This guy is very helpful. I even called his store a few times to clarify a few things. He had no problem taking the time to explain even though the water softener machine I have isn’t even sold by his store. Awesome.
Gary, Thanks a lot for this video and all your help. My husband had a stroke a couple months ago, and though he's recovering, everything was left to me. It's been a challenge but being able to do things on my own has helped. Not only have you saved me money, but you're helping me be stronger and more independent. Thanks again!
Thank you! We noticed hard water feeling during showers recently and opening the brine tank thinking we were low on salt, actually still had 3/4 tank. Emptied salt/water as mentioned and discovered very bottom was a grey salty goo/guck/sludge which had appeared to be clogging things (we filled to the brim with salt). Ended up taking brine tank completely apart and cleaned it all out. Put clean salt and water back and manually did regen cycle, shower water is soft again!
Sir, you are doing a tremendous job posting these videos. I bought my first home and I felt my water softener was not working as expected. After watching this video found it was a salt bridge. Earlier I faced a challenge in removing the carbon water filter. Both these videos were life saver for me who didn't knew even the basics of these things. I really appreciate your video content. All the best to you 😊
Awesome video! I was impatient so I used the shop vac and a scooper, and a ladel from the kitchen due to my short arms and got all the mush out. I carefully used a pole I had that is for painting. The metal bar that holds the roller worked perfect for carefully scraping the bottom. Can't believe when I asked for the water softener to be checked by "professionals no one ever suggested any maintenance! And I'm bad for not reading the manual!! Thanks!!
Thank you Sir! Had this issue pop up on me, didn't know what the heck was happening since I could see the unit regening but still had hard water. Cleaned out the unit as per your instructions and Bam, softwater again!
Just did this to my own tank and THEN watched your video. Only thing I didn't do was the regenerate step. Excellent to the point assistance, great work!
would a salt blockage cause your water pressure to become low? I noticed a few months back that my water pressure became very low when two water sources are being used at the same time, When I by passed the softener the pressure went back to normal. I am going to try this procedure and hopefully this fixes the problem.
I'm wondering the same thing... My water didn't feel soft, so I checked the salt level. My brine tank has filled with probably too much water and I'm not getting as much pressure at my kitchen faucet. Not really sure what the fix is, but I have to start somewhere. ugh!
Add Res Care to the brine tank before regen. My water pressure in shower went back up. The beads need the Res Care to clean them on regen. Amazon carries the Res Care. Comes in gallon jugs.
Thank you for that video. My watersoftner is 35 years old and still works good but I always wondered if I ever did have a clog. Now at least I know what to do to check it out. Thank you
Thanks so much for this awesome video! I had dredged the pellets and broken up the chunks with hot water, but it was only a little better. Your clear step by step and explanation about saline saturation were so helpful! I tried your advice about follow up days and long term filling and it has been great since! Thank you so much!
Glad to hear it helped you. I am doing a live stream today on Water Softener Q&A on RUclips at 1pm Eastern Time. You might want to check it out by following this link ruclips.net/video/-KZxTpl6_ug/видео.html
@@MrBob-vc4qd It depends if yours is a post fill or pre fill water softener. For a pre fill it likely is, for a post fill it is not, there should be much more water.
Half of my tank was a block. So far I did the 3 gallons hot water in barrel and 1/2 hot in tube and regened. Better. Got some broken up. Regened again...better yet. Tonight I'm going to do the whole thing over with the hot water and two regens. As I suffer from Reactive Airways Dysfunction Syndrome from toxic PVC cement poisoning almost 4 years ago and cannot tolerate any chemicals etc., if this works on my 20 year old water softener, I will be a happy sickly 70 year old female. Bless your heart for sharing this info.
@@water_estore So after my second day my salt is about 1/3 of where it was and there is about a gallon of water on top. So I removed most of the water with a cup and I guess I need to remove what salt I was able to break up. There is still a block as my broom does not touch the bottom of the barrel. So do I keep doing this with the hot water, regens, breaking up any bridges, removing the water and salt until the barrel is empty of both? Also just curious about what you do with the salt water and salt you remove. Can it kill unwanted vegetation?
Gary, Thanks so much!!!! Hard to find honest guys like you!!! You saved me a ton! We noticed a problem after filling swimming pool! Outside faucets were connected to softener??? Had a clog, and salt bridge! Thanks again, Edward...Northeast Ohio..
Thank you Gary. I just had a system installed today, thought to look for knowledge if any issues occur, and to learn how long I have before I need to clean the system. I can see that you are very knowledgeable and I'll keep checking your channel. I did subscribe.
Thanks, Gary. Your videos are very helpful to this water softener newbie! Quick question: Where do I dump the brine water I remove from the bottom of the tank? Will it hurt my drain pipes? And the sludgy salt I collect from it? There's so much of it...whow is it best to dispose of it? Any help appreciated.
@@AuronFFX I agree with you. Also my neighbor guy dumped softener salt pellets on his driveway in the winter, and the next year had to replace his driveway because it caused so much pitting damage to his concrete it looked like the surface of the moon. Kind of like people who use way too much ice melter on their driveway. And I have had a couple bushes next to my driveway die because for a couple consecutive years I shoveled and piled the snow towards the base of them and all the road salt from the cars driving into the garage there in that area got deposited at the base of the bushes.
I believe this is what is wrong with my Culligan Gold right now. It says "check salt," on the display, but my salt tank is 2/3 full and has been for the past month+. Thank you!
Great video Gary. Just a question which might sound dumb but here it goes. After the tank is completely dry, do I then return all the salt that was in it and then pour the 2-3 gallons of hot water in? Thanks for your response.
Many thanks for a great tip & advice with the water softener. The problem I’m having is, that it is taking too much salt all in one go. Why is that & how to change the settings to make the salt to take at least a quarter, from the full amount I puts in?
