Water softener maintenance: schedule, lifespan and costs
Updated
Overview
A water softener is a tank of resin beads that trade the calcium and magnesium in hard water for sodium, and a brine tank of salt that recharges the beads every few days. It protects the water heater, the dishwasher, the faucets and the pipes from scale, and it does that for years on nothing more than salt added on schedule. The maintenance is the salt, a look in the brine tank for a bridge, and a yearly service visit on an older unit. The second job below, cleaning the aerators and showerheads, is what you do when hard water has been getting through.
Lifespan
A water softener lasts 10 to 20 years. The resin beads are the part that ages. Iron and chlorine in the water foul and break them down, and a softener that's run out of salt for long stretches lets minerals coat them. The control valve on top, which runs the recharge cycles, wears its seals and its motor with every cycle. The brine tank can last the life of the unit if it's kept clean.
What extends the life is salt in the tank at all times, a prefilter on iron-heavy well water, and a yearly service that cleans the injector and the brine tank. The signs a softener is near the end: hard water getting through with salt in the tank and the settings right, a resin bed that needs cleaning more and more often, a control valve that leaks or sticks mid-cycle, and salt use that's climbed for no reason.
Maintenance schedule
The jobs that keep the softener working and the fixtures it protects clear.
| Task | How often |
|---|---|
| Check the water softener and add salt | check every month, top up every 1 to 2 months |
| Clean the faucet aerators and showerheads | every 6 to 12 months |
Replacement cost
A new water softener costs $800 to $3,000 installed. The low end is a basic single-tank unit for an average home, and the high end is a larger or twin-tank softener that recharges on demand and never runs out of soft water, or one with an iron filter built in for well water.
The repair-or-replace rule: if the repair would cost more than half of a new softener and the unit is past the middle of its lifespan, replace it. A control valve rebuild on an old unit, or a resin replacement, each comes close to that line. A brine tank float, an injector cleaning or a timer setting is a repair, and a yearly service visit at $100 to $200 covers most of those.
Common problems
- Hard water symptoms are back: spots on dishes, scale on fixtures, soap that won't lather. Look in the brine tank first. Check the water softener and add salt, and break up any salt bridge.
- Salt in the tank, but the water is still hard: the softener isn't recharging. The injector may be clogged, the timer may be wrong, or the resin may be fouled. A service visit sorts it out.
- Faucets and showerheads spraying crooked: scale built up while hard water was getting through. Clean the faucet aerators and showerheads.
- The brine tank is full of water: the drain line is blocked, the float is stuck, or the injector is clogged, so the tank can't empty on the recharge cycle.
- Salty-tasting water: the softener is pulling too much brine or not rinsing fully, often from a stuck valve or a clogged drain line.
- Salt use that's climbed: a recharge cycle set too often, or a leaking control valve. Check the settings against the home's water use.
FAQ
How long does a water softener last?
About 10 to 20 years. Salt kept in the tank and a yearly service get it to the long end. The resin beads are what wear out.
How much does a water softener cost?
$800 to $3,000 installed, from a basic single-tank unit to a twin-tank or an iron-filtering model for well water.
How do I know if my water softener is working?
Soap lathers easily, dishes dry without spots, and the fixtures stay clear of scale. A hardness test strip from a hardware store gives a number.
How much salt should a water softener use?
It depends on the water's hardness and the household's use. Salt use that climbs with no change in either means the softener is recharging too often or leaking brine.
Does a water softener need servicing?
A yearly visit on an older unit is worth it. The technician cleans the injector and the brine tank, checks the resin, and sets the recharge cycle for your actual use.