If you have a water softener system at home, you need to keep up with routine maintenance. With regular maintenance, you can keep the system running smoothly and avoid major repairs. It also gives you a chance to inspect the system and make sure it is currently running properly. Here are some essential maintenance tips for your water softener system.

Inspect the Salt level

Unless you have a salt-free water softener system installed, you will need to check the salt level. This should be checked on a regular basis, as the salt content is extremely important. When you had the system installed, you were most likely given information about how much salt should be inside. If you installed it yourself, check the manufacturer's instructions. You can also take a look at the brine tank. There should be a mark on the tank that shows where the salt should be up to. Make sure it is not too low or too high.

Look for Build-Up

Another issue with the salt is that it can turn into chunks, which then start building up around the edges of the brine tank. When you are inspecting the water softening system, take a moment to check for build-up. If you see chunks, try placing a broom handle inside the tank and seeing if this breaks them up. If not, you might need to empty and clean out the tank, then re-fill it. If you leave the build-up in the tank, it might lead to bigger problems with the system down the line.

Empty and Clean the Tank

You will occasionally need to empty out and clean your tank, even if you don't find salt build-up. This is an important part of maintaining the water softening system. If you aren't having issues with the tank, it doesn't need to be done often. However, any time you are having problems with the tank or the water softening system in general, cleaning the tank out is usually the first way to troubleshoot the problem.

You can use a shop vac to empty it out, which removes all of the water and salt. You will then rinse it out completely. Once it is rinsed, follow the original instructions for filling the tank, making sure to add the right amount of salt when you're done. Make sure you also clean the nozzle and other mechanisms to keep them running smoothly.

If you are having problems that these basic maintenance and cleaning tasks don't fix, contact a plumber like Dupage Water Conditioning that specializes in water systems.