How to Drain the Brine Tank on a Water Softener?
Water softeners needs little maintenance for the most of the cases. However, to ensure that your system continues to run smoothly and at peak performance for years to come, you can do more than just pour new salt into the brine tank every now and then.
Proper water softener maintenance will also increase longevity and lower repair costs. And the good news is that it’s simple enough for every homeowner to take care of.
Want to learn more? The following guide will provide you with everything you need to know.
How to Drain the Brine Tank on a Water Softener
It is necessary to drain a brine tank for cleaning, sanitizing, and troubleshooting. Therefore, we need to differentiate between pre-fill and post-fill water softeners:
- After each regeneration cycle, a post-fill system automatically refills its brine tank. Thus, it always contains water respectively brine.
- In case the brine tank is empty, you have a pre-fill unit, so there is no need to drain it, as long as it is working properly.
As a result, there are various ways to drain a post-fill water softener.
You could, for example, scoop the water into a bucket. You can then pour it back into the tank when you are done cleaning or whatever you are doing. This only makes sense if the water is not too dirty.
You can also use a wet vacuum. Another option is to start a manual regeneration cycle. During the brining phase, the softener will automatically remove all water from the brine tank.
How to Clean a Water Softener
According to the circumstances, a standard water softener needs to be cleaned once a year to every five years. However, if all of a sudden the output of water hardness increases or the water is discolored or smells funny, the entire system should be cleaned as soon as possible.
Cleaning the Brine Tank
When the brine tank is almost empty, it is the best time to clean it. So you don’t have to scoop it all out by hand, and the tank is lightweight so you can move it around. You might even want to take it outside where you won’t have to worry about making a water mess.
In addition, when the salt level is low, you can already see any dirt or mold at the bottom of the tank.
The dirt is found in the softening salt, especially inexpensive rock salt. As you keep refilling the brine tank, sediment accumulates because it cannot dissolve. After some time, the brine might look like sludge. The main reason for cleaning is to prevent sediment from clogging your system. Additionally, it could prevent salt from dissolving properly.
You will also have to drain all water from a post-fill water softener that refills automatically.
There are many ways to do this (see above).
Have you gotten rid of all the water? Excellent! The rest of the cleaning procedure goes like this:
- Remove any remaining salt + sludge
- Clean inside
- Add new salt (and water with post-fill softener)
- Set regeneration cycle for coming night
At this point, if you haven’t already removed the brine well and salt grid, now is the time to do so.
You can use a shovel or any other tool that you find suitable to remove any remaining salt and/or sludge. Be careful not to damage your tank. Again, a shop vac is perfect for this. In case the salt is too hard to vacuum, you can break it loose with a broom handle. Then use a hose to rinse the inside of the tank and vacuum any remaining salt, water, and sediment.
It’s the perfect time to ensure the float switch is straight and can move freely up and down. Double-check that it’s not clogged so it can suck in brine during regen (soak in hot water to unclog).
Can You Put Bleach in Your Water Softener?
The resin in a water softener can become contaminated with bacteria for various reasons, one of which is polluted water. Although your water is disinfected at the source, microbes can enter any point before the softening unit.
Additionally, iron, sulfur, and other impurities can promote infestation. Changes in color, foul taste, or rotten egg smell in your water are typical signs. Furthermore, mildew may form in the brine tank, which will also cause an unpleasant odor.
Particularly affected are newly installed softeners and those that have been out of service for some time or that run for long periods between regenerations.
To sanitize the brine tank after cleaning, you may want to mix 2 ounces of unscented household bleach with 3 gallons of water.
To kill mold or mildew, you simply need to let the solution sit for about 15 to 20 minutes. Brush the surface then. Make sure you pay attention to the float assembly.
Alternatively, you can (and should) sanitize the entire system. During their normal life, some softeners require periodic disinfection, like every three to twelve months.
It is usually best to use 5.25% sodium hypochlorite (bleach) for such a task. Polystyrene resins, zeolite, and greensand can be used with this product.
Polystyrene resin, less than a quarter cup in volume per cubic foot, is recommended as a pre/post backwash additive. During the brining cycle, bleach will dissolve in the brine and then be sucked into the resin tank.
Depending on your softener, you might also need to add 2 to 3 gallons of water to the brine tank. During the brining phase, it is usually necessary to unplug the unit for 20 to 30 minutes in order to allow all brine to be used up.
Bleach should remain in contact with the resin for at least one hour for complete sterilization.
To make sure none of it ends up in the water that you will use later, the resin bed should be rinsed with 75 gallons of water per cubic foot. Additionally, any disinfection byproducts will be eliminated.
Cleaning the Resin Tank
How can you keep your resin bed in good shape? There’s not a lot to worry about in most cases, unless your water is really bad.
Municipal water is usually fine. Iron and manganese can be problematic in well water. Since they are not completely removed during regeneration, both can foul resin.
In addition, homes with shallow wells can accumulate organic compounds, mainly tannins and humic acids. As these compounds precipitate, they become trapped between the resin beads.
Cleansing a fouled bed with a specialized resin cleaner can restore softening capacity and reduce salt and water usage, prolong resin life, as well as ensure smooth operation of all other system components. In some cases, it may even boost flow rates and improve the taste of your water.
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