Five Signs Your Water Softener Isn’t Working Properly
A water softener is a part of your home that you may not fully appreciate until it suddenly stops working. The sooner you notice that something in your water softener is not right, the easier it will most likely be to fix. In today’s blog post, we’re going to discuss five signs that your water softener is not working as it should be and how to fix it.
1. Cloudy Dishes
If you’re noticing that your dishes have a cloudy appearance after being washed or that you have to use more soap to get suds to form, your water softener may not be working. Hard water deposits have a lot of minerals that soap may have trouble dissolving, so it’s a pretty safe bet that your water softener isn’t doing its job if your dishes aren’t looking as clear as usual.
2. Particles in Water
If you notice sand-like particles floating around your water, chances are these are broken resin beads from your water softener. Sometimes when a water softener stops working, it backwashes the resin beads into your water. If this happens, you should immediately put your water softener into “bypass” mode and not use any plumbing until you can get a professional over to look at the issue. Your resin beads will probably need to be cleaned or completely replaced.
3. Hard Water Spots
Another telltale sign of a failed water softener is hard water spots. These may show up on your shower door or porcelain tub. They can either be white, cloudy spots or discolored (think rust-looking color). A properly working water softener won’t leave mineral deposit stains anywhere that your water touches.
4. Dry or Itchy Feeling
Hard water can often make you feel dry or itchy after showering or washing your hands. If you notice this, first check to see if there are salt pellets in your brine tank. If there are, this probably means that your water softener has stopped working and needs to be serviced.
5. Low Water Pressure
A sudden change in water pressure could mean a variety of issues are going on with your plumbing. One possibility is that mineral deposits have broken free inside your pipes or the resin beads we mentioned earlier have broken and need to be replaced. Either of these can cause clogs in your pipes and make your water pressure low. It is best to call a professional and have them examine your plumbing and see what the culprit is.
A water softener is an important appliance that should be properly maintained and cared for. If you notice any of the issues that we have discussed above, these are signs your water softener isn’t working, and you should contact a professional as soon as you can to get your water softener fixed and working as it should.
Brenneco Plumbing is a plumbing contractor serving Lafayette, Indiana and the surrounding area. We specialize in all residential, commercial and service plumbing needs. For more information, please visit our website. You can also connect with us on Facebook.
