Keep salt in the brine tank, clean the tank annually, and have the system serviced once a year. That is genuinely most of it — softeners are durable equipment, and the failures we see almost always trace to salt bridging or a neglected brine tank.

What You Do

  • Check salt monthly. Keep the brine tank at least a third full, and no more than a few inches above the water level. Use quality salt — cheaper rock salt carries more insoluble matter that builds sludge in the tank.
  • Break up salt bridges. The most common softener problem by far. Salt can form a hard crust that spans the tank, leaving an air gap beneath it — so the tank looks full while no brine is actually being made and hard water passes through untreated. Push a broom handle down through the salt periodically to check for a solid crust.
  • Watch for hard water symptoms returning. Spotting on glassware and soap that stops lathering are the earliest signs something is wrong.

What Annual Service Covers

  • Clean the brine tank — sludge accumulates at the bottom over years
  • Inspect and clean the brine well and float assembly
  • Check the venturi and injector, which clog and are a common cause of poor regeneration
  • Verify the control valve is cycling correctly through regeneration
  • Test water hardness after the softener to confirm it is actually working
  • Check resin condition — resin has a finite life and eventually needs replacing
  • Confirm programming still matches your household usage

The Setting Worth Verifying

Programming drift or an incorrect original setting means the unit regenerates too often — wasting salt and water — or not often enough, letting hard water through. Worth checking annually, particularly if household size has changed.

Signs Something Is Wrong

Hard water spots returning, salt levels not dropping (the bridging problem), salty-tasting water, the unit running constantly or never regenerating, or unusual noises during a cycle.

Resin Life

Resin lasts many years but is not permanent. Chlorine in municipal water gradually degrades it — a whole-house carbon filter upstream extends resin life considerably.

Care Club members get scheduled service. Contact B. Carlson about water softeners.