Water Softeners

My softener does not remove the water from my salt tank when it regenerates.
 What should I check?

1. Make sure all the fittings are tight. Also check the tubing going to the salt tank for small cracks. Any air leak will cause the valve to not draw the water out during the regeneration cycle.

2. Make sure the drain line is not clogged or restricted. This also can cause the valves normal suction to fail.

3. Check the injector and injector screen for debris or clogging.

4. Check that the two main valves are fully closed. Older valves, or valves subjected to chlorine may fail to close, resulting in no suction. In fact it will result in the valve attempting to fill the salt tank during the time it should be removing the salt water.

When do the resins in the softener tank need to be changed?

1. The average water softener will not need it's resins replaced in it's life time ( 20 + years ).

2. Water softening resins need to be replaced if the unit has developed a high level of bacteria that does not respond to a cleaning with chlorine. Odors from units left in a not working mode with no water flowing through them for months at a time can develop this problem. Also, units in direct sunlight can develop a layer of algae that requires complete resin replacement.

3. An excessive amount of sand in resin tank, due to a well starting to collapse, can necessitate resin replacement.

Can the softener cause pressure loss, if so what do I look for, and what do I need to fix it? 

Yes, a softener can cause pressure loss in the home due to resistance from the resin bed caused by one of the following.
1. On well water, this is usually due to fine sand coming from the well.
 2. On softeners installed in the open sunlight ( mostly in Florida ), a layer of algae can grow and thick pieces of this growth clog the lower distributor tube screen when they start peeling off the inside of the resin tank.
 3. On chlorinated water supplies, sand can get into the tank from new construction or work on water lines in the area. All of these situations are rare. 
4. The most common cause of pressure loss occurs on chlorinated water. 
The resins can be damaged by high chlorine levels and turn to mush. This has the same effect as having fine sand at the bottom of the resin tank. 

The solution for all of the above problems is to dump the resin tank, clean and re-bed with new resins. One cubic foot of softening resins is enough to properly fill the average residential softener. We can calculate the amount for you, if you provide exact resin tank dimensions. 

The second most common reason for pressure loss occurs, the flapper valve discs swell up when used on chlorinated water. This causes the holes in the valve to become block, resulting in pressure loss at high flow rates.
 
The solution for this problem is to replace the valve discs set and the backwash flow control ball ( this part also swells up ). 

How much salt should my softener be using?

1. The average can vary depending upon the type of valve used and the quality of water being treated.

2. Metered valves will tent to use less salt than a non metered unit ( i.e. one set to regenerate every so many days with no regards for actual water used ).

3. An average softener with 1 cu. ft. of resins ( 32,000 grain, 9" x 48" tank ) should use about 8 lbs. per regeneration to achieve a economical 24,000 grain capacity ( hardness in grains divided into grains of capacity results in the gallons of water that can be treated before resins is exhausted ).

I see ads for "No Salt" needed water conditioners. 
How do they work without using salt?

1. Many dealers will advertise a no salt water conditioner. Any brand of water conditioner can be operated without using salt. This is done by using a salt substitute, potassium chloride. It generally cost twice as much as regular salt ( sodium chloride ), and can be difficult to find in some areas. Also, it is recommend to increase the salt setting on your control valve by about 10 % , when using a salt substitute.

2. Some companies offer catalytic filters and/or magnetic devices to soften your water that do not use salt, or anything else to regenerate their product. Buyer beware! If a technology had been developed that could replace a resin based water conditioner, then everyone would be selling it. I know I would. Those salt bags are heavy :)

Will a Water Softener remove the iron from my water?

1. Yes, if the iron is still in solution ( it has not been oxidized ). How much it can remove depends on the size resin tank of your softener. The more iron in the water, the larger the resin tank needs to be to remove all the iron. E-mail us for advice on your situation.

I have a Water Softener, but I still have odor in my water.
Why is that? 

1. Water softeners do not remove most taste and odor problems ( they can remove the metallic taste of iron in water ).

2. Odors from hydrogen sulfide ( "rotten egg smell" ) in wells or "bleach" smell in chlorine treated water, require an activated carbon filter to be used in conjunction with the water softener. E-mail us for advice on your situation.

3. Sometimes odor in the hot water only, is caused by the self sacrificing rod installed in your hot water heater.

Will a Water Softener make my water safe to drink?

1. No. Your water must be safe to drink before you condition the water with a softener. If you are concerned about the safety of your drinking water, contact your local health department about getting a bacteria test, or full lab analysis on your water.