Check Your Water Softener

It's easy to forget the water softener that's crammed into a dark corner in the utility room. But to ensure that your water softener has a long life, you need to do more to it than dump softener salt into it when you notice that your shower water feels harder.

Time — 10-30 minutes
Difficulty — Moderate
Expertise — None
Frequency — Once a year
Where — All US

Steps

Check your owner's manual for detailed instructions for these steps.

1. Check for leaks in all water lines connected to the water softener.
2. Visually inspect readily accessible wiring for damaged sheathing and connectors for corrosion.
3. Check for a hollow area under a bridge of salt by gently pushing a broom handle straight down into the salt. If you hit something solid that is not as deep as the bottom of the tank, it's probably a salt bridge. Poke the broom handle into it in a few places to break it up.
4. Check the operation of the bypass valve.
5. Perform other maintenance described in the owner's manual or contact a professional to do it.