Repair Water Softener Leaks or Stuck Backup & Regeneration Controls:

This article explains how to diagnose & fix water conditioner / water softener leaks, overflows, backups, or building floods due to water softener malfunction.

We give steps in fixing a stuck water treatment device control that can otherwise leave your water softener running continuously in backwash or regeneration mode. We also explain other problems, such as a crimped water softener drain, that can leave the water conditioner stuck in regeneration mode.

Water Softener Stuck in Backwash or Regeneration Cycle Can Flood a Building or Septic System

These questions and answers were posted originally

at WATER SOFTENER BACKUP, FLOODING, LEAKS - be sure to check out the advice given there.

Question: leaky water softener control O rings - fixed, now water too briny

(Mar 10, 2014) Dan said:

I just had the o rings on my water softener replaced due to leaking, and the system cycles properly. However, after the last 2 cycles, the first water of the morning is distinctly briny, which goes away after using water, say doing a few loads of laundry.

This has never happened in 15 years of service. Any suggestions? Thanks.

Reply:

Dan

Check the salt dose - it may be set too high.

You can also check the actual water hardness to be sure you've properly set the water softener re-gen frequency and salt dose.

On 2018-09-06 by (mod) - typical water softener regen cycle phases and times

Thanks Bob for the interesting question. I think you're right,

However you ought to be able to advance the timer and run a manual regen cycle and that should get things back in whack

On 2018-09-06 by Bob - Autotrol460i ejector pump failure

I have water softener with Autotrol460i. The tank drains into floor drain which gets pumped to overhead sewer line via an ejector pump.

Ejector pump failed and water overflowed from floor drain during 2:00am regeneration cycle.

I put the system into bypass mode to stop the flooding.

When having the ejector pump replaced the plumber said I should have just unplugged the power supply to the controller. This got me to thinking.

Putting it in bypass I may have interrupted the rinse cycle.

If I would have removed power or if a power outage occurred during the brine refill cycle

According to the users manual the procedure for manual regeneration without power is to manually go through the cycles

Backwash...14 minutes

Brine and slow rinse...52 minutes

Brine refill...10 minutes

Fast rinse/refill...6 minutes

Do not exceed 10 minutes for the refill cycle as this will cause excessive salt usage during the next regeneration and possibly a salt residue in the conditioned water.

It seems that if there is a power outage during one of these cycles the system will be stuck in that cycle until power is restored. Seems like this could cause problems

On 2017-11-04 by KIM

WHY DO I GET WATER ON TOP OF THE MOTOR HOUSE IN MY WATER SOFTNEr

On 2017-09-09 by Steve Nuneman

I just replaced the seals in the control head on a GE water softner and the rotor doesn't rotate completely to the service position. The rotor rotates and the switch activates to stop the cycle, but the valve stops a fraction to soon at the service position and water continues to flow in the drain

If I manually rotate the valve a fraction, it then moves to a position aligned with the S mark and the water flow through the drain valve stops. Any idea what might be the cause for the valve to stop before fully in the service position?

On 2017-08-29 by (mod) - outside of the brine tank on my softener has a layer of salt on it.

I would look for a leak somewhere on the brine tank. The other possibility is that during filling some salt dust sprays or Falls onto the tank exterior and it is being disturbed by local high humidity

On 2017-08-28 by DaveM

The outside of the brine tank on my softener has a layer of salt on it. Any ideas what could be causing this? I have cleaned it off several times and it keeps coming back. The area of the salt is getting larger.

On 2017-06-04 by (mod) - salt crystals forming on outside of the brine tank - leak?

Rolando,

Except for the possibility of perhaps having spilled a little salt when filling the brine tank, you should not see salt or crystals on the outside of the water softener nor the brine tank. I would clean that area carefully and look for the source of a leak.

On 2017-06-03 by Rolando A. Rodriguez Figueroa Rainsoft EC5

Hi,

Got a Rainsoft EC5 water treatment system and I just noticed that there are salt crystals forming on the outside of the softner and the plast where the salt is place. Is this normal or something that need to be fixed and if so how do I fix it?

On 2017-05-23 by (mod) -

Amanda,

I am both surprised and of course sorry to read that there is an odor problem in your basement after the water softener leak.

I am guessing that the hose to which you refer is the connection between the brine tank and the water softener, and the brine leaked or was poured onto your basement floor.

Brian is normally a simple solution of salt water. However if a bright tank has not beenClean for years it's possible that there was a mixture of dirt that entered with the salt, or perhaps Iron or bacteria.

For such a spill, the use of ordinary household cleaners would be sufficient.

However If Your basement floor was so wet that water entered the bottom of finished walls that are covered with paneling or drywall, the flood could have caused a mold problem in those areas. So if you have that situation I suggest exploring the lower wall cavity in areas that you think got wet. If you see mold there, you'll need to remove those materials and clean the wall cavity.

Follow the procedures at SOFTENER RESIN TANK SANITIZE / DISINFECT to clean the water softener.

Then use any household cleaner or disinfectant cleaner to clean the basement floor.

Watch out: if water entered finished wall cavities in your basement you will have to open at least the bottom 12" of drywall or paneling to inspect, clean, and dry those areas where water entered. Otherwise you are likely to have a mold contamination problem.

On 2017-05-23 by Amanda

Our water softener hose came out of container and 30 gallons of water went all over our basement. We have taken the floor up and cleaned up all the water.

But now we have a horrible odor now in the basement. How do I get it out?