Thank you for your video I am new to a water softener so I probably used to much salt. We just finished doing what you said and we are back in business!!! Thanks so much also subscribed to your channel and learning how it works and maintain it
I'd like to add some type of cleaner to clean the resin but the manual says the following. I have a Dupure Impression series. My softener has not been working for almost three years (only was fine the first 3 months) and the maintenance guys that come just tell me everything is fine. My dishes have tons of spots and the toilets get a nasty ring at around a week and a half. Ive been watching your videos over and over because I want to try and do the salt clog cleaning to see if that helps. Your videos are so informative. I've shut the softener for a week and I get the same results as with it on. Do cleaners mess up the resin? Also, any suggestions on what to do? CAUTION: The manufacturer does not recommend the use of any resin cleaners, nor placement of any resin cleaners into the brine tank. This may be harmful to the water softener and for human consumption. Consult dealer for proper cleaning instructions.
First I would have your water tested for hardness before and after the softener to see if the water softener is reducing the hardness. If the softener is not working and you have tried everything else you have nothing to lose by using the resin cleaner. In my experience cleaners do not mess up the resin. Although I find it hard to believe that the media needs cleaning after only 3 months of use, I think there is something else wrong here. I have no idea why they have that recommendation. This video explains how to use them ruclips.net/video/c8QKYr3B02I/видео.html Sounds like you have nothing to lose.
Great question! The only time softening displays is when the meter senses water moving through the valve. The water softener does not know if it is producing soft water or not.
Great video good instructions I had about 5" of salt silt in the bottom my day and it had filled the to Bub past all the openings for the the water thank you
So far this video has helped wonders! It sounds like it's running perfect again! And we were looking at $2400+ bill for a new one. But our question is should we remove all the ick water before we start new? Thanks so much!
In the process of checking for a salt clog, because salt wasnt being used, I found the hose that sucks the brine was disconnected! so thanks for the push to find that out!
Probably what has happened to me. Changed out the resin last year and has run great since. Now I have a giant salt disc about 8 in thick in the bottom of my softener. Cannot loosen it up. It is still softening the water however so we are not adding any pellets until the disc devolves.
I bought a house last week it had been on the market for over 9 months and was vacant. Water system sat unused during that time. The softener is older and has a cam gear type system. I had a huge salt clog in the bottom, roughly 7 inches thick. I removed all the salt and I'm not sure what to do to get the system up and running again. There is no float in the brine tank either just a tube. There is no button for a manual regen. it has a dial that reads (Fast rinse/Refill=====Brine/Slow Rinse====Backwash====Condition Water) . Should I just put salt back in the tank and plug it in?
Try running it without any salt first to make sure it goes through all the cycles and doesn’t leak. If all is okay after a couple of regents then add a few bags of dalt
@@water_estore is it normal for some older brine tanks to not have a float? There is a glass with a ball o the tank. It there a way to set the amount of water that enters the brine tank?
@@water_estore Hi Gary and OP, thanks so very much for your awesome and helpful video(s)! I think the next question for many is “if we completely remove both salt and water, do we need to manually put any water back in the tank prior to the leak test and reincorporating salt, or will the system “know or discover” that there’s no water and add appropriately”?
Hi Gary, Thanks for the video! One part doesn't make sense to me? After you remove the loose salt and brine water (the tank should be empty at this point). Then you had 2/3 gallons of hot tap water "on top of the salt"? But the tank should be empty because you just removed all the salt and brine water.
Ideally yes, but sometimes the salt is so compacted at the bottom you cannot get rid of it all. The hot water will help dissolved that salt so it can be removed without trying to bash it out and risk damaging the water softener.
Thank you so much! We used our Python aquarium water changer to drain the water, and then used an ice fishing scoop to scoop out the salt and the salt mush at the bottom. All done and ready to go in a few hours. We had probably 6" of salt compacted in the bottom of our water softener. Thank you so so so very much.
I did the steps you recommended and when I regenerate the holding tank gets fuller. it doesn't seem to be replacing the water. is there a clog somewhere? I cleaned the Venturi with no help
Your Hot water idea worked. New appliances are garbage. My previous 25 year old softener is still working in my brother in laws house after I rebuilt it. I wish I kept it--it is flawless.
if you have hard salt build up where you can't even get down to the water, can you do the same thing just over many many days? Add hot water, regenerate, break up salt? After each regen, do you add more hot water after you break it up or not?
Just did everything you said in the video, took apart the valves in the bottom and couldn’t find a clog. Did however find lots of little black bugs that found their way down into the brine. Removed all of them, any suggestions? I’ll spray the tank with bug spray.
Gary, I had a major salt bridge. I finally after several days got all of the salt out and hosed it out clean and suctioned all of the water out with a Wet Vac. I put two bags of new pellets in and plugged it back in. The electronics are working because it shows I'm using salt, but the salt level isn't going down at all. What's up with that? Any suggestions? Thank you, Jeff
How many times has it regenerated since you did the work. A water softener will only use salt during regeneration. More info here ruclips.net/video/wPh_l56OWOM/видео.html
@@water_estore I appreciate the reply. I have it set on regeneration at 2am everyday, but after I cleaned it and put new pellets in I did a manual regeneration and probably 4-5 times since then
Should the water level go down after the recharge is done? I took out as much as I could with a small container and poured it out into a bucket. I don’t have a shopvac but might need to get one if I’ll need to get all the water out. My water level stayed the same (I little more than halfway after adding the additional hot water to the water left that I couldn’t remove) after adding the hot water, and 4 hrs later and the recharge so I don’t know if it helped any
The point of adding the water and doing a regeneration is that it dissolves some of the excess salt. During the regeneration cycle the water softener should draw out most of the water in the brine tank and then add more back in at the end of the cycle, this video can explain the process better ruclips.net/video/udmE-hhh084/видео.html I hope that helps.
