Water softener overflowing occurs when excess water is stored in the water softener tank due to blockage in water flow from the tank to the house. The brine line on the tank shows the maximum water level. Exceeding this will cause the water to overflow.
1.There's A Faulty Control Valve
The control valve controls how much hard water enters and leaves the tank.
The brine tank has a process of regenerating the resin and self-cleaning, ridding itself of contaminants and minerals. If this cycle is disrupted or otherwise unsuccessful, the malfunction will likely lead to overflowing.
The first sign may be that the system isn’t as efficient as it was. Unchecked, this can result in overflowing.
To fix or, even better, avoid overflowing, keep an eye on the control valve. Adjust it from time to time and check that the new settings lead to the results you expect on the other end. Think of it as a routine check to make sure the valve is working.
2. There's A Problem With The Water Softener Regeneration Process
The water softener regeneration process eliminates calcium and magnesium minerals from water by mixing the minerals with the resin bed.
- The first thing that happens is a backwash cycle. Here, the control valve should reverse the flow of the water and flush the tank.
- Once that is done, a brine solution is inserted into the mineral tank, where the process of ionization takes place.
- During ionization, the sodium ions bind together. The positively charged minerals from the magnesium and calcium react with the negatively charged resin ions and are flushed out of the tank.
- In the final stage, the tank is rinsed so the process can repeat. When the resin beds become saturated from the magnesium and calcium, the control valve starts a new regeneration cycle.
This process can go wrong at a couple of stages. Here’s how to spot and fix the issues:
Inspect the Brine Line Before & After Regeneration
The regeneration cycle should fill the brine tank anywhere from a quarter to halfway full.
The water levels should stay the same and not increase during every backwash cycle.
If the water that is supposed to be drawn from the brine isn’t drawn out completely during the next filling, you will have more water than you should. Over time, this will lead to overflowing.
If your water softener is overflowing:
- Check that the tube is attached to the brine well. There should be a tube that connects the tank to the control valve.
- If the tube seems fine, remove the lid from the brine tank. Check the brine is fitted to the safety float. If you experience water and air leaks, that is a reason for concern, and it’s probably why you are having overflowing problems.
If these two things are in order, it’s time to check for obstructions.
Check for Salt Clog
The most common obstruction that disrupts the water flow and draining is a salt clog. Salt clogs prevent the water from going into the brine tank.
If you can reach the clog, it’s always better to attempt to manually break it down. Take a stick and attempt to dislodge the clog. If this doesn’t work, you can use a solution to dissolve the salt crust. This can be a difficult task because salt clogs grow to be super hard.
The next thing that you should be looking at is the drain line.
Check the Drain Line
If the drain line is clogged, it will stress the control valve.
When the float control gets salt-clogged, simply take it off and wash it thoroughly. You’ll see right away if there is something inside obstructing the water flow.
Water with high iron levels passing through your water installation on a day-to-day basis will cause pipes to rust and hard minerals to build up. That’s why it’s a good idea to clean the drain line regularly. This ensures the brine line is working optimally.
The clog can also take place when the brine line comes in contact with the water softener valve. Different types of debris can enter the tank and get pulled through the valve.
If this happens regularly, the valve will eventually be unable to draw from the brine tank.
A complete wash-down and cleaning should clear the tube of the debris that is blocking the flow and solve your overflowing problem.
Inspect the Float Cap
Float caps are known to lose their grip over time and become liabilities. Make sure the float cap that controls the brine levels is in place.
A faulty float cap affects the vibration of the softener system and puts more stress on the safety valve. As a result, water can keep on being added to the tank, leading to overflowing.
Take a Look at the Injector
The injector has a tiny hole to create suction and draw from the brine. If the hole is blocked or clogged, you will definitely experience overflowing.
Inspect the injector and do your best to clean it from external dirt or salt.
Don’t worry if you cannot unclog the injector. The part itself is widely available and inexpensive, so you can permanently replace it if you choose to.
Seal or Pistons Malfunction
If everything is in order with the brine tank and lines, then the overflowing problem might lie with the seals, spacers, or pistons.
If the softener has trouble drawing brine during its regeneration cycle, you might be looking at a torn seal. If this is the case, you will need to remove the drain line along with the brine line and check if water flows through the valve.
If it does, the softening system will probably require new seals or pistons, in which case, you are better off hiring a professional to do the job.
Proceed With Care
When looking at the potential causes for overflowing, be careful and conscientious about how you disassemble and reassemble parts of the water softener. You might do more harm than good if you use excessive force.
Make sure to return each of the moving parts to its correct position. Wash and inspect them in the order that you remove them. Once you’re done, reattach them in the reverse order.
Key Takeaways
Water overflowing from a water softener might seem like a disaster, but you will most likely be able to fix the problem by carefully removing the clogged or problematic part and cleaning it thoroughly.
The name of the game here is not expertise but rather patience with this troubleshooting process. Once familiar with the parts of the softener, you will be able to perform many maintenance tasks and, if necessary, some repair tasks yourself.