On 2017-01-29 by Avery Creacy - Err2 on water softener

My culligan water softener keeps going back to err 2

My Callihan water softener keeps going back to err 2 message

On 2016-12-20 by (mod) - water pooling by the water softener

NOt necessarily, Donna, there could simply be a leak in the piping or tubing that needs repair or replacement.

Being clearly out of salt means you need to add salt.

Having standing water in the bottom of the salt brine tank means the tank needs to be emptied, cleaned, and the brine float valve checked/repaired.

On 2016-12-19 by Donna

Water is pooling under my water softener. Does this mean it is broken? Also, the red light is blinking and it is clearly out of salt. There's about a foot of water in the bottom

On 2016-11-23 by (mod) re: leaks at the brine tank

Look for a leak in the brine tank or a leak in its piping connections.

On 2016-11-23 by Cheryl

All of a sudden I have a large build up of white on the outside base of the brine tank. Ideas?

On 2016-07-25 by (mod) re: water softener control head o-rings go bad

Sounds as if an internal O-ring or other seal or gasket may be bad.

On 2016-07-25 by Craig

Thank you. I also think that there is some water in the top of the control head looks like water under the clear portion possibly a leak since the "tune Up"

On 2015-10-24 by (mod) re: bypass the water softener to stop a leak at the brine tank

Put the water softener in bypass mode to stop the leak.

Then inspect to find the source; it may be a plugged, crimped, or damaged tube from the brine tank, or the tube emptying the water softener discharge; look there first.

On 2015-10-24 by Karla Wooten

Just noticed there is water coming out from underneath th3 bottom of our water softener. The bottom of the wall behind it is all wet

On 2015-08-17 by (mod) re: will brine tank leak into the building water supply?

Anon:

Salty water from the brine tank is washed backwards through the water softener during a re-generation cycle and thence out through a plumbing drain into the drain waste system of your building.

Certainly if the brine tank had certain contaminants some might be left in the softner's treatment tank after a regen cycle, and indeed there are cleaning and sanitizing procedures use for the system (and given in the ARTICLE INDEX found above).

But you should not be seeing sand in your water supply. "Clear sand" sounds as if media from the treatment tank is exiting into the plumbing system rather than a contaminant from the brine tank. I'd look for a problem with the softener's control head or valves.

On 2015-08-17 by Anonymous

jimfrommn asks..is it possible that a brine tank could allow some of whats inside it to leak into the water supply? The last few weeks the faucet, shower heads and washer inlet valve screens are all becoming clogged with a clear/white substance resembling sand?? It just looks like clear sand!!!

On 2015-06-07 by Richard H. Braun

my water softner tank is filled with water and will not empty

On 2014-11-06 by (mod) -

One more thing to check:

look in the brine tank - if it's full of water and overflowing then the brine float is stuck

On 2014-11-06 by (mod) -

Jack

Check for a stuck control valve - you could try running the device through a extra regen cycle to exercise the controls but I suspect there's dirt on a valve or a torn o-ring in one of the controls.

On 2014-11-06 by Jack

My softner keeps seaping water io my drain pipe and dosent stop. ? Why

On 2014-10-21 by (mod) -

If the salt tank is filled to near its top and you still see water at that level then the tank water is abnormally high and probably the salt float is not working properly. That may explain also excessive salt dosing and high salt usage.

On 2014-10-21 by Anonymous

Fred H. Rick
I am renting a house. It has an Iron Certain conditioner system. I use close to 4 bags of salt a month. The salt is always under water. The landlord says this norm. I think Houston has a problem. Can you clue in?

Question: Culligan Gold Water Softener Tank Leaks From Bottom

Hi I have the Culligan Gold system, my mineral tank leaks from the bottom when the whole system is turned on , any idea what is the problem ?

My furnace went down during winter and pipes froze ,is there a seal etc that might of froze etc , thankyou ! Mike: - 11/29/11

Reply: find the actual leak point: some are repairable

Mike,

Salt Tank Leaks:

if by mineral tank you mean the salt tank, it's plastic and may be repairable

- pretty simple.

Media Tank Leaks:

If you mean the media tank, indeed there are several bonded parts that make up some tanks, such as a plastic bottom connected to a stainless steel tank - those might have been broken from freezing.

I'd check the parts explosion of your water softener manual.

For winterizing a water softener to protect it from freeze damage

see WINTERIZE WATER SOFTENER

- if you don't have the installation and maintenance guide you can certainly download one from Culligan - see the website address at our references below. There may be replaceable parts on the media tank base itself, but I'm doubtful.

Keep us posted, what you learn will help other readers. DF

...

Continue reading  at WATER SOFTENER BACKUP, FLOODING, LEAKS or select a topic from closely-related articles below, or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see these

Water Softener Repair Articles

• WATER SOFTENERS & CONDITIONERS - home
• DIAGNOSE WATER SOFTENER PROBLEMS
  • BRINE TANK WATER TOO HIGH
  • BRINE TANK WATER TOO LOW
  • WATER SOFTENER BACKUP, FLOODING, LEAKS
  • WATER SOFTENER BACKUP, FLOODING, LEAK FAQs
  • WATER SOFTENER RUNS TOO LONG
  • WHITE MINERAL SCALE DEPOSITS on FIXTURES
• IDENTIFY WATER SOFTENER BRAND / MODEL
• WATER SOFTENER ADJUSTMENT & CONTROLS
• WATER SOFTENER DIAGNOSIS
• WATER SOFTENER EDUCTOR REPAIR
• WATER SOFTENER MANUALS
• WATER SOFTENER PLUMBING PROBLEMS

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INDEX to RELATED ARTICLES: ARTICLE INDEX to WATER TREATMENT SYSTEMS

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