What are the reason Your Water Softener is not giving Soft Water?
Here are some of the reasons that your Water Softener is not working properly, i.e., it is not providing soft water!
You have turned off your settings!
A control valve on water softeners determines when the system "recharges." Your system may not be recharging those tiny resin beads if these settings are turned off. If it's recharging while you're using water, the water you get may not be softened or have a salt flavour if it hasn't gone through the rinse stage of the regeneration.
What to do: Double-check that the softener head is set to the correct time of day. You'll need to change the hour if it shows the wrong time. This can happen after a period of prolonged power outage.
You might also want to double-check the softener's recharge time. Most plumbers will set the recharge time at 2:00 a.m. The rationale for this is that there will most likely be no water in use in the house at that time, allowing the recharge to proceed without interruption.
Different water softener brands have various control settings. If you need to change the time-of-day settings, consult your Manufacturer’s manual.
You've got a salt bridge or salt mushing!
When your salt hardens into a "dome," it forms an air pocket between the salt and the water, which is known as a salt bridge.When salt recrystallizes and forms a thick sludge at the bottom of your brine tank, this is known as salt mushing.Both of these scenarios prevent sodium ions from recharging your resin beads, causing them to quit softening your water.
What to do: To check for a salt bridge, use a broom handle to press down on the salt coating. You don't have a salt bridge if you can reach the bottom of the tank. If you have a hardened salt bridge, carefully break it up.
Remove part of the salt and look for a thick layer of sludge on the tank's bottom to check for salt mushing. If your brine tank has a coating of sludge, you'll need to wipe it out thoroughly and replace it with salt and water.
Your resin bed needs to be cleaned!
Iron and other hard minerals can accumulate on the bottom of your resin tank over time. This makes it difficult for your resin beads to properly soften your water.
What to do: Look for a resin cleaner that is designed to get rid of mineral build-up. Pour the necessary amount of cleaner into the brine tank according to the specifications on the bottle.
With a screwdriver, turn the "regenerate" knob on the control valve counterclockwise. You can repeat this technique if your resin bed is very "filthy." Remember to turn the regeneration knob back to its original position when you're finished.
Turn on the nearest faucet and let it run for 10 minutes to flush out any residual cleanser in your system.
The water softener is ancient and in need of replacement!
A water softener, like all equipment’s, loses efficiency as it ages.
Furthermore, chlorine in your water might cause the resin beads to become mushy and unable to extract the minerals from the water over time. The resin beads can be replaced if this happens. Depending on how old the softener is, it may be best and most cost-effective to replace it.
Is there such a thing as a decent rule of thumb?
Replace your water softener if it is over 15 years old and no longer softens your water.
What to do: Hire an expert to assist you with this procedure. They'll be able to figure out what size water softener you'll need and safely install it.
You might also consider adding a whole-house water filter prior to the softener to eliminate chlorine and other pollutants from the water. This will help your softener last longer and protect your investment.
If you want to know more about Water Softeners, then you can have an expert solution upon contacting Netsol Water, a leading manufacturer of Industrial and Commercial Water Treatment Plants and Wastewater Treatment Plants, among other services. Our treatment systems are very effective at removing all types of chemical, physical, and biological pollutants.
