Water Softener Cleaning & Restore it Like New - Don't skip this EASY maintenance

[@SilverCymbal]

Please thumbs up and subscribe - To order iron out from the video click here: amzn.to/3mJLYD1 / If you are looking for a new softener this is the current version of mine, easy to install and works very well, price is unbeatable with free delivery: amzn.to/2ICkQm2

[@pt7904]

I have this exact same unit about maybe 1 or 2 years younger. Never knew they needed cleaning even though it originally came with a small sample bottle of the Iron out. I assumed you simply replace the unit when it fails but cleaning it would definitely be easier. Great video and info, thanks!

[@SilverCymbal]

@@pt7904 I appreciate that a lot thank you

[@davidspl]

Thanks for everything

[@countysheepdog55]

*Geezers! Why didn't my installers tell me this?!* Mine was installed 2016!!!

[@SilverCymbal]

@@countysheepdog55 Probably so that you can replace the whole unit sooner than you need to. Sad but true many times.

[@johngiannone7694]

Great video. Out of desperation I tried the iron out. The water softener had been turning the water grey-brown, and when the water softener was bypassed, the discoloration went away. This proved the discoloration was due to the softener. The softener was put on bypass for the past 6 months to stop discoloration. Then I saw your video and tried one treatment of the Iron Out. IT WORKED!

[@purehitman24]

I work on softener systems. I do not recommend sending it into a Regen in the middle of the day like this video. Reason is other water devices will be in use and depending on your unit it could take 2 hours to completely Regen. The Regen process needs the best water pressure you can give it so doing it when you're headed to bed and not using other things is the best time.

[@dalpz205]

I have hard water where I live. This seems like a lot of maintenance to soften water. Is it worth it?

[@purehitman24]

@@dalpz205 hard water is completely personal preference. It's the PH, iron and other minerals or bacteria (if you're in a well) that you want tested for

[@dalpz205]

@@purehitman24 Ah ok. Thanks. Was curious what the benefit was. Not in a well, just TX city water.

[@purehitman24]

@@dalpz205 you could still have iron coming through your water or other stuff you might not want. I'd recommend getting a water test just to make sure. If you have iron in your water you'll notice staining in your toilets. It will also mess up dishwashers, washing machines, ice machines, and faucets. Completely rendering them useless. Normally city water is fine on their PH but if that's off it will eat copper pipes up.

[@purehitman24]

@@dalpz205 no problem

[@mikknapper5311]

As a relatively new homeowner who’s having to learn all about hard water, septic systems, etc, thanks for a great and helpful video

[@danmarley2886]

IT WORKS, FAST AND INEXPENSIVE. ALMOST TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE. My dishes had spots after rinsing. My plumber said the resin beads had gone bad. Shortly afterwards, I saw this video and decided to try the remedy. IT WORKS, WHAT MORE CAN I SAY BUT THANKS A MILLION!

[@kjweinstein]

Honestly, if you missed your calling as a high school or middle school teacher, we should talk. There is no one on the internet with better, clearer house videos than you. I cannot thank you enough for your deft editing.

[@LIBERTY0RDEATH]

He is a teacher just not in a traditional classroom. Instead he can reach hundreds of thousands of people. Thank you for the video it is very informative.

[@gearheadtechnology]

He's not a teacher he's a sales person with affiliate links.

[@edwardadkins8771]

As a guy who has built and serviced water softeners this is a great video. Great job explaining how water softeners work.

[@SpencerStephenson]

I would have never guessed Fred Armisen knew this much about water softeners, but I’m glad he does. Thanks, Fred!

[@ED-he7ts]

Too funny!

[@Lakelandcowboy69]

I bought a water softer from home Depot. they installed it and gave to tips or information on how to maintain it. this was about 15 years ago and tried to charger over $4,000 for the unit. I will never buy one from the again. now I'm going to try this to see if I can get it worked ng again. has not worked In 2 years, just sitting there unplugged and filled with salt. great video. thanks so much. hope it works.

[@joelevans2087]

So glad I found this video. I immediately went to lowes, bought Iron out and some more salt pellets and poured the formula in my defunct 13 year old water softener. It immediately started filling with water as soon as I hit the recharge button. Thank you thank you!

[@hannahpreece3651]

Where filled with water? I have the same unit as the video and I’ve never seen water in it? Thanks.

[@starofthehighestpowers9837]

@Joel I'm reading in the comments that is better to stay away from the pellets because they have a binding agent to keep it's shape and it causes problems to system. They recommend solar salt or crushed crystal salt.

[@tinocasta1569]

Same

[@joelevans2087]

@@starofthehighestpowers9837 thanks

[@jermainephillips5179]

Been using this for years. Notice my water pressure wasn't what I thought it should be so I put this iron out directly in the brine cavity.night and day difference. Tried raising pressure on the water pressure switch different water tanks cleaned all the fixtures nothing worked.took me awhile to realize resin beds can Rob water pressure when dirty.i figured the regeneration took care of that.now I use it regularly. Good stuff

[@mikeziegler7008]

We recently moved into a house in which the water softener system had been neglected. The well water was practically off the charts 'hard' and it did not appear as if any salt had been added in months... even though the prior owners lived there up until the day before we moved in. The company that installed the system came out and added some salt and did a regen and nothing else. After very little improvement I found this video. After performing two of the Iron Out treatments described in this video, our system is working perfectly! Thank you for this awesome tip!

