How do I maintain my water system?

Whether you have a water softener or a water conditioner, the maintenance of both systems is done in the same way. Here are the main points to look for to ensure proper maintenance and proper operation of your water system.

Procedure for maintaining your water filtration system:

1. Make sure your machine is set for the proper time. A time difference will initiate the cleaning of the system at unwanted times. Your water system should be cleaned at the time of day when there is the least risk of water consumption (during the night, for example). If you have a combination of two or more systems, they should be programmed for cleaning one after the other and not at the same time.
2. Make sure the quality of your salt is appropriate. It is important to buy an opaque white salt that does not contain any dirt. It is often sold in tablet form. Small, translucent crystal stones (similar to street salt) contain sand or dirt. This sand will eventually build up in the salt tank and, when drawn into the machine during washing, clog the injector. Clogging the injector will cause less salt, if any at all, to be drawn in when the water system is washed. Since salt acts as a soap, it is needed to regenerate the resin in the water treatment system. If less salt is sucked out during washing, the efficiency of the machine will decrease to the point of stopping working.
3. Clean the salt tank at least once every two years. To do this, do not add any more salt so that the salt level can decrease by itself. Once the salt is used up: If the salt tank is dirty, empty the water from the tank with a container, put the machine in the bypass position, disconnect the hose connecting the salt tank and the control head and wash it. Then put the salt tank back in place. Add 3 gallons of water to the salt tank and add salt up to the top of the tank. Reconnect the hose to the control head, making sure the hose is not clogged or stuck, and switch the machine back to the filtration position. If the salt tank is clean, activate a regeneration and wait 45 minutes for the water in the tank to be completely drawn out. Then refill the salt tank. Allow the unit to complete its other wash cycles until it is finished.
4.  If you find that your water treatment system is not working as usual, that the salt is going down more slowly or not at all, act now. The longer a water softener is left running without performing as expected, the more likely it is that the resin will become corrupted to the point of needing a resin replacement. The longer you wait to have your machine checked, the higher the costs can be.