Understanding Plumbing Basics
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Understanding Plumbing Basics

As a new homeowner, I can tell you that things aren't always as simple as they appear. I started thinking about it a few years ago, and I realized that there were some serious problems with our plumbing system. We had issues with drains working correctly and toilets flushing like they should, so I started focusing more heavily on understanding the basics of our plumbing system. Within a few short months the entire system was operating more fluidly because of a few changes that I made, so I wanted to create a blog all about my journey. Check out these articles to learn more about the plumbing basics.

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Understanding Plumbing Basics

Reasons Your Water Softener Is Overflowing And Repairs That Might Be Necessary

Jorge Alexander

A water softener usually works without problems, so it can be a shock when water suddenly starts overflowing from the brine tank. If you check the tank occasionally, you might notice the tank is filling with water so you can fix the problem before water spills out. If water is flowing out of the tank, be sure to turn the water supply off, and then you can work on identifying the problem or just call a plumber for help. Here are some reasons why your water softener may be overflowing.

Clogged Lines Or Valves

Your water softener usually has water in the brine tank, but the level is so low that you can't really see the water level under the salt. Every time your softener goes through a regeneration cycle, water goes into the brine tank to push the brine water into the resin tank. If a float valve, control valve, or drain line is clogged, then water won't move out of the brine tank, and every time the regeneration cycle comes on, more water will be added until the tank gets full and then overflows. Solving this problem could involve checking for a kink in the drain line, cleaning the line or the valves, or replacing the parts that are clogged up.

Another part that can become clogged is the injector. The injector should be cleaned regularly, especially if you have hard water, or it can clog. This small part can be cleaned or replaced when it causes problems with the water softener. If you're not familiar with the parts of your water softener, then calling a plumber is the best option for repairs and maintenance.

The Brine Tank Has Mush On The Bottom

Sometimes when the salt in the brine tank dissolves, it will recrystallize on the bottom of the tank and turn to mush. The mush can clog up parts of the softener that control the level of water in the tank. The solution for this problem is to empty all the salt out of the tank and then break up the mush and clean the tank. Then, you or the plumber can clean the clogs out of the parts and refill the tank with salt.

Any time you look in the brine tank and notice the water level is higher than it usually is, that's a sign that something is going wrong with the softener and you'll need to turn it off and troubleshoot it or call a plumber to make repairs so you can have soft water again. For more information, contact local water softener repair services


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