If your softener is using an excessive amount of salt, it is recharging much more than it should. This can be a result of an out of date hardness setting, or a metering hiccup.
The latest systems also have low salt indicators or even a remote monitoring alert to let you know you are running low on salt and help make water softener maintenance easy. Overall, because newer models are more efficient with salt use, they typically only need to have salt added every 6-8 weeks.
How long does a 40 lb bag of water softener salt last? We hear questions like this often, and the answer is that it really just depends on your system and your household water needs. While the average family will go through a 40 lb bag about once a month or so, your amount will vary.
Salt mushing occurs when the salt in the brine tank recrystallizes to create a sludge. A salt bridge is a dome of hardened salt creating an air pocket between the water and salt. Both of these situations prevent proper recharging, and you'll need to check your brine tank to resolve either of these issues.
Salt Level Is Too High (or Water Is Too Low)
More than that could mean you're adding too much salt, which is wasteful and encourages crusty build-up. Ideally, you should fill salt to an appropriate level for your household, then let the salt drop until you see the water level in the brine tank.
As mentioned above, the usage will vary depending on your family's needs and the hardness of your water. If your softener is sized and programmed correctly, you will probably use between 40-50 pounds of salt per month. Make sure you check your salt levels at least once every month.
If there is a layer of sludge, you'll need to completely clean out your brine tank and refill it with salt and water. Note: Salt clogs in small valves and other assembly pieces can prevent your water from being softened. We suggest having a professional find and remove the clogs as this may require disassembly.
Blockages or Clogging
Over time, an accumulation of these minerals and salt from your brine solution can clog the water line that runs through the tank of your water softener. A tell-tale sign that your water softener might be clogged is if the softness of your water changes considerably.
As a good rule of thumb, you should start by setting your water hardness level on your water softener to match the GPG of your water supply. For example, if your report shows you that your water hardness level is 10 GPG, then you need to set your water softener to 10 GPG as well.
No brine tank should ever be FULL of water! Newer water softeners, especially those with digital valves, only have water in the brine tank two hours before the softener goes through a cycle. These “dry” tanks should not have water in them between cycles.
The resin beads in water softeners get their sodium ions from salt that you must add to the brine tank portion of your softener. This is usually in a tank that is completely separate from the one containing the beads. You'll need to refill the salt once every two to three months.
To check the salt level of your water softener, you need to open the tank brine and look inside. If the salt level is less than half, that's a sign you have to do a refill. Ideally, the salt must take up about three-quarters of the tank volume. Adding too much salt will prevent the system from regenerating properly.
For a properly sized water softener system, the industry standard for an average family of four, (with a water hardness level of 7-10 grains per gallon) will use approximately 10lbs of salt each week or one 40lbs bag of salt each month.
Keep your brine tank at least one quarter full of salt at all times. Don't fill your salt up past 4 to 6 inches below the top of your brine tank. Make sure that your salt level always stays a few inches above the water level in your brine tank.
Hard water spots are one of the most common signs that a water softener isn't working. These can appear on shower doors and faucets, and they result from the buildup of minerals in the water. Another telltale sign of a failed water softener is hard water spots. These may show up on your shower door or porcelain tub.
In short, the answer is No. Your softener will perform best if it is programmed based on the true hardness and iron levels in your water supply.
It is generally agreed upon that regular regenerations are the best, because they keep the resin bed active. This should be every two to three days, although highly efficient softeners may generate every day or even multiple times a day.
Take the vacuum and remove all the water on the bottom of your brine tank. After, take the hot water and pour it over the salt left. Turn your softener back on and let it rest for four hours. Then program a manual regeneration for your tank.
Water softeners should be cleaned regularly to keep them in operation. Cleaning a water softener brine tank also helps you to notice issues inside the tank, like salt sludge at the bottom of the tank (known as salt mushing) and salt bridges.
This is a common problem. clogged eductors or jets in the control valve can cause a water softener to not draw in salt. A malfunctioning brine or float valve can be the culprit. A brine line that has a hole in it can also cause a water softener to not use salt.
Water softeners today work off gallons going through the system. A house with one person with a 30,000-grain unit will go through a 50Lb bag of salt every five to six weeks.