For the most part, the water softener in your home or business doesn’t need a lot of attention to keep it running smoothly. For most of us, upkeep for your softener only requires refilling the salt tank and making sure the clock is set to the current time of day. However, water softeners are machines that can potentially break down over time, so there are a few steps you can take to make sure your softener is always running in top shape:
1) To avoid salt bridging—a problem where the salt in a tank fuses into one solid chunk—wait until the salt level in your brine tank is low before adding more salt. A general rule of thumb is that if you can see water in the tank, it is time to add more salt. (For single-tank systems, however, you should never see water, if you do, call us for a repair!) If bridging does occur, you can fix it by breaking up the salt by hitting the sides of the salt tank (carefully!) with a hammer.
2) Clean your brine tank at least once a year to avoid potential contaminants or debris clogging your water softener’s control valve. Instructions on how to clean your brine tank can be found here.
3) Try mixing Iron-out Powder into your brine tank once a year to help clear out contaminants from your water softener’s injector and control valve.
4) Make sure that your water softener’s drain line isn’t pushed down into a floor drain because there’s a risk of the line siphoning out wastewater or sewage back into your system.
We at Peterson Salt and Water Treatment are committed to helping you keep your water softener running smoothly for your home or business. If you have questions about maintenance, repairs, or ordering water softener salt, give us a call at (952) 929-0422 or email us at sales@petersonsalt.com
FUN FACT:
Bridging is more common in areas with high levels of humidity. In other words, it would be wise to check your softener more often during the summer months or if your softener is in a hotter or more humid space such as a boiler room.