Salt levels

Water becomes hard due to the minerals such as calcium and magnesium it gets from the underground. Hard water is not suitable for washing, cleaning and cooking purposes. Besides that, this water reduces the lifespan of the appliances, leaves unaesthetic spots on the dishes and makes the clothes have a dull aspect.

When mixed with detergent and soap, hard water does not lather enough. In addition, soap scum occurs. In order to get rid of these problems, people install water softeners. These water softener systems are not cheap at all; this is why their maintenance process is very important.

There are many water softener types available on the market, but an ion exchanging resin system is preferred by most people. Before talking about maintenance rules, let us see the elements of a water softener and the way it works. An ion exchanging resin system is made of a resin bed, which contains sodium, potassium and hydrogen ions. When the water runs through the resin bed, these ions replace the calcium and magnesium ions, thus softening the water. A water softener can be used to generate drinking water, for example.

Rules

A water softener system does not require too much maintenance. All you need to do is to verify it regularly to see if everything works well. Before doing that, you have to read very carefully the user manual that came with our system. This way you will be able to identify any problem and solve it.

How to do it

  1. The first thing you have to do is to check for suitable types of salt for your water softener type. Evaporated salt is a good option for those people who are very busy and do not have too much free time. It is to be mentioned that this salt type is quite expensive, but it does not require special care. More than that, using evaporated salt will keep the brine tank cleaner.
  2. Another important thing you should keep in mind is the salt levels. Improper salt amounts will stop the softening process of the water. So, make sure you check the salt level every month to ensure yourself that it is about one third of the brine tank. Fill the tank before the salt level get below this level.
  3. If you want to extend the life of your system, clean the brine tank regularly and feed the salt. If the water contains a large amount of insoluble matter, you have to clean the brine tank more often. This process of cleaning depends mainly on the type of salt you use.
  4. Cleaning the resin bed is also important if you want to maintain the quality of you softened water. If you see that the water has a high iron content, use a resin bed cleaner  or an iron remover to eliminate it.
  5. Most resin beds are made to last more than twenty years. Some of them can last even twenty-five years or more. If there are any problems with the system, make sure you check the tank and all its components very carefully. If everything is OK, then the problem is the resin bed and you have to replace it with a new one. Bacterial and algal growth can sometimes occur.

These were important steps that can help you maintain your water softener and extend its life.

brine tank, cleaning resin beds, hard water, how to care for a water softener, how to prolong the life of a water softener, salt, salt levels, water softener maintenance, water softener principle, water softeners