The Importance of Annual Water Softener Maintenance

If you’re considering adding a water softener to your home, that’s a big step. You’ll soon reap the benefits — such as decreased electricity bills thanks to appliances using less energy with soft water than hard water. However, getting a water softener is just the first step. You also need to practice annual water softener maintenance to make the most of your water softener.

What Is a Water Softener?

If you’re still early in your water softener journey, you may have some questions about what exactly this system is. First, you need to understand the difference between hard and soft water. The hardness or softness of water depends on how much of certain minerals are present in the water. If more than 120 parts per million (ppm) of calcium carbonate are dissolved in your water, you have hard water and may require a water softener. Water hardness can also be measured in milligrams per liter (mg/l), which are equal to ppm, or in grains per gallon (gpg) — 1 gpg is about 17 ppm or mg/l.

Water softeners use resin beads to trap these minerals — most commonly calcium and magnesium — and filter your hard water to give you softer water. Over time, these minerals build up on the beads, at which point salt water flushes the system and allows the resin beads to keep doing their job. Because water softeners connect directly to your home’s plumbing system, professionals should install them. People have been using water softeners for more than 65 years, so it might be time to invest in softer water if you haven’t already. Getting a water softener is a long-term commitment, so you must take proper care of it.

Do Water Softeners Need Annual Maintenance?

Softer water offers various long-term and short-term benefits, from cleaner laundry to reduced strain on electrical appliances, but only if you maintain your water softener correctly. Fortunately, keeping your equipment in good condition is relatively easy. The water softener itself will last you one to two decades, and you can prolong its lifespan by properly maintaining it.

You can do a few things regularly to keep your water softener functioning well. Just as some areas of your house need a deep clean now and then, your water softener may also require some extra attention once a year. Annual maintenance helps you ensure that your softener is working as it should so you can continue enjoying the perks of having softer water. Some water softener installation companies offer annual maintenance services alongside their regular once-off installation, so ask about maintenance when you get a new unit.

Of course, if your water softener has issues, you should tend to it as soon as possible, even if it’s not time for your annual maintenance yet.

Why Does Annual Maintenance Matter?

Here’s why annual maintenance matters — it helps you enjoy your softer water more effectively. For example, if you don’t maintain your water softener properly, hard water can lead to buildup in your water heater, which can reduce its effectiveness by up to 50%. If you’ve already spent the money on getting a water softener, it can be disheartening to have hard water impact your quality of life and drive up costs.

If you don’t perform proper maintenance, you may face the following water softener issues:

• Blockages
• Worn components
• Hard salt bridges

Over time, these issues will reduce the effectiveness of your water softener and allow hard water to filter through it again, which is why an annual checkup is so important.

What Can You Expect During Annual Maintenance?

Your annual water softener maintenance will depend on a few factors, such as who performs the maintenance and the condition of your water softener. However, there are a few things you can expect:

• Sanitizing the system: Sanitation is vital when it comes to water, which is why many companies will sanitize your water softener system when doing a routine checkup.
• Diagnostics check: The company may also perform a diagnostics check to determine whether there are any other issues with your water softener. Depending on the outcome, they may resolve these issues during your annual maintenance check.

While this isn’t a comprehensive list of the tasks performed during water softener maintenance, it should give you a better idea of what the process entails.

How Can You Maintain Your Water Softener?

Annual maintenance is one of the most important things you can do to ensure that your water softener runs smoothly, but there are some other things that you can do as well:

• Handle any issues immediately: If you notice that your water softener isn’t performing as well as it used to, it can be tempting to write it off as a minor issue. However, these issues tend to worsen over time, so you will do yourself a favor by taking care of any problems sooner rather than later.
• Choose high-quality products: The salt in your water softener will determine its effectiveness, so it’s worth using good-quality salt to improve its performance.
• Clean your water softener: While you may not be able to do an intensive cleaning the way a professional would, you can still keep your water softener clean by cleaning the exterior.

Getting into the habit of regularly performing small maintenance tasks on your water softener, combined with annual cleaning, should help you prevent most major issues.

How Do You Know When It’s Time to Clean Your Water Softener?

As important as cleaning and maintaining your water softener is, you likely don’t want to overdo it by cleaning the softener when it’s not needed. Watch for these signs:

• The water feels different: Many people can feel when their water softener requires maintenance because the water in their showers feels different. Hard water will filter through when your water softener isn’t working correctly, and you will face the same issues you did before getting a water softener.
• You notice unpleasant odors or tastes in the water: This is most common with people who use water softeners and private water supplies. If you notice anything off about your water, your water softener may need a good cleaning.
• Soap doesn’t lather: One of the easiest ways to know whether your water softener is still effective is to see how well soap lathers. Usually, soap creates a lot of foam with soft water and not as much with hard water. If you notice reduced lather levels, it could be a sign that your system needs servicing.

Get Better Water With Culligan Water

If you think it’s time to maintain your water softener, schedule a service with us. With over 80 years of experience and a 30-day money-back guarantee, we can install, repair and maintain your water softener to help you get the water quality you deserve.