[@riotwarrior]

did this to two Kinetico used systems we purchased and it has thoroughly cleaned both. We live in an RV and purchased a used small system very suitable for RV life. It works great, the only issue is when it regens you get unsoftened water. We then picked up a dual tank setup that regens one tank and runs through the other, this always provides softened water which for an RV is much better. I dosed the second unit with a high concentration of Iron out and it has got it tip top to where we have fully softened water all the time now. THANKS FOR THIS VIDEO.

[@shenmue5765]

Awesome video. First time well water softener owner here. Mine is dead so the water guy said and wanted to charge me $5k to replace the softener system. I will try your method out and see if this works. We'll report back.

[@ooopticnerveee]

Did it work out for you?

[@byronl.perkinslifeboardvr7058]

I’d like to know as well. Did it work for you?

[@jmabs5096]

5k?!! Systems arent more then $400-$1000 bucks for a decent one. If you already have the plumbing it's simple disconnect lines, drag old unit out, new lines and machine in and your done

[@gjretired]

​@@jmabs5096I was just quoted $2000.

[@MsSmellybob]

I use super iron out.. crazy how well it worked. I even bought resin to replace the old as i thought the system had no hope. Within just a day or two the discolored, stinky water was gone.

[@bryanh1944FBH]

This works! Thank you. I was going to replace mine. But, then tried this. I gave it two treatments. It works like new again. Incredible!!

[@bradsonnicksen6907]

This is probably the most informative video I've ever seen on KZbin. I've searched the internet endlessly just out of curiosity because I wanted to know how exactly does it make the water soft. (I never did get an answer) But you explained it perfectly!! And now that I've let my salt run out a couple times over the years, I understand what I should do to cleanse the pellets. Thank you so much for posting this!!!!

[@SilverCymbal]

Glad it was helpful! Thank you so much for the kind words too!

[@BlueRice]

yeah, i always wonder too but i never google it. they used the term it scrub the water but never understood how. i thought if it scrub the water wouldnt the salt cause corrosion anyways. now it makes sense.

[@docmadhattan]

How's your water softener holding up now after the Iron Out?

[@bradsonnicksen6907]

@@docmadhattan It helps a little, but after 20 years, I think I'm just due for a replacement. I've let it run out of salt too many times, and the IronOut will only do so much.

[@toddbunnett640]

We moved into a house that had had an older whirlpool softener in it and our water was bad. The house had also sat dormant for about 6 months before we moved in. I did this with the whirlpool stuff. Did back to back recharges and the water flowed a glowing orange for a good minute after before it ran clear. This is definitely a necessity.

[@pam5968]

Thanks. We just bought a house that has been largely unoccupied for the last 18 months. The Whirlpool softener was empty of salt and I didn't know if this would help.

[@12345uoykcuf]

I'm so very sorry I forgot to get back to you, yes I used this product and it worked great, as a matter of fact It work so good, that I bought 6 containers of it, using all the time, not only for my softener, works great on rusty auto parts, takes the rust off better than any other product I used before...I give it 5 stars *** again Thank You.

[@gkc5713]

I highly recommend Solar Salt if it’s available in your area. Salt pellets can contain a binding agent to help keep the pellet shape. That binding agent can degrade the performance of the softener and resin tank quicker too. Solar salt is mostly flakes and more “natural” and better long term in the unit. I have been using for 15+ years on well water and have had no issues.

[@bryanwalters1041]

Exactly!!! That is why his system keeps getting "build up". Did you notice his digital read out said 300+ days..........ya right! So he pours some pretty extreme chemical (witch's brew) into it. SMH.

[@bryanwalters1041]

@Alden Buyer Are you saying that you have had the same water softener since 1989?

[@thomasbrusky3297]

GKC......exactly what the tech said regarding the pellets versus solar salt.

[@toneyfamily1398]

I like solar salt, but kinetico recommends pellets

[@mkenyon7429]

We have a Kinetico twin media tank system. It is going on 35 years old. You helped me remember why we have the twin. We use the iron out green bags of salt so that may be why we have never had to rejuvenate the media. Also it works on water volume so overriding is not goin work. Still I may try this and hope it lasts another 35 years. Note Kinetico does not make parts for out old unit. I did not need any but asked and they told me I would need a new system.

[@jeremyd9579]

I used to work for a water conditioning company. A great chemical we used was called Res-Up. Also the pellets are notorious for caking and bridging. If you can use a crushed salt or solar salt you will have great success! Great video!

[@naturalobserver]

Yes, the pellets caused me no end of issues. Thought they were supposed to avoid caking but they were worse by far!

[@Jbiglin]

Thanks for the tip!

[@p1dru2art]

Did you ever run into anybody Mention or use Borax.... it's not a soap it's just a compound with the element boron.... what I'm wondering is to assist in cleaning the resin pellets I've used vinegar

[@clapclapscream]

@@naturalobserverdo you use the crystals instead? I also heard to use pellets to avoid salt bridges. So I avoided the crystals

[@naturalobserver]

​@@clapclapscreamYes, I use Morton Professional Water Softening Crystals. On the front of the bag, it also says "All Natural and High Purity Salt". The front of the bag is dark blue(?black) near the top and light blue for the rest of it. I'm not sure if this is the same as Morton Pure and Natural or not. I looked for "Morton Professional" water softening link but it's not even on manufacturer's site. Perhaps my local hardware has a lot of bags from before the name was changed? I emailed Morton to see if it's still the same name. Will repost. I'm guessing it's probably the Pure and Natural now, instead of Professional...

