Why Is My Water Softener Full of Water?
Water softeners go through multiple steps to turn hard tap water into clean soft water, and seeing a small amount of water in the tank isn’t necessarily a cause for concern. There’s a portion of the regeneration cycle that has a minimal amount of water in the tank. But if you have a tank full of water, there’s definitely a problem.
Your softener should never be full of water, and there are a few different things that could be happening when you’re noticing that the water level isn’t dropping. Be sure to get the problem diagnosed before it gets worse!
Potential Reasons for Those High Water Levels
If the water softener is full of water due to a malfunction or improper installation, not only is that preventing you from having soft water, it could lead to flooding issues or wide-spread water damage. That’s why it’s important to determine why you’ve got water filling up the softener in the first place.
1. Clogged Drain Line
High water level in the salt tank could be a sign of a malfunction of the drain line. That brine line could be clogged or blocked, preventing the water from draining out properly with its last regeneration cycle. That can eventually cause the water softener to overflow.
2. Malfunctioning Control Valve
If the control valve of the water softener is damaged, it might not be able to properly control the flow of water. This can result in water continually entering the system and filling it up, which would greatly reduce its efficiency and have it wasting water around the clock. There could also be other broken or damaged parts in the water softener that are causing water to leak into the system. Having a professional take a look can sort things out.
3. Improper Installation
Water softeners that weren’t installed properly can also have water backflowing into the system and filling it up. The best softeners are designed to be reliable. Hiring an experienced technician for your installation can make all the difference for ensuring that your equipment will be as efficient as possible—and working like it should!
How to Tell Whether Your Water Softener Is Working
In general, you shouldn’t necessarily need to keep tabs on your water softener to know whether your system is working. As long as you’ve been stocking it with softener salt and scheduling regular maintenance, then you ought to be good to go. A water softener that’s working correctly should be making a noticeable difference in your water quality every day, at every tap in your home.
For example, soap and detergent lather more easily when you have soft water vs hard water. So if you don’t need to use that much detergent to wash your dishes and laundry, and you aren’t using lots of soap in the shower to get clean, that’s a good indication that your water softener is working properly.
You should also see a reduction in that pesky mineral scale buildup on your showerheads and faucets with soft water. If that crusty stuff hasn’t been coming back since your softener was installed, then your equipment is likely doing its job just fine.
What’s more, like its name, soft water should also be giving you softer skin and smoother hair! Hard water is notorious for drying out skin and hair. But with soft water, you can rinse off nice and clean. Those hard calcium and magnesium minerals won’t be getting in the way.
Remember: Your daily routine is a great point of reference for how well your water softener is working. If you’re starting to notice a drop in how nourished your skin and hair feel, or that your clean laundry is starting to feel a bit scratchy, then your system is probably over-due for a check-up.
Stay Proactive with Water Softener Maintenance
Water softeners work best when you schedule annual maintenance. Outside of that, whenever you’re starting to wonder whether something is “off,” just go ahead and schedule a service call. There could be a handful of reasons why your water softener isn’t delivering soft water anymore, and a tank full of water is one clear sign that something is wrong.
Getting a technician to take a look at your equipment in-person is the definitely best way to solve the problem. They can recommend any necessary repairs or maintenance to help your system get back to normal. They’ll even help prevent anything else from popping up. Stay proactive, and you’ll have an efficient system that lets you enjoy soft water year-round!