Water softener brine tank troubleshooting when the brine level or water level is too high:

This article provides a table listing common problems, causes, and remedies for abnormally-high or overflowing water softener brine tanks.

Find out what causes too much water in the water conditioner brine tank or salt tank & how do to fix it. Problem diagnosis & repair with brine tank float control & other salt tank level controls.

This article series describes procedures for diagnosing and repairing water softener or water conditioner problems including water conditioner control settings and adjustment or repair, brine tank and brine tank float cleaning and repair, and the proper amount of water softening or conditioning that is needed. To identify the main components of a water softener click to enlarge the page top image.

Too Much Water in the Brine Tank - Diagnosis and Cure

The water level (or briny water or brine level) in a water softener brine tank may be abnormally high, or it may simply fail to drop when the water softener goes through a regeneration cycle.

Here we list the common causes of these two conditions, followed by a diagnostic table, followed by step by step suggestions of parts to check on the water softener and its brine tank.

In the article below we will explain how to find, remove, clean, fix, or replace each of the water softener parts involved.

Watch out: in some water softener designs, too much water in the brine tank will send too much brine through the water softener resin tank during the regeneration cycle.

If that occurs your water may feel too slimy (too soft) and may contain excessive salt.

 

Brine Tank Water is Too High: common causes of weak or incomplete brine draw

1. Water softener injector or eductor is clogged or plugged: remove and clean it.
   
   Or the nozzle and venturi that produces the pumping suction for the system are not properly seated.
   
   See WATER SOFTENER EDUCTOR / INJECTOR REPAIR- separate article
   
   
2. Water softener valve seals are leaking
   
   or a valve rotor that is jammed
   
   
3. Water softener piston assembly is damaged or worn: replace the parts.
   
   See our discussion of control head pistons in the table
   
   at BRINE TANK DIAGNOSIS & REPAIR - separate article
4. Water softener drain line restriction: the line is kinked, plugged, or leaky: inspect and replace the drain line as needed
   
   See WATER SOFTENER PLUMBING PROBLEMS - a separate article wherein we discuss problems with the water softener drain lin
5. Water softener drain line is routed too high, too far, of too-small diameter,
   
   or building water supply pressure is too low, thus combining to exceed the softener's drain lift capacity
6. Water softener brine valve or tubing is clogged, stuck, obstructed
7. Water softener backwash flow controller or drain line flow controller (DLFC) is clogged or closed: check, clean, or replace the part
   
   See DLFC LOCATION in this article.
8. Water softener brine line float controller is stuck, damaged or clogged: replace the part.
   
   See WATER SOFTENER BRINE TANK FLOAT LEVEL ADJUSTMENT - separate article
   
   Also see WATER SOFTENER PLUMBING PROBLEMS where we warn about crimped tubing or leaky tubing between the brine tank and the water softener control head or resin tank, causing weak brine flow due to crimps, blockages, or air leaks.

Where are these parts? Below we include drawings or photos showing the typical location of these parts but you'll want to check the parts diagram for your specific water softener brand and model.

 

Brine Tank Water Does Not Draw Down during Regen

1. Water softener injector is clogged: remove and clean the injector
   
   See WATER SOFTENER EDUCTOR / INJECTOR REPAIR in this article.
2. Water softener piston assembly is damaged or worn: replace the parts
   
   See our discussion of control head pistons in the table
   
   at BRINE TANK DIAGNOSIS & REPAIR
3. Brine line tubing or connectors between water softener and brine tank leaky or crimped: inspect and replace as needed.
   
   See WATER SOFTENER PLUMBING PROBLEMS
4. Water softener drain line clogged or too small or too high, causing backpressure: inspect, repair, re-route, replace the drain as needed. A drain routed more than 8 ft. above the softener or more than 20 ft. in length is likely to give trouble unless extra steps are taken such as using a larger diameter pipe and possibly an ejector pump.
   
