We generally do not recommend watering plants with softened water. This is due to the sodium levels. Sodium can dehydrate plants and trick them into thinking they've absorbed more water than they have.
On the other hand, softened water is ideal for washing your car or outdoor windows to avoid spotting. You'll want to ensure that your outdoor faucets are softened, though.
Are your outdoor water faucets softened?
To test this:
1. Turn off all water in the home, including dishwasher and washing machines if they are running.
2. Hold the Select/Program button until '000' appears on the screen. The '000' is your water flow meter - if it's counting, that means water is still being used somewhere.
3. Once you've confirmed all water is turned off, open the outdoor spigot you want to test. Leave the spigot open with running water and go back and check the softener's screen for numbers counting rapidly. If they are counting, that spigot is being softened. If the numbers do not count, that spigot is not being softened.
How do I work around softened spigots?
If your outdoor spigots are softened, you can bypass the softener while you are watering the lawn. To do this, push the handle IN on the back of your unit:
NOTE: Pushing this handle in will bypass softened water to the whole home. Be sure to pull the handle back out when you are done using the outside spigot.
Please let us know if this article was helpful by voting below.