Living with hard water is, well, hard. It gunks up your appliances, turns your skin flaky and dry, and makes your water taste a little bit off. Fortunately, there are ways to mitigate the effects of hard water in your home. Enter: the whole home water softener.
Whole home water softeners remove calcium and magnesium from your water through an ion exchange process. It is a scientific process that is as simple as it is effective and can save you a whole bunch of money. That’s because hard water does more than affect your showers and drinking water: the calcium and magnesium found in hard water eventually build up in your home’s pipes and can cause severe damage.
As great as whole home water softeners are, they require some maintenance. It’s a small price to pay, and here we will guide you through some of the steps of water softener maintenance.
How to Maintain a Water Softener
Whole home water softeners have an expected life span of 8 to 12 years. If you want it to last for the full 12 (maybe even longer than 12!), you will want to do regular maintenance. Here is a checklist to make water softener maintenance easy for you!
- Choose the Right Salt
The manual for your whole home water softener will tell you the type of salt your system works on, and then it is up to you to choose the best kind. We think pellets are the best way to go, as they are less likely to clog your drain.
We would also recommend getting the highest quality salt possible. Yes, it is more expensive, but salt for whole home water softeners is, even at its most expensive, not going to break the bank.
- Change Your Salt
So, how do you know when to add salt to water softener? That’s easy; just set yourself a schedule. It is recommended that you change the salt in your brine tank once every two months, but we think it would behoove you to check your tank once every couple of weeks to once a month. This is especially true for older systems, which might require more upkeep than a newer system.
- Break up Any Salt Formations
Salt can change form and adhere to itself when in water long enough. This will significantly affect how well your whole home water softener works and is another good reason you should check your salt even when you don’t need to change it.
How do you break up the formations? Easy, grab a long, sturdy stick (like a broom handle) and stir it around until there are no more solid formations. If you are having difficulty with this, grab some hot water and pour it over the formations.
- Don’t Forget the Gunk
Not only can salt turn hard, but you will also likely find a layer of gunk in your home water softener. This is also an easy fix. Simply scoop out the gunk, add it to hot water, stir, and reintroduce it to your tank. It should dissolve quickly, and if it doesn’t, simply don’t add it back!
- Learn How to Clean Your System
You want to ensure your water is safe for you and your family, so do the proper research before thoroughly cleaning your water softening system. It’s a relatively straightforward process, but you want to ensure you have the right chemicals and use the right amount.
- Only Clean When Needed
With this, you only need to clean your system’s tank when your water turns hard again. Washing it too often can negatively affect the system. Of course, you can always call a professional and have them clean it if you would rather skip the process altogether.
- Know the Signs of Hard Water
Once you have a whole home water softener, you might forget what hard water taste, smells, and feels like. But you’d be wise to remember the signs, as they indicate that it is time to clean your system.
If you are interested in Rainsoft water softener maintenance, please contact Rainsoft today!