[@barbschank7267]

Great information, maintenance saves a fortune, so many people never maintain these things and they wonder why every five years they’re replacing them? During humid times of the year, to avoid a salt bridge we only put in a bag of salt at a time.

[@lotsofthisandthat9791]

My water is so hard and with iron you can walk on it! I use Iron Out twice monthly and works wonders in managing iron and also preventing costly repairs. Prior to my using Iron Out, I would have a break down of the plunger system about every 18-24 months, costing $200 repairs each time! I have been using Iron out for over 3 yrs and no breakdown yet! Water is much better quality also! I love Iron Out! Works great on iron stains of toilets too!

[@lauramangone2975]

Do you put the iron out where the salt pellets are?

[@rockinrobyn1423]

Thank you! My water softener is turning my water yellow so I’m buying the iron out and trying this! Will update to let you know how it turns out

[@phillipderrow3545]

This actually worked, thanks! My water softener is 17 years old and I never did any maintenance on the unit (sad to say). This inexpensive and easy suggestion made a big difference in water quality and even water pressure, again thanks!

[@DaleFraga-yy9rs]

Why does my unit keep recycling

[@scottdorn9269]

Fantastic video exposing the truth about why most softeners don't work well. I was about to replace mine, but maintenance should give it several more years of life. Thanks!

[@alexnguyen2802]

Thank you. My local hardware store didn't have Iron Out, but I found something similar. Took me 5min to prepare then started a recharge. It made a huge difference (i have hardness test strips, but you can easily feel the difference). I never knew about this. So glad i stumbled upon your video because i was just about ready to buy a new softener unit.

[@terran236]

Just did this, what a difference. Water was feeling super hard. Got super dry skin and hair and the soap was not soaping lol. Also read on a different video that you can also use citric acid for maintenance.

[@DrivingHy]

Holy Guacamole! I've watched and enjoyed a lot of your videos and really appreciate the time and effort you put into them. But this one has really saved me!!! Our old (circa 2007) softener has mostly been reliable but due to my negligence and lack of any maintenance I ran into a problem and thought I'd have to bite the bullet and replace it. Overall the softener has been marginal but due to my own negligence I let the salt run out so you can guess the results... Anyway I watched the video thought what the hell and picked up some Iron Out. After following your instructions I did notice a chemical odor and funny taste from the water so I ran a 2nd backwash. Since I'd never done anything but add salt over the last 15 years It took about 2-3 days for the odor and taste to disappear but more importantly the results really shocked me. The water didn't instantly turn soft but during the course of about 4-5 days it kept getting better. It's now at the point where I honestly believe it's as good as new! Many thanks for sharing this!

[@jaynefranzinoromero1640]

I've used Rust Off for years in the toilet to clean tge toilet. I have a serious rust problem. The product works perfectly. It's caustic so don't breath in the dust from it. I eliminated my heavy rust problem now by putting in place first a neutralizer unit, then, second, the water goes through the water softener and then thru an iron filter. My water is perfect for the first time in 8 years.

[@chelseybriggs7482]

Can you tell me what brand of system you went with? My water has so much iron in it, I think it will need a pre filter like yours.

[@multirotormanish7220]

Amazing!!! We had a power outage and the tanks were emptied by accident. Once power was restored I noticed the water was not soft and smelled of iron. I did a manual regen and the problem got worse. Turned out the Iron removal tank drain plugged itself with iron, and the backwash of iron ended up in the softener. I used the Iron Out as you recommended and the water is starting to turn clear again. Thank you Thank you Thank you!!!! UPDATE 11-2021: I ended having to replace both my iron removal tank as well as my softener. The Iron Out did work for a little while but the system was too far gone to recover.

[@SilverCymbal]

So glad it helped!

[@Jordynfire]

Thank you, we moved into a house with a water softener. It ran out this summer, I have no idea how long it was out for but we looked and there was no salt. So these videos are very helpful for us. I may need to actually clean the brine tank I had no idea that was possible.

[@alanbento5929]

I have a 12 year old Culligan system that was completely malfunctioning. Had gotten estimates and was close to dropping about 3k on a new system. After watching your video and following your instructions, I flushed my system with iron out and it works like new all over again. Amazing, can't thank you enough, give it a try people this stuff really gets the job done. Thank You so much!!!

[@rsmail7426]

Estimates from crooks/criminals. So many bad people now.

[@chingatumadre199]

Is Culligan good overall?

[@ChrisZwolinski]

Great, informative video. We have inherited the need to maintain my in-laws softener. My Mother-in-law recently passed away and she was the one who knew what was going on with the system maintenance. When I checked the tank, there was almost no salt. I'm not sure how bad the softener is / was. Once I got the salt filled up, I ran the regenerate cycle with the Iron out. I'm amazed at how well the iron-out works. I put some in the bathroom sinks that had very bad rust stains. It cleaned them to a like new condition. There is a smell from the water, so I may run the process again.

[@DanAndreiVladut]

Hey, I did the same thing and the water smells bad. This is only one day later. Did the smell go away?