Gary the Water Guy thank you for your response! Initially regenerated it after breaking the salt bridge the night before I went to bed. By morning the water level was the same. After adding the hot water today and 4 hrs later regenerating it again, the water level was the same as when I added the hot water. We have determined that we have mush (I googled it), and lots of it. It’s so thick, I can’t even get the broom stick down there to move it around. we’ve been adding hot water 2-3 gallons at a time and letting it sit for about an hr to let it dissolve so that we can remove it once it’s loosened up a bit (we ended up getting a shopvac). The mush and salt initially was about 1/2 way up and the water was about 3/4 way up. The salt/mush is currently 1/4 way up and the water we added is about an inch above that. We called it a night before dinner and will tackle it again later today (it’s tomorrow already). I’m hoping that after cleaning it all out and adding a bit of fresh salt, it will do it’s thing. I read that mush tends to happen when there’s high humidity present. The water softener is near our furnace and it’s currently winter where we live so it’s been warmer in that room. We just bought the house in August and did have a salt bridge problem about a month after moving in. I noticed the salt level wasn’t going down so I googled it. After breaking it, it did fine and used up salt like it had to and we had to add more salt back in November. Only because I noticed our dishwasher wasn’t cleaning like it used to I decided to check on the softener and discovered the mess.
@@chabelita211 adding hot water and letting it absorb the salt will work but it takes time. Don't be afraid of letting it sit longer than an hour because it can take about 6 hours before the water becomes saturated with the salt. you will get there eventually, you may want to check out this video ruclips.net/video/C3TpdeNX58E/видео.html to learn more about how much salt to keep in the brine tank. I hope this helps!
I currently have low water pressure issues too. Would also like to know if the water softener has anything to do it with. Did you guys find out the answer?
Add Res Care to the brine tank before regen. My water pressure in shower went back up. The beads need the Res Care to clean them on regen. Amazon carries the Res Care. Comes in gallon jugs.
Gary, I think I have a salt bridge as I can't push a broom handle all the way through. I had previously added iron out, but not immediately done the regeneration cycle. Now, when I work at breaking the salt bridge up, I am inhaling these noxious fumes. Do you have a different/safer recommendation for removing the salt when it is laden with iron out?
There is somehting wrong with your water softener thta likely caused the clog in the first place. this video should help ruclips.net/video/Lr3jyGiJdC0/видео.html
Thank you for this video. Quick question - I scooped all salt out of the tank as instructed and now I have a full bucket of wet salt crystals that I'm not sure what do to with. Is it ok to flush the salt down the toilet, maybe a scoop or 2 at a time, or is that a bad idea? Thanks!
So I have a new softner it worked great rt away. After about 3 weeks I filled the salt to just below the cap. Now the softner is not working nearly as it was. Could I have to much salt? Even tho the instructions said to have enough water tht the salt is just above the water line as i did at first or fill it to just below the cap?
Got to the cabin broke up the salt it seemed like it was crusted up sum. Ran regeneration now I definitely can't get to the bottom of the brine tank with a stick. Seems like it's all mushed up? Water is not good. Seems like it was having a hard time drawing the brine.
Gary great video. Only thing that is confusing to me, is that you say remove the salt until you see some water and you shop-vac that out. But then you say take a couple of gallons and pour that over the salt? So I guess my question is do I just vacuum out the water that is above the salt on the bottom of the tank and leave the salt on the bottom of the tank there and add water? I was thinking of just completely cleaning out the tank of salt and sediment until getting an empty tank and then adding new salt and about three gallons of water and hitting regen.... Seems to be an easier solution to me instead of regenerating a few times and risking some sediment still laying at the bottom of the tank
BigTime sorry about the confusion. If you can empty out all the salt and start fresh, great go ahead. But if there is a huge salt clog in the bottom which you can’t get out, then you would add the hot water and do several regenerations.
I just discovered a 4" salt clog at the bottom of my tank. Can this issue cause a high water bill ? My last water bill was 12,000 gallon a month (with 1 person living there) Also after I clean everything out do I add any water before I dump the new salt in ? My Softner is only a year old with digital controls.
When taking a shower should I feel like there is still soap on me. If o don’t does it mean the system is not working properly help needed new to water softener just purchased house and it came with it
Great question! This video explains how you can test to see if it is working. ruclips.net/video/rLXlIK1MJ9s/видео.html. My RUclips Chanel has lots of water softener videos, check it out! ruclips.net/user/GarytheWaterGuy
Questions regarding the salt material and brine you scoop out of the brine tank. Can you reintroduce them at some point or are they both now just waste?
So. The bucket was used to gather the old salt. Then you said to add water using the same bucket. You didn’t mention anything about the salt that is still in the bucket. Not clear if that needed to be dumped first
If the salt is not clumped together you can reuse it. If it is partially dissolved and clumped together get rid of the old salt and start with new salt.
Thanks Gary!! Currently have water sitting in my tank and I’m sure it’s because I loaded too much salt in it. I used a wooden stick and can’t reach the bottom. Tomorrow’s project!
Gary, we cleaned all of thes sand-consistency type salt sludge out of the tank, added hot water, ran regen many times, but however we cannot get the very bottom of it out of the tank-about 2 inches worth, because cannot reach it (it has the taller tank). Must all of that 2 inches of sand-like salt be taken out, or can we just put the new pellet salt overtop of that now? Thanks.
Yes, ideally it should come out. Did you try disconnecting the tank, taking it outside and turning it upside down and pounding on the bottom to see if it will come out?
