How to clean a water softener
To keep your water softener clean inside and out, here are a few tips to make it look good and work its best.
Apply a coat of paste wax to the outside case and top cover once a year. When the water softener gets dusty, wipe it off with a damp cloth. Never use any cleaners with ammonia or abrasive, which can scratch or damage the surface.
A clean venturi assembly is very important for the softener to work correctly. This assembly moves brine from the salt storage tank to the resin tank during the regeneration cycle. If a small amount of salt, silt, dirt or debris lodges in this valve, the softener won’t soften the water. See your owner's manual or our repair help section for instructions on cleaning this valve.
Clean the resin bed material with a resin bed cleaner every two years. If your water supply has iron in it, clean the resin every 6 months, following the instructions included with the cleaner.
Symptoms for water softeners
Choose a symptom to see related water softener repairs.
Main causes: faulty brine valve assembly, bad rotor valve…
Main causes: clogged drain hose, faulty rotor valve, leaky rotor valve seals…
Main causes: salt bridge inside the salt tank, bad timer, valve motor failure, faulty rotor valve, clogged venturi…
Main causes: loose water line connections, cracked water-carrying components, bad rotor valve seals…
Main causes: lack of electrical power, bad power transformer, faulty timer…
Main causes: empty salt tank, salt bridge, depleted resin, clogged or damaged venturi, broken rotor position switch, fai…
Main causes: broken resin tank screen, bad resin tank seals, cracked upper distributor in resin tank…
Main causes: broken water flow meter, faulty timer, water flow to softener is bypassed…
Repair guides for water softeners
These step-by-step repair guides will help you safely fix what’s broken on your water softener.
How to replace a water softener venturi
The venturi valve in your water softener draws brine water from the salt tank to the resin tank for regeneration. Follow…
How to replace a water softener rotor position switch
The rotor position switch detects the position of the valve rotor. If the rotor position switch fails, follow these step…
How to replace a water softener timer
The timer is the control board you use to program the water softener. If the timer isn’t accepting commands when you pus…
Articles and videos for water softeners
Use the advice and tips in these articles and videos to get the most out of your water softener.
Learn some of the most common symbols found in a wiring diagram and what they mean.…
Learn how to use a multimeter to check for wiring problems in an appliance that's not working…
Keeping a water softener clean inside and out improves operation and appearance.…