How to Clean Your Water Softener Salt Tank - Restore it Like New
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 ก.ย. 2024
- If your water softener isn't working TRY THIS BEFORE REPLACING IT. Most water softeners are not working at all and this is why you are using very little salt & getting hard water stains. I show you the EASY way to get your softener working again CHEAP & EASY and restore your water softener & solve the most common problems. Plumber will tell you to replace your softener rather than solve the real issue. Easy, step by step & you can do it too!
To watch my first video on cleaning water softener resin: • Water Softener Cleanin...
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If you need a water softener: amzn.to/2MoZ225
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/ silvercymbal
Disclaimer:
Due to factors beyond the control of Silver Cymbal, I cannot guarantee against improper use or unauthorized modifications of this information. Silver Cymbal assumes no liability for property damage or injury incurred as a result of any of the information contained in this video. Use this information at your own risk. Silver Cymbal recommends safe practices when working on machines and or with tools seen or implied in this video. Due to factors beyond the control of Silver Cymbal, no information contained in this video shall create any expressed or implied warranty or guarantee of any particular result. Any injury, damage, or loss that may result from improper use of these tools, equipment, or from the information contained in this video is the sole responsibility of the user and not Silver Cymbal.
I don’t even have or need a water softener l, yet here I am.
🤣🤣🤣
It’s educational………. expand one’s horizons
😂😂
Im sure u need one but don’t have one lol
My peeps 😂
I’ve got one of those long wooden sticks in case I run across any vampires, so I’ll use that. Thanks for the info. I would expect you created that salt bridge just for this video, considering your knowledge in the water softener arena.......great
I was going to call a repair guy but was able to easily follow your directions and do it myself without any outside help. Thanks, you saved us a lot of $$$$
Thank you to dads everywhere for creating how to videos people barely pay attention to
You make the world run smooth
Much appreciated.
Thanks for watching please *LIKE & SUBSCRIBE* If cant fix yours this is the best deal on a softener amzn.to/2MoZ225
If you see that it's dark at the bottom of the tank (like I did on my first cleaning after buying a resale home) you MUST completely empty the tank of all material. I did and found almost 3/4 gallon of fairly pure muck on the bottom. Emptying it also allowed me to use the garden hose to completely clean out the little holes on the bottom plastic screen. Wash it on the driveway and away from tree roots because the salt may kill the grass or your favourite tree.
Can you tip it and pour salt out?.
so i neglected to keep mine topped up with salt due to being in hospital, i have just topped it up will it recover on its own? or do i need to do more?
@@donnaclarke8595 Yes, disconnecting it to allow it to tip is a good way to lighten it, scoop out brine and salt to make it lighter to get outside. Or wait until there is very little salt in it.
@@pjmoseley243 It will recover on its own.
3:32 wet / dry shop vac works great too love the videos. P.S. it looks like your using a power strip not a surge protector on your unit.
Most problems are mechanical, in the valve. Resin failure usually occurs after 15 years. Using solar salt and not pellets pretty much eliminates clumping and compacted brine tanks.
I replaced all the gaskets in my valve last year took it completely apart worked great after that. I switched to crystals six months ago I keep getting a lot of dirt in the tank . I’ve had to clean it out three times which I never had to before. So I am going back to the pellets 🤔
I just went to add salt, how could I have never seen how bad it was in there. I wish I could post a photo of the gross salt I scooped out. I'm 54 years old, and I consider myself quite seasoned for my age, yet I learn so much from watching your videos. Oh, and thanks to you Amazon is sold out of WAGO connectors right now LOL
Im so glad it helped. It can get bad in there. That's funny about the Wagos. They are really awesome if you do electrical stuff. A mini revolution I guess! thanks for the nice note
The teacher speaks; we listen. Thank you!
If you don’t have a submersible pump a wet/dry shop vac is another easy option to get the water out. Just remember you need to remove the filter and empty the dirt before you use it for water.
I have been a technician on these devices for 20 years. Just pour a bucket of warm water on the hard part every week and it will dissolve by itself.
