A water softener’s job is to remove minerals like calcium and magnesium from your drinking water. This is important because these minerals can give you hard water, known to cause dry hair and skin, damage to your pipes, and ruin some of your appliances.
Since water constantly flows through your water softener, it will need maintenance. Failing to do so will result in rust and residue buildup. With that said, here are some easy water softener maintenance tips:
Check Your System’s Salt Levels
Since salt is necessary for your water softener to do the job properly, it’s always important to keep an eye on your system’s salt levels in its brine tank. Keeping it on a low level decreases your water softener’s efficiency. It’s a good idea to check its level at least once a month.
A good rule of thumb is to keep the tank filled at least half-full and three inches above the water level with salt. If you’re not sure what your system’s ideal level is, be sure to consult the manual.
Use the Right Kind of Salt
You should also be mindful of what kind of salt you’re putting in your water softener. There are three types of salt that you can use:
- Rock Salt – This type is more affordable compared to the others but may contain more impurities, requiring you to clean your system more frequently.
- Solar Salt – Solar salt is purer and more soluble compared to rock salts, though not as efficient as evaporated salts.
- Evaporated Salt – This option has the highest purity out of the three types, being at 99.99% sodium chloride.
Although any of these types of salts will do, it’s best if you go for the one with the highest purity level. This leaves you with less residue and lowers the chance of salt bridges forming in the tank. If you want to, you can also get salt products that can address specific issues in your system, like high iron concentration and rust stains. An example of this would be Morton Salt.
Have Your Softener Cleaned and Inspected by Professionals
Although water softeners today can go for 5 to 10 years without cleaning, it’s not an excuse to skip having them cleaned now and then. It’s recommended to have your system inspected and maintained at least once a year.
However, you should also have your water softener inspected if you notice a change in your water quality or if soap scum starts to develop on your appliances and fixtures. These could be signs that you should call a professional soon.
Should you need any help with your water softener equipment, reach out to Adams Water Conditioning. We have been a trusted name in water treatment since 1967.
