A Clean Salt Tank is a Happy Salt Tank
Have you ever cleaned your water softener brine tank? Unfortunately, the cleaning process is not thought about until there is an issue with your water. Depending on the water softener salt used, this needs to be done at a minimum once per year.
The main reason brine tanks need to be cleaned is the quality of water softener salt used. The level of impurities classifies water softener salt. If using a salt with a high impurity count, like block salt or solar salt, the impurities will settle on the bottom of the salt tank. When the water softener regenerates, impurities can enter the water softener, causing a malfunction. You can extend the length between brine tank cleanings when pellet salt is used. Pellet salt is 99.8% clean and the cleanest salt you can buy. There are other reasons a brine tank will need to be cleaned, such as a salt bridge or mushy salt. It’s always recommended to refill your brine tank once water can be seen at the bottom of the tank.
Follow these instructions on how to clean your brine tank. Note: you’ll want to perform this procedure when your salt tank is nearly empty with salt.
- Bypass the water softener per manufacturer’s or dealer’s instructions.
- Depressurize the water softener by putting the unit into a manual regeneration.
- Disconnect the plastic fitting from the brine tank to the water softener or the fitting on the brine tank valve. Be sure to turn carefully, so you don’t break any fittings connected to the water softener.
- Remove as much salt and water in the brine tank as possible. Your goal is to make the brine tank as light as possible to carry outside.
- Once the salt and water are removed, remove the salt platform at the bottom of the brine tank. Not all brine tanks have a platform. The salt platform is molded plastic with 4 cups and tiny pinholes.
- Carry the brine tank outside to clean
- Check the brine valve in your salt tank. It is on the side of the brine tank, either exposed or within a brine well tube. The brine valve needs to be free of any salt chunks or residual. It’s good to run water over the brine valve to clean.
- Add 1-2 gallons of water and ¼ cup of unscented household bleach into the brine tank. Use a brush and clean the salt tank thoroughly. Let the bleach solution sit in the brine tank for 15 minutes.
- Dump and rinse the bleach solution thoroughly from the brine tank. Keep bleach solution away from plants and shrubbery.
- Place the brine tank in its original location and reinstall the salt platform into the brine tank.
- Connect plastic tubing lines to the water softener.
- Take the water softener out of bypass and check for leaks.
- Put enough water in the brine tank, so the water level is 4-6 inches above the salt platform with 2-4 bags of salt.
- Enjoy your cleaned brine tank.
By cleaning your brine tank and using pellet salt, you will keep service calls to a minimum. However, if you find this procedure overwhelming or don’t have the time, our service technicians can handle this for you. Contact us at (815) 385-3093 or request this service.
