Your water hardness can change with the seasons. Spring rains flush minerals into groundwater. Summer droughts concentrate them. Test your water twice a year.
January and July are great months to test. Write the number on a sticky note. Stick it on your softener. It’s your water’s horoscope.
If you have well water, it’s even wilder. One day it’s pure, next day it’s a mineral soup. Test monthly until you see a pattern. Become a water detective.
Here’s a hilarious fact: some people buy softeners and never set the hardness. They just hit “start.” That’s like cooking a steak without checking the heat—you get a disaster.
The Brine Tank Lineup
Don’t forget salt level. If your brine tank runs low, your softener can’t regenerate even with perfect settings. A half-empty tank is like a car with no gas.
Keep salt above the water level. Check it every two weeks. It’s the gym membership for your softener—small effort, big results.
Pro tip: use pellet salt for fewest problems. Solar salt is cheaper but leaves sludge. Rock salt? Only if you like cleaning your tank with a chisel. Trust me, it’s not fun.
