Water softener... to use or not to use?
Question:I have a Sears Kenmore wter softener that was here when we bought the house (our first house). We are unsure how to use it, so when we first moved in we kept it on and filled the salt. Then we decided to bypass it, and we had great pressure in our sinks and tub. Now after we had it tested, I feel that we would benefit to use it again, but after sitting for 3 years unused, I am not sure how to get it up and running safely again. Is it best to keep it bypassed or should I start it up again? I live in s/e Michigan in town (city water). It is hard water and a bit rusty.
Answers:
First it is going to take awhile to get it going again so don't be worried if your water is hard for a while. I suggest you call Sears and have them look at it it should still work but sitting up for 3 years may have gotten it a little clogged up and you want clear clean water not the rust that will come throughgh on the first charge .
But if you want to try it your self then hook a water hose to the outlet and just run water throu it till it is clear . Once you add the salt things will loosen up in there so you may want to put a filter on it .
You should be fine to take the softener out of bypass. The unit has no moving parts so there is not much that can go wrong with it. Leaving it in bypass however will over time cause build up in your pipes and appliances and premature failure on water heater and dishwasher elements.
If you are on city water, complain to the department of health. The water you're paying for should not be rusty.
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