How Often Should Water Softeners Be Serviced?
Water softeners are an important tool for maintaining your water quality. These devices remove unwanted hard minerals from your tap water such as calcium and magnesium. They are also helpful in preventing your pipes from clogging. However, they do require regular maintenance to keep them in good working condition.
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Water softeners come in many different models. The maintenance required depends on the type of system that you have. Some systems only require salt replenishment periodically, while others require more frequent attention. In order to determine how often your water softener needs to be serviced, you should consult the manufacturer’s manual.
If you have a water softener, you should check the salt level at least once a month. Overfilling the tank can lead to unwanted buildup. It is best to fill the tank below the fill line.
Using high-purity salt pellets is recommended. Pellets contain no insoluble materials, and are thus more effective. Keeping the salt level at least 2/3 of the water level is also a good practice.
It is also a good idea to clean the water softener’s brine tank from time to time. This will extend the life of the system. When the tank is cleaned, the brine can be refilled with a new batch of salt.
Before refilling the brine, make sure that the water softener has been completely cleaned. If there is still debris or sediment in the tank, it will need to be drained and cleaned. Once the tank is clean, add two or three bags of salt.
Depending on your water softener model, you may also need to replace the resin beads. You can do this yourself, or hire a professional to do it for you. To do this, you should first remove the valve head from the resin tank and dump out the existing beads. Make sure to replace the right kind of resin for your water softener.
If your water softener isn’t providing you with the softest water, you may have a salt bridge. Salt bridges are formed when salt recrystallizes inside the softener tank. Mushing can occur if you leave the tank idle for a long time, or if you use poor quality salt.
Having a salt bridge in your brine tank can cause your water softener to stop functioning properly. Unless you remove it, it can build up and prevent the resin beads from recharging. Also, over time, excess iron and manganese will accumulate and form deposits inside the softener.
Maintaining your water softener is easy. Aside from cleaning the system, you can also change the O-rings and other parts that have been worn out. Your local plumber can also offer you a service plan that covers your water softener’s maintenance.
Investing in a water softener can help you avoid costly repairs and replacements. Most modern systems can last several years with minimal maintenance. While it’s not necessary to do a lot of work, it’s a good idea to check your softener every couple of months to ensure that it is performing its job.