Thanks buddy I switched from culagan salt to sifto salt, the size difference was from small to big salt chunks and it ended up all packing down way to tight, but you have just shown me all that I need to no about this. Do u no much about the big blue 5 micron filter I have it set up after my well and jet pump and then my softening system follows threw right after it I seem to have to change it once a month or more. An alternative would be great cheers Gary
Yes, you can use a dual gradient filter like this one waterestore.ca/products/pentair-filter-20-big-blue-sediment-dgd-5005-155358-43 to capture the larger pieces of sediment on the outside while still giving you that fine 5 micron on the inside. Or you could put one of these spindown filters on before the big blue to prefilter the bigger stuff waterestore.ca/products/vu-flo-spindown-filter-housing-1-1-2-socket
Hello, My water softener has lots of residual salt powder in the bottom that seems like not reducing should I remove it manually and then refill or I can refill tank without removing that residue? Thank you
I have a different and new issue for me. The iron fighter pellets i have used forever have turned to mush in the bottom of my brine tank. i ve gat several inches of mush in there.
I have an old kenmore. Had a salt bridge last month. I broke it and then added salt 1/2 full. It doesnt seem to use the salt anymore. How does water from the resin tank enter the brine tank? maybe a block somewhere?
Hi Gary-I removed all the salt bridges and salt mushing in my salt tank. It took quite a while. I've noticed though that the water tastes foul and still leaves a line in my toilet. I tried the regen this week using iron out but the water still tastes bad. I'm wondering if the resin beads and the insides of the tube need to be replaced. I am probably not going to be living here in a year so don't want to replace the softener, plus my cabin is so old that when it sells, I'm sure it will be bulldozed. I will look forward to your reply.
@@water_estore After running a regen with 1 cup iron out powder/1 half gallon cold water mixed well and poured In the small tube, there is now orange water in my formerly beautiful white salt. Does that tell you anything? Also, I was thinking of running another regen to see if that gets rid of the orange. And I don't know if this has anything to do with all this but a few weeks ago orange water started dispensing from my refrigerator water dispenser. After about 3 cups of orange water, it got plugged up with no water, then the blockage must have passed and the water is clear again. Yes, I live in a fun house....:-)
Mine has water up top, then salt, then the salt bridge. Softener seems to work , but the excess bucket filled up the other day. I guess i will try this. Joys of home ownership, right? Guess i should have paid attn to my father when i was a kid , instead of always choosing to play sports. lol My unit is a Kenmore 300 series. Where is this bypass button? That is a nice little tank in your video. Mine is bigger and deeper and in a dark place.
This guy is very helpful. I even called his store a few times to clarify a few things. He had no problem taking the time to explain even though the water softener machine I have isn’t even sold by his store. Awesome.
Gary, Thanks a lot for this video and all your help. My husband had a stroke a couple months ago, and though he's recovering, everything was left to me. It's been a challenge but being able to do things on my own has helped. Not only have you saved me money, but you're helping me be stronger and more independent. Thanks again!
Glad it helped! Please share with friends and family.
Thank you! We noticed hard water feeling during showers recently and opening the brine tank thinking we were low on salt, actually still had 3/4 tank. Emptied salt/water as mentioned and discovered very bottom was a grey salty goo/guck/sludge which had appeared to be clogging things (we filled to the brim with salt). Ended up taking brine tank completely apart and cleaned it all out. Put clean salt and water back and manually did regen cycle, shower water is soft again!
Gary, your a life saver for someone like myself that had no idea how to troubleshoot a water softener system. Thank you, again!
Sir, you are doing a tremendous job posting these videos. I bought my first home and I felt my water softener was not working as expected. After watching this video found it was a salt bridge. Earlier I faced a challenge in removing the carbon water filter. Both these videos were life saver for me who didn't knew even the basics of these things. I really appreciate your video content. All the best to you 😊
Glad to help! Please share with friends and family.
Gary, super helpful…will have to watch this a couple of times to make sure I get it right.
This video has helped thousands over the last 10 years. You can watch it as many times as you like.
Awesome video! I was impatient so I used the shop vac and a scooper, and a ladel from the kitchen due to my short arms and got all the mush out. I carefully used a pole I had that is for painting. The metal bar that holds the roller worked perfect for carefully scraping the bottom. Can't believe when I asked for the water softener to be checked by "professionals no one ever suggested any maintenance! And I'm bad for not reading the manual!! Thanks!!
Thank you Gary. During these times of self sufficiency, your video proved to be of incomparable assistance.
Great, glad it helped. Please share with friends and family.
i did this based on another video, but was not told to let sit for 4 hours, that was was FANTASTIC detail to add here. I will try again. Thank you!
Yes, the water needs time to absorb the salt, otherwise you are doing nothing by adding the water.
I am doing this to my Whirlpool Water Softener right now. Thank You for taking the time to make this video.
+Marcusf250 Thanks for watching! Please share!
Thank you Sir! Had this issue pop up on me, didn't know what the heck was happening since I could see the unit regening but still had hard water. Cleaned out the unit as per your instructions and Bam, softwater again!
Just did this to my own tank and THEN watched your video. Only thing I didn't do was the regenerate step. Excellent to the point assistance, great work!
Thank you, please share with friends and family.
would a salt blockage cause your water pressure to become low? I noticed a few months back that my water pressure became very low when two water sources are being used at the same time, When I by passed the softener the pressure went back to normal. I am going to try this procedure and hopefully this fixes the problem.
Did you ever get an answer to this ?
I'm wondering the same thing... My water didn't feel soft, so I checked the salt level. My brine tank has filled with probably too much water and I'm not getting as much pressure at my kitchen faucet. Not really sure what the fix is, but I have to start somewhere. ugh!
My water inside of my home is spitting out of my faucets and my water pressure is low
I don't know where to start
Add Res Care to the brine tank before regen. My water pressure in shower went back up. The beads need the Res Care to clean them on regen. Amazon carries the Res Care. Comes in gallon jugs.
Yep. This was by far the most helpful video I’ve watched. And now I’m done. I know exactly what to do now. Big thanks from Texas Gary.
Glad it helped! Please share video with friends and family.
Thank you Gary! As a new homeowner this is tremendously helpful!
Glad to hear! Please share video with friends and family.
Thank you for that video. My watersoftner is 35 years old and still works good but I always wondered if I ever did have a clog. Now at least I know what to do to check it out. Thank you
thanks for watching. Please share video with friends and family.
