Introduction To Clean Kinetico Water Softener
A unique feature of Kinetico water softener systems is that they are energy efficient and are cost-effective to reduce energy costs.
However, Kinetico water softeners still use brine tanks and salt.
So that, it is very significant to ensure that your water softener is appropriately cleaned and maintained regularly to minimize dirt and sediment in your waterways and prolong the overall life of your system.
How Kinetico Water Softeners Work
Water softener systems can become inactive over time for several simple reasons.
Before we maintain and repair water softener systems, let us review how a Kinetico water softener system works.
And hard water is water that is high in calcium and magnesium.
Especially, Kinetico water softener systems contain resin beads that retain sodium ions.
Once the hard water has passed through these gum beads in your water softener, the resin beads retain calcium and magnesium instead of sodium.
Once this exchange process is entirely complete, the water leaves the softener system and is now soft.
Over time the gum beads will be loaded with calcium and magnesium, so they will need to be cleaned or regenerated.
The salt in the systems loosens the mineral salts on the resin beads, creating a brine solution by mixing with the water in the storage tank.
The system then washes away both the hard minerals and the salt solution.
At the end of this process, the gum beads retain sodium ions and are ready to be exchanged for more calcium and magnesium ions.
How To Clean Kinetico Water Softener?
The Kinetico water softener contains sodium ion resin beads. Hard water travels through the beads, and the beads release soft water while retaining minerals such as calcium and magnesium.
The resin bed is full of minerals, and the beads need to be cleaned or regenerated to provide soft water.
Wash the salt beads in the tank with water.
To maintain the maximum efficiency of the softener, change the filter, occasionally called a filter, and regularly added the salt regenerating material used in the water softener systems.
Changing the Filter
- Close any water supply valve connected to the prefix. The configuration may vary depending on the specific model.
- Place a bucket under the prefix to drain the water.
- Press the red button at the top of the filter compartment to apply pressure to the softener.
- Turn the clock to remove the filter compartment cover.
- Lift the filter and place the new filter in the compartment.
- Tighten the compartment cover.
Adding Regenerant
Lift the lid from the brine tank. Check the salt level. Add salt if you see water, but you can add salt at any time when the salt supply is significantly reducing.
Pour one or more bags of salt into the tank. Add only enough to fill the tank.
If the tank is empty, refurbish the tank manually.
Turn off the bypass lever to depressurize the system.
Activate a soft water hose anywhere in your home.
Wait until the pressure is off.
Push on the softener valve screws with a Phillips screwdriver.
Turn it clockwise until it turns to the “brine” position.
Turn the bypass valve back to the “service” position. The system must begin to regenerate.
How to Maintain Your Kinetico Water Softener System ?
Another key feature of Kinetico water softeners is that they design to provide you with clean, quality water without extensive or expensive maintenance.
However, regular maintenance is still required to ensure that your software system is functioning properly.
For example, if you notice a gradual decrease in water pressure in your home, it may be a sign that it is time to replace the filter cartridge.
Here is a quick instruction video on how to change the filter cartridge in your mobile water system.
In addition, you must make sure that the salt storage tank never runs out of renewable or water softener salt.
Refill the water softener salt using pro salt cubes before seeing any water in the brine system.
If you freeze on the water softener system, look at the brine (salt) tank and make sure there is no hard salt bridge or crust in the salt tank.
Using too much salt or too much moisture or potassium chloride can create a salt bridge and prevent brine formation from regenerating the water system.
If you notice that a salt bridge is forming, break it with a stick or a broomstick.
Then, clean your brine tank and start fresh. To minimize the formation of salt bridges, refill your brine tank to half-renewable.
How Do Water Softening Systems Need To Be Serviced?
Cleaning & Sanitizing
A treatment professional will thoroughly clean the brine tank and clean your water softening system at an annual service call.
These are tasks that you can do on your own, but not particularly easy – if you like many homeowners, you can relax with a specialist who specializes in cleaning and hygiene.
Process optimization
When your softening system is professionally servicing, you can count on the settings to be optimized to suit your family’s needs.
You use more or less water than before, and a specialist knows how to make sure the equipment setup is right for your home.
Component maintenance
High-quality water softener systems that do not use electricity – as we offer here in Kinetico – often do not require repair or replacement like traditional models.
However, like every other device, components can wear out over time.
Especially, a professional will inspect every part of your software during a service call and complete repairs if necessary.
They will catch any problem early on before it becomes more widespread.
Water Quality Testing
In addition to all of the methods mentioned above, treatment professionals usually check water quality as part of every annual service call.
Based on the results, you will know if your home supply is safe or contains biological, chemical, or physical contaminants.
If the latter is true, a specialist can recommend an effective and effective filtering system that works with your software.
Therefore, it is clear that the annual service of a water purifier is important in ensuring that a water softener operates as efficiently as possible.
Best practices to keep your Kinetico water softener clean?
Choose with your salt picker.
There are three types of water softening salts: rock, solar and evaporative.
The least expensive rock salts have high levels of insoluble minerals or impurities.
Over time, this can lead to a muddy tank, leaving dirt in your water and reducing softening efficiency.
Sun salts, which are more soluble than rock salt, are obtained by evaporation of seawater and are found in both pebbles and stalks.
The best option is evaporating salt, which is obtaining by a combination of mining and evaporation.
Also, it is the purest form of 99.99% sodium chloride salt. In general, look for high purity salts, which will save dirt from the low storage tank, reduce the likelihood of salt bridges and salt mixture, and reduce maintenance.
Salt bridges in the form of high-quality salts and tablets help to eliminate problems.
In addition, many leading brands also offer salt products that address specific issues such as high iron concentrations, rust stains, and sodium substitutes.
Resin bed cleaner
Although your gum beads are usually recharging with salt, it is safe to remove the resin bed with a water softener every few months to keep them in shape.
However, over time, a water softener can become contaminated with iron, silt, heavy metals, and other organic compounds, causing your softener to lose its efficiency.
To minimize the formation of inefficient resin, pour the water softener cleaner recommended by the manufacturer into the brine well and redesign the system manually.
The cleanser is releasing during the normal overflow process of the water softening cycle.
This action keeps the resin “clean” and allows it to absorb as much calcium and magnesium as possible throughout its life.
Clean the venturi valve
Ventures and nozzles create suction to move the brine from the brine tank to the resin tank during the regeneration cycle.
Because of this, a clean valve is essential for the water softener to work properly, as the venturi valve is sometimes filling with sand, sediment, and dirt.
Remove the valve cover (do not bother, no special tools are required) and remove the internal parts; they all provide a good cleaning with soapy water.
This process should be done twice a year to keep the water softening process smooth and efficient.
Continue Reading…
- Water softener brine tank: Ultimate Guide
- Do water softener shorten the life of water heaters?
- Water softener regeneration cycle: Ultimate Guide
- Water softener leaking from control head (softener valve): Solutions
- Why is the Water softener leaking from the overflow?
- kinetico water softener stuck regeneration (Solved)