Step-by-Step Instructions for Cleaning a Water Softening Brine Tank

How to Clean Water Softener Brine Tank

When was the last time you cleaned your water softener's brine tank?

Yes, cleaning your softener's brine tank is right at the top of your "Weekend Fun Activity" list, right? The good news is, a brine tank only needs to be thoroughly cleaned once each year–and it's really not hard. We'll take you through the 12 easy steps to clean a water softener brine tank.

First, one quick disclaimer: Some of the softening salt pellets sold at the supermarket or home improvement store are "evaporative salt pellets" that contain a high level of water-insoluble matter or impurities. This insoluble matter can cause buildup in the reservoir or cause your softener to malfunction. If you notice buildup, the brine tank will need to be cleaned more often than once annually. So when you shop for softening salt, look for labeling on the salt pellet sack that indicates you're getting the highest purity level.

Step-by-Step Instructions for Cleaning a Brine Tank

  1. Follow your system's manufacturer instructions for putting the system in "Bypass Mode". This way, water will bypass the softener for a short period of time so that cleaning can be done.

  2. Disconnect all lines/hoses between the water softener and brine tank.

  3. Siphon or dump water out of the brine tank (not on grass or plants as the high percentage of sodium in this water/salt mixture may hurt lawn or plants).

  4. Take out any remaining salt and discard.

  5. If the brine tank has a salt bridge (one big block of salt), you'll need to use warm or hot water to loosen the salt bridge up and break it out.

  6. Pull the "brine grid" out if there is one. A brine grid is the platform/screen at the bottom of a brine tank. Not all brine tanks have a brine grid.

  7. Pour a few tablespoons of  dish soap into 1-2 gallons of water to create a soapy mixture.

  8. Pour the soap/water mixture into the brine tank and scrub the inside with a long-handled brush. Dump and rinse with water.

  9. Now pour 2-3 gallons of clean water into the brine tank with a quarter cup household bleach. Stir and let the bleach/water solution sit for 15 minutes.  Scrub the inside of tank with a brush and chlorine water.

  10. Dump and rinse the bleach water.

  11. Put brine tank back in place and connect all lines to water softener and drain. Take the system out of "Bypass Mode".

  12. Put 5 gallons of clean water into the brine tank.

  13. Lastly, add water softener salt to the brine tank–at least two 50-lb bags.We recommend keeping the brine tank at least one quarter full of water softener salt at all times. For best results, don't fill salt to the very top of the brine tank, but leave six inches of space from the top rim of the tank.

In the future as you replace salt in the brine tank, make sure the salt level always remains a few inches above the water level. And before adding new salt pellets, always make sure to loosen up any encrusted salt that may be sticking to the edges of the tank and break up any large pieces of salt.

Keep in mind that the salt will need a little time to sit in the brine reservoir and begin dissolving before regeneration can occur (about 2 hrs).  When one immediately initiates regeneration after adding salt to the brine tank, the water softening resin may not be sufficienly cleaned in the regeneration process.

If you have followed the above steps and water softening does not take place, it could indicate the softener is malfunctioning or there's a problem with the salt you're using. Not sure if your water softener is working properly or fully softening your water? Contact a local authorized WaterTech dealer and have your system thoroughly checked out.

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