I discovered your channel (and subscribed!) a couple weeks ago and actually just followed your instructions on how to clean out the water softener with Iron Out. Fortunately, I didn't have any issues with salt buildup in the tank. Thanks very much for the tips, they were extremely helpful!!!
Awesome! Thank you! So glad they have been helpful. The water softner is one of those mystery appliances the pros want you to know nothing about!
Use a 3ft crowbar and push slowly not pound the salt, it will break up. Be careful not to hit sidewalls, or bottom plastic piece. Works every time.
I just cleaned my softener as described. Quite easy! Thank you. Before I fill it with salt, is this a good time to add the Iron Out as described in your previous video? Should I recharge before or after I add the salt back in?
I had this same question! No answer though
Does GE specifically recommend those Salt pellets for that unit? I can tell from your videos you are very meticulous about doing things right with all of your appliances, power equip, etc. So I don't want to suggest something against the manufacture's instruction if that's the case.
The reason I ask is because I have been told under no circumstance to use those pellets in the yellow bag. They contain a binder to keep them in that pellet form. The binder (basically a glue) is what is causing that solidification.
I have a 75k grain twin tank system in my primary residence and a smaller 35k grain system in my seasonal vacation home. Both are Pentair/Fleck systems and I only use crystals (the blue bags), and they never bridge (solidify).
Think about the environment of my systems. The home one is a monster of a tank. It takes around 12 - 15 forty pound bags at a time! 600 lbs of salt and it doesn't bridge. The vacation home is a smaller tank, but sits for months at a time and that doesn't bridge either.
Now I know the crystals are "dirtier" than the pellets. That is because they are "pure and natural". The salt is extracted directly from the mines. Whereas the pellets go through a manufacturing process where the salt is rinsed, binder is added, and pressed into the pellet form.
Personally I would prefer the pure natural stuff that dissolves better, rather than a "processed" salt with additives clogging my system. After a few years, if the dirty looking water in the brine tank bothers you, you can clean the brine tank, which is a much less arduous task than breaking up salt bridges. (Keep in mind, breaking up salt bridges is required, cleaning out dusty water is not, as the latter will not affect the performance of your softener). Just a thought worth checking out, IMO.
Side note (sorry this is so long): The video you did on the Iron Out treatment a few months ago, was what turned me onto that product. That is such a great suggestion. After watching your video and doing further research, I think that is a must maintenance item for anyone with a water softener.
My plumber told me the opposite. Don't use anything but pellets and to use the brand the manufacturer recommends.
After switching brands my softener started getting bridges and havibg water above the salt. He came in and broke it up and highly recommended changing brands.
More expensive, but hopefully it helps. I still had 200lbs. Of the other stuff to go through, so we shall see if it does indeed make the difference.
I have that exact unit those pellets do not work at all in it. You have to use the regular salt.
I somehow came across his iron out video & now here I am. I got my WS about 7 years ago & was only told to fill it up when it gets low. Never knew about iron or resin or pellets vs crystals. I had been using pellets & have had bridges that I just always broke up (didn’t know it was a thing) Got my manual out just now & mine recommends solar salt and only mentions bleach for sanitizing.
Sigh. Nothing is easy.
I thank you so much for this video. I got done weeding for 5 hours in 88 degree weather today and was going to come inside and thought "I bet the water softener needs salt. I haven't filled it for a good month or 2" I go to check it and there was water almost up to the top. In the past I have seen water maybe a third of the way full but not that full. So I emptied it and a) dead mouse at the bottom b) that super hard layer of salt. My softener is in such a small furnace room and there was no way for me to reach the bottom with a spoon. Ended up using the shop vac to suck up the rest of the water and a long pole to break up the salt. There was this layer of muck on the bottom of the salt so i ended up sucking up and rinsing and removing all of the salt and the muck. We'll see what happens. I have an old Kenmore from Sears and when I got my home 8 years ago, I think the Inspector said to budget for end of life cycle but so far it keeps working. Kind of hoping the big cleaning job plus adding in the Iron Out a couple times a year will keep it going longer
Well, it took 5 attempts to finally dissolve the 5" thick saltberg. I don't think the previous owner tried to clean this thing once. I kid you not. I had to take a drill to at least weaken the saltberg so water could penetrate it and weaken the interior.
