Would you like to learn how to repair a water softener? If so, then it is good you found this article as it is going to help you do so. We understand that water softeners can look complicated. That is why we will explain the components, how they work, and how to maintain them.
Cleaning the tank and the resin bed will help you increase the lifespan of your unit. There are some reasons why a water softener malfunctions. Before looking at how to solve water softener malfunctions, we will look at how a water softener works.
How a Water Softener Does Its Work
Even some of the best water softeners still run into issues from time to time. Untreated water first enters the brine tank and is saturated with sodium (salt). The water that is saturated with sodium then enters the resin tank where the sodium molecules are attracted by many tiny beads known as polystyrene beads which get rid of excess salt.
The brine tank is refilled and the water that is not softened enters the resin tank. Here, magnesium and calcium (materials that cause water to become hard) switch places with the sodium that are attached to the beads until there are no sodium molecules to switch places with.
Next, the cycle repeats itself when the softener scrubs the minerals that make water hard off the polystyrene beads (it does this to regenerate) and drains the wastewater. These three solutions can help you fix a water softener malfunctions and help you get your soft water again:
Solution 1: Clean the Brine (Salt) Tank
Ensure the salt has not formed a hard dome or crust in the brine tank. Adding too much salt or adding it from time to time can make the salt form a salt dome. It will seem as if you have salt even though there is a big air pocket below. Use a broomstick to break up the salt and then dispose of it. Get rid of any sediment using a shop vacuum. Clean the tank and brine well (if you have one inside your tank) thoroughly using soap and water and then rinse it. You could also look into owning a saltless water softener to avoid these issues.
Solution 2. Clean an Iron-Fouled Reside Bed
If your water has iron, it may cause the resin bed (which gets rid of minerals that make water hard) to have a bad smell. You can refresh the bed by running Iron-Out through the system. Read the directions to know the amount that should be added to the brine tank and remove the wastewater by running your softener through a manual regeneration. You do this by removing the cover from the control valve and finding the regeneration knob. Depress the knob using a flat-blade screwdriver and turn it counterclockwise to “Service.”
Solution 3. Clean the Resin Tank Injector
Sometimes, dirty salt causes the injector to get plugged. If you want to clean it, engage the bypass valve of the softener to shut off the water. Next, run the softener through a manual regeneration to relieve the water pressure. Finally, remove the caps on both sides of the softener head. Clean the injector (right side of the head) and the injector screen (left side) thoroughly.
5 Steps to Help You Keep Your Water Softener Healthy
Only utilize pure salt with iron remover. While standard rock salt is cheaper, the contaminants will become costly in the long run. Keep in mind that rock salt can lead to the accumulation of inches of sediment(that may clog the injector and the control valve of your water softener).
Add salt when the salt is almost used up and then refill the tank to 2/3rds full or less, not more.
Clean the resin bed and the parts in the control valve once a year using Iron-Out
Clean the brine tank annually as pure salt also has contaminants.
Ensure that the drain of the softener drain line is not pushed down into a floor drain. To prevent sewage from being siphoned accidentally into the water softener, ensure that the end of the drain line of the water softener is above the grate of the drain.
Save Money with Water Softener Repairs
Before replacing your softener for between 600 and 1,0000 dollars, have your softener checked by a good water softener specialist. This is because the most expensive water softener repair may not cost more than 200 dollars. You can overhaul the softener for between 60 and 100 dollars or replace the resin bed. The internet or the yellow pages (under “Appliance Repair) can help you find companies that fix water softeners. Some of the best-recommended water softeners are made by Fleck, Pentair, and Waterboss.