Gary, thank you for an informative video. Is it okay to fill the salt tank up with some of the wet salt I scooped out ? Thanks Chris
Thanks so much for this awesome video! I had dredged the pellets and broken up the chunks with hot water, but it was only a little better. Your clear step by step and explanation about saline saturation were so helpful! I tried your advice about follow up days and long term filling and it has been great since! Thank you so much!
You're welcome. Please share video with friends and family.
This video fixed my problem Thank you for sharing this knowledge God Bless......
Thanks Gary, for this video and on the one on how a softner works. Can't thank you enough. Made it easy to spot and fix my issue.
Glad to hear it helped you. I am doing a live stream today on Water Softener Q&A on RUclips at 1pm Eastern Time. You might want to check it out by following this link ruclips.net/video/-KZxTpl6_ug/видео.html
Thank you for posting info! Very helpful for a new homeowner.
Thanks for the info. Had a salt bridge about 4 inches thick. Removed it with a stick and my wet/dry vac. Should do the trick, will find out.
yes it should!
Thanks for the reply but I have a question. After re-charge I have about 2 inches of standing water in the brine tank. Is that normal?
@@MrBob-vc4qd It depends if yours is a post fill or pre fill water softener. For a pre fill it likely is, for a post fill it is not, there should be much more water.
Half of my tank was a block. So far I did the 3 gallons hot water in barrel and 1/2 hot in tube and regened. Better. Got some broken up. Regened again...better yet. Tonight I'm going to do the whole thing over with the hot water and two regens. As I suffer from Reactive Airways Dysfunction Syndrome from toxic PVC cement poisoning almost 4 years ago and cannot tolerate any chemicals etc., if this works on my 20 year old water softener, I will be a happy sickly 70 year old female. Bless your heart for sharing this info.
I ma sure it will! Thanks for watching! Please share video with friends and family!
@@water_estore I certainly will. Thanks so much.
@@water_estore So after my second day my salt is about 1/3 of where it was and there is about a gallon of water on top. So I removed most of the water with a cup and I guess I need to remove what salt I was able to break up. There is still a block as my broom does not touch the bottom of the barrel. So do I keep doing this with the hot water, regens, breaking up any bridges, removing the water and salt until the barrel is empty of both?
Also just curious about what you do with the salt water and salt you remove. Can it kill unwanted vegetation?
Gary, Thanks so much!!!! Hard to find honest guys like you!!! You saved me a ton! We noticed a problem after filling swimming pool! Outside faucets were connected to softener??? Had a clog, and salt bridge! Thanks again, Edward...Northeast Ohio..
I don't comment on videos but this one was perfect, thank you Gary!
Glad you liked it! Please share with friends and family
Thank you Gary. I just had a system installed today, thought to look for knowledge if any issues occur, and to learn how long I have before I need to clean the system. I can see that you are very knowledgeable and I'll keep checking your channel. I did subscribe.
Thank you for watching, commenting and describing.
Thanks, Gary. Your videos are very helpful to this water softener newbie! Quick question: Where do I dump the brine water I remove from the bottom of the tank? Will it hurt my drain pipes? And the sludgy salt I collect from it? There's so much of it...whow is it best to dispose of it? Any help appreciated.
I just dump it on the driveway and let the rain dissolve and washt it away.
I would not dump it on your driveway if it's near a flowerbed or a lawn though, that salty water will kill plants.
@@AuronFFX I agree with you. Also my neighbor guy dumped softener salt pellets on his driveway in the winter, and the next year had to replace his driveway because it caused so much pitting damage to his concrete it looked like the surface of the moon. Kind of like people who use way too much ice melter on their driveway. And I have had a couple bushes next to my driveway die because for a couple consecutive years I shoveled and piled the snow towards the base of them and all the road salt from the cars driving into the garage there in that area got deposited at the base of the bushes.
Tank you Gary .the plumber did not know how to fix the problem but after watching your video I managed to fix it .🙏
Glad to hear you fixed it with what you learned from the video.
I believe this is what is wrong with my Culligan Gold right now. It says "check salt," on the display, but my salt tank is 2/3 full and has been for the past month+. Thank you!
Thank you, Gary! This video was very helpful and I appreciate your willingness to help others!!!
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Great video Gary. Just a question which might sound dumb but here it goes. After the tank is completely dry, do I then return all the salt that was in it and then pour the 2-3 gallons of hot water in? Thanks for your response.
Add new salt with the water. You can gradually add back the old salt mixed with new.
@@water_estore Thanks so much. Blessings for a Safe, Healthy and Happy New Year 2021!
Many thanks for a great tip & advice with the water softener. The problem I’m having is, that it is taking too much salt all in one go. Why is that & how to change the settings to make the salt to take at least a quarter, from the full amount I puts in?
Thank You Gary! Very helpful video. Thank you for taking the time to make it and share it!
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Thank you for your video I am new to a water softener so I probably used to much salt. We just finished doing what you said and we are back in business!!! Thanks so much also subscribed to your channel and learning how it works and maintain it
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Thank you so much. This is exactly what was wrong with my tank.
Thank you, I never new why I was told to only fill the tank half way. Now I Know.
I'd like to add some type of cleaner to clean the resin but the manual says the following. I have a Dupure Impression series. My softener has not been working for almost three years (only was fine the first 3 months) and the maintenance guys that come just tell me everything is fine. My dishes have tons of spots and the toilets get a nasty ring at around a week and a half. Ive been watching your videos over and over because I want to try and do the salt clog cleaning to see if that helps. Your videos are so informative. I've shut the softener for a week and I get the same results as with it on. Do cleaners mess up the resin? Also, any suggestions on what to do?
CAUTION: The manufacturer does not recommend the use of any
resin cleaners, nor placement of any resin cleaners into
the brine tank. This may be harmful to the water
softener and for human consumption. Consult dealer
for proper cleaning instructions.