Great video. For what it’s worth, my water company told me not use those pellets.
Thank you. thats interesting I have tried a few kinds of salt and used to use Solar Salt but it was so full of debris I finally went to these and they have been good for me. Which one do you use?
I’ve used these exact pellets in the video for my Kinetico system for 26 years problem free
I found that the crystals don’t cause build like the pellets do. The pellets of some coating on it that binds it up.
I’ve never had that problem of a crust forming before and I keep about 200# of salt in my tank at most times. Why wouldn’t you just keep that salty brine in the tank for it to regen with? Better than dumping all that salt into the water treatment plant.
How often should you let the salt run low?
What is the iron removal unit u have next to your softener and have u validated thru testing that it is doing its job? I have the identical water softener shown in this video and since my toilets still turn orange, I'm eager to figure out a way to remove the iron.
Silver Symbol your videos are awesome man. Keep up the great work you do a great service to all people looking to learn new things.
I really appreciate it thank you
Is the brine well supposed to fill up at all during the recharge process? I noticed mine isn't at all. I put the Iron Out in the brine well, then immediately did a recharge, but the brine well still smells like the Iron Out. I'm now wondering if my issue is more related to this, than needing to use the Iron Out to clean up the resin beads. That's going to kinda stink if this is the issue, because I literally _just_ refilled my salt tank, lol.
If your brine well doesn't fill then likely the little slots at the bottom are plugged, just like in this video. The brine well has a float to detect water level and the slots let only salty water in so the float can move and the salty water can be used for regen.
Just bought a new home and and in the process of removing a 2 foot salt dam. Tank is cleaned out now but puzzeled why there are no slots at the bottom of my tube like I see in every other video.
Do some units allow the water to flow another way.
I also watched your other video about iron out. Can I do both of them and just recharge once? Or I better do either one and recharge after each process? Thanks
When adding salt, do you also add water to same level as salt?
I have the same type of water softener (GE) but in your video after you fill it says 330 days remaining. Every time I fill to line 7 it says 106 days. How come yours is using less salt? How come I have very few days even after filling up the tank.
I have dead spiders in the tank and maybe other dirt too. So I shut down the water softener. Does that not mix with the water that I would be consuming? Just curious.
No. Only the sodium ions that are adsorbed into the resin beads end up in the domestic water. The regeneration cycle sends domestic water in a bypass around the resin tank. Water from the salt tank is then flushed thru the resin tank to recharge the resin beads with sodium. When that is done, water from the water supply is flushed thru the resin tank to rinse out all the excess salt. All that salt water and rinse water goes down the drain. Once the beads a rinsed the bypass is closed and the domestic water is routed thru the resin tank again to be softened.
Spot on as usual. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for this great video and it's very helpful. One quick question though, do i need to push bypass valve when i do the cleaning or let the water run through it without plugging the machine ? thanks
You can if you want to, but usually all water goes through the main tank and not the brinewell so the work you are doing here shouldn't have any effect on the house. The brinwell only gets used during the regeneration cycle
I have the exact saMe water softener. I cant figure out why the water level on the tank keeps rising up. It does not empty everytime i do a regen. I changed the venturi thinking it might be old and the gasket is done. Did a regen and nothing happened. Water level keeps rising up. I changed the drain line thinking it might have a block. Nothing happened. I emptied the water because it was almost all the way to the top. Unplugged the softener. And when i plugged it back. I saw on the monitor jJ3.4 F30. In which i did some research and found out it was an error code? Could it tHat be that makes my water softener not work ?
You might save us several hundred dollars. Culligan maintenance is NOT CHEAP
Thank you, the simple straightforward answer to my questions. Just moved to a new house, need some info on the system as it appears the previous owners didn't use it. Both this and the brine cleaning video are perfect!
