Is Your Water Softener Clogged? Here is What to Do
Water softeners may encounter various problems as it goes through city supply lines and distribution systems into your home’s plumbing system.
08/04/2020
Water is life, hence the need to fix water softener clogged issues.
With uses ranging from cleaning and drinking to food preparation and gardening, the essence of water goes without saying. It’s a daily essential.
However, water softeners may encounter various problems as it goes through city supply lines and distribution systems into your home’s plumbing system.
A faulty water softener can easily cause your
water pressure to drop and plumbing fixtures to
drop.
But…
How will you know if it’s your water softening system behind your water woes?
Diagnose the issue.
Water Softener Diagnosis
You must understand how the process of softening water works to diagnose the problem with your water. Most modern water softeners feature an automatic regeneration system based on electric timers for system flushing and recharging at certain times.
When your water softener is being recharged, the supply of soft water halts.
Some water softeners are built with computer control units for monitoring your water usage. At some point, the sodium beads get depleted after lots of water has gone through the system’s mineral tank. When that happens, the computer unit triggers the regeneration process.
The water softener unit usually features a reserve resin to ensure that your plumbing system at home continues to receive soft water. With this type of water softening system, the reserve resin is triggered during system recharge to ensure you continue receiving soft water. Other water softeners are mechanical. They’re built with a mechanical water meter for system control. The meter gauges water used to trigger the recharging process.
Mechanical water softeners don’t depend on
electrical parts. Additionally, the mineral tank
is only recharged when necessary. A water
softening system built with two mineral tanks
offers continuous supply of soft water even
during the recharging process.
All types of
water softeners use resin to eliminate the
various minerals in water that make it hard,
replacing them with sodium.
Clogging or Blockage of Your Water Softener
Hard water contains magnesium and calcium minerals. The water can deposit a chalky substance on your fixtures and pipes, including your water softener. The minerals and salt from your brine solution accumulate over time, clogging the water line that runs into your water softener tank.
A considerable change in the softness of your water indicates that the water softener could be clogged. The presence of chalky deposits on your fixtures and dishware is a sign of water softener blockage or clogging.
How to Clear Clogged Pipes Attached to Water Softener
After ascertaining that your water softening system is clogged, you need to clear all the water softener clogged pipes to solve the issue.
● Push debris out of the valve injector
Debris clog the valve injector over time, affecting the ability of your water softener to support the brine cycle suction. As a result, the water softener fails to regenerate properly. This stops your water from getting softened.
High water level in the brine tank indicates that the injector is clogged.
Use needle-nose pliers to pull out the injector for inspection. Look through the small hole in the injector to determine if it’s the cause of your clogged water softener.
If you can’t see through the hole, use a safety pin or needle to push the debris responsible for clogging your water softener out of the injector.
● Hire a professional to clean the brine line of your clogged water softener
Deposits can also clog both the valve and the brine line. Inspect the brine line for visible deposits causing your water softener to clog.
American Home Water and Air has a great guide for water softener maintenance.
● Break salt bridges and remove salt mushing
A water softener clogged with salt results from the formation of a salt bridge. This is when the brine tank harbors a hard crust that separates the salt from the water. The crust prevents the salt from dissolving into the water to form brine.
Seasonal weather changes and high humidity conditions around the brine tank cause clumping and the salt bridge develops. Salt buildup can also result from using poor quality salt in your water softener.
Salt mushing can also deteriorate the performance of your water softener. The salt recrystallizes at the bottom of the brine tank. It develops a salty sludge instead of developing into a crusty layer.
You don’t need a professional to fix the salt mushing and bridges. Solve your water softener clogged with salt issue as follows:
❖ Use a broom handle to break up the salt
bridge
❖ Drain, clean and refill the tank
with fresh salt to eliminate salt mushing
● Replace resins and reset your water softener drain clogged unit to regenerate regularly
Water softener resins are responsible for trapping the minerals in your hard water to soften it based on ion exchange technology. Degradation of your water softener resins lowers your clogged water softener’s capacity.
You also need to reset the water softener drain clogged unit to regenerate regularly and ensure you get soft water continuously.
The presence of sand-like particles in your water softener’s resin tank indicates that it needs replacement. Do the replacement ASAP because the particles can easily damage your entire system.
Although resins have a lifespan of about two decades, chlorine shortens it.
Frequent regeneration of your water softener is an effective short-term solution. However, you may need to hire a professional to replace the resins for a more lasting solution to your water softener clogged problem.
● Solve your water softener drain clogged issue causing brine tank overflow
Brine tank is a critical component of your water softener. Depending on your system’s capacity and salt setting, your brine tank should have about 8-14 inches of water when empty.
The addition of salt increases the water level as it’s displaced, leading to brine tank overflow. A malfunctioned valve, a stuck float, a brine line blockage, or a clogged water softener injector can cause the brine tank to overflow.
Here’s what to do:
● Eliminate salt buildup on the brine line
● Remove debris from the brine line valve, tank
and other water softener clogged pipes
● Unclog water softener drain clogged
lines
● Clear the injector of obstructions
● Hire a professional to clean or replace the
injector
Conclusion
Service your water softening system regularly to ensure it lives to its maximum lifespan, usually 15 years. Fix issues quickly as they arise to avoid reducing the lifespan of your water softener.
DIY fixes can easily solve some issues. However, others require professional fixes. Follow these tips to solve your clogged water softener issue.