First I would have your water tested for hardness before and after the softener to see if the water softener is reducing the hardness. If the softener is not working and you have tried everything else you have nothing to lose by using the resin cleaner. In my experience cleaners do not mess up the resin. Although I find it hard to believe that the media needs cleaning after only 3 months of use, I think there is something else wrong here. I have no idea why they have that recommendation. This video explains how to use them ruclips.net/video/c8QKYr3B02I/видео.html
Sounds like you have nothing to lose.
WOW!!! Gary is really good. I feel like he's over qualified for water softeners. Excellent video
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Thanks for all your expertise, Gary!
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This was a very nice video and helpful info. More people should watch videos like this so they will know how to do it.
Although clogged up and not working properly, how come, the system still displays "softening"? Thanks for the helpful video.
Great question! The only time softening displays is when the meter senses water moving through the valve. The water softener does not know if it is producing soft water or not.
Nice video, I use my wet/dry shop vac to do all of that, I do that once a year as a maintenance routine, thanks for sharing:)
Great video good instructions I had about 5" of salt silt in the bottom my day and it had filled the to Bub past all the openings for the the water thank you
So far this video has helped wonders! It sounds like it's running perfect again! And we were looking at $2400+ bill for a new one. But our question is should we remove all the ick water before we start new? Thanks so much!
You can remove it if it bothers you and you want to start fresh. Just be sure to replace it with new water before the next regeneration.
@@water_estore awesome! Thank you so much!
In the process of checking for a salt clog, because salt wasnt being used, I found the hose that sucks the brine was disconnected! so thanks for the push to find that out!
Thank you so much for this clear and easy-to-follow plan. I had visions of trying to dredge out all of the sludge by hand somehow!
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Gary - excellent video - thanks very much for the assist!
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Probably what has happened to me. Changed out the resin last year and has run great since. Now I have a giant salt disc about 8 in thick in the bottom of my softener. Cannot loosen it up. It is still softening the water however so we are not adding any pellets until the disc devolves.
Yes, eventually the new water will remove enough or the salt that you can break it up and get rid of it.
I bought a house last week it had been on the market for over 9 months and was vacant. Water system sat unused during that time. The softener is older and has a cam gear type system. I had a huge salt clog in the bottom, roughly 7 inches thick. I removed all the salt and I'm not sure what to do to get the system up and running again. There is no float in the brine tank either just a tube. There is no button for a manual regen. it has a dial that reads (Fast rinse/Refill=====Brine/Slow Rinse====Backwash====Condition Water) . Should I just put salt back in the tank and plug it in?
Try running it without any salt first to make sure it goes through all the cycles and doesn’t leak. If all is okay after a couple of regents then add a few bags of dalt
@@water_estore is it normal for some older brine tanks to not have a float? There is a glass with a ball o the tank. It there a way to set the amount of water that enters the brine tank?
@@water_estore Hi Gary and OP, thanks so very much for your awesome and helpful video(s)!
I think the next question for many is “if we completely remove both salt and water, do we need to manually put any water back in the tank prior to the leak test and reincorporating salt, or will the system “know or discover” that there’s no water and add appropriately”?
Hi Gary,
Thanks for the video! One part doesn't make sense to me? After you remove the loose salt and brine water (the tank should be empty at this point). Then you had 2/3 gallons of hot tap water "on top of the salt"? But the tank should be empty because you just removed all the salt and brine water.
Ideally yes, but sometimes the salt is so compacted at the bottom you cannot get rid of it all. The hot water will help dissolved that salt so it can be removed without trying to bash it out and risk damaging the water softener.
Thank you so much! We used our Python aquarium water changer to drain the water, and then used an ice fishing scoop to scoop out the salt and the salt mush at the bottom. All done and ready to go in a few hours. We had probably 6" of salt compacted in the bottom of our water softener. Thank you so so so very much.
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@@water_estore already did! Thanks again!
Thank you Gary! You've helped us figure out a very frustrating issue we've been having!!!
I did the steps you recommended and when I regenerate the holding tank gets fuller. it doesn't seem to be replacing the water. is there a clog somewhere? I cleaned the Venturi with no help
My left ear loved this. Nice guide, thanks.
Glad your left ear liked it. Both ears will like the newer version here ruclips.net/video/DFUYa_G_9K0/видео.html
Hi Gary, could you tell me will salt clog reduce the water pressure when two or more faucets turn on at the same time?
No it won't but if the water softener media tank is partially clogged it will. Check out this video ruclips.net/video/tCQQxiT-zoc/видео.html
Add Res Care once a month to clean the beads in the tank. My water pressure went back up
Thank you so much. It really help to solve my water softener problems
On a new install how much water should be put into brine tank. I understand the salt level, am not sure on initial water fill. Thanks in advance👍
About 5 gallons.
Thanks Gary!👍
Thank you Gary but should I be putting a dirty broom stick handle in my salt?
Your Hot water idea worked. New appliances are garbage. My previous 25 year old softener is still working in my brother in laws house after I rebuilt it. I wish I kept it--it is flawless.
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if you have hard salt build up where you can't even get down to the water, can you do the same thing just over many many days? Add hot water, regenerate, break up salt?
After each regen, do you add more hot water after you break it up or not?
Yes you can and often need to, to get rid of the salt clog.
Thank you that was so helpful! What about the over flow spout apapently it was to full , right?
Sorry, I don't understand your question.
So, after adding the 2 gallons and waiting 4 hours, and running the regen, do you add the 2 gallons of water and repeat the process??
yes, that's correct.
Just did everything you said in the video, took apart the valves in the bottom and couldn’t find a clog. Did however find lots of little black bugs that found their way down into the brine. Removed all of them, any suggestions? I’ll spray the tank with bug spray.
Yes, and refill with news salt, 5 gallons of water, wait 24 hours and manually regenerate.
