Water softener question.

[Madison Mike]

We built our new house 7 years ago. I'm wondering if there is something I should be doing with my water softener to clean it, or revive it, or whatever. I went way too long on my last in-line filter change. When I changed the filter recently, the old one was in a pile at the bottom of the holder. There was a black residue on the inside of the holder, and the smell wasn't so pleasant. Is there a chemical that I add to the brine tank to clean it up? And what about cleaning the resin beads inside the softener?

 

[Patrick_B]

That black is bacteria growing. Sterilize and scrub with a bleach solution. Check for good flow on re install, add a 1/4 cup of bleach to the brine tank every few weeks or so.

This will not revive your resin, and it may need replacing. Inquire with a company like Culligan or similar for help.