Great videos! Do you ever you the Salt Saver function? I talked with GE and they say it uses less salt but more water. And either way on or off, it performs the same. I'm not sure if that's true. Is it better to turn it On or Off?
I have the same water softener. Any idea why it is not draining after a recharge? These is a lot of water inside the tank. I changed the rotor gasket and the venturi. Same problem.
I found your video very informational. I have the same water softener, I am pretty new to the water softer world does the tank where the salt goes need to have constant water in it? I followed the installation instructions I wanted to compare to see if i did install it correctly
I don't even know what a water softener why am I watching this
Excellent tutorial! Thank you !!!
Thank you very much I really appreciate it
Need a pop filter or sock on your mic to help with that Sssssss sound constantly
A well-scripted and narrated video. Thanks.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you for your very helpful video. You are giving away all the secrets for the scam water softener companies. Lol.
Glad to help. Sadly so many of those companies push stuff no one needs.
do I need to add water after putting the salt at the end ? or the softener does that when it recharges
Very good video, thank you!
Glad you liked it! Thank you
He should do tech unboxing video
The salt tank should have water in it about half way all the time no matter what if it’s working properly, the fact yours didn’t have any in it to begin with tells me you have an issue with your brine line and or the reducer jet on the control valve.
Mine has never had any significant water since the day it was installed.
@@sandyc9379 the amount of water in it dictates how much salt it uses per run, it can run less and use more salt per run or vise versa. But the more it runs with a lower salt dosage the more efficient it is vs less runs using more salt so possible the machine is set up to be efficient which you can do on low iron applications
This was an exact replacement for the old one that lasted about 10 years. th-cam.com/users/postUgkx7yWIKcrbA9KMHkGSfcgxW2lsjHT6B8Sh The top of my mitigation tube by my roofline was just a 90 elbow which allowed too much debris to fall down into the fan, eventually ruining it. Without this issue, I bet it would have kept running another 10 years. When I replaced this fan, I added an extra elbow joint so the top tube now it does a 180, which should solve that problem. The radon guys around here wanted to charge me a $300 diagnostic fee, then parts/labor (probably close to $600 total). I installed this all by myself in about an hour for the cost of the fan; it would probably be even easier/faster with two people. FYI the manufacturer's warranty greatly differs depending on whether you install it yourself (1 yr warranty) or have a licensed installer do it (10 yrs).
I don’t even have a water softener 😂
When my water softener was installed, the tech used potassium instead of salt. I have been using potassium since then. Do you know the differences between the two? Could I switch to salt because it is much cheaper than potassium. Thanks!
Potassium is good stuff and is used for people who might have an issue with an extra sodium in their diet if they drink the water too. Also used for a better impact if you are discharging the waste water outside. But it does cost 2-4x as much. You can usually switch at any time from one to the other but if you have any of the issues above should stay with it.
I used to used to use potassium in my softener before I went rainwater, the water tastes better with potassium in the softener, but like you said cost 5 times as more. Now that I'm 100% rain water, I don't need a softener and its literally the best tasting water iv ever drank.
I know this video is old hopefully you still reply but I have a 3 stage whole house filter after hitting another smaller sediment filter for the raw water and I guess my resin is covered in iron cause my water now is reddish and smells and hasn’t done that in the past year. I’ve never cleaned them, didn’t know! How many times can I do the iron out cleaning in a row?
Lame title. This is not a cleaning video. Its a “you got hard salt build up” video
If you don't think you are cleaning the media you didn't watch the video.
Sir, seems like every home project I need to tackle you've already mastered. Thanks! One question regarding unclogging a water softener: other than throwing away the salt from the softener, what else can I do with it? I have tons of land but don't want to do anything that will be illegal or kill of lots of vegetation. Any recommendations are appreciated.
Your videos are splendid! Thank you for giving me a new perspective to contemplate!
