Enjoy A Clean Flow With Minimal Concern - A Guide To Troubleshooting Your Water Softener
Posted on: 18 May 2015
Whether you're looking to enjoy a hot shower without annoying mineral buildup or merely cut down on the flow of a faucet to decrease your monthly bill, a water softener can play an important role in your home. However, when the performance of your water softener starts to suffer, it's important that you take the necessary steps to protect your investment and return it to its best state.
Below, you'll find a guide to some tips for troubleshooting your water softener. Keeping these suggestions in mind should allow you to quickly and accurately source any potential issues while simultaneously putting you in a position to enjoy the satisfaction that comes with completing important home tasks with your own hands.
Check the Settings
If you notice that the water coming from a faucet doesn't appear to be as soft as you desire, it may be as simple a fix as altering the control settings on your softener. Most water softeners have a dial that allows you to adjust the period of time that water is filtered over the mineral bed, and you can increase that interval.
Keep in mind that changing these settings will likely result in your water softener purging itself in order to adjust to your new demands. As such, it's best to make these alterations during periods of low use, as your softener may be temporarily out of commission.
Break Up Salt Blockages
Most water softeners operate by using a multiple tank system to screen particles out of water through a salt filter. This means that your water will contain a fair amount of salt while it's being treated, and that salt can cause calcification and build ups.
Draining your water softener and then opening access valves should provide you with the ability to clean out some of the pipes and tubes that carry the salt that's used for filtering. If you notice chalky buildup or standing sediment, merely breaking it up with a brush should allow water to flow more freely.
Clean the Resin Bed
If none of the proceeding suggestions are effective in letting softened water flow freely, the resin bed in your softener may be in need of a scouring. This can be a difficult process and will require you to follow the suggestions and directions of the manufacturer precisely, so it's typically only done as a last resort. However, once you have access to the interior of the tank, you're likely to find some obvious buildup that you can quickly clean away.
For more information, contact your local water softener company—such as Hague Quality Water of Kansas City Inc.
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