People can rely on water softeners to purify and filtrate the water supply of their home or business. However, they are not that perfect. On certain occasions, some of them will encounter a breakdown or some kind of malfunction.
To ensure that their model is always efficient, the owners need to monitor it closely. However, what in particular should they watch out for to make sure that it is always running at its full potential? Here are 5 common issues related to these products you might run into:
Clogs
One of the typical water softener issues that they will experience at times are clogs or blockages.
Blockages are usually caused by the accumulation of salt plus other minerals in the interior of the softener. When these minerals have accumulated up to a certain point, there is less space for water to run through.
Such clogs will lead to water that does not feel as soft as before and which functions more like hard water. Luckily, it is easy to fix majority of clogs.
Motor Failures
Similar to anything that runs on motors, water softeners are susceptible to motor failures. Though this issue is not something that is usually encountered with a softer, it is still a problem that people should be aware of.
In order for a softener’s motor to last as long as possible, it is critical for it to go through regular maintenance. This means it needs regular cleaning, changing of filters and emptying, among other responsibilities.
Defunct Resin Beads
A water softener that is salt-based makes use of resin beads. These beads are needed in order for a salt-driven model to function properly. In essence, resin beads substitute hard minerals with soft minerals.
Resin beads in water softeners are made to last as long as the lifespan of the product, but at times, they do not last that long.
When resin beads no longer function, they are seen floating about in the water of the softener. In many instances, they need to be replaced in its entirety.
Salt Bridges
There are some cases wherein the brine tank of a water softener will be covered with hard and crusty material that prevents water from flowing. Such hard, crusty material is caused by high humidity or by adding lots of salt to it.
Salt bridge, as this hard, crusty material is called, will keep a water softener from using any salt and as a result, prevent it from softening the water.
Some people may try to shatter the salt bridge by pushing a long stick hard down into the water softener but it would be best to hire the services of a professional. This way, they can be sure that the mechanical system of the softener wouldn’t get damaged.
Dirty Filter
A dirty filter is among the more common water softener issues that people may encounter.
At the start of the water filtering process, these products use filters in order to keep out large minerals. For this reason, of all the components, these filters come across a huge amount of sediments.
In order for a water softener to function at its maximum potential, it is advised to change its filter once every 3 to 5 months. As expected, in case there are problems even before this, there is enough reason to change it right away.
