First up: listen. Your softener is normally quieter than a librarian on a coffee break. When it starts regenerating, it suddenly sounds like a small, angry robot is tap-dancing inside a metal barrel. You’ll hear a faint, rhythmic whoosh followed by a weird, gravelly gurgle.
I call it the “spider-crawl” because it sounds like a thousand tiny legs dragging across wet sand. If you’re standing nearby and hear that, do not panic. It’s not a plumbing demon—it’s just your softener cleaning itself with the enthusiasm of a teenager finally unbanned from the shower.
If you hear nothing at all for days, your unit might be broken. Or it’s too busy being polite. A slient softener is a happy softener, but a regenerating one has a little personality.