   See DLFC LOCATION in this article for notes about the drain line flow controller.
   
   Also see WATER SOFTENER PLUMBING PROBLEMS
5. Water supply pressure too low: compare inlet water pressure to the water softener to the specifications in your water softener's manual.
   
   Also see WATER PRESSURE MEASUREMENT

This page only discusses repairs pretaining to excessive or too-high brine levels in the brine tank of a water softener.

If you are unsure about the purpose of the water softener brine tank and brine usage during water softener regeneration cycles,

see WATER SOFTENER OPERATING CYCLES for an explanation of the preparation, draw, and use of brine from the salt tank on a water softener.

For a complete list of water softener brine tank problerms and repairs see the diagnostic table

at BRINE TANK DIAGNOSIS & REPAIR

 

Reader Q&A about Brine Tank Draw Cycle Troubleshooting

On 2021-03-19 by (mod) - how high should I keep my salt levels in the tank

@bill,

As a matter of practice I like to keep enough salt in a water softener brine tank that I'm confident the softener won't run out of salt before my next regular inspection date.

So, for example if I inspect the softener brine tank once a month, I would fill to at least a bit above one month's usage.

But that's too vague. Let's get specific:

For your LWTS model #450, the company says that the salt dose (per regen-cycle) will be

- maxiumum: 225 pounds of salt

- minimum: 90 pounds of salt

- or to be more clever, you can see what your actual softener setting is in pounds of salt

Next look at the water softener regeneration cycle setting on your machine.

If, for example, your softener is set to 100 pounds of salt per "dose" or per regeneration cycle,
and
if your softener is set to run a regeneration cycle once a week,
and
if you are going to inspect your softener once a month,
Then
you would want to keep at least a bit over 400 pounds of salt in the brine tank.

If you don't already have a manual for your LWTSF - Lakeside Water Treatment industrial series water softener, you can obtain a manual from the company Phone: Tel: 414.365.0787 or eMail: info@lakesidewater.com - original source: https://lakesidewater.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/LWTS-Series-2020-05.pdf

or by downloading a copy right here at

LWTS INDUSTRIAL WATER SOFTENER MANUAL [PDF] Lakeside Water Treatment Co.,

On 2021-03-19 by bill

i have a system model#lwtsf-450-2'' single w/bypass& brine reclaim how high should i keep my salt levels in the tank

On 2020-11-06 - by (mod) -

Brett

Have you tried stepping through the Diagnostics on the page above?

On 2020-11-05 by Brett

I have a Kenmore water softener, it is a single unit. The water in my brine tank does not drain. I have cleaned and replaced all seals, removed all water and sediment from the bottom, and put new salt in it. All of the parts that I took apart had a brown film, which I assume is iron...

On 2020-08-26 by natalie

How do we know if the water softener is working?

On 2020-05-15 - by (mod) -

Good question,

There is no one correct answer. The level depends on the size of the salt dose and resin tank size.

Typically between 1/4 & 3/4 of the brine tank.

On 2020-05-14 by Jim Wonnell

What is the correct water level in brine tank under no recycle conditions?

On 2020-05-13 - by (mod) -

Sam:

To keep our discussion together and perhaps to help other readers, I've moved it into the article above in a section titled

Reader Q&A about Brine Tank Draw Cycle Troubleshooting

You may need to clear your browser cache to see the updated page.

Keep me posted on your thoughts and success with brine tank drain.

And again: consider a sump and lift pump as what may be an easy solution.

On 2020-05-13 - by (mod) -

I suspect the softener is drawing some house water and flushing the tank into the building drain. Not all of the rinse cycles use brine.

On 2020-05-13 by Sam

Ok I understand.in trying to figure out the issue, I guess what I’m not clear about is why during the draw brine stage I can hear water drawing into the septic pipes, even though the brine tank water level doesn’t go down at all... is that water coming from the resin tank?

