Water softener not working? You are not alone. With the outdoor temperatures on the rise in San Antonio and Austin, Texas, as well as the surrounding areas, many residents are checking their water softeners to ensure they have all the clean water necessary to stay hydrated and healthy. Although regular water softener maintenance isn’t hard, the task becomes much more difficult if the system isn’t working properly. Read our quick troubleshooting guide to find out if your broken water softener system can be fixed with a quick DIY or if you need a specialist for a professional water softener service.
The Most Common Types of Water Softener Issues
Line Blockage
As with any plumbing appliances, line blockages are a very real possibility. In fact, they are one of the most common causes of water softener issues!
Clogs occur when salt and other minerals build up inside the brine line and create deposits. As the deposits grow larger and larger, there is less room for water to travel through. Eventually, the deposit blocks the entire line, prohibiting any treated water from passing through. Contact one of our specialists to unclog the brine line for you.
Salt Bridges
Salt can build up in other places besides the brine line. If not cleaned properly or frequently, it will develop into a hard sodium deposit, better known as a salt bridge, and sink to the bottom of the tank.
Salt bridges can prevent your water softener from treating hard water, as well as completing a regeneration cycle. Luckily, they’re pretty simple to fix. After turning off the water softener and opening the bypass valve, break up the salt bridge using either a store-bought solution or a long stick, and clean out the salt fragments.
Salt Mushing
You’ve probably heard the terms salt bridge and salt mushing used interchangeably. In truth, they are slightly different.
Salt mushing refers to salt that has been dissolved but ends up at the bottom of the tank to form deposits that have a mud-link consistency (hence the name salt “mushing”). Like salt bridges, it can prevent hard water from being treated, but it can also increase the tank’s water levels. You can clean up salt mushing the same way as salt bridges.
Resin Beads
You’ll only encounter resin beads if you have a salt-based water softener. These small beads attract hard minerals, like calcium and magnesium, among many others, and separate them to leave only clean water behind.
Although resin beads should theoretically last as long as the water softener itself, they may get damaged and need to be repaired or replaced like everything else. A good way to determine whether something is wrong with the resin beads is to check for any particles floating in the water. If you come to find that damaged resin beads are to blame for your untreated water, check the owner’s manual for the next steps.
Motor Failure
Your water softener’s motor is more likely to fail with age and wear. However, it can happen to any system at any time, especially if the system is neglected.
If you have exhausted all your other options and you think motor failure is the reason your water softener isn’t functioning properly, contact one of our water softener specialists for a professional diagnosis. In the event that a motor replacement is the only possible solution, you should weigh the pros and cons between a motor replacement and a new water softener system.
Expert Water Softener Service Company
When your water softener is not working, you might need professional help. We’ve got your back! Just contact us today and we’ll be right over to help!
