DIY guideWater quality
Clean out the softener's brine tank
Put the softener on bypass, empty the old salt and the sludge under it, scrub and rinse the brine tank, then refill it and start a regeneration.
- 45 min to 1½ hr
- 7 steps
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7 steps
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Put the softener on bypass, so the house still has water while you work. Unplug its head if the manual says to.
Lift the lid and scoop the old salt into buckets. Leave the tall tube inside the tank where it is.
Wet salt is heavy: fill buckets halfway and lift with your legs.Bail out the brown water and the sludge at the bottom with a cup or a wet-vac.
Scrub the inside with a brush and a little dish soap, then rinse it until the water runs clear.
Pour in water to the level the manual names, then fresh salt to about half full.
Plug it back in, take it off bypass, and start a regeneration from its head, as the manual shows.
A leak at the head, or a tank that won't fill: put it back on bypass and ask Handyman for a plumber.
What you need
- Buckets
- A wet-vac or a big cup
- A scrub brush and dish soap
- Fresh softener salt, the kind the manual names
- Gloves
Call a pro if
- Water leaks at the softener's head
- The brine tank won't fill or won't empty
- The water still feels hard with salt in
Handyman says: Leave it on bypass. I'll find a plumber.
Free for every home. Handyman asks a few questions, then books a pro it trusts.
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