On 2020-05-13 - by (mod) - sorting out why brine tank does not draw fully down during softener regen

If you hear water being discharged by the softener into drains and there is NO brine being drawn down in the brine tank, depending on where the softenr is in its cycle, that may be perfectly normal.

In some phases the softener is drawing some house water and rinsing the tank into the building drain. Not all of the rinse cycles use brine.

On 2020-05-13 by Sam

Ok I understand.in trying to figure out the issue, I guess what I’m not clear about is why during the draw brine stage I can hear water drawing into the septic pipes, even though the brine tank water level doesn’t go down at all... is that water coming from the resin tank?

On 2020-05-13 - by (mod) - what should be taking place when the regen phase is supposed to draw brine?

Sure, Sam, thanks for asking.

Some water softeners use a longer, more complex series of steps but they're all doing about the same thing.

During the water softener regeneration cycle there are a number of steps that basically amount to flushing out the resin in the resin tank (that's where the softening actually takes place and will be the tank below the control head for the system), then sending salty water out of the brine tank (brine tank draw) through the resin tank to re-charge the resin beads with salt, and finally sending some water back into the brine tank so that the new water can dissolve salt to be ready for the next cycle.

So during a step that draws brine from the brine tank, salty water is drawn by the softener's control head through a tube connected to that control - that's the hose that you mentioned.

Most softeners are limited in the flow rate through the softener as well as the lift-capacity of the softener to lift up wastewater to send it to the softener drain system.

The principal limitations that restrict brine flow are the height to which wastewater has to be lifted (higher is more-difficult), pumping distance (longer is more-difficult), and the diameter of the tubes or hoses or pipes involved (smaller is more-difficult), and the building's water supply pressure (lower pressure is more difficult).

So for your case, if your brine tank isn't pulling brine as it should, an obstruction anywhere (crimp, clog, crud), too much lift height, too-long pumping distance, low building water pressure, or sometimes a more subtle problem like an air leak at a fitting, connector or gasket, could be the cause.

On 2020-05-13 1 by Sam

Can you help me understand what should be taking place when the regen phase is supposed to draw brine from the tank from the black tube/hose that is in the brine well? A hose goes from the brine well to the top of softener where the control head is.

That system in the brine well should pull out the brine with that hose?

I’ve tested to see if it’s the brine well hose that is not pulling the brine through, and when I kink it myself, I continue to hear water being drained to my septic system. The height of the drain hose meets the suggestions of 8 feet or less and is less than 30 feet from the unit.

On 2020-05-13 - by (mod) - diagnostic questions help figure why brine not drawing

OK

Now: what is the lift height of the drain hose, measured in two locations:

1. floor on which the softener sits up to the highest point on the drain line

2. height or elevation of the water softener control head to the highest point on the drain line

Depending on your building's water pressure and the heights involved, your softener installation's drain may be exceeding the unit's ability to lift or push wastewater.

Here is what the company says:

If the water softener does not draw brine, our complete list of causes and cures is found

at WATER SOFTENER BRINE TANK WATER TOO HIGH

At the very least one would check for (most likely to least likely):

1. Dirty or plugged nozzle and venturi, see "Cleaning the Nozzle and Venturi" section.
2. Nozzle and venturi not seated on the gasket, or gasket deformed.
3. Valve seals leaking.
4. Restriction in valve drain, causing a back-pressure (bends, kinks, elevated too high, etc.). See "Install Valve Drain Hose" section.
5. Obstruction in brine valve or brine tubing.
   
   NOTE: If water system [water] pressure is low, an elevated drain hose may cause back pressure, stopping brine draw.

