Excess Water in Tank

Do you have water higher than the salt level in your tank? It's normal to have about 0-4 inches of water at the very bottom of your tank but anything above that means something isn't working right. We understand that can be frustrating and this issue can be intimidating. Don't worry, we're here to help! Together, let's go through these steps one by one. 

Before You Start!

• Troubleshooting this issue takes time. Make sure to follow each step carefully. Skipping or incorrectly completing a step can make it harder to identify the problem and may extend the process. The article may seem long or intimidating but take it one step at a time. You've got this!
• It's recommended not to use any water using appliances throughout the home while troubleshooting. These would be things like: the shower, flushing toilet, sinks, dishwasher, etc. These appliances will activate the water softener and affect troubleshooting. 
• Click on each step to expand for detailed directions. Within each step below includes a how-to video you can follow along with. 
• If your display screen shows an Error Code or the board is unresponsive, please check out those articles first before troubleshooting the excess water problem. 
• Printing Tip: Expand all directions first before printing.

Step 1 - Check for External Leaks

External leaks are usually a symptom of a separate issue. It’s important to ensure there are no external leaks that are causing water to enter the softener first, as this requires separate troubleshooting.

a. First you'll need to remove the top cover. Check out Removing the Top Cover for detailed instructions. 

b. Examine the area under the cover for any standing water, as well as the inlet/outlet ports for any evidence of dripping water that could be filling the tank.

Do you notice any water in these places?

• YES - If you see water in any of these places, visit our External Leaks article for troubleshooting.
• NO - Continue to step 2. 

Step 2 - Check the Drain Requirements 

A common reason you may experience excess water in the salt tank is due to the drain lines. Let’s ensure your drain lines meets the installation requirements:

a. There should be 2 separate drain lines coming from the softener to the drain. One from the valve (Drain Hose), and one routed from the elbow on the back of the softener (Overflow Hose). These should not be looped together.

b. Verify that your drain hose meets the following 3 requirements:

1. Your drain hose cannot be tee’d together with another hose. It needs to have its own separate path to the drain.
2. Your drain hose must not exceed 8 feet vertically (from the floor) and 30 feet horizontally in its route to the drain.
3. Your drain hose must have an air gap of 1 – 1 ½ inches between the end of the hose and the drain itself:

Step 3 - Clean the Drain Hose

Excess water can gather in the salt tank because it's not escaping through the drain hose. Let’s make sure the drain hose is clear of any sort of obstruction.

a. Remove the drain hose adapter:

• • Push the softener's bypass valve INTO the bypass position to stop water flow to the system.

• • If you have a blending valve, make sure it's closed so no hard water is coming through. Refer to What is a Blending Valve for instructions.

• • Locate the rectangular clip that holds the drain hose adaptor elbow to the softener head (location pictured). The clip pulls straight up and out.

• • Pull the entire white plastic drain hose elbow out from the softener head. Keep the drain hose attached to the adaptor.

 NOTE: If the hose is plugged or is installed above the softener, water may run out from the hose.

b. Use a towel inside the drain elbow port to clean any sediment or blockage. 

c. Bring the elbow adaptor to your mouth and blow air through it to confirm there are no obstructions in the drain hose. Heads up - the adapter may taste salty. 

d. If air doesn't blow easily through the hose, inspect for clogs or kinks in the hose. If either is found, remove the blockage or unkink the hose so that you can blow easily through the hose. 

e. Reconnect the elbow adaptor to the valve head and reattach the black rectangular clip.

f. Pull the bypass valve back out into the service position to allow water flow again.

Step 4 - Check for Suction

Next, we need to determine if you're getting suction.

a. Hold the Recharge button until the motor starts to turn, then let go. On most units, the tank will start filling. 

• Do you notice a heavy flow out of the drain hose after starting the Recharge?
  • YES - Your softener has an extra Clean cycle set up and you'll need to skip it. Press Recharge once to move to the Rinse cycle, then after the motor stops, press Recharge again to move to the Fill cycle. Continue to the next step.
  • NO - Continue on to step b. 

b. Advance to the Brine cycle by tapping the Recharge button one more time. The Brine cycle is where the softener produces suction at the Venturi to draw brine up through the unit.

c. Push the softener's bypass valve INTO the bypass position. 

d. Now it’s time to check if there's suction at the Venturi. You'll disconnect the Brine hose from the Venturi (white cone piece). Identify yours below.It may leak, so grab a bowl to place underneath it to catch water.

• If yours has a white nut attached to the Venturi: unscrew the nut by twisting it counter-clockwise and pull the hose off. 

• If your hose doesn't have that white nut, you'll need to push the small collet piece in and pull the hose out at the same time to remove.

e. Slowly pull the bypass handle back OUT into the service position.