Gary, I had a major salt bridge. I finally after several days got all of the salt out and hosed it out clean and suctioned all of the water out with a Wet Vac. I put two bags of new pellets in and plugged it back in. The electronics are working because it shows I'm using salt, but the salt level isn't going down at all. What's up with that? Any suggestions? Thank you, Jeff
How many times has it regenerated since you did the work. A water softener will only use salt during regeneration. More info here ruclips.net/video/wPh_l56OWOM/видео.html
@@water_estore I appreciate the reply. I have it set on regeneration at 2am everyday, but after I cleaned it and put new pellets in I did a manual regeneration and probably 4-5 times since then
Thanks I needed this... I know nothing about soft water and need to clean my brine tank.
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Should the water level go down after the recharge is done? I took out as much as I could with a small container and poured it out into a bucket. I don’t have a shopvac but might need to get one if I’ll need to get all the water out. My water level stayed the same (I little more than halfway after adding the additional hot water to the water left that I couldn’t remove) after adding the hot water, and 4 hrs later and the recharge so I don’t know if it helped any
The point of adding the water and doing a regeneration is that it dissolves some of the excess salt. During the regeneration cycle the water softener should draw out most of the water in the brine tank and then add more back in at the end of the cycle, this video can explain the process better ruclips.net/video/udmE-hhh084/видео.html I hope that helps.
Gary the Water Guy thank you for your response! Initially regenerated it after breaking the salt bridge the night before I went to bed. By morning the water level was the same. After adding the hot water today and 4 hrs later regenerating it again, the water level was the same as when I added the hot water. We have determined that we have mush (I googled it), and lots of it. It’s so thick, I can’t even get the broom stick down there to move it around. we’ve been adding hot water 2-3 gallons at a time and letting it sit for about an hr to let it dissolve so that we can remove it once it’s loosened up a bit (we ended up getting a shopvac). The mush and salt initially was about 1/2 way up and the water was about 3/4 way up. The salt/mush is currently 1/4 way up and the water we added is about an inch above that. We called it a night before dinner and will tackle it again later today (it’s tomorrow already). I’m hoping that after cleaning it all out and adding a bit of fresh salt, it will do it’s thing. I read that mush tends to happen when there’s high humidity present. The water softener is near our furnace and it’s currently winter where we live so it’s been warmer in that room. We just bought the house in August and did have a salt bridge problem about a month after moving in. I noticed the salt level wasn’t going down so I googled it. After breaking it, it did fine and used up salt like it had to and we had to add more salt back in November. Only because I noticed our dishwasher wasn’t cleaning like it used to I decided to check on the softener and discovered the mess.
@@chabelita211 adding hot water and letting it absorb the salt will work but it takes time. Don't be afraid of letting it sit longer than an hour because it can take about 6 hours before the water becomes saturated with the salt. you will get there eventually, you may want to check out this video ruclips.net/video/C3TpdeNX58E/видео.html to learn more about how much salt to keep in the brine tank. I hope this helps!
Gary the Water Guy thank you so much! That eases my mind a lot! I appreciate your feedback!!!
Thank you, sir. This helped revive what I thought was a dead softener.
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I have low water pressure, does my water softener have something to do with it..my water pressure comes and goes..thx
Did you ever get an answer to this ?
I currently have low water pressure issues too. Would also like to know if the water softener has anything to do it with. Did you guys find out the answer?
Add Res Care to the brine tank before regen. My water pressure in shower went back up. The beads need the Res Care to clean them on regen. Amazon carries the Res Care. Comes in gallon jugs.
Gary, I think I have a salt bridge as I can't push a broom handle all the way through. I had previously added iron out, but not immediately done the regeneration cycle. Now, when I work at breaking the salt bridge up, I am inhaling these noxious fumes. Do you have a different/safer recommendation for removing the salt when it is laden with iron out?
Thanks very much for the great videos. The idea of using a shop vac is invaluable.
Thank you for this. I removed a clog using your advice. However, now new salt level does not seem to be going down at all. Any suggestions?
There is somehting wrong with your water softener thta likely caused the clog in the first place. this video should help ruclips.net/video/Lr3jyGiJdC0/видео.html
Do I use Tap Hot Water or Hot Boiling Water? Which one is better?
Hot water straight from the tap. Boiling water is too hot and will damage the plastic components.
Thank you for this video. Quick question - I scooped all salt out of the tank as instructed and now I have a full bucket of wet salt crystals that I'm not sure what do to with. Is it ok to flush the salt down the toilet, maybe a scoop or 2 at a time, or is that a bad idea? Thanks!
Thanks! Good call, had a lot of ice to take care of at the end of my driveway anyway :)
So I have a new softner it worked great rt away. After about 3 weeks I filled the salt to just below the cap. Now the softner is not working nearly as it was. Could I have to much salt? Even tho the instructions said to have enough water tht the salt is just above the water line as i did at first or fill it to just below the cap?
With how new your softener is it really should not matter. Somerthing else is causing the problem.
Got to the cabin broke up the salt it seemed like it was crusted up sum. Ran regeneration now I definitely can't get to the bottom of the brine tank with a stick. Seems like it's all mushed up? Water is not good. Seems like it was having a hard time drawing the brine.
Thanks. Felt really dumb when I poked a broom stick into the tank and the salt dome collapsed! Thanks!
Gary great video. Only thing that is confusing to me, is that you say remove the salt until you see some water and you shop-vac that out. But then you say take a couple of gallons and pour that over the salt? So I guess my question is do I just vacuum out the water that is above the salt on the bottom of the tank and leave the salt on the bottom of the tank there and add water?
I was thinking of just completely cleaning out the tank of salt and sediment until getting an empty tank and then adding new salt and about three gallons of water and hitting regen.... Seems to be an easier solution to me instead of regenerating a few times and risking some sediment still laying at the bottom of the tank
BigTime sorry about the confusion. If you can empty out all the salt and start fresh, great go ahead. But if there is a huge salt clog in the bottom which you can’t get out, then you would add the hot water and do several regenerations.
