Introduction
If you live in a hard water area your water softener is probably one of your hardest working pieces of kit – quietly protecting appliances in your home, keeping your heating system working efficiently, making your home sparkle and being kinder to your skin.
At Southern Softflow we specialise in non-electric water softeners due to their performance and even more importantly their reliability, they are built to last and supported by 10-year warranty. That said even the best softeners can have the occasional hiccup.
Whether your water’s starting to feel a bit ‘off’, your water softener is noisier than usual, or something just doesn’t look right, this blog walks you through common waters softener problems, what to check, and when to call in the experts.
Signs Your Water Softener Isn’t Working Properly
- Hard water – you notice limescale reappearing or you test the water, and it tests hard
- Softener is noisy – you hear a noise coming from the softener that lasts longer than a typical regeneration cycle and is perhaps a different noise
- Increased salt usage – you have suddenly noticed an increase in salt usage; you may notice a salty taste to the water or increased levels of water in the bottom of the cabinet
- Leaks – you notice a leak coming from your softener or the surrounding pipework
- Running to drain – you noticed that your softener is continuously hear running water
- Particles in the water – you notice particles coming from the taps in your home that supply soft water
Problems, Things to Check and Suggested Action
The below list is not exhaustive but covers a high majority of the cases we are called out for. You will notice that once completing checks the final step is calling out a service engineer; where possible we try to save our customers call out charges so the more information you can provide on initial enquiries the better. Here is a list of things that are most useful:
- Make & model of your water softener?
- When was your water softener installed?
- Is your machine still under warranty? If so, you may be best to go back to the manufacturer or original company you bought the machine from so that all parts are covered as part of the call out.
- Do you have an images or videos of the issues you are experiencing?
- If you are dealing with a new company to help with your issues explaining any history with the machine is always helpful.
Before giving us a call we would recommend the following checks based on the issue you are experiencing:
For anyone who is not familiar with how to bypass their water softener or how to clear crystallisation please visit our FAQs section where you will find some videos of Ben walking you through best action to take FAQs or call our team who can give you a helping hand over the phone.
When to Replace vs. Repair
This is a good question!
While we are sure there are some who would push for replacement, we prefer to make an independent assessment and give good honest advice.
So, our first port of call in answering this question would be to ask gather some information and see what we can do to help:
What is the make and model of the machine?
If you have an electric machine in many cases, we find that customers are often incentivised by the manufacturer to replace, rather than repair. This is usually driven by very high call out charges and shorter warranties.
While we don’t specialise in electric water softeners, our engineer has many years of experience and can give you an opinion, help you with minor issues and make sure your softener is working as it should. Unfortunately, the only thing we are not able to do is source specialist parts.
What is the age of the machine?
This is a case of weighing up the age of your machine, the cost involved to fix it, and the comparative peace of mind you get with the warranties associated with buying a new softener. If you have a 20-year-old machine and the costs to repair could be significant, are you better to invest money now in a new water softener? We obviously wouldn’t comment either way as it should always be your choice, but we can give you the rundown of the options available.
What is the service history?
We aren’t just being nosey we promise! However if you have already spent significant money on keeping your water softener going, being able to provide a history of work carried out gives a better starting point for an assessment of your softener.
Tips for Preventing Future Issues
This list is short as water softeners, especially non-electric ones, should be easy to maintain and run.
- Salt – make sure to buy the correct salt for your machine and ensure to refill when it reaches the appropriate level. Find a link to salt from our online shop here.
- Cleaning – for best maintenance we would suggest cleaning both the inside and the outside of the inside and outside of the water softener cabinet once a year
- Inspections – making sure you are regularly looking at your machine to give it a once over, looking for any small leaks or anything not looking as it did at installation
- Testing your water – buying a water hardness test kit and checking periodically or whenever you have a concern. Find a link to water test kit from our online shop here.
Advice
If you are lucky enough to live in Dorset, Hampshire or Wiltshire we would be more than happy to help if you are unlucky enough to experience an issue with your water softener!
We are your local family run water experts, and we are happy to talk you through any questions you have or issues you may be experiencing. Here at Southern Softflow, we don’t just talk the talk, we can walk the walk as well. So, whether you have always wondered why your softener did something and didn’t know who to ask or have a problem that needs some specialist care, we are the people who can help. Contact us today.
If you do not live with our service area, please still feel free to give us a call as we are often able to recommend reputable companies in your local area.
