Okay, for the nerds among us: buy a water hardness test kit. They cost like $10 at a hardware store. Just dip a strip in your water, wait a minute, and compare colors. Soft water should show 0–1 grains per gallon. If it shows 5 or 10? Your softener is doing nothing.
Test the water from a tap after the softener (usually your kitchen sink or a dedicated faucet). Then test water from an outdoor spigot (which usually bypassed the softener). If both are the same? Your unit is bypassing itself. It’s basically a fancy salt dispenser pretending to work.
Check the Brine Tank
Look inside the brine tank (the smaller one next to the big resin tank). It should have water in it—not too much, not too little. During regeneration, the water level rises and falls. If it’s bone dry or overflowing, something’s clogged. Also, check for sludge or bugs. Crusty stuff means it’s not cleaning properly.
A healthy brine tank looks like a mini salt lake, with clear-ish water and salt crystals. If it looks like a swamp? Drain and clean it. Your softener deserves a spa day too.