• • Note: If you experience heavy amounts of water coming out of the venturi, push the bypass valve into the bypass position and visit our Cleaning the Venturi article. Once complete, return here and then continue with step f.

f. While the black brine hose is disconnected, it's recommended to blow through it to ensure that there's no blockage in the line. You'll need to pull the brine valve up and out of the water first and then try to blow through it. If you blow through the hose and the brine valve is in the water, it'll be hard to blow through because the float in/on it is meant to close the valve. When it IS in the water, you can also try to draw water up the brine line. This will tell us if the brine valve is allowing water to be removed (it'll be salty.)

g. When checking for suction, one of the following will happen:

There should be consistent suction once the unit is in service. This may take up to a minute to hear.

1. Water flows out the Venturi port consistently (at least 15 seconds). If this happens, you'll want to make sure that everything inside the venturi is facing correctly. 

• Bypass the system again and remove the Venturi cap. Check that all pieces with numbers and letters on them are facing up inside the Venturi.
• Replace cap and open bypass again, listening for suction.
• If everything is in correctly, and water still comes out after checking for suction again, the seals inside the valve head need to be replaced. If you're handy and comfortable with taking apart the valve head, the most cost-effective option is replacing the Rotor & Seal Kit. Otherwise you can choose to replace the whole Valve Head. To find more information on purchasing replacement parts click here.

2. Suction, then water means your drain line is blocking water from exiting correctly.

• Bypass the unit again and disconnect the drain hose elbow by removing the black clip.

• Look inside the elbow port and check for any debris.
• Blow through the drain hose elbow (like a straw) to free any obstructions.
• Reattach drain hose elbow and open bypass again, listening for suction.
• Double check that your drain line requirements are correct from Step 2 above.

3. Consistent Suction is the desired outcome.

• If there's strong suction - go ahead and move on to step 5.
• If there's weak suction - you'll need to clean the venturi. It's important that you put everything back in correctly then recheck the suction. If suction is still weak after cleaning it, then you need to replace the venturi. To find more information on purchasing replacement parts click here. If you've replaced the venturi and the issue has not resolved, we recommend replacing the rotor and seal kit.

Step 5 - Drain the Water

Now that you’ve verified that the drain lines are installed properly and that there is suction at the venturi, it’s time see if the drainage issue has been fixed.

a. Reattach the brine hose to the venturi.

• Either screw the white nut back on by twisting it clock-wise:

• Or insert the hose into the collet. You'll need to make sure to push it in until it you notice some resistance. Then push it in a little further. The hose should be in about 5/8 of an inch. 

b. Ensure the bypass valve is in service by pulling the handle out for water to flow again. Now it's time to wait and let it go through the recharge cycle. 

c. The water should very slowly drain over the next 90 minutes and then high flow out of the drain line for about 15 minutes. 

Has this resolved your issue?

• • • Yes - Great! Don’t forget to replace the lid of the softener and faceplate if needed.
    • No - IF your tank does NOT drain down to 0-4 inches of water by the end of this, continue on with step 6.

Step 6 - Clean the Brine Valve Assembly

The brine valve is the assembly found inside the 4-inch black plastic tube with the the salt levels 1-8 on it. During a recharge cycle, the water circulates in and out of the salt tank through the Brine Valve Assembly, making it important to keep clear.

a. Bypass your softener by pushing the bypass valve into the bypass position. 

b. If it's not already off, remove the top cover of the water softener. 

c.We need to get to the brine valve assembly inside your tank now.

• • Open the salt lid. If you see the brinewell inside with a cover over it (the tubing with the salt levels 1-8 on it), remove the cover and continue to the next step.

• • Pull up the black brine hose and remove the entire float assembly from the brinewell. If it seems like the black brine hose is too short to remove, there should be extra tubing coiled behind the resin tank. Pull on the tubing for easier access to remove the bring valve assembly.

d. On the left-hand side, find the black brine hose that we identified in earlier steps.

e. Disconnect the brine hose from where it is connected to the unit (at the venturi). Inside of the black tube, you'll see the float assembly. Lift it out. You'll then want to blow air through the brine hose to make sure it's not clogged.

• If yours has a white nut attached to the Venturi: unscrew the nut by twisting it counter-clockwise and pull the hose off. Grab a bowl and set it underneath to catch water.

• If your hose doesn't have that white nut, you have the 'push to connect' type. For this type, you'll need to push the small collet piece in and pull the hose out at the same time to remove. Grab a bowl and set it underneath to catch water.

Were you able to blow easily through the hose?

• • YES - Skip forward to step k.
  • NO - Please continue with the next steps.

f. There are two brine valve assembly's shown below. Your system will either have one or the other. