Water softener repair

Softener repair covers units that have stopped softening, won't regenerate, aren't using salt, or are leaking or running water to the drain. On Sioux Falls water, a failed softener shows up as scale within days, so it's worth finding the cause quickly.

Common problems

• Salt bridge or mushing. Salt crusts over or turns to sludge, and the unit regenerates without brine.
• Brine line or injector blockage. The valve can't pull brine from the salt tank.
• Control valve wear. Seals, spacers or the piston let water bypass the resin or run to the drain.
• Fouled resin. Iron from a well or age reduces how much hardness the resin can hold.
• Wrong settings. A unit set for the wrong hardness, which matters if your water supply changed, as Brandon's did.
• Leaks at fittings, the bypass or the drain line.

Quick checks

1. Make sure the bypass is in the service position.
2. Check the control has power and the right time after any outage.
3. Look for a salt crust or water standing above the salt.
4. Note the brand, model and age from the label on the valve.

Repair or replace?

If the tank is sound and parts are available, a valve rebuild or new resin is often worthwhile. If the unit is old, oversized for your current water, or a timer model that regenerates on a fixed schedule, replacement may save salt and water. More on replacement.

What affects the cost

The part that failed, the brand, resin replacement, and travel to rural addresses. The company prices the repair after diagnosing it.

Where we connect you with help

• Sioux Falls
• Brandon
• Harrisburg
• Rural Minnehaha County

Related services

• Water softener installation
• Water softener replacement
• Iron and sulfur filters
• Reverse osmosis drinking water

More background: Sioux Falls hard water guide.