Question about water softener
Terry
the brine line and dump the tank. Clean out and put 3 gal of clean water
back in and recharge the salt.
Wang <wangh...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:m9se4.149$jB9.3...@tomcat.sk.sympatico.ca...
> I just moved into a house and checked the water softener tank. There is
not
> much salt left. The water above the salt looks not good, something dirty
on
> the surface. What should I do? only decant the water, or dump everything
and
> change salt? Should I add some tap water over soild salt added?
> Thanks a lot.
>
>
Wang
Daniel Hicks
If it's only a mild scum, don't worry about it. This is fairly normal.
It is formed from the minerals in the not-quite-pure salt.
Don't add any water. The softener knows when it needs water.
Gary Slusser
"Daniel Hicks" <danh...@ieee.org> wrote
Not true, without having water in the tank to at least the brine pickup will
cause that amount to be used to fill to there out of the first addition of
water in the next brine refill. That means that there will not be enough
water for a full regeneration until the second regeneration, that's three
regenerations from now.
Terry's guess of 3 gallons is close but depends on the salt dosage of the
unit plus the amount to fill to the air check or bottom of the brine pickup.
Three maybe too many or not enough but is much better than none. It's not
much better if there is a salt grid, it would then need water to at least
one inch above the grid.
Gary
Quality Water Associates
Daniel Hicks
I meant that if there's already water in the unit, don't add more. If
it's drained, then adding water will, as you say, result in the unit
reaching a "steady state" for regeneration sooner. When there's already
water in the unit, if anything there's too much, since it may be
regulated by float, and without salt more water will come in.
Gary Slusser
"Daniel Hicks" <danh...@ieee.org> wrote in message
news:387AB15D...@ieee.org...
I visualized him cleaning the tank and dumping the water out... Some lower
end units do control the salt dosage with the float rather than a timed
brine control valve but unless the float has moved the water level will be
right for that unit. A safety brine system uses basically the same type
float but not to control the salt dose, just to prevent brine overflow onto
the floor.
Gary
Quality Water Associates
Wang
H. Myler
If I were you I would empty the tank, flush it out, run a sanitizing regen
(add a bit of chlorine bleach to the brine tank) and then restart the
thing with clean salt. I just like to start with a "clean slate" myself,
did the previous owners say anything about maintenance and upkeep?
Do you have the manual for the softener? If not, I'd get that before going
any further. I used to use iron out salt crystals in my old two tank unit
and would get a scum on the surface of the water (I just assumed it was
from the additives in the salt.
Harley Myler
Gary Slusser
"H. Myler" <h.m...@myler.org> wrote
<snip>
>
> If I were you I would empty the tank, flush it out, run a sanitizing regen
> (add a bit of chlorine bleach to the brine tank) and then restart the
> thing with clean salt. I just like to start with a "clean slate" myself,
> did the previous owners say anything about maintenance and upkeep?
>
> Do you have the manual for the softener? If not, I'd get that before going
> any further. I used to use iron out salt crystals in my old two tank unit
> and would get a scum on the surface of the water (I just assumed it was
> from the additives in the salt.
>
> Harley Myler
A caution here, too much chlorine or using it too often can ruin the resin.
Even those that are supposed to be more chlorine tolerant. The only
softening media it won't effect is zeolite. Iron Out etc. is normally in
capsule form when sold in salt. Usually solar crystal types will form a
frothy dirty look but not scum as I describe it. That would be a slimy type
layer on the water, usually related to biological causes. I doubt IO etc.
has anything to do with scum formation and I would guess it helps to prevent
it actually. IO etc. if not fully dissolved will leave a bubbly whitish gray
film on water, possibly described by some as scum.
Gary
Quality Water Associates