• If you don't have the manual for your softener, try downloading this
  
  MORTON WATER SOFTENER MANUAL [PDF] for models M20-M27-M30-MC30-M34
  

PS: Sump / Lift Pump for High Drain for Softener

If your softener must drain to a high location, onsider draining into a sump, using a sump pump to lift the wastewater up to the existing drain

Find information about Morton Water softeners and company contact information

at WATER CONDITIONER / SOFTENER MANUALS - M

For other readers, other Morton water softener manuals for other Morton water softener manuals can be found at the company's web page

https://www.mortonwatersofteners.com/maintenance/owner-manuals/

Contact Morton for technical help at

HELP LINE: 1-888-649-2837

Morton Water Treatment

c/o EcoWater
1890 Woodlane Drive
Woodbury, MN 55125 USA

or email: mortonwater@mywaterpros.com

On 2020-05-12 by Sam

Correct.

On 2020-05-12 - by (mod) - no soft water: softener is not stuck in bypass mode, right?

I'm going to give this some thought.

And just to avoid embarrassing ourselves, we are absolutely sure that the softener is not stuck in bypass mode, right?

On 2020-05-11 by Sam - identify water softener as Morton M34

Morton m34 is the unit. We haven’t had any soft water since we installed it (rusty sinks/tubs) and water testing strips show high hardness. We have yet to see the water drain out of it at all since installing the unit.

Is it possible the drain tube being connected to these other white sewer pipes is causing the brine water to not be pulled out of the tank?
I will note that we have went through all the suggested troubleshooting steps from the manufacturer, including checking Venturi. And hardness is set correctly.

On 2020-05-11 - by (mod) - ID the softener brand and model and review the softener operation

Sam

Let's ID the softener brand and model and review the softener operation with the manufacturer.

Earlier in my career I thought there was something wrong if I saw water in the brine tank at the end of a softener regen cycle. That's not correct.

At the end of a softner regen cycle it's normal to pump some water back into the brine tank so that it can sit, dissolving salt, to have brine ready for the next regen cycle.

If during the regen your softener is drawing brine down, running it through the softener and discharging (during that part of the cycle) into the drain, it may be doing what it's supposed-to.

And yes, the drain should not be crimped or blocked. By saying drain tubing should not be connected to anything else, the tech is making sure that the drain is simply emptying into a building drain, not into another bit of equipment.

On 2020-05-11 by Sam - water softeners fail to draw the brine water

I have a Morton softener that was just installed, and a culligan arsenic filter. We have had two water softeners fail to draw the brine water out of the brine water after it fills the tank more than half way full in the salt tank. Morton customer service says our drain line hose may be the issue.

The hose doesn’t lead to a drain or sump pump in our basement, but rather up to the ceiling through a bunch of pipes that lead through sewer lines. From the black hose, follow it up and you’ll also find a splitter, one hose leads to the culligan arsenic filter and the other hose leads to the pipes I mentioned earlier.

He says this is the issue and that the tubing hose shouldn’t be connected to anything else (the arsenic filter) and should lead to a drain and not other pipes. The photo shows the far right black tubing towards the top which is the line to the softener.

Does this sound right? I’m at a lose, we have no water water and have gone through two softeners with the same issue.

On 2020-04-28 - by (mod) - Brine tank is filling with water during normal service operation (not during regen).

Sure, Andrew, as during a later phase in the softener regen cycle the brine tank is re-filled with water so as to make brine for the next regen.

On 2020-04-28 by Andrew

Hello. Fleck 5600 metered (not sure of exact model).
Brine tank is filling with water during normal service operation (not during regen).

Checked injectors and brine line. All seems good.
During brine draw, the water level in brine tank goes down, so there is suction.
Should water be flowing to the brine tank during normal service operation?

On 2019-03-11 - by (mod) -

Order individual softener Parts directly from Culligan as well as from plumbing suppliers or from a local Culligan Service Company. You'll need the model name and serial number to be sure that you get exactly the correct eductor valve.

Are link above for a water softener manuals will also give you contact information for Culligan and Culligan parts

On 2019-03-10 by Christine Bischoff

I need to replace the eductor screen on my gold series 9 culligan water. Do you know where I can order jus the screen?

On 2019-02-19 - by (mod) -

Possibly.
Check in the brine tank.