[@georgeburns6512]

@@DanAndreiVladutany update? Lol

[@420WILD]

I've been using my water softener for 2+ years and never did this...all I ever did was add salt. I don't know if it needs this or not, but I tried this treatment just now. Here's hoping for some noticeable difference!

[@TerryKashat]

Noticeable difference ?

[@420WILD]

@@TerryKashat didn't notice any

[@redscarf1783]

man thank u so much,,, i was a step away from calling someone to check my softener. this method saved my time and money

[@Jaunty904]

I was ready to replace mine/replace resin. But it's old, and was on the fence about replacing it entirely. My 12+unit now works like new!! Thank you! :)

[@SilverCymbal]

So glad to hear that it worked out well for you. Thanks for letting me know

[@sepinac]

@@SilverCymbal hello just came across your video instructions and followed them , excited to try my system after emptying salt container and putting new salt and adding Iron Out, Does it always work on the first attempt or I should try regenerating one more time. Thanks you.

[@donaldbracciano832]

I have a 50 year old Artesian Water Conditioner 60,000 grain now on city water and only regenerate it every 6 months. I live alone and don’t use a lot of water. Water is real soft. Used Iron out through the 42 years on well water. Not much trouble with unit. Replaced control valve, brine tank parts and the timer motor. Still running strong. Only has 12 day skipper wheel but I keep power off until I regenerate it manually. Cannot get timer parts anymore so I keep power off. Control valve parts and brine parts are available on a service call. Can run thousands of gallons before I need to regenerate it. I use pellet salt and add iron out occasionally. Unit and salt tank all fiberglass.

[@CarlosCruz-mw4hp]

I’m in the process of buying a new house that needs a water softener system. I have no experience with this. This comes up as a recommendation on my page. Awesome!

[@blancaaracelybolanos4362]

We will be more than happy to help you in the buying of ur whole house water treatment. Wasap 954 253 4271.

[@bryanrocker5033]

I would like to add one comment about the salt bags. they have a nice easy tear line that usually works. Do not leave it attached to the bag. Remove it. While doing maintenance to my softener several years ago, I let my softener go to the bottom. I removed a bunch of the salt in the bottom. while cleaning it out I came a across several of those bag corners that the had fallen in while filling. For those with Super Duper hard water like I do, white vinegar is your friend for cleaning the valves, filters and what not.

[@dockeydidit]

It's amazing how so many people don't know what and how things should get regular maintenance when owning a home. Specially first time owners. Along with bringing back home ec in schools they should add a week or 2 of being a first time home owner and basic car maintenance. Where and when to change air filters for heat and air, checkup on HVAC units, the need for water heater flushing, when to open or close crawl space vents or which way to flip the switch on a ceiling fan for summer or winter, how long shingles actually last. Where the fluids go in a car, how to change a tire, and the need for regular oil changes and tire rotation. Sure not all things will apply to everyone but a brief explanation of these are the things that will need maintenance and when they should be done; either by you or have them done. Wish I had basic info before problems came up to actually know ALL these things were even needed.

[@DarkTideOffroad]

be quiet

[@Jay-sv5np]

We are getting a C series installed tomorrow and this business has been around since 1955 and is a family own company and they told us today to never use any chemicals as they are poisonous. If you like to do it right talk to someone that actually no their stuff. Found out today that many water softeners don't do the job buy makeing your water softer and the one we have now till tomorrow turns out was not even coming close to doing its job aways great to no lol. You also need at lease a 3/4 inch line for backwash or your system won't get the job done. It's nice when company's do their jobs and make sure they're customers are satisfied. So many out their do a terrible job and most of us would not think anything about it. Do not add any chemicals unless told others as you do drink the water and it can take 3 backwash to fully clean that stuff out.

[@nanaman]

Cleaning the Venturi valve and changing out the valve gasket on my softener was helpful as well! Thank you for your advice

[@lounar482]

He is so right. I placed a new water filter prior to my softener and the filtration was to high which caused the flow of hard water to be slowed and it limited the ability to make brine. My beebees looked like the ones on your vid. You can buy and replace your old beebees pretty easily if they are seriously contaminated. After that use the iron out regularly.

[@LoveClassicMusic0205]

I don't have a water softener, but found this video interesting nevertheless. You do a good job of explaining everything. I have used Iron Out in the past. It works great for removing rust stains from toilet tanks.

[@rchokelal]

I have been wanted to learn more about our softener. We moved to a house that has one, after never owning one before.

[@Goonies-xh3qr]

Great video, but one thing we didn't hear. Can you use your water right away or should you refrain from using your water for a certain period of time after starting the regen cycle? Thanks!

[@Mark7thH]

My 40,000 grain Whirlpool water softener had completely stopped working. Didn't notice for months it wasn't pulling in water from the brine tank. So, for months it wasn't cleaning the resin. I tried this and was amazed. I had never heard of this product, or using it in a water softener. But to my surprise, it release so much iron that the rinse stage wasn't enough. I had to repeatedly fill a washing machine. Fill, drain, fill, drain about 5 or 6 times before the water cleared up. Afterwards my water was completely soft again. As the softener never uses much salt, as it's the digital, programmable for hardness and water metered variety, I thought nothing of it. So, I have no idea how long this was going on. But it's like new again. And the water that was coming out of the line, even after the cleaning and rising of the resin was dark, reddish brown from the iron. I'm anxious to do it again soon. Great tip to completely restore the appliance. I've often wondered about using CLR for calcium, lime and rust, but this did the trick & mine is back up and running like new. Thanks again!!!

