ExecutiveChronicles.com | How to Tell If Your Water Softener Is Working Properly | Clean, reliable, pleasant tasting water brings life to a home. Without reliable water, a country can quickly devolve into third-world status.
As you work on your home maintenance projects, put water softener maintenance on your list. This underrated tool affects your plumbing and water supply greatly.
Basic preventative maintenance can keep your water softener working for decades. But first, you need to know if it is failing you. Keep reading to learn the basics of how a softener works and how to know if you need a new water softener.
How a Softener Works
To understand if your softener is failing you, you should first understand how the softener works.
Water softeners have two stages, the softening stage and the regeneration stage.
Softening Stage
When your hard water comes to your home, it has a heavy amount of calcium and magnesium that affects its smell and overall water quality. The softening stage takes that calcium and magnesium out and replaces it with sodium.
The process begins with hard water entering the softener. The softener should have some activated resin in it. The calcium and magnesium molecules then cling to the resin beads.
At this point, sodium ions replace the hardness minerals and the soft water leaves the softener, minus the calcium and magnesium.
Regeneration Stage
In the regeneration stage, the sodium ions cling to the resin beads and are exchanged for hardness minerals. The salty water exits the storage tank. The brine then saturates the resin. The hardness minerals are released from the resin, and the softener reactivates the resin with sodium ions.
The hardness minerals and bring then exit the softener and go to the drain.
Signs the Softener is Failing
When your water begins to lose its superior quality, don’t blame your utility company quite yet. Here are the basic signs that your water softener might be failing you.
Water Stains
Water stains should not happen if you have softened water. If you begin to notice hard water stains on your dishes or a buildup in your drains, you probably have too many minerals in your softener.
When a softener fails, it fails to take out those minerals.
If you notice constant water stains, then contact your plumber. They know best if you need new appliances.
Filmy Water
If you begin to notice a strange film floating on top of your water or anything you make with water, your softener could be failing you.
The water minerals can also leave an odd film on your skin, causing it to dry out and become itchy.
Salty Taste
When the softener fails to use salt correctly, it may leave some salt in the water and cause you to have salty water. You may need a new softener, or you may just need a plumber to adjust the settings.
Water Pressure Drop
Even the best softeners, like the GE water softener, can malfunction once they’ve worked long enough. A basic drop in your water pressure can indicate a problem with your softener.
If you’ve begun to notice any one of these problems, contact a plumber. You may only need a softener repair and not a complete replacement.
Home Maintenance Saves
Basic home maintenance will save you money in the end. A water softener is an expensive investment. If you notice any one of these signs, then get your softener checked out.
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