Published on 2 min read
A softener reduces water hardness to limit limescale deposits in installations and appliances. But it is a water treatment device: filling the salt tank does not guarantee it works properly. The resin, the valve, the salt tank, the settings and the safety elements must be checked regularly. Weber Water services and checks softeners to maintain their performance and hygiene.
Why service a softener?
A poorly maintained softener gradually loses effectiveness or drifts out of adjustment. The SPW notes that a lack of checks and maintenance can encourage bacterial growth, and recommends having the unit installed and serviced by a professional.
What is checked during a service?
A professional service includes a general check of the unit and its hardness setting, inspection of the valve, salt tank and brine draw, checking the regeneration cycle, connections and drain, inspecting the seals, cleaning accessible parts and a functional test.
Salt: essential, but not enough
In the most common ion-exchange softeners, calcium and magnesium are exchanged for sodium in the resin, and the salt serves to regenerate that resin. An empty tank or a faulty brine draw prevents proper regeneration: the hardness of the treated water rises again.
Why check hardness after the softener?
A softener should not produce water entirely free of calcium and magnesium. In Wallonia, the SPW states that softened water should keep a hardness above 10 °f, to avoid water that is too aggressive for certain metals and installations. The setting is checked and adapted to the installation.
Softer water is not necessarily better
Very hard water encourages scaling, but excessively softened water becomes aggressive to certain installations. The SPW advises against installing a softener as a matter of course: the benefit arises mainly when the supplied water is hard. The aim is a balance suited to the building and its uses.
Softener and water for consumption
The network must be consistent with how the water is used. Where the installation allows, the SPW recommends reserving softened water for equipment that heats water, such as water heaters, and keeping an unsoftened supply for certain human consumption uses. The exact configuration depends on the equipment installed and the building's needs.
Cleaning and hygiene: an essential point
Like any equipment containing water, a softener must be kept in good hygienic condition. Checking the salt tank, valve, pipes and regeneration cycles detects anomalies and limits stagnation. The manufacturer's maintenance recommendations also apply.
How often should a softener be serviced?
Frequency depends on the model, water consumption, incoming hardness, setting and use. For a domestic installation, a periodic professional check is good practice; commercial or heavily used installations need a specific maintenance programme.
Signs of a softener not working properly
Limescale returning on the taps, water still very hard after the unit, abnormally high salt consumption, a salt tank that misbehaves, unusual noise during regeneration, a water leak, an alarm or error on the controller, a drain problem during regeneration: signals not to leave unattended.
Weber Water: softener servicing and repairs
Weber Water services softeners for homeowners, businesses and commercial installations: full service, hardness check and adjustment, salt tank check, cleaning of accessible parts, regeneration check, fault finding, parts replacement, commissioning, usage advice and maintenance contracts.
Does your softener use too much salt, let limescale through or has it never been serviced? We check your unit, verify its settings and service it to preserve its performance.
Sources : Service public de Wallonie (SPW), recommandations des fabricants.
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