On 2019-02-17 by Alan

I noticed a salty looking floor like our salt tank over flowed. Is it because our float inside it might have stuck?

Water Softener Air Check Valve Troubleshooting

Many water softener models use a check valve at the top or at the bottom of a brine pick-up tube in the brine tank. This valve closes when the brine level in the tank drops - at the end of a regen cycle - to prevent drawing air into the water softener itself.

If your water softener system uses an air check valve (sketch at above left example from G.E. [2]) when it should not have one installed (some controls have a built-in air check valve) this can cause the system to stop drawing brine back into the conditioner before the brine tank is empty.

If you find air discharge at plumbing fixtures after a water softener regen cycle the brine tank tube air check valve itself may be debris-clogged.

See WATER SOFTENER BRINE TANK AIR CHECK VALVE for details about the air check valve.

Also see WATER SOFTENER CHECK VALVE STUCK where we explain that a stuck air check valve in the brine tank can cause air discharge at plumbing fixtures after a softener regen cycle.

Reader Question: water softener brine tank not draining

Water softener has water stuck in tank, not draining. - Amy 9/19/11

Reply:

Amy, at WATER SOFTENER BACKUP, FLOODING, LEAKS we describe how to diagnose & fix a water softener that is not draining properly.

Typically the problem is a crimped drain line, a control not operating properly, or a stuck brine control float that is not allowing the regen cycle to function properly.

Question: water softener brine tank does not empty fully

I just noticed today that there was still some water in my salt tank after the cycle completed this morning (the drain hose is fine). Is this something I need to worry about? The softener (Kenmore) is 12 years old now. - Scott 8/27/12

Reply:

Scott, possibly the float control valve in the brine tank needs cleaning, or the whole tank is due for a cleanout.

See BRINE TANK FLOAT LEVEL ADJUSTMENT - if your water softener brine tank is overflowing the float control may be stuck.

Also see WATER SOFTENER CLEANING & SANITIZING for the steps to solve this problem.

Question: Water-Rite 740 water softener has brine tank full of water - what's the normal liquid level in the brine tank?

Hi, can you tell me how much water should be in a brine tank of a water rite softener under normal use, now it is full of water all the time, is this normal. I think this will just melt all the salt in the tank all the time. It is a model 740 - M.C., Canada

Reply: you should normally see liquid in the brine tank but the level should not increase over many regeneration cycles

In normal operation, after a water softener has completed its regeneration cycle it will have pumped water back into the brine tank so that water can dissolve salt to form brine to be ready for the next regeneration cycle.

Watch out: however if over time you see the water level in your brine tank creeping up after each regeneration cycle, the water softener needs repair. A leaky valve or control can cause excess water to accumulated in the brine tank.

So if water is up near the top of your salt tank the system probably needs inspection and repair. A stuck or damaged valve in some Autotrol heads, for example, can cause water to accumulate in the brine tank during the very time that it should be emptying out during softener regeneration.

Check the brine refill control valve in your water softener brine tank

The BRINE REFILL FLOAT CONTROL VALVE device is found in the vertical tube in your brine tank. Typically it incorporates a float, vertical rod, and a switch that controls the water level in the tank during a brine generation cycle. The part is also called the brine refill control valve.

We discuss how the brine refill control valve works and how it may be adjusted

at WATER SOFTENER ADJUSTMENT & CONTROLS.

More photos of this valve are

at WATER SOFTENER CLEANING & SANITIZING.

How to fix the brine tank water level

First check the water softener settings WATER SOFTENER ADJUSTMENT & CONTROLS .

Try emptying the brine tank completely, cleaning all the parts, make sure that the brine control valve (the float actuated switch in the brine tank) moves freely up and down, then fill it at least 1/3 full of salt.

For details about cleaning out the water softener brine tank

see WATER SOFTENER CLEANING & SANITIZING.

Then send the water softener through a manual regeneration cycle  and watch what happens.

