Water Softener on the blink - Some questions

[robjal123]

I have a Waterside MC350 water softener. It's not been serviced for about 3 years - i've got a service booked in in about 10 days time.

However....in the meantime the water tank keeps filling up (every day) and it keeps demanding more salt (even when there is about 2" in the bottom.) I've tried doing the following:

1. Manually scooping the water out leaving only a couple of inches above the salt
2. Performing a regeneration

as well as

1. Manually scooping the water out leaving only a couple of inches above the salt
2. Rebooting the unit/display

But neither seems to help and the tank soon refills.

My questions are:

a) is the water safe to drink/use for cooking in the meantime? i've noticed if i leave the tank full the water soon starts tasting 'wrong'!

b) any idea what the cause is?

c) is there anything i can do in the meantime to keep it working until the service happens? or bypass it and just use hard water?

 

[hazetimesfive]

I would always install a water softner with a bypass, do you have one?

 

[AndyCZ]

I've not got this model, but when mine needs to be reset, you need to leave it unplugged for a little bit as it has a backup battery.

Also, have you set the hard water setting correctly?

I think it should be safe to drink. My installer said a can of coke contains more sodium than the same quanity of softened water!

 

[Onetap]

By-pass it and use hard water.

There are, on most softeners, valves that put a set amount of water into the brine tank; the brine tank overflows if they malfunction. Your one seems to be getting salt into the water supply. I've no experience of Waterside; I just wouldn't use the water if it tastes odd.

 

[unclebob1]

Doubt this has been resolved as yet - (not been 10 days!) but i had a similar problem with my softener (Culligan), After changing out the flap valves (in case one was leaking), the resin tank (in case it was cracked), and the filter/pipe for drawing in salt water during regeneration(in case it had a hole in it), it was found that a ball valve which sits at the top of the filter/pipe for drawing in salt water had a hole in it and had filled with water and remained blocking the intake, stopping the water being drawn up the pipe.

Couple of quid for a new ball, and seal and all working...

Sounds simple but unless you had a working model you could compare against, or a chance phone call with the manufacturing company, would not have been spotted!

 

[robjal123]

Just to follow up I got the unit serviced and it's working like new. I believe they changed a few seals and gave it a good clean. Thanks for the suggestions peeps!