[@gregmercil3968]

Over a week ago I completely cleaned out my junky old contaminated softener. Long story short, there was a clog in a drain pipe which caused dirty soapy water from my washing machine to back up into the softener itself. I got out as much of the gross water as possible with a cup, then got the rest out with a wet/dry shop vac. I then scooped out the remaining salt, and a layer dirty salt sludge on the bottom that I didn't even know was there. I hosed it out many times over until the water ran clear, then I filled the brine tank about halfway up with water, then added a little bit of dish soap and a little bleach and let it sit for about 30 minutes. Then drained it out, hosed it out repeatedly until there were no more soap bubbles. I then reconnected everything, put it back in "service" mode and ran two regeneration cycles. Then added about 40 lbs of salt, did a 3rd regeneration cycle and hoped for the best. Seemed to work good after that, so couple days later I added 80 more lbs of salt. My softener now works better than it ever has, like it's brand new. It didn't even work this good when we moved into this house. I still can't believe it. I was doubting my process would even work, as I'll admit that I had no idea what I was doing. I guess I got lucky!

[@8barbies779]

hey greg, i doubt you'll see this since it's been a year. i'm so jealous of you! i'm in the process of cleaning mine out now, my utility room is tiny & crammed. had some salt jams & bridges and it took about 6 shop vac loads (which i filled too much & had to get a hand truck to move em:))). doing a regen now, have some sludge & really, really wanna do what you did & just hose & clean, hose & clean - but man! i don't have soap in it, so i'm just hoping when i get my ResCare rk41 & a bunch of regens i can get it clean. i don't even know why i'm responding except i feel your pain & i wish i was like you...done! hahahaha

[@eugeneportnoy900]

Hi I do like few your videos and will try this method for my Culligan water softener. It’s over 7 years old and do not working properly now. I hope this method will rejuvenate my water softener.

[@mikefuss2430]

Amazing! After just one Iron Out treatment, water flow thru the softener has increased dramatically. Our washer has a feature where it errors out if there is insufficient flow. Before, we could not get thru a cycle without it stopping. I watched the flow after the first treatment and it looked like Niagara Falls. We were very close to replacing the unit with a new one. You saved us considerable dollars. Thank you very much!!

[@OKstang77]

Thank you, this is what I was wondering. Years ago we started losing water pressure and all I could figure out was to bypass the softener and that worked. Now I'm going to try this and see if I can restore the pressure back, I miss the water feel with the softener.

[@jimcole2648]

I purchased a Kinetico unit quad with the salt tank separate and the carbon filters and resins. Had this for 5 years and their reverse osmosis K5 and been happy since. Not cheap but well worth it over all. I had kenmore electric and was a POS from day one.

[@SilverCymbal]

I have heard those Kinetico water filters are really good

[@jimcole2648]

Silver Cymbal yes these are a great system. Not cheap but in the long run it will save you. The system I have is the quad so it will automatically regenerate when needed not based on a day and other systems are down when it regenerates that is why most ppl will schedule that when sleeping. This system will switch to the the open system while regenerating so it’s flawless and no down time. My system with reverse osmosis was 5k. No salt turning into a block in the tank ever. The system also uses less water in regeneration then others and does it faster. They custom set based on your area. Well worth it imo

[@flamaest]

Can this solution be used on the kinetico units?

[@jimcole2648]

Fabian La Maestra I have had mine for 5 years and never had to do that. The only thing the installer told me to do is pour a bucket of warm water in the float tube if looks like there is buildup. Other then that it’s never became a block. I have poured water there once. This is a great system. The quad is what I have.

[@dripdropfamily]

Not for $5000 +. Overly priced units. Professional grade units are all the same just the $$$ the salesman puts in his pocket.

[@andersnus]

Pro tip, don't use salt pellets, especially if you stack your salt tank full. It's much more apt to melt and bridge. Use water softner salt that is crystallized only. Also don't use the salt with Iron additive, if you've got a lot of iron in your water, do the iron out like in this video twice a year!

[@andersnus]

Also don't fill your salt tank all the way full unless you've got a large family that uses a lot of water. Check for bridging and if found you'll want to use the iron out and immediately put it into a "regen" cycle and don't use any water while it's cycling.

[@binhmai7273]

Twice a year was what I was looking for. Thnx

[@nikifitzgerald5579]

I have the same GE softener shown here, mine is 6 years old and no where near that clean. I have red stains all over the resin tank and floating in the brine tank. I hope all I have to fix is to clean out the tank ( I had a nasty salt bridge ) and start using Iron out. The water in the tank looks pretty gross, has sediment. I think the salt bridge has been preventing a proper re-cycle. Thanks for the video. Hope this helps!

[@SilverCymbal]

Be sure to watch this video too, I clean the inside of the tank also, this might be good to start with then do the iron out. kzbin.info/www/bejne/bXjElJ5rZdJpmK8

[@kenmascia5879]

I want to thank you for posting this. I have an older Eco water softener and for a year or two my water was getting harder prior to it deciding to regenerate. After using the iron out formula it is working great again! Nice soft water all the time now.. thank you so much!

