Using a water softener in your Birmingham, AL home can offer quite a few major benefits. Removing hazardous minerals from your water can improve the health of your plumbing system, increase the life expectancies of your appliances, and even enhance the health of your hair and skin. However, to keep your water softener working properly, you need to periodically add salt to the system, as salt is imperative for the water softening process. That said, there are several variables that determine how often you truly need to replenish your water softener’s salt supply. Here, we’ll cover a few tips to help you keep your water-softening system running smoothly by adding salt at the right times.
How Old Is Your Water Softener System?
When deciding how often your water softener needs salt added, it’s important to consider the age of the system. Typically, old water softener systems will use up more salt than newer systems. This is primarily because new water softeners tend to be more efficient, which allows you to wait longer without needing to add salt. On average, newer water softeners only need their salt supplies replenished approximately once every six to eight weeks. Plus, when a new water softener gets low on salt, it will typically have a monitoring system to let you know it needs a refill. However, if you’ve had your current water softener for more than a decade, you’ll probably need to add salt more often. With an aging system, you may need to add more salt approximately once per month to keep it functioning properly.
When in Doubt, Always Check the Tank
Eventually, you may get to the point with your water softener system where you know exactly how often it needs a salt refill. However, until that happens, your best bet is to keep a close eye on your water softener’s salt supply. If you lift the cover of the system’s brine tank, you’ll be able to see whether more salt or water is needed. Ideally, you’ll want to keep the brine tank approximately half full, and the salt should be above the water level. If the salt appears dry, it likely means you need to add water until the tank is filled about halfway. However, if the water level is above the salt, you’ll need to add salt.
Ideally, you should check the status of your water softener’s brine tank every month. That way, you can keep a close eye on the system’s salt level and refill its supply whenever necessary. After a while, you should have a good idea of how often the system is going through salt. At that point, you may be able to develop a consistent schedule for how often you add salt and water.
Every Water Softener Is Different
As a homeowner, it’s important to understand that every water softener system is different. If you’re unsure how often you need to add salt to your water softener, you can always enlist the help of trained plumbing professionals. A knowledgeable plumber will be able to inspect your water softener and evaluate your home’s water usage. This will help them give you an accurate estimate of how quickly the water softening system will run out of salt under normal circumstances.
If you’re ready to invest in a quality water softener or need any other professional plumbing services in the greater Birmingham area, look no further than Benjamin Franklin Plumbing. Benjamin Franklin Plumbing is a locally owned and operated company, and they take great pride in consistently delivering top-notch plumbing services with a smile.