@@water_estore Understood, thanks Gary!
I just discovered a 4" salt clog at the bottom of my tank. Can this issue cause a high water bill ? My last water bill was 12,000 gallon a month (with 1 person living there) Also after I clean everything out do I add any water before I dump the new salt in ? My Softner is only a year old with digital controls.
No, something else caused that massive water bill, likely a leak somewhere.
When taking a shower should I feel like there is still soap on me. If o don’t does it mean the system is not working properly help needed new to water softener just purchased house and it came with it
Great question! This video explains how you can test to see if it is working. ruclips.net/video/rLXlIK1MJ9s/видео.html. My RUclips Chanel has lots of water softener videos, check it out! ruclips.net/user/GarytheWaterGuy
Thank you! Your instructions worked perfectly! I am so grateful.
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@@water_estore I will! Our softener has not been working for quite a while and I thought it was a lost cause. This really made my day!
Questions regarding the salt material and brine you scoop out of the brine tank. Can you reintroduce them at some point or are they both now just waste?
You can slowly reintroduce them.
So. The bucket was used to gather the old salt. Then you said to add water using the same bucket. You didn’t mention anything about the salt that is still in the bucket. Not clear if that needed to be dumped first
If the salt is not clumped together you can reuse it. If it is partially dissolved and clumped together get rid of the old salt and start with new salt.
Thanks Gary!! Currently have water sitting in my tank and I’m sure it’s because I loaded too much salt in it. I used a wooden stick and can’t reach the bottom. Tomorrow’s project!
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Gary, we cleaned all of thes sand-consistency type salt sludge out of the tank, added hot water, ran regen many times, but however we cannot get the very bottom of it out of the tank-about 2 inches worth, because cannot reach it (it has the taller tank). Must all of that 2 inches of sand-like salt be taken out, or can we just put the new pellet salt overtop of that now? Thanks.
Yes, ideally it should come out. Did you try disconnecting the tank, taking it outside and turning it upside down and pounding on the bottom to see if it will come out?
Thanks for making this video, very helpful!
Glad you liked it. We have a newer version here ruclips.net/video/DFUYa_G_9K0/видео.html
Extremely helpful! You are great at explaining this. Thank you!
Hi Gary i need your help I have a sea recovery system controller reverse osmosis desalinators how I Can operate my water maker ?
Sorry, I don't know anything about sea recovery systems.
Thanks buddy I switched from culagan salt to sifto salt, the size difference was from small to big salt chunks and it ended up all packing down way to tight, but you have just shown me all that I need to no about this. Do u no much about the big blue 5 micron filter I have it set up after my well and jet pump and then my softening system follows threw right after it I seem to have to change it once a month or more. An alternative would be great cheers Gary
Yes, you can use a dual gradient filter like this one waterestore.ca/products/pentair-filter-20-big-blue-sediment-dgd-5005-155358-43 to capture the larger pieces of sediment on the outside while still giving you that fine 5 micron on the inside. Or you could put one of these spindown filters on before the big blue to prefilter the bigger stuff waterestore.ca/products/vu-flo-spindown-filter-housing-1-1-2-socket
Is it OK to tilt over the salt container to pour out the brine?
Yes, just make sure you support it as the tanks crack easily.
Do you have to remove all the salt in the tank?
Hello,
My water softener has lots of residual salt powder in the bottom that seems like not reducing should I remove it manually and then refill or I can refill tank without removing that residue?
Thank you
Very informative video. Thank you.
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I have a different and new issue for me. The iron fighter pellets i have used forever have turned to mush in the bottom of my brine tank. i ve gat several inches of mush in there.
Time to clean them out and start fresh using the same technique as shown in this video.
I have an old kenmore. Had a salt bridge last month. I broke it and then added salt 1/2 full. It doesnt seem to use the salt anymore. How does water from the resin tank enter the brine tank? maybe a block somewhere?
The valve adds water to the brine tank. Check out thsi video on water softener troubleshooting ruclips.net/video/Lr3jyGiJdC0/видео.html
Cuando solo tienes agua donde deve ir pura sal esta bien?
Sorry, I don't understand.
Hi Gary-I removed all the salt bridges and salt mushing in my salt tank. It took quite a while. I've noticed though that the water tastes foul and still leaves a line in my toilet. I tried the regen this week using iron out but the water still tastes bad. I'm wondering if the resin beads and the insides of the tube need to be replaced. I am probably not going to be living here in a year so don't want to replace the softener, plus my cabin is so old that when it sells, I'm sure it will be bulldozed. I will look forward to your reply.
I would have your water tested to see if your water softener is actually softening your water.
@@water_estore After running a regen with 1 cup iron out powder/1 half gallon cold water mixed well and poured In the small tube, there is now orange water in my formerly beautiful white salt. Does that tell you anything? Also, I was thinking of running another regen to see if that gets rid of the orange. And I don't know if this has anything to do with all this but a few weeks ago orange water started dispensing from my refrigerator water dispenser. After about 3 cups of orange water, it got plugged up with no water, then the blockage must have passed and the water is clear again. Yes, I live in a fun house....:-)
Mine has water up top, then salt, then the salt bridge. Softener seems to work , but the excess bucket filled up the other day. I guess i will try this. Joys of home ownership, right? Guess i should have paid attn to my father when i was a kid , instead of always choosing to play sports. lol My unit is a Kenmore 300 series. Where is this bypass button? That is a nice little tank in your video. Mine is bigger and deeper and in a dark place.
The bypass on a Kenmore softener is at the back. A plunger you push across.
Probably late to the party but the four hour wait after you manually fill the tank; are there any issues with pushing that to over night 6 - 8 hours
None whatsoever. If can be weeks if you like.
@@water_estore sounds good, thanks for the reply and the video!
Just want to thank you good advice
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