are one of the most important appliances in your home and they can save you money by keeping water clean and safe to drink. You should always make sure that your water softener is working properly, but there are also some things you can do on a regular basis to help keep it running smoothly.
We’ve laid out some helpful tips for maintaining your water softener here, but if something goes wrong with yours then don’t worry! There’s always a reputable professional who will be able to fix these issues for you within 24 hours or less at an affordable price!
