Water softener service in San Antonio

Water Filtration San Antonio is an independent referral service, not an installer or plumber. When you send the form, your details go to an independent local water treatment pro who can contact you and quote the work.

Start with the maker’s schedule

For softener service, filter changes and resin, the schedule that counts is the one in your owner’s manual, written for your model. If you have lost the manual, the make and model on the control valve or the tank label let a pro look it up. Ask any service company to work from that schedule, and to tell you if they recommend something different and why.

What you can look after yourself

• Salt. Look in the brine tank regularly and top it up with the salt or potassium chloride the maker specifies before it runs out.
• Crusts. If the salt level looks full but never drops, a hard crust may have formed. Follow the owner’s manual, or mention it at the next visit.
• The clock. After a power cut, check that the control valve shows the right time and settings.
• The bypass. Make sure the bypass valve is in the service position after any plumbing work.
• The signs. Spots on glasses, crust on faucets or soap that will not lather mean the softener needs checking.

Salt: what goes in the brine tank

NSF/ANSI 44 covers residential softeners regenerated with sodium chloride or potassium chloride, so your owner’s manual names one or both. Use what it names. If you switch from salt to potassium chloride, tell whoever services the unit, because the valve settings may need to change. If anyone in the house is on a sodium-restricted diet, ask your doctor about softened water and ask the service pro about potassium chloride.

Keep the salt bags somewhere dry, off a damp garage floor, and keep the brine tank lid closed. Fill the tank to the level the maker gives rather than to the brim. If you see standing water well above the salt, or a layer of mush at the bottom, mention it when you book a service visit.

What a service visit can include

Service visits differ from company to company, so ask what is included before you book. A thorough one can cover:

1. A hardness test of the water before and after the softener
2. A look at the control valve, its settings for your measured hardness, and its regeneration schedule
3. Cleaning out the brine tank and any salt mush at the bottom
4. Checking the brine line, the injector and the drain line for blockages
5. Checking the bypass valve and connections for leaks
6. A check on the resin, and resin cleaning or replacement if needed
7. Changing any sediment or carbon prefilter cartridges on the maker’s schedule
8. A written note of what was done and what to watch for

The hardness test after the visit matters most. With SAWS water at 15 to 20 grains, you should see a clear difference between the water going into the softener and the water coming out.

Filters and reverse osmosis units need service too

If your home has other water treatment equipment beside the softener, each piece has its own upkeep and its own standard:

Equipment	Standard to ask about	Upkeep
Water softener	NSF/ANSI 44	Salt, brine tank, valve settings, resin
Whole-house carbon filter	NSF/ANSI 42	Cartridge or media on the maker’s schedule
Drinking water filter	NSF/ANSI 53	Cartridge on the maker’s schedule
Reverse osmosis unit	NSF/ANSI 58	Filters and membrane on the maker’s schedule

Follow each filter’s cartridge schedule from its maker. For reverse osmosis, the EPA notes that a typical point-of-use unit sends five gallons or more of reject water down the drain for every gallon it makes, and some inefficient units up to 10. If your RO unit seems to be running to drain all the time, ask for it to be checked. In Texas, servicing RO equipment needs a Class III Water Treatment Specialist, or supervision by one, unless the person is a licensed plumber.

Signs it is time to book a visit

Between scheduled visits, these are the signs to book one sooner. None of them means the softener has failed, but each is worth a check:

• The salt level has not changed in a long while
• Spots on glasses or crust on faucets are coming back
• The brine tank holds more water than usual
• The control valve shows an error or keeps losing the time
• Water pressure in the house seems lower than it was
• You can hear the unit running to drain at odd times

If the softener has clearly stopped softening, book a repair rather than routine service: the repair page has the safe checks to make first.

Your water heater and softened water

Water utilities warn that some softening systems have the potential to increase the corrosivity of the water, which in turn can damage the anodes in a water heater. A service visit is a good time to ask whether your softener’s settings suit your water and whether the anode in your water heater should be inspected.

Who may service a softener in Texas

Servicing is part of the Texas license rule, not only installing. TCEQ’s Water Treatment Specialist rule covers any individual who under contract installs, exchanges, connects, maintains or services water treatment equipment. That person needs a Water Treatment Specialist license unless exempt, and plumbers licensed under Texas Occupations Code Chapter 1301 are exempt. Class II covers servicing softeners; Class III covers reverse osmosis.

Moving into a house with a softener

If you have bought or rented a San Antonio home that came with a softener, you may know nothing about it. A first service visit is the time to learn. Before it, find out what you can:

1. Read the make and model from the control valve or the tank label
2. Look for the owner’s manual, or ask the seller or landlord for it
3. Find the bypass valve and the brine tank
4. Note what is in the brine tank: salt, potassium chloride, or nothing
5. Check your bill to confirm SAWS supplies your water

Then ask the pro to test the hardness before and after the softener, set the valve for your water and household, and tell you what upkeep the maker expects. Keep a simple record of each visit: the date, the readings and what was done. It makes the next visit quicker and helps if the house is sold.

Questions before you sign up for a service plan

1. What exactly is included in each visit, and how often will you come?
2. Do you follow the maker’s schedule for my model?
3. Do you test hardness before and after, and will you give me the readings?
4. Are salt, cartridges and parts included, or charged separately?
5. Which Texas license do you hold for softeners and for RO?
6. Can I cancel, and what happens if I do?

If your softener has stopped softening, that is a repair rather than routine service: see softener repair. If you are thinking about a new unit, start with water softeners in San Antonio.

Questions people ask