See also WATER SOFTENER ADJUSTMENT & CONTROLS

.The volume of water that is pumped into the brine tank and then out back through the water softener is set by the salt "dose" setting on the water softener control.

• If you need to adjust the brine tank refill valve just follow the instructions
  
  at FLOAT ADJUSTMENT in SOFTENER BRINE TANK
• If you need to adjust the salt dose or regeneration cycle frequency on your water softener,
  
  see WATER SOFTENER ADJUSTMENT & CONTROLS
• If the brine tank water level is still abnormally high, see the diagnostic table
  
  at BRINE TANK WATER TOO HIGH - this article and/or go directly
  
  to WATER SOFTENER BRINE TANK DRAW REPAIR

The manufacturer of your Water Rite water softener, properly a Water-Right water softener, can provide you with the installation, operation, and maintenance manual for your water softener if you don't already have one.

• [1] Water Right, 1900 Prospect Court Appleton, Wisconsin 54914, Tel: 920-739-9401, Website: http://www.water-right.com/ and their water softener manuals are available online at http://www.water-right.com/library/literature/literature_manuals.html

Brine Tank Water Too High - Not Drawn into Softener

Question: water is not drawing from the brine tank into the softener

2018/07/08 David said:

I have a Culligan water softener. My water softener brine tank is filled about halfway with water. Whenever the softener tries to run in regeneration, it runs for about 5 seconds and stops (the wheel inside the assembly turns and then stops). I have tried to put a broom handle in the bottom to no avail.

[Click to enlarge any image]

There appears to be no salt inside the tank, just water. I have cleaned off a lot of small pieces and washers inside the assembly. The drain pipe is not clogged.

davidbell3 said:

David, seems like some posts suggest that water is not drawing from the brine?

Illustration: location of the eductor backwash flow control valve on a Culligan HE 1.25 high efficiency water softener, manual cited below.

Reply: Detailed checklist when brine is not drawn from the brine tank to the water softener

Moderator said: David,

A water softener regeneration cycle includes a key "brine rinse" cycle or "brine draw" cycle that pumps salty water out of a separate brine tank and through the water softener resin.

This brine draw cycle replaces hard-water calcium or magnesium ions collected by the water softener resin and replaces them with soft-water salt ions or molecules.

If there is no salt in the softener's brine tank no salty water can be made and the brine rinse will be ineffective.

If the brine-water from the salt tank or brine tank is present but does not flow out of the brine tank, through the water softener resin and onwards to a softer drain disposal site, then the softener cannot regenerate and it will no longer be treating hard water - water will remain "hard" or high in calcium and magnesium.

When a water softener won't draw brine out of the brine tank (brine tank eduction failure) to use in a regeneration cycle the water level in the brine tank may stay the same or even increase at each backwash or regen cycle.

Brine Draw Failure Checkpoints

Watch out: for completeness this checklist includes parts that may not be present on your water softener, or that may be addressed by a different name.

We've tried to include synonyms for various water softener controls and parts but the best source of part names and locations is the manual for your specific water softener brand and model. Below we give a link to sources of water softener manuals that can be obtained no charge. Often you can also obtain the manual directly from your water softener's manufacturer.

1. Check that the brine tank float valve moves freely, is not stuck, not blocked
2. Check that the tubing between water softener brine tank and the softener itself is not kinked, disconnected, leaking. An air leak in tubing can be enough to keep the system from drawing brine.
3. Try a manual regeneration cycle and watch the system: if the softener works in manual regen then the issue is the control head or clock or programming of the unit. If the softener still won't draw brine, then check the following:

4. Check the softener's backwash flow control or drain line flow control - DLFC
   
   The backwash or drain flow control (circled in green in the illustration above) is a plastic orifice typically mounted on the water softener control head at the elbow (blue) that connects the control head to the water softener drain - the tubing used to dispose of backwash water during water softener regeneration.
   
   The drain line flow control location in the illustration just above is for a Culligan Medallist water softener.
   
