The water in Jacksonville and most of Florida is hard to very hard according to the US Geological Survey scale, meaning it contains a high percentage of dissolved minerals like calcium and magnesium. Having hard water in your home poses a few different issues. For one thing, the minerals tend to dry out skin and hair and often leave you feeling itchy after taking a bath or shower. You also end up with mineral deposits getting left behind, resulting in white spots on dishes, glass shower doors, etc. The bigger concern is all of the mineral deposits that get left behind in pipes, plumbing fixtures and appliances, eventually clogging things up and creating an increased potential for leaks and other issues. The only effective solution for preventing all of the issues hard water causes is by installing a water softener. While water softeners are effective, they don’t last forever and will eventually stop working or create issues with water waste and/or higher energy bills.
Average Lifespan of a Water Softener
While some water softeners can continue to work effectively for 20 years or so, the average lifespan is only 10 to 15 years. However, this is for quality units from trusted brands. If you try to cut corners and install a cheap water softener, it may give out in as little as five to seven years.
Factors That Can Impact the Lifespan of a Water Softener
How long you can reasonably expect any water softener to last depends on a few different factors, such as how hard your water is. The more minerals you have in your water, the more work your water softener will have to do and the shorter its lifespan will likely be.
A water softener tank contains thousands of tiny resin beads. These beads are charged, allowing them to attract and essentially grab hold of the majority of the minerals so that they get removed from the water before it flows out of the tank and into the rest of the plumbing system. The issue is that these resin beads can basically wear out or get clogged over time, resulting in the water softener not performing nearly as well as it should or the water not getting softened at all. The more minerals there are in the water and the more often the tank needs to be flushed, the faster the beads will typically wear out.
Adding a pre-filter to your water softener system can also help extend its lifespan. A pre-filter removes contaminants like sediment and iron that can clog up the resin beads and decrease the the effectiveness of water softeners. It also removes various chemicals like chlorine that can lead to the resin beads degrading faster.
The good news is that you can replace the resin beads fairly easily. Replacing the resin beads is an easy way to extend the life of a water softener, as it basically recharges the unit so that it starts working effectively again. However, it usually isn’t worth paying a plumbing company to replace the beads if your water softener is already 15+ years old, since it’s likely that the unit will develop other issues in the near future, such as the tank starting to leak.
Another factor that almost always impacts the lifespan of a water softener is the size of your household and how much water you use. Higher water usage also leads to the resin beads wearing out sooner. Needing to do more work and flushing the tank more often leads to increased wear and tear as well. This is one area where using the bypass on a water softener is beneficial.
A water softener is connected to the main water line in a bypass. That means there’s a pipe leading from the main line to the water softener and a second pipe that the softened water flows through back to the main line. There’s also a valve on the pipe that leads to the water softener that you can open and close. Closing the valve blocks off this pipe so that the water just flows directly out to your plumbing instead of first flowing through the water softener. The purpose of this is to allow you to bypass the water softener in situations where you don’t need soft water, such as for watering plants or your lawn.
Using softened water for this type of situation is a waste, as it forces the softener to do unnecessary work. It also results in the equipment needing to be flushed more frequently, wasting additional water, electricity and salt. Making sure to close the bypass valve whenever you’re watering outdoors slightly reduces the workload on the system and can potentially help it last longer.
One final factor that plays a major role in how long a water softener may last is proper maintenance. Maintenance involves tasks, such as making sure to keep the brine tank filled with salt. Having a plumbing company occasionally clean the brine tank and inspect the resin beads is also essential.
Signs That It’s Time to Replace Your Water Softener
Knowing whether you should replace your water softener isn’t always easy. One sure sign you should always watch for is water leaking out of the tank. You can easily get a new brine tank installed should it start leaking, but you’ll need to replace the entire system if the tank itself cracks and begins to leak.
Another good indication that your water softener no longer works as it’s supposed to is if you start needing to refill the brine tank with salt more often than usual. This indicates that the softener tank is being flushed more frequently, which is something that a professional may be able to fix. On the other hand, never needing to refill the brine tank with salt pellets almost always means that your water softener no longer works. You usually need to add salt to the brine tank every four to eight weeks, depending on your water usage. If the salt level remains the same after a few months, it’s definitely time to install a replacement.
Simply monitoring your water and watching out for hard water issues is also an easy way to know if your water softener is still doing its job effectively. Once you get used to the feel of soft water, you should be able to tell fairly easily if your water starts becoming hard again. For instance, you’ll often notice that soap and shampoo don’t lather as well or that your skin and hair dry out when you shower. An increase in water spots on dishes and mineral deposit buildup in faucets and showerheads is also an indication that your water softener no longer works effectively.
Reliable Water Treatment Services
The team at Buehler Air Conditioning & Plumbing has years of industry experience and can help you choose the right water treatment option for your home. From water softeners to water filtration systems, we have plumbing solutions to meet any need. Our local experts understand the problems Jacksonville homeowners routinely experience and can provide honest advice on what will work best for your family.
To schedule a water quality consultation or get help with maintaining, repairing or replacing an existing water treatment system, contact us today.
Tankless water heaters are an excellent water heating solution for Jacksonville, FL, homes. If you’ve… View Article Read More
Basement flooding is common in Jacksonville, FL, which receives around 52 inches of rain annually…. View Article Read More
Many homeowners in Jacksonville are interested in learning about ways to remove fluoride from the… View Article Read More