[@christiankamal7549]

Just had a water system installed. After extensive research, I opted for the ecowater system. It is similar than the GE in this video. Zach, who is part of this family owned business, installed it himself. They build their whole system from A to Z. It comes with a full life time warranty, unlike any other system. ( The max I found is 10 years). Zach explained to me everything one need to know about water softeners, water conditioner, filters, reverse osmosis.... My own research allowed me to ask specific questions. Each one was answered with such clarity and sense that I decided to get the refined system even though it was at least double of the budget I had in mind. In the long run, I will save money and headaches. That said, he also explained to me, as a pioneer and builder of the refined system that uses the best of all worlds, softening, conditioning and filtering, that filling up the salt to the max is a big mistake. You can call him or call Bryan, his father in law, owner of the ecowater system, why it is a mistake. One thing is sure, I never thought I would be so happy with a water system. I wish I knew its benefits long ago. Don't waste your money on cheaper systems that will in fact cost you much more in a not so long run. I am not advertising for ecowater at all. But i can tell that I saw the immediate benefits of a great water treatment system. Honestly, people spend thousands of dollars in hair product. What a waste when you can have the most beautiful and shiny hair after a simple shower. MY OWN EXPERIENCE. I am not even taking about all the other health benefits, cleaner clothes and appliances and plumbing that will certainly never suffer from hard water. Did I forget to mention that the ecowater system didn't reduce the water pressure at all. I let every faucet of the 2 bedrooms condo run simultaneously and had more pressure than needed. I in fact had to keep the faucet not all the way open. One advice though: make sure that, if you never had a water treatment system installed before, to not clog the pipes, lose complete pressure and damage the pipes as the soft water will break down the calcium and whatever else makes the water hard and push it where it will obstruct the flow of water at a certain point. My own neighbor experience. He spent a great amount of dollars fixing the plumbing of his whole condo, a preventable problem when dealing with competent and honest professionals. Plumbers know plumbing. Water treatment pros know both the systems and plumbing. Do like me: research, educate yourself, ask questions and make the right decision based on other factors than a limited budget you may have. Don't cut corners. You will save a lot of money and headaches at the end of the day. If you are in for a 2000 dollars budget, think that you would only spend whatever difference with a better system that will take half the space cheaper systems offer. I personally opted for the top of the line eco water, knowing that I will not have to worry about all the problems that you will encounter with all other systems. Check the cost of a conventional water system. You will find that you will spend in about 10 years at least 3 to 4 times the money of a higher end system. Be careful with the so called pros on you tube who say that the salt systems leave on your skin a film that feels weird and clog the pores... I wanted a saltless system at first. So glad I didn't fall for it. Only a good water system with salt WILL clean your water, I mean softened and condition the water while a good reverse osmosis will provide you with very good drinking water. I can testify here that the salt system by ecowater leaves the skin with the most absolute natural feel. Again, be careful with what people tell you about the effect of salt system on your skin. If you buy an incomplete or cheap system, yes you will experience these problems. Not with ecowater. Thank you Zach for your expertise in the field of water treatment. I didn't want to spend that kind of money, but I know it was the absolute best possible choice. To anyone who would doubt that I am honest about this review, I want to say that when I asked for a discount, Bryan told me: this is my price. I have the best system. I know my product because I build it myself and there is no discount beside the 10% you will get thru COSTCO and that I will give you too if you decide to deal with me directly. Which doesn't make any difference for him. Installation and taxes were included. Others may charge an extra 400 dollars just for the install for instance. Firm but not rude, Bryan made me understand that his confidence in his system is the best possible warranty he could offer. Being 90 years in the business sold me. Thank you Bryan for sticking to your values: honesty and competence are worth every of the 4500 dollars I spent.

[@rdcbj6435]

I have the same system is it still a good idea to put the iron out?

[@christiankamal7549]

@@rdcbj6435 I doubt it would hurt. Is it necessary though. I am not sure. You should contact them

[@joh7538]

I've had a water system for 10 years and never knew about iron out. On my way to Wal-Mart to get some. Thanks for the info!

[@bjbrunetti]

How did it work?

[@eggchin9721]

Results?

[@joh7538]

@@eggchin9721it works

[@TheElderOne2003]

@@joh7538 thanks for coming back a year to update your post!!! Rock on!!

[@joh7538]

@@TheElderOne2003 you're welcome... honestly I forgot to update it when I tried it... my bad. You know how it is, life gets in the way. Stay safe.

[@primordialleftovers2197]

This is the 1st older video I really need to see! 2yeas ago I got a new one like in ur vid. The white one. I never know this is a thing. I am going to store today to get iron out and use it. Thank you so much!

[@thezfunk]

They recommend you totally replace that resin every 7-10 years. I just did mine recently and had to replace some other failing parts but now it works again. As maintenance, I sprinkle in Iron Out powder with every bag when I fill my salt. It always gets a dose with every cycle.

[@SilverCymbal]

Maybe a dealer does but that's not the truth> See this: Water resins typically last 20 to 25 years, but mechanical failure or excessive mineral buildup in the water supply can shorten the lifespan of the resin considerably. If you clean them as I show you can extend the life much longer. Most dealers don't do any maintenance and then tell you to replace, which isn't true or fair for the customer. At least now you can keep your new resin bed in great shape.