   On your water softener the part may be in a different location but almost always it will be at the drain line connection to the control head.
   
   Sediment, scale, iron, or other debris that may be in your water supply can clog the backwash flow controller. That can prevent movement of brine out of the brine tank and through the water softener resin tank to the tank drain.
   
   Check the manual for your specific softener to see if there is a backwash restrictor or check valve or DLFC restrictor/flow control (this is the Drain Line Flow Control button I will illustrate below) - a DLFC may also be used on the brine tank system as a BLFC or "Brine Line Flow Control" that could be clogged or damaged - try operating the system with this part removed.
   
   Typically the DLFC should be inspected annually and cleaned or replaced as needed.

Our next step is to check the eductor valve in the water softener, typically located in the water softener's control head. In essence the eductor is a combination of screen and venturi that acts as a tiny water-operated pump.

4. Check the brine tank backwash flow control: or the brine tank eductor valve assembly for clogging, cracks, damaged parts.
   
   Find the eductor assembly on the softener control head (such as shown in two illustrations earlier in this article) and disassemble and clean and inspect these parts.
   
   Details and other examples of where to find the Eductor Valve are
   
   at WATER SOFTENER EDUCTOR REPAIR

We'll continue with the following check points for a water softener with too much water in the brine tank or one that refuses to draw brine out of the brine tank:

5. Check that the brine pick-up - aka brine injector - possibly labelled an injector on some instructions - is un-blocked and properly connected.
   
   Look for cracks in the plastic part(s), or a torn or nicked O-ring gasket - either of which will prevent brine pick-up from the brine tank.
   
6. Check the eductor assembly: On many Culligan softeners the Brine eductor nozzle and throat (that's the brine pickup) can become clogged with sediment, scale, debris.
   
   Find this part on your softener's manual parts diagram, remove it, inspect it for cleaning, clean it or if visibly torn, cracked, damaged, replace it.
   
   As for other parts cited above, the eductor parts should be inspected annually and cleaned or replaced as needed.
7. Check the brine piston: You may need to replace the brine piston and seal cage (look for these parts on the parts explosion for your softener)
8. Check the softener control head & valves or Autotrol valve: you may need to re-build or replace the control valve in the control head on the softener.Some water softeners use an "autotrol" control valve.
   
   If the two large valves in this component don't close fully during the brine-rinse stage of a softener regeneration cycle (also called "brine draw cycle") the softener cannot pump or draw brine out of the brine tank. Instead, leaky valves can cause water to leak into the brine tank when the control should be removing brine from the tank.
   
   The water level in the brine tank can increase rather than drop at each regen cycle. Older rubber or vinyl gaskets, valve parts, seals, can also be damaged if your water supply is high in chlorine.
   
   It may be necessary to re-build the valve assembly which, depending on softener model may be labelled in your parts explosion as "Valve Disc", "Rotor Disc", "Rotor Disc Valve", or "Piston Assembly".
   
   As will be obvious, it's helpful to take a look at the installation, operation, repair manual for your specific brand and model water softener.
9. Check the water softener drain line size & routing:
   
   We left this step until last under the assumption that the water softener worked properly when first installed.
   
   However if the water softener has often, since new, had trouble with backwash or brine tank flow, the softener drain line could be the problem.
   
   For most water softeners if you route the softener's drain line too high (more than 8 ft. above the floor on which the softener base resides), or too distant (more than 20 ft.), or if the drain line diameter is too small (model dependent, might be 3/4" diameter), then back-pressure in the water softener drain piping can cause back-pressure on the brine injector, resulting in inadequate water softener regeneration and abnormal brine tank water levels.
   
   For longer drain runs or higher water conditioner back-wash flow rates over 10 gpm your manufacturer's manual for your water softener may require a larger diameter drain, such as a 1" drain line.

