Did you know that water softeners need to perform a recharge cycle every so often in order to continue providing soft water? Read below to learn about what happens in each stage of a recharge cycle.
The Stages of a Recharge
Average total time: 2 - 2 1/2 hours. The display panel will flash 'Recharging' or Recharge Now' during the process. A picture of the process is below.
*Optional Clean Cycle* - some units have an additional clean cycle consisting of a Backwash and Rinse scheduled before the start of the recharge. Your owner's manual will state if your unit has this. It comes defaulted off so refer back to your manual if you'd like to set it up.
The water softener is considered in "Service" when it is normally functioning. After it goes through the following steps here, it goes back into "Service," softening the water again.
- Fill – The unit will fill the brine tank with water for around 5-15 minutes. The water level can fill the salt tank anywhere between a few inches to a few feet.
- Brine Draw & Brine Rinse – The unit will take the salty brine water in the tank and run it through the resin beads inside the fiberglass tank. This slow process will clean the beads of any iron or hardness mineral buildup. Brining takes around two (2) hours and it slowly flows to the drain.
- Backwash – Fresh water flows upwards through the resin beads to rinse the residual salty brine water and remaining mineral deposits down the drain. This lasts around 6-12 minutes.
- Rinse – Fresh water flows downward through the resin beads to recompact and organize them for normal service flow. This cycle lasts around 2-3 minutes.