[@michaelperkins399]

You can examine the resin for yourself. Iron fouling can be at least partially remedied by chemical treatments such as in this video. On a mains supply the main problem is chlorine attack to the resin cross-links. This will give the beads a tacky feel and over time they will go soft and mushy, then it's no good... Best way to prevent this is a carbon filter ahead of the softener to reduce the chlorine

[@4wolverines]

I have city water & noticed my water didn’t feel as soft s as it used too. My unit was only 5 years old. I did this & I could tell a huge difference in the way my water feels. My question is... if I buy salt with iron out, will this do the same thing & keep me from having to do this? Thanks. It really worked for me!!

[@heatherr1141]

4wolverines I want to know the same thing

[@davidpianosi4512]

It is good to get the information out as people leave these units unattended mostly. I think it would have been important for you to point out the cleaning of the actual mechanism with its little Jets and screens as they get quite cloged up. Also I was told it's not a good idea to fill the reservoir to the top with salt as it will increase the likelihood of salt bridge and you won't even be able to see that has occurred. I never put more than two bags at once of salt. Good job

[@thomaslinehan1941]

I have a salt bridge that is a solid block half way up the tank it will not break. Will putting in iron out in the salt reservior tank break down the salt. I already tried everything from your other video

[@12345uoykcuf]

I have been looking for a way to clean out my resin tank before I have to replace it, I will try super iron out and get back with the results...Thank you very much for this informative video :)

[@SilverCymbal]

Thank you, glad it was helpful.

[@Sour_Owl_Pellets]

Home boy never got back on his results ... R.I.P.

[@12345uoykcuf]

@@Sour_Owl_Pellets I'm so very sorry I forgot to get back to you, yes I used this product and it worked great, as a matter of fact It work so good, that I bought 6 containers of it, using all the time, not only for my softener, works great on rusty auto parts, takes the rust off better than any other product I used before...I give it 5 stars ***** again Thank You.

[@Sour_Owl_Pellets]

@@12345uoykcuf thank you!!!

[@The_Blessed_Cowboy]

I had my discharge line salt off and block the end of the line. One early morning during a regen the machine dumped a heavy brine all over my basement for an entire cycle. Then drained into my septic system. Its actually really hard on your septic system let alone your basement.

[@tonygole9154]

Thank you for this video! I put the iron out in as directed and we saw an immediate improvement in our water!

[@SilverCymbal]

Glad it helped!

[@Belal-Khan]

Amazing and simple explanation. I finally understand how the softener actually works. My softener isn’t working and I suspect it’s because there was a salt bridge that was never cleared for quite some time. This video is essentially confirming my suspicions. I cleaned out the brine tank and filled it with fresh salt, but it still doesn’t seem to be working. Going to give iron out a try tomorrow and report back.

[@taranjenkins7245]

Did it work out?

[@Belal-Khan]

@@taranjenkins7245 I’m not exactly sure if it did. Upon further investigation I found that the brine line to the tank wasn’t secured properly which explained why the water wasn’t draining from the brine tank. I ended up still using the iron out solution when running the regen cycle and my softener is working now. So I’m not exactly sure if it was just the brine line or a combination of using the iron out with the brine line which brought my softener back. It doesn’t hurt to run this in the softener anyways.

[@TheTerminator1919]

Hands down best breakdown of water softeners out there

[@SilverCymbal]

Very nice of you, thank you

[@JM-nl8tr]

It is important to point out that Iron Out only has a five-hour window from when you mix it till it no longer works. The better way to do this is to disconnect your brine line and mix the Iron Out at time of use and draw it directly into the softener. Iron Out also leaves a residue and is extremely poisonous. They make a water softener cleaner that is safe and recommended by manufacturers as well. Might be worth looking into.

[@dodoz44]

Thanks, very well made video. Just moved into a new house and have slightly yellowish water that faintly smells of iron/rust. Never had to deal with water softeners/had no clue how they work until now. About to head to the store for some Iron Out, hope it works!

[@dinaafifi2946]

Thank you so much for this video, it is very informative, easy to understand even for non speaker English like me and direct to the point.

[@BobSmith-mv1kq]

Thanks for this handy tip! I bought a home with my first water softener ever. The previous home owners probably did not take full care of the system and this simple trick refreshed my water so it no longer tastes funny. Thanks again!

[@ryanfitzpatrick4927]

I have that same softener. And my water level never changes

[@hunter6674]

I have had water softners in a few homes now and never knew about this stuff. Thanks for putting this video up. I ordered some from Amazon and will get after it when the bottle comes in next week.

[@geebee380]

How did it go? My water softener is giving me problems with low pressure..

[@davidrogers0717]

I'm going to try this. I had a local plumbing co replace a water heater (was only 3yrs old) and they took a quick look at the water softener and made some adjustments, but also said it might be going bad. Guess who wanted to sell me a new one?

[@tmcpang]

Well, I have an old unit that sits in my basement for quite some times. Now that we think we have a hard water issue, I will try to re-vitalize this unit by following this instruction and magic Iron Out solution. Thanks for the informative video.

[@SilverCymbal]

Thank you very much

[@DRMadeIt]

Did it work

[@TerryKashat]

Did it work?

[@tj1947]

Thanks!

[@pamatthew99]

I'm so glad I found this. I was going to try and take my old softener apart and put new needs in but this was worth a try first. I used your Amazon link to order. Let you know how it works.

[@XxizzyspinzxX]

Any update?

[@junval]

Great video. I will try this on my old unit. Hope it will restore it back to work. Thank you.

