Water Softener Kitchener: I Have My Water Softener, Now What?
Friday, July 13, 2018
Have you purchased a water softener for your Kitchener home, had it installed, and you're now wondering what to do next? The most important thing is to keep the right amount of salt in your softener; read on for more softener usage tips
The experts at WaterSmart have you covered for all your water softener needs, and you can contact them to answer your questions and meet all your water softener needs.
"Purchased a water softener, price was reasonable, sales staff was very informative and not pushy. Install was quick and clean and he gave instructions on the unit. I would highly recommend Watersmart Systems."
What follows is a handy guide to making sure your water softener in Kitchener is running smoothly, and information on where to turn for troubleshooting or repairs.
Water Softener Kitchener: I Have My Water Softener, Now What?
Water Softener Kitchener Maintenance
1. Keep Salt In Your Softener To Ensure It Doesn't Get Damaged
All water softeners contain a brine tank and a resin tank. The main thing you should do
to maintain your brine tank is to make sure you have the right amount of salt inside.
The trick here is to be sure not to let the tank run out of salt, but also to not overfill it. Overfilling it can create salt clogs or salt bridges, which are difficult issues to resolve.
Salt can form a solid layer or 'bridge' in the brine tank. This prevents the loose salt toward the top of the tank from mixing with the water down below, preventing the softener from working properly.
A good rule of thumb is to put salt into the tank when the salt is down to a quarter full.
Be sure to use the right type of salt. Granular salt is the most common choice because it dissolves easily. The professionals at WaterSmart are able to guide you in this process.
2. Keep The Tank Clean
Most modern water softeners can go without cleaning for 5-10 years. You should only clean them if your water has turned hard and the basic maintenance settings don’t fix the problem within a couple of days.
Some older models may benefit from an annual cleaning, however. If you’re uncertain check with the professionals at WaterSmart today.
To clean your tank empty the water from the tank, and scrub and rinse the tank well before refilling it with water. Use a scrub brush and dish soap to scrub away the dirt and residue.
This video helps explain the cleaning process:
3. Adjust Water Pressure:
Adjust the softener so that it can operate at an appropriate water pressure. This usually ranges from 1.4 atmospheres to 8.2 atmospheres.
Most water softeners are usually designed to operate within that range of pressure to prevent bursting; check your manual for the recommended pressure.
This generally depends on the number of people living in your home, which determines the number of gallons being softened.
You should avoid using hot water during the regeneration cycle as it may end up introducing hard water impurities into the brine tank.
Along those lines, set the ‘people’ dial so that the number of residents coincides with grains per gallon on the scale of water hardness.
5. Set Timer
Make sure that the 24 hour time on the water softener is in line with the correct time on your clock. This is important because it helps to achieve proper and desirable cycling of the water softener.
6. Activate Bypass Valve When Necessary
This allows you to turn off water to the softener for maintenance while still having water running through your house pipes.
Most people have their softener run in the early hours of the morning.
Water Challenges Unique To Kitchener
It's important to be reminded of why a water softener is necessary in the Kitchener area.
Hard water can present a number of problems in your home. Some of those problems include:
- difficulties getting dishes or laundry clean
- damage to your clothing, causing it to wear out faster
- damage to your washing machine
- damage to your dishwasher
- calcium buildup in your shower
- sink stains
- toilet bowl stains
- plumbing pipe damage
Kitchener has a unique water challenge as it has some of the hardest water in all of Canada, as most drinking water in Waterloo Region comes from groundwater wells.
Kitchener has some of the hardest water in all of Canada. The city ranges between 17 and 36 grains per gallon (gpg) or 291 and 615 parts per million (ppm).
The water hardness average across Canada is only 10.5 gpg. That means that Kitchener's water is about 2 to 3 times harder than the Canadian average!
Getting the right water softener that can handle this kind of water hardness is important to fully eliminate the problems the water in Kitchener can cause, and knowing how to maintain it is of equal importance.
Trust WaterSmart
Since 1994, WaterSmart Systems has consistently offered its customers in the Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, Guelph, and surrounding areas innovative, quality products and excellent service.
We are a water softener and full plumbing service company that you can trust.
Along with our products that will serve all of your home water softening needs, we value our customers and getting them what they need and not pressuring them for sales.
At WaterSmart we take our role in providing our customers with an adequate supply of clean and soft water seriously.
If you are looking to be sure you have soft water, drop by one of our locations or give us a call to find out how we can help improve the quality of your water and the performance of your water softener.
If you are concerned about your water supply, don't hesitate to contact us immediately.
Trust WaterSmart - we know good water, and we know how to make sure you get it.
