Water Softener Repairs

• Your drinking glasses have water spots on them after they’re washed and dried
• Soap doesn’t lather well and doesn’t rinse completely
• Your hair doesn’t rinse completely and has a dull appearance instead of shiny
• You need to add salt to your water softener more frequently
• You’ve had a drop in water pressure

  If you notice changes in your water softener’s performance, here are a few things you can troubleshoot before you call for water softener repair:

  You will probably notice one or more of the following signs that your water softener needs repair:

Start with the following steps:

1. Check the brine tank (where you add the salt) 

Is there salt built up? If you notice a salt build-up, use mild soap and water to wash the salt away and rinse it completely.

1. Check the connection between the mineral tank and resin tank.

Sometimes salt can get lodged in the plug of the connection between the mineral tank and resin tank. Clean it with mild soap and water.

1. If your water is hard and the level of salt is not dropping:

A salt bridge will sometimes form inside the brine tank. The bridge creates a space between salt and water caused by humidity or the wrong kind of salt for your water softener. Use a broom handle to push the salt down, careful not to put a hole in the tank.

1. Check the valve drain hose to ensure it is not plugged, kinked, or blocked somehow.

1. Have intermittent hard water?

Make sure your timer is set up correctly. If you have a regeneration schedule set up correctly, make sure it’s for the amount of water you use. If you have had water consumption changes recently, this could be the problem. 

Check the regeneration chart in your water softener manual and adjust it as needed. Also, check for water leaks and dripping faucets, toilets, and tubs. A small leak will waste a lot of water that can cause water softening issues.

1. Drop-in water pressure in the home when the softener is in service.

The resin in your water softener can eventually stop working when it gets to a stage where it can no longer remove hardness from your water. The resin will have a mushy feeling and start to slow down the water pressure in the home. 

In some cases, the resin can build up, and with the force of the water being pushed through the distributors, they can crack, and resin beads will enter the home. Resin change-outs are very common, especially if you are using water provided by the city.

If you lack a whole house carbon filter to remove the chlorine, This can prematurely wear out your resin beads.

1. If your water is hard, the salt storage tank has water while the unit is in a soft water cycle, and water runs into the drain.

This is usually caused by no brine draw. This requires taking apart and cleaning the venturi and nozzle with a toothbrush and mild soap and water and rinsing completely.

If you are still having trouble, you can always call Lone Star Water Services for repairs.