Nothing is worse than the stress of a leaking water softener, especially if it is in your garage! The good news is that it is relatively easy to fix.
Putting your system in bypass: Bypass is when you turn the valve on the unit so that the water comes into the top of the valve and then back out without running through the water softener (typically to the left). The resulting water returning to the home won’t be treated, however, the water inside the unit won’t be re-supplied and the leaking water should stop.
Determining the cause of the leak:
- Water is coming out of the water softener tank. If it is an older unit that is outside in the sun, the tank can start degrading around the valve at the top. You will typically see cracking around the plastic piece between the tank and the valve. In this case, the tank will need to be replaced. Most water softener companies will tell you that the whole system is shot, but really most tanks can be replaced relatively easily. Additionally, some municipal water systems have spikes in water pressure – most systems cannot handle a spike above 100psi, and your water softener company can install a pressure relief valve to prevent further damage from future pressure spikes.
- Water is coming from the brine tank (where you add salt). This could be caused by a number of issues. A line could be plugged, the valve could be stuck, or there is an issue with the computer (on computerized systems). You could also have a crack in the brine tank itself.
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