Although most water softeners can last for a number of years without ever giving any problems, if you have recently bought your home and you have inherited an old soft water system, or you have simply out of the time remaining on the life of your water softener it may be time to get it repaired.
What Can Go Wrong with a Soft Water System?
A water softener is a device that attaches to the point where your main line enters your home so that it can soften the water that flows through your pipes. Some water softeners can be installed in such a way that they bypass pipes that do not need soft water such as toilets and external pipes or hoses.
If your water has started to take on a rotten egg smell or a sulfur smell you can guess that your water softener is in need of repair. In some instances the problem might be that the motor in the water softener has broken down causing it to shut off or sometimes a build up of too much salt causes the water softening process to slow down and eventually stop.
How Do You Repair a Water Softener?
Fixing a water softener can be a bit tricky but the following are a few preliminary steps that you can take on your own.
- Turn off the power and water supply. The first step to repairing your water softener is to shut off the power and redirect the water flow to avoid any accidents. Look at the valves flowing into your water softener and simply turn them in the opposite direction, but some systems have arrows or directions indicating which valves redirect the flow of the water.
- Check the brine or salt tank. The next step is to check the salt tank for any excess buildup. If you notice an air pocket inside your tank and a large dome of salt residue you may have too much salt in your tank. Break up the salt dome with a broomstick and then scoop it out. Make sure that you clean the container thoroughly before filling it back.
- Clean the resin bed. There may be a buildup of hard water particles in the resin bed if the water softener was not functioning for some time. To clean this out you can use a product called “Iron-Out” and then run a manual service on the softener. To start this process you need to add the recommended amount of Iron-Out to your brine tank, turn your valve to “Service” and allow the tank to run water through the machine for a few minutes.
Water softener systems can be a bit complex, especially if you are not the do-it-yourself type, so if you are not confident you can get the job done it may be best to consult your local water softener professional. Remember that although it may cost less to fix the problem yourself, getting in over your head is always more expensive.