So, first off, Resin doesn't go bad if your system is used properly for your application. Meaning, if someone says, "But my resin went bad," that means they likely needed some pretreatment or they left their softener in need of repair for years without a proper regeneration. 99% of problems with a softener will be found in the valve body and not the brine tank. If you are able to regenerate your softener and the brine is drawn into the softener, then all the repairs in this video are not necessary. Also, if you are going to follow this video, here is a physics lesson: Adding water to the top of the brine tank will not do anymore good then a few inches above the salt. Why? because brine is denser than water and will sink and that brine is what will be surrounding the salt and since the brine will be fully saturated with dissolved salt, it won't dissolve anymore salt. 1 galloon of water dissolves about 3# of salt and no more no matter how long it sits. So all the water at the top of the tank will still be mostly water and the brine will be at the bottom. Use solar salt and get a softener that is not all in one. Having the softener tank inside the brine tank is a major cause of bridging in these systems. Depending on where you live, you may have a softener tanks that sweats and this added moisture from the tank and the air will absorb into the salt causing it to harden up just a bit and sometimes enough to cause a bridge, which is the "crust" that the video mentions. While this can still happen in a brine tank that is separate, it happens more often with "cabinet" models. The last thing to note is that you don't have to spend $1,000's for a new one, many times they can be fixed and not waste your entire day. Get a good brand that is made to repair and you won't find out self trying to scoop salt out of one of these units.
Warm water breaks the salt down faster
Definitely true. if you have access to warm or hot water that would make it much much quicker
@Silver Cymbal if I need to do both an Iron Out treatment and a cleaning which should I do first? I just bought a home and the water softener was totally empty i assume it's never been maintained.
Thanks, this was helpful. I used this as a guide to clean mine. I didnt have a salt bridge, but I had a lot of dirt/rock buildup from years of dumping in salt. I ended up physically taking the head off and pulling out the inner tank, which was a pain, as it was heavy with water. But that meant I could then take the outer plastic salt container outside for a serious cleaning with hose/brush/soap.
your video will help me a lot, thank you for all your advice, I'm subscribing to your channel to be able to watch the rest. thank you again, from France 😗
Another great video 👍🏼
I really appreciate that thank you
It's a bit like sweeping a dirt floor. All softeners will have a rinse cycle after brine draw so anything from the brine tank is throughly flushed out with fresh water before it begins supplying soft water again. The main issues would be salt bridging (use rubber mallet on sides of tank at hard layer), sanitizing (drop a cup of bleach down the brine well, the white tube, once a year, no more than every 6 mo) and iron fouling (either get a salt with an iron out or buy some resin reconditioner, powered or liquid, and add some to the salt once per tank fill). As far as the condition of the inside of the salt tank, it is nearly completely irrelevant. It doesn't go into your home at any point. It will just come back with time. I have 13 years experience as a water softener tech with one of the most recognizable names in water softening. You can clean your tank out but it's largely pointless.
Crystal or pellet?? My booklet says solar salt is recommended, but not finding it locally. I’ve been using pellets & have come across bridging but just broke them down. My booklet says 5-1\4% bleach for sanitizing, doesn’t mention Iron Out. My salt is currently low & looks dirty, I’m condo so can’t do hose & have no pump. Do you suggest adding hot water to dissolve & leave it, or should I wet vac it out & refill with new salt, or do nothing & just add new salt? Please and thank you!
@chuckfarley
Why not hot or warm water up to number 2?
I couldn't reist. I've never seen a wooden spoon with a handle that long. lol I don't have a water softerner system yet, I'm learning. I desperately need something for my really awlful well water. It is so rusty.
Hi all,
I have a new well and the water is slightly salted. Is there a way to fix this? Thanks
Do not put tge salty water down your normal drain. This water is usually directed to a separate drain. The salt water can cause your pipes to corrode badly
You contradict your other video about keeping the salt filled. Can you do a video of whats inside the column and how it works.
Thank you so much for your video. Can you tell me where I can buy the wooden stick with narrow edge?
