Pro Tips Series #2: How to Maintain Your Water Softener for Optimal Efficiency and Quality of Water
Welcome to our Pro Tips Series, where we share expert insights to help you keep your home water systems running at peak performance and maintain quality water for your family. In this edition, we’ll focus on how to maintain your water softener so it delivers efficient operation, protects your plumbing, and ensures consistently soft, high-quality water.
Pro Tip #1: Check Salt Levels Regularly
Inspect the brine tank monthly and keep salt at least half full. Don’t overfill—leave a few inches of headspace to promote proper brine formation and reliable regenerations. To ensure your water softener is working properly and efficiently, it helps to run the salt tank almost out of salt every six months to ensure there isn't any sediment, silt, or mushed salt at the bottom of the tank, which can cause the water softener to not draw brine and/or plug the venturi nozzle, which draws salt brine in to regenerate the resin. Many water treatment manufacturers offer remote salt level monitors to alert you when salt levels in the brine tank are getting low. There are also aftermarket salt level monitors that can be added to any salt tank to help you monitor when it's time to add water softener salt.
Pentair Connected Salt Level Sensor for Water Softening Systems
Pro Tip #2: Use the Right Type of Salt
Choose high-purity water softener salt like Dura-Cube or Hardi-Cube water softener salt designed for softeners. Avoid rock salt, pellet salt, and solar salt; their impurities create sludge, silt, and sediment, which clog injectors. Causing the water softener to not regenerate properly and hard water in the home. This is the main reason water softener resin fouls out prematurely. This causes the need to replace the water softener resin (Re-bed) or replace the entire system.
Water Softener Salt Guide Series #1
Pro Tip #3: Break Up Salt Bridges and Salt Mush
Salt bridges form a hard crust that traps an air gap; gently break it with a broom handle. Remove “salt mush” (slurry at the bottom) and replace it with fresh salt to restore brining. Pellet salt is notorious for bridging. Using a high-quality water softener salt, such as Dura-Cube or Hardi-Cube salt, ensures the best results for water softener efficiency and avoids salt bridging.
Pro Tip #4: Clean the Brine Tank Annually
Once a year, empty the tank, scrub with warm soapy water, rinse thoroughly, and refill with clean salt. This prevents sediment buildup, mushing of salt, and improves water softener regeneration efficiency.
Pro Tip #5: Inspect the Venturi/Injector and Screen
The venturi (injector) draws brine during regeneration. Debris or iron fouling here reduces suction. Disassemble per the manual, clean the nozzle, throat, and screen, and reassemble.
Pro Tip #6: Maintain the Resin Bed
Add a resin bed cleaner periodically—especially if you have iron or manganese—to dissolve fouling and restore the capacity of the resin in the water softener. Plan on replacing the water softener resin roughly every 10–15 years. Depending on water quality, maintenance, and water usage.
Pro Products - ResCare Resin Cleaner
Pro Tip #7: Sanitize Softener and Check the Bypass/Valves
Annually sanitize the softener with a manufacturer-approved sanitizer. Exercise the bypass and service valves to prevent seizing and verify there are no leaks or drips.
Different Types of Water Softener Bypass Valves and How to Operate Them
Pro Tip #8: Test and Program for Your Actual Hardness
Test hardness at least once a year. Program correct hardness, set an efficient salt dose, and schedule overnight regenerations. If iron is present, include the iron compensation factor.
➣ Look for TWSB "Water Softener Calculator" on the sidebar of our landing page. To easily configure the hardness setting for your water softener.
Pro Tips Recap
- Keep salt levels steady; use high-purity pellets.
- Break bridges and remove salt mush promptly.
- Clean the brine tank and venturi/injector routinely.
- Use resin cleaner; replace resin when capacity drops.
- Sanitize annually; verify bypass and valve operation.
- Test hardness and fine-tune settings for efficiency.
Pro Tip Highlights
A well-maintained softener lowers energy and detergent use, protects plumbing, water heaters, and appliances, and delivers consistently soft, quality water throughout your home.
Looking Back
Missed the first article? Read Pro Tips Series #1: Best Methods for Maintaining Your Water Heater.
Looking Ahead
Stay tuned for Pro Tips Series #3: Essential Tips for Maintaining Your Reverse Osmosis System, where we’ll help you extend filter and membrane life and protect drinking water quality.
I wish you Good days and Good water!
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Thank you, Ray