If you live in an area that experiences hard water, you know how important your water softener is. Unfortunately, improper maintenance can cause your water softener to malfunction, which means you're going to be stuck with hard water until you can take care of the repairs. Luckily, there are some simple maintenance steps you can take that will keep your water softener in tip top shape. Here are some simple step-by-step instructions for maintaining your water softener.

#1 Clean the Brine Tank

The brine tank contains the salt. This tank should be cleaned out from time to time. When you open the tank, you may notice a hard dome-shaped shell over the salt. This is actually caused by adding too much salt to the tank. Take a wire coat hanger, or screwdriver and break apart the hard-shell. This will allow the water to flow through the tank more efficiently.

#2 Purge the Resin Bed

Hard water can contain high levels of iron. Unfortunately, that iron can foul the resin bed. When that happens, the salt is unable to remove other hard water particles from the water. You can purge the iron from the system by flushing it with a rust remover. Rust remover is available from the company that you purchased your water softener from. Follow the instructions on the rust removal label to clean the resin bed. Once the resin bed has been purged, you'll want to run your water softener through a full cycle to flush the waste water out of the system.

#3 Clear the Resin Tank Injector

Your water softener has a resin tank injector that filters water through the tank. Over time, the injector screen can get clogged with hard water sediment. To prevent serious clogs and allow water to flow through properly, you should clean the injector out at least twice a year. If you have particularly hard water, you should consider cleaning the injector more often. If you continue experiencing decreased water pressure, you should contact the company that services your water softener. You may have a problem that will require additional assistance.

If you have hard water, you depend on your water softener. You need your water softener to work properly. The information provided here will help you keep your water softener operating properly. If you have additional questions regarding water softener maintenance, talk to a water softener company like Metro Water Conditioning Inc.