Soft Water Is The Best Water: Keeping Your Brine Tank Clean
Having soft water is much better than hard water, right? While you enjoy the benefits of your water softener, it will not last if you are not cleaning it. Yep, that is right - it needs to be cleaned. While cleaning the tank was probably one of the last things on your to-do list, it still needs to happen. If you do not clean the brine tank, you will find that salt deposits build up and your softener will not perform as it should.
If you are unsure of how to clean the tank, fear not as you can find some step-by-step instructions below to help you out.
How Often Do I Need to Clean the Tank?
Your brine tank needs to be cleaned at least once per year. You can add this chore to your spring cleaning list or your "right before the holidays" cleaning list. Either way, you need to make sure you do remember to clean the tank.
It is important to note that some tanks to have a much larger buildup than others, so while you may only need to clean the tank once per year, you should check it periodically to ensure there is no buildup.
Cleaning Instructions for Your Brine Tank
1. First and foremost, you need to locate all of the connecting lines and hoses and disconnect them from the brine tank and the water softener.
2. Once all of the lines and hoses are disconnected, you can empty the water from the tank. You may find that some of the salt remains inside of the tank. You will need to manually remove this additional salt so that the tank is free from all water and salt.
3. Now that you have removed all of the water and salt, you will now need to remove any inner parts to the brine tank such as screening or plastic bridging. Simply pull them out and set them aside to be rinsed off.
4. Now, you can add a squirt of dish soap into the brining tank and fill it up with water to create a nice and soapy mixture. Using a brush, scrub the inside of the tank on all sides and the bottom. Dump out the soapy mixture and rinse out the brine tank thoroughly.
5. You can now wash any screening or bridges that were previously removed from the tank. Make sure to rinse them off well.
6. Once the tank has been rinsed out, add a small splash of bleach into the tank and then add two gallons of water. Stir the mixture and allow to sit for 15 to 30 minutes. Scrub the interior of the tank again with a brush, dump the bleach mixture, and rinse thoroughly.
7. Place your screens and bridges back into the tank and then reconnect all of the hoses and lines that were previously disconnected. Add clean water into the tank and add in your salt.
Cleaning your brine tank is not a difficult task, but it does take some time and must be done to ensure the quality of your water and to prevent premature failure of the water softener.
To learn more, contact a company like Johnson Water Conditioning.