Water in brine tank of your water softener could be a major problem depending on how much water is in there, and what kind of water softener you have.
Continue reading and click on each link to learn more.
2. Should there be water in brine tank?
3. How to drain water in brine tank
Here at WaterSmart, we have over 25 years of experience working with water softeners, and we'd love to share our expertise with you!
Water Softener Troubleshooting: Water in Brine Tank
1. What is a brine tank?
A brine tank is the part of your water softener that holds the salt needed for the softening process.
Your water softener is made up of two separate chambers:
The first chamber is called a resin tank and contains resin beads where the actual water softening takes place.
The second chamber is the brine tank, which contains the water softener salt. During regeneration, salt brine from the brine tank is pumped into the resin tank.
The salt brine washes away the hardness ions and replaces them with a fresh layer of sodium ions.
In essence, this is how the softening process works.
The parts of a water softener
2. Should there be water in brine tank?
Yes and no.
If the water level is higher than the salt in your brine tank, the water above the salt line won't absorb the salt as effectively as the water below the salt.
Therefore, it’s important to make sure that the water level stays lower than the salt.
Your brine tank should never be full of water. Even if it’s half full of water, that’s a sign of an issue.
Older water softeners may have a "wet" brine tank, which means water will always be in the tank. Typically, this type has about 11-23 litres (3-6 gallons) or 15-25 cm (6-10 inches) of water, even between regeneration cycles.
Newer softeners usually have a dry brine tank, with water entering only an hour or two before the regeneration cycle. Between cycles, a dry brine tank should not contain water.
A fresh, empty brine tank.
3. 4 methods for draining water in brine tank
So, you notice water in the brine tank. What now?
Here are your main options:
1. Scoop out the water in brine tank
Simply scoop out the water from your water softener with a bucket.
Get a clean bucket or scoop: Find a bucket that is small enough to fit inside your brine tank or use a large scoop or bowl.
Scoop out the water: Scoop out the water manually and dump it into a larger container to dispose of down the drain.
Save water to use again: If the water inside is still relatively clean, you can scoop it into a larger clean container or your laundry tub so that you can use it again once you have fixed the problem.
The simplest way to remove water in brine tank is with a bucket.
2. Remove water with a vacuum
A wet-dry vacuum, also known as a shop vac, can easily and conveniently suck the water from inside your water softener brine tank.
Wet-dry shop vacs are specially designed to suck up water as well as dry items.
Not all shop vacs are designed to suck up water, so make sure that you use one that works for both wet and dry applications.
The following video will show you how to use a wet-dry vacuum.
Water in brine tank? Use a wet-dry shop vac.
3. Remove brine well and dump water
Softener water doesn’t pose an environmental hazard, so feel free to disconnect your brine well and dump the water down the drain.
To do this, you’ll need to remove the brine well. This is the long cylinder that holds the safety float inside your brine tank. Here are the steps to follow:
Remove the float: Before you remove the brine well, take out the float located inside the brine tank. (If your softener has an overflow elbow, you will need to remove that too).
Pull out the cylinder: Next, carefully pull out the cylinder that contains the safety float.
Disconnect the fill tube: If you have a side-by-side water softener model, then you’ll also need to disconnect the fill tube that connects the brine tank to the head valve and the brine tank's overflow hose.
Dump the water: Lift up the brine tank and dump the water down a drain.
You can remove the brine tank and dump excess water.
4. Manual regeneration cycle
Your water softener might allow for a manual regeneration. Here’s how that works:
Push the regenerate button: Activate a manual regeneration cycle by pushing and holding the "regenerate" button to empty the softener. During regeneration, your water softener automatically sucks all of the water out of the brine tank.
Push the button a second time: When the regeneration cycle starts, push the button a second time to skip the brine cycle.
Push the button once the tank is empty: When your tank is empty, push the button to skip all of the other cycles and return your water softener back to normal.
This method will only work if your regeneration is functioning properly on your water softener.
If it isn't, then you will need to use one of the first three methods to drain the water from your unit.
Here’s a great summary video of how to handle this issue:
Water in Brine Tank? Trust a Professional
If you need your water softener repaired in the Kitchener-Waterloo region, you can trust WaterSmart.
We'd be happy to help you with any repair or service on any type of water softener you have, at a reasonable rate.
Our expert, experienced plumbers will come to your home, take a look at your system, and advise you about the best course of action.
Whenever possible, we will fix your existing unit, and if you need a replacement, we can advise you on what type of softener would best meet your needs.
We even offer financing.
“Been dealing with this company for 20 years, would recommend their products and services without hesitation.”
