Salty Water From a Water Softener

Why softened water shouldn't taste salty

A softener swaps hardness minerals for sodium. NDSU Extension says about 8 mg/L of sodium is added for every grain of hardness removed. On very hard water that adds up, but most people can't taste it. A salty taste is a sign of brine, the concentrated salt solution from the salt tank, getting past the rinse.

So the question is what stopped the rinse from doing its job.

Likely causes

1. 1

   Cause 1: Water used during regeneration

   If someone showers or runs the dishwasher while the softener is regenerating, water can be drawn through the valve mid-cycle. GE's manual already tells you to avoid hot water use during regeneration, because the water heater refills with hard water. Brine in the lines is one more reason to wait. If the salty taste only shows up early in the morning, check when your softener is set to regenerate.

2. 2

   Cause 2: Restricted or kinked drain line

   The drain line carries the used brine away. If it's kinked, crushed, clogged or run too high, the brine can't leave fast enough and part of it stays in the resin tank. GE lists a restricted drain hose as a cause of salty water and says to clean and reconnect it. Whirlpool says to avoid drain runs longer than 30 feet or more than 8 feet above the floor.

3. 3

   Cause 3: Low water pressure

   The rinse and the injector both depend on pressure. GE's fix for salty water after installation is to check that pressure is at least 20 psi, and Whirlpool says the same for low-pressure problems on a well. On well water, watch the pressure gauge during regeneration. A pump that can't keep up during backwash makes for a weak rinse.

4. 4

   Cause 4: Clogged injector

   A partly blocked injector (nozzle and venturi) draws brine slowly, so the brine stage runs long and the rinse can't clear it all. Fleck lists a plugged injector or screen among the causes of excessive water in the brine tank. Clean it: bypass, unscrew the cap, remove the screen, disc, gasket and flow plugs, wash, and reassemble with silicone grease on the O-ring.

5. 5

   Cause 5: Too much water in the brine tank

   More water in the salt tank makes more brine than the rinse can handle. SpringWell says salty-tasting water can be a sign of too much standing water in the brine tank. Fleck's list of causes for excess water includes a plugged drain line flow control and a plugged injector. If your salt tank is flooded, fix that first using brine tank full of water.

6. 6

   Cause 6: Salt setting too high

   A salt dose set higher than the softener needs makes more brine than the rinse can clear. Fleck traces a unit that uses too much salt to an improper salt setting. Check the dose against your manual.

Water tastes salty after regeneration

If the taste is worst right after a regeneration and fades, the rinse is too short or too weak for the amount of brine drawn. Run cold water for a minute or two after the cycle and see if it clears. If it does, the fix is in the drain line, the pressure or the salt setting above. If it never clears, the valve may be letting brine through all the time, which means internal seals and a service call.

Salty taste that isn't the softener

Bypass the softener for a day and taste the water again. If it's still salty, the softener isn't the cause. EPA's secondary standards link a salty taste to chloride above 250 mg/L and sulfate above 250 mg/L. Well water near the coast, near road salt storage or in some geologies can carry both. Test with a state-certified lab before you spend money on the softener.

If someone in the house is watching sodium, Virginia Cooperative Extension suggests softening only the hot water and drinking unsoftened cold water.

When to call a pro

Call for service if the drain line, pressure and injector check out and the water is still salty, or if it tastes salty all the time rather than after regeneration. HomeGuide puts typical water softener repairs at $150 to $600, plus $40 to $100 for the service call.