Thought? Add a gallon of vinegar to the water. Vinegar works amazing for removing salt residue form floors...
All I hear is “honey badger don’t put up with no crap!”
I have what looks like to be this same machine. It’s completely filled to the top with water. What do I do? Where do I start?
How is it supposed to sound if it’s working correctly? Thanks!
Btw, can you tell me the nane of the crystal cleaning vid? So I can search it.
Yes right here: th-cam.com/video/irajObxV_1I/w-d-xo.html
We had a water softener put in in 2017. We haven’t cleaned it at all and we notice calcium build up on our fridge, shower heads, and sinks. Should we try to clean it out or should we just buy a new one and replace it? What would be the first few things you would do to diagnose the issue with the current one?
I never have the issue cause I don’t overfil it either. Salt. Only one bag at a time. If you put too much in it’ll
Compact down
is the end product (softened water) salty in these salt water softeners?
@@lordjaashin so basically you have one system which pumps it full of salt to get rid of the crap in the water then another system to take the sodium out a little bit. The water has no salty taste but it does have a little higher amount of sodium. So if you have a heart condition they recommend using potassium instead of sodium for the ‘salt’
@@seantmclaughlin i was thinking of using this system to wash my car but higher amount of sodium in water might lead to rusting issues, right?
At Ace Hardware it was suggested to let the salt get to water level then sprinkle iron out on with a bag of salt to follow, more iron out sprinkling and then second bag of salt. That seemed to help over the last month with the recent yellowing of water. My wife thick she is seeing the yellowing return. Any suggestions? Thx
No need to fill the salt level to 7 like that. Level 5 is plenty.
When you're trying to clean it out Get the water and salt level low like that, dump a couple jugs of hot water in it. Then shop vac it out. It'll look like new.
Am I the only person that got irritated by the fact he unplugged from the lower socket and reconnected to the outlet above
This does nothing for a tank over half full with a solid chunk of salt in it upon moving in.
What about a potassium style soft water system? A potassium style system require the same maintenance as a salt style soft water system as shown on this video? Thank you.
guys let me tell you don't consider this awfull system it is wast of money and a he'll of a headed.
something i do not like about this style of water softener, when the weather is hot and humid outside and in your house then the resin tank tends to sweat and cause mild salt bridging around the resin tank.
Great video. To make the job easier, use hot water. It will dissolve the salt a lot quicker and you just have to use enough to cover the salt. I suck out the water with a wet vac
Hi. Is the water softener sound in this video a sign that I need to get a new unit or I can fix it (but how?)
@
Thanks.
We stayed in a airbnb that had three saltwater tanks and they all three look like they need to be dealt with immediately. The water in this house was so nasty I felt like getting a hotel room just to take a shower.
How is the salt softners doing for your skin? Any reactions?
Pellets should be the go to. They prevent salt mushing/bridging better
Is it safe to dump the water from the water softener with some grounded salt in your kitchen sink?
thank you for the video's watched almost all of them i'm a city boy and recently moved to a house with a well and water softener with no clue how to take care of one of these and it's a rental so i don't know what previous tenants did or didn't do so i'm just going to start from scratch when the salt level gets low enough
Why do you need to remove the water you add by hand or pump? Can’t you just run the regeneration?
Hi it's my first time having a water softener. Thank you so much on how I can clean my water softener your video help me a lot.... My question is "I don't know where I can just throw away that nasty water at"?
There is a better way to remove "rocky" salt. Just fill up salt reservoir of hot water.
How about the flow to the house from the softener is it strong . I'm about to buy one,
Easier to pour hot water in there . Dissolves quicker. Then hit reg on it .
I do not need a water softener or any water treatment but the house came with one so I use it to reduce sediment ❤
What is the tool you used to remove the salt from the bottom of the water softener? and where do I get one?
Thank you
You can buy filtered salt so you don't have to worry about the dirt.
Can you use warm water to help soften the salt quicker?
THank you for sharing. I needed this simple video so I can do the job myself.
Stop using pellets and avoid that problem all together