Photo: Fleck 5600 model Drain Line Flow Control Button Retainer

Some water softener models such as the Culligan High Efficiency Model 1.25 Water Softener include a sensor probe that "... detects detects the presence of salt-bridging, eductor line plugging and brine tank overfilling."

Since we are focused on brine tank level problems in this article skipped detailed descriptions of each of the steps in water softener regeneration but you can read about all of the steps in water softener operation

at HOW WATER SOFTENERS / CONDITIONERS WORK

Readers are welcome to CONTACT us to suggest edits or additions to the brine-no-draw diagnosis and repair steps given above.

Brine Tank Eductor Valve / Water softener Injector Location, Cleaning, Repair

This topic has moved to its own page now

at WATER SOFTENER EDUCTOR / INJECTOR REPAIR

 

 

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Reader Q&A - also see RECOMMENDED ARTICLES & FAQs

Question: I don't see a brine control valve and the water softener brine tank is too full of water. What should I check?

I did as you suggested and emptied and cleaned out the water conditioner brine tank, I notice that there is nothing in the tank except a 1/4 inch line for water and that is it,

When I put it all together again it fill up to 3/4 full again and the salt was all submersed. In other words, my water softener brine tank does not seem to include a BRINE REFILL FLOAT CONTROL VALVE.

What else should I try.©

[Click to enlarge any image]

Reply:

Our photo at the top of this page shows the water softener brine tank in normal condition. My buddy Mark K. (page to photo) has poured salt pellets into the brine tank to a safe level that does not risk pellets falling into the brine tank float assembly should its cap be removed.

The smaller round cylinder in this salt tank contains the brine float control assembly. If your salt tank does not have this component the water entry quantity and salty water dose quantity for a water softener regeneration cycle may not be properly controlled.

An accurate diagnosis of what's wrong with your water softener depends on the particular model water softener and what controls it uses. Normally the water conditioner backwash or regen cycle requires about fifteen minutes for the softener's brine to flow through the resin bed in the softener body and out to the brine drain.

If your brine drain flow is much longer, much stronger, or very weak, check the diagnostic table we give below, and also

see BRINE TANK WATER TOO LOW.

When we find that the brine tank on a water softener or water conditioner system seems to be too high, or the tank is flooded, there are several things to check. An accurate diagnosis of what's wrong with your water softener depends on the particular model water softener and what controls it uses.

The most common reasons for finding too much water in the brine tank are discussed starting

at BRINE TANK WATER TOO HIGH

...

Continue reading  at BRINE TANK DIAGNOSIS & REPAIR or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see WATER SOFTENER BRINE TANK WATER TOO HIGH FAQs - questions & answers posted originally at this page

Or see these

Recommended Articles

• WATER CONDITIONER / SOFTENER MANUALS
• WATER SOFTENER ADJUSTMENT & CONTROLS
• WATER SOFTENER BRINE TANK DIAGNOSIS & REPAIR - home
• WATER SOFTENER EDUCTOR / INJECTOR REPAIR
• WATER SOFTENER BRINE TANK AIR CHECK VALVE
• WATER SOFTENER BRINE TANK BRIDGING or CRUSTING
• WATER SOFTENER BRINE TANK DRAW REPAIR
• WATER SOFTENER BRINE TANK FLOAT VALVE ADJUST
• WATER SOFTENER BRINE TANK WATER TOO HIGH
• WATER SOFTENER BRINE TANK WATER TOO LOW
• WATER SOFTENER CLEANING & SANITIZING
• WATER SOFTENER SALT DOSE SETTING
• WATER CONDITIONER / SOFTENER MANUALS - download the manual for your softener
• WATER SOFTENER OPERATING CYCLES
• WATER SOFTENER RUNS TOO LONG

Suggested citation for this web page

WATER SOFTENER BRINE TANK WATER TOO HIGH at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.

Or see this

INDEX to RELATED ARTICLES: ARTICLE INDEX to WATER TREATMENT SYSTEMS

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Citations & References

In addition to any citations in the article above, a full list is available on request.

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