What's the correct way to clean a water softener brine tank? (tanks, vacuum)
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My house came with a Rainsoft TC model and I forgot to fill up the salt tank with salt. Now there's grim and dirty looking water at the bottom of the tank.
I managed to drain out the water but I'm not sure how to properly clean the grim that has accumulated on the inside wall of the tank. The tank itself cannot be removed of the ground so it's hard to reach the bottom.
Any kind of food safe cleaning should be okay, but getting the scrub water out is the problem. I would probably scrub it with a little mild bleach water, or some mild brine and a long-handled scrub brush, then use a Shop-Vac or a portable pump to suck it dry. One or two rinses can't hurt.
Letting a mild bleach solution stand for a few hours might be helpful, too. Make sure it doesn't get sucked back into the system.
Why not just call a company that sells and services water softeners and ask them? Probably a much better source than people guessing on the internet.
I wouldn't argue with your suggestion in general, but water softener systems are fairly simple, especially the brine tank - it's just the container of very strong saline used to backflush the softener medium. Any cleaning method that is water/food safe and leaves no chemicals behind you wouldn't find in drinking water (salt or a trace of chlorine) can't be wrong. I doubt there's any fancier way to clean it, although a water company might have all the tools and tanks and stuff ready to use.
I also maintained my system, including calcide replacement, for five or six years.
In all honesty, clean out the worst of it, then reload with salt and go on. That tank you're going to spend hours trying to clean is going to be dirty again within a month.
And, yes - it's what I've done since 1976 here in the San Antonio area. I tell my customers to let the softener consume 99% of the salt, then vacuum out the rest, getting any silt/sand that's been deposited over the years, then put it back into service. For most of my customers, I suggest it be done every 5-10 years.
In all honesty, clean out the worst of it, then reload with salt and go on. That tank you're going to spend hours trying to clean is going to be dirty again within a month.
And, yes - it's what I've done since 1976 here in the San Antonio area. I tell my customers to let the softener consume 99% of the salt, then vacuum out the rest, getting any silt/sand that's been deposited over the years, then put it back into service. For most of my customers, I suggest it be done every 5-10 years.
Thank you for the tip. I have no idea how this thing works and for some reason thought that the tank mixes with drinking water.
Do I need to put some water at the bottom before I add salt pellets?
I would try a clean brush broom, and then a shop vac to vacuum out the water and muck afterwards?
on edit... I see I had the same idea as above!
I have seen a lot of suggestions here (and otherwise) to use a shop vac.
That doesn't seem very sanitary unless the hose is new and/or cleaned and sanitized. The shop vac hose has probably been in some dirty places that I wouldn't want to come in contact with a water supply.
Thank you for the tip. I have no idea how this thing works and for some reason thought that the tank mixes with drinking water.
Do I need to put some water at the bottom before I add salt pellets?
Yes and no. The tank holds the salt, to which water is then added to form the brine solution used to regenerate the resin during the recharge cycle ONLY. It's drawn into the resin by tap water, (which is typically chlorinated) then rinsed with more tap water. I've never seen an instance where contamination occurred because of a brine tank.
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