If the water softener is working, but the water is not softening, you may have one of the following problems:
- Water softener setting is not working due to formation of Salt Bridge or salt porridge.
- Even too much water in the brine tank, dirty resin bed can damage the softener.
- The water softener is old and needs to be replaced.
However, to better understand why the device went down, let's first look at how the water softener works!
Water softeners remove minerals (such as calcium and magnesium) that make water "hard" from the water. Most water softening systems have two tanks: resin tanks or "water softeners" Brine tank or "salt tank" The resin tank serves to remove calcium and magnesium ions from hard water. This is done using special resin beads that attract "hard" mineral ions. When hard ions attach to these pearls, the pearls repel "soft" sodium ions and replace the "hard" ions in the water. The brine tank (salt tank) serves to "charge" the resin beads.
Let's see how the brine tank does this.
Step 1: Over time, the resin beads are filled with calcium and magnesium ions up to the capacity limit. To "charge" these pearls (that is, wash away "hard minerals"), salt tanks dissolve salt in water to make salt water.
Step 2: Brine tank sends brine to resin tank
Step 3: Sodium ions in this mixture floods the resin beads and repel "hard" minerals.
Step 4: When hard minerals are scraped from the pearls and collected at the bottom of the tank, they are washed away and discharged from the system.
Now let's look at some things that can cause a water softener to stop softening water.
What are the Reasons Your Water Softener No Longer Softens Your Water?
1-Softener time
The water softener has a control valve that determines when the system is "charged".However, if these settings are disabled, the system may not charge these small resin beads. You can charge while using water. In this case, the resulting water may not soften or may be salty if it has not undergone a regenerated rinse.
Make sure the softener head shows the correct time.
If the time is incorrect, you need to adjust the time. This can happen after a long power outage. You can also check when the softener will be charged. Most plumbers set the charging time to 2 am. This is because it is likely that your home is not using water at this point, and you can continue to charge it. Different brands of water softeners have different control settings. Therefore, if you need to adjust the time setting, be sure to refer to the manual.
2-You have a salt bridge
A salt bridge is when salt solidifies into a "dome" that forms an air pocket between salt and water. Salt mashing is the recrystallization of salt to produce thick sludge at the bottom of the brine tank. In both situations, it prevents sodium ions from recharging the resin beads. That is, the beads will eventually stop softening the water.
To see the salt bridge, push down on the salt layer with a broom. If you can reach the bottom of the tank, there is no salt bridge. If there is a salt bridge, gently break the hardened part to open it. To test the porridge, remove some salt and check for a thick layer of sludge at the bottom of the tank. If there is a layer of mud, the brine tank should be thoroughly cleaned and filled with salt and water.
Small valves and other mounting parts can be clogged with salt to prevent the water from softening. It is advisable to have a specialist find and remove obstacles as they may need to be disassembled.
3-Too much water in the brine tank
Too much water and too little salt in the brine tank will reduce the salt content of the "charging" brine. When the salt content of the brine is reduced, the resin globules will not be fully recharged. Also, if the resin beads are not charged properly, the resin beads will not soften the water. Check the water level in the brine tank. The amount of water required for a brine tank depends on the size of the tank, but in general, if the water level is above 12 inches, there may be too much water. The system automatically fills the brine tank. Therefore, if you think you have too much water, you should have a specialist check for problems with the brine tank and float unit.
4-Resin bed needs cleaning
Iron and other hard minerals can accumulate at the bottom of the resin tank. This makes it difficult for the resin beads to completely soften the water.
Find a resin cleaner specially designed to remove mineral build-up. Follow the instructions on the bottle and pour the correct amount of cleaner into the brine tank. Find the Play button on the control valve and turn it counter-clockwise with a screwdriver. You can repeat this process again, especially if you have a "dirty" resin bed.
When you are finished, be sure to turn the play knob clockwise to return it to its original position. To flush the residual cleaner from the system, turn on the nearest faucet and run for 10 minutes.
5-Water softener is old and needs to be replaced
Like all appliances, water softeners become less efficient over time. In addition, over time, chlorine in the water can make the resin beads muddy and stop removing minerals from the water. In this case, the resin beads can be replaced. However, in some situations it may be best and cheaper to replace the soft finish.
Netsol Water is Greater Noida-based leading water & wastewater treatment plant manufacturer. We are industry's most demanding company based on client review and work quality. We are known as best commercial RO plant manufacturer, industrial RO plant manufacturer, sewage treatment plant manufacturer, Water Softener Plant Manufacturers and effluent treatment plant manufacturers. Apart from this 24x7 customer support is our USP. Call on +91-9650608473, or write us at enquiry@netsolwater.com for any support, inquiry or product-purchase related query.