The short answer is yes. A water softener is a real asset to your home; once they have been installed, many people cannot imagine living without one. Modern water softeners don’t require much in the way of maintenance. Simply cleaning out the brine tank and adding water softener salt as needed is often enough. But, most manufacturers do recommend their water softeners are serviced every year for optimal performance. In this article, we will look at why this is necessary and how it can help you maintain your water quality.
General Cleaning and Upkeep
When you have an annual water softener service call the water treatment professional will give your brine tank a general clean. If there is any salt bridging that will be resolved and the entire system will be sanitized if necessary. The resin bed will also be cleaned and recharged to make sure it’s ready for use.
Essential Maintenance
If you have an excellent modern water softener, it will work well for most of the time without professional attention. But, a water softener does have o-rings and moving parts that can wear over time and eventually fail. The valve of the softener will also need regular annual servicing to maintain your system performance. If the water treatment professional finds any issues or a potential problem for the future, they will advise you, and the failed or failing part can be replaced.
Optimizing Your Settings
When you have your water softener serviced every year, it’s an excellent opportunity to check the valve settings. If the valve settings are optimized, you can save a great deal of money on your water bill. As an example: perhaps a child has left home to get their own place. If the valve settings are not adjusted for fewer people living in the home, your water softener will be regenerating too often. A water treatment professional will be able to check and adjust your valve setting to make sure that you’re softener is regenerating efficiently. It’s worth noting that some modern water softeners regenerate automatically based on your calculated water consumption and if this is the case, the valve settings will not need manual adjustment.
Protecting Your Investment and Saving Money
When you purchase and install a water softener in your home, you’re making a significant investment in your water quality. A water softener will help to prolong the life of your water using appliances, such as your dishwasher, water heater, and washing machine. Softer water will reduce the amount of soap and detergent that you need to keep your family and home clean. All of these benefits save you money, and it makes sense to protect your water softener with some professional annual servicing.
Recognize the Warning Signs
If you notice that your water still feels hard even after you’ve added salt to your water softener you may have a maintenance problem. Always take note of sudden changes to your water quality and water spots appearing on your dishes and plumbing fixtures. If the water softener salt level stays at the same level, it means that it isn’t being used during the regeneration cycle and something is wrong.