[@tautopia]

Great Content! Great Job! Strait forward and to the point without a bunch of unnecessary banter. I wish other content creators would learn from this and follow suit. Thank you!

[@sheluvschoco]

Great video! We use water softener crystals to avoid that block buildup in the salt tank.

[@robertrocheville7769]

I've used the salt with iron treatment in it. I didn't know the science behind it but I think I have a good idea now.

[@SilverCymbal]

Thank you very much

[@rupakeskar6186]

Wow! I am only halfway through watching this and already finding it useful. Thank you for taking the time to do this video!!

[@sweetmozzer95]

This confirms that our phones are listening. I was talking with my wife the other day and said "hey babe, a light is blinking on our water softener and when I looked inside, the salt pellets are down to the 1 mark"... I forgot to do research online on what to do with it, how much it needs, etc. (purchased home with it)..And voila! A recommended youtube video! 😃 I mean, I am happy for the reminder, but damn, kinda creepy.

[@blacklabel130]

@S2 turbine probly a bit the same for me, i got back pain problem was looking on google for info, then when i opened youtube i already had recommended kiro video

[@sabinadonofrio8863]

Llol. I usually mention something that the phone can pick up and within three days I receive an add for it. Yep. Consumerism spy is healthy and well!!

[@dkkdece]

our phone is listening, i have observed many times

[@kayleemiller2075]

Oh yes, they are most definitely listening. If you have "siri", "bixby", "okay google" etc then it's listening at all times. Idk, I say that even if you don't use those things they're still listening! Creepy. I've had this happen on too many occasions for it not to be true. Same with my friends. Just disturbing.

[@Alex-ee5pl]

Folks need to read user agreements. It's in there.

[@Macjohn1419]

Where was this video years ago. My softener gave up the ghost years ago or so I thought. I finally removed it and dumped it. It was great when it worked. I called someone to look at it and all they wanted to do was sell me another. So, I trashed it and sealed up the pipes. I’m done with softeners.

[@AidensFarm24]

So thankful for this video! We just purchased a home with a softener installed and this made a great introduction to the appliance and how to maintain it! Thanks!

[@SilverCymbal]

Glad it helped. thank you

[@debianlinux9448]

Hi Chris can you share your experience ? I need some help and advice to where and which one to buy. Thanks

[@lorenzoh.6571]

Another product noone actually needs but marketing makes it sound like ur missing out when u don't buy buy buy

[@rajendraprasath3713]

Price ??

[@franks4973]

Awesome I hope it works can't wait to try. Mine has just gotten "tired".

[@mikepeifer6502]

This made a huge difference. Thanks so much! Can actually feel like we have soft water now.

[@reapercussion5519]

One of the most helpful home maintenance videos I’ve seen on KZbin. Thank you. This helped me.

[@corybutler5261]

Great video Remember to clean the brine tank out once a year, and buy a water harness checker or kit. And test your water. Double check the programming on your softener for the proper hardness and cycle set up. 👍

[@hannahpreece3651]

How do you clean the brine tank out?

[@hernandezgabriela2806]

Hi I had the problems with the salt now is one rock

[@Samlol23_drrich]

I wish I would have seen this years ago when I first moved into my house. I ultimately had of all the information that you shared, but like all of your videos it was clear and concise and easy to understand

[@SilverCymbal]

Thank you I appreciate that a lot. I had the same situation as you and it's tough to get info on these types of things.

[@Samlol23_drrich]

Silver Cymbal my pleasure. You make fantastic videos. By the way, if you ever replace the resin beads, it would probably make a good video. Not too difficult and I could feel the difference in the water quality.

[@SilverCymbal]

@@Samlol23_drrich Hopefully if you keep up with this cleaning you can get up to 15+ years from a water softener most fail due to the overload of buildup. But if I change them that would be interesting to see for sure. Thanks for the idea and for watching.

[@ericneal8582]

another great video! I use a product called res up in my system and it works great! I generally buy 4 gallons at a time on Amazon which lasts over a year!

[@rogerfurnival]

WELL DONE! Simple and easy to follow without any nefarious verbiage, Thanks and please make video on the more complicated, removing and replacing worn-out, or contaminated resin. 👍👍

[@mmzubairi]

Thanks. I have the same model and couldn't figure out why my water softener stops working every now and then. At first, i thought it was the water bridge issue but now i am pretty sure its that residue build up. I will try that method out and see if that fixes the problem.

[@auktober]

Excellent video. Thanks. I was looking for someone to just spell it out. Good stuff

[@cBodhi]

I am trying to find Iron Out but they make a bottle that says it's a water softener cleaner and then they also have a bottle like you showed that says it's a rust stain remover.. I am unsure which to use??

[@kietchieng795]

Great explanation! I have the same unit in our home and your instructions were so thorough and easy to follow! Thank you!

[@ericd.6368]

This is a great video! Very simple. Very direct. Hopefully this solves my smelly hot water.

[@naturalobserver]

This is great information to get out there. Very practical, helpful, and money saving. You can also just sprinkle about a third of a cup on top of the salt when it's getting down to about the 2 mark (a few days before you're going to put in more salt and you know it's going to recharge soon). This was advised for us by a water analyst. The Iron Out powder has something similar on the instructions for maintenance. I do this every 3-4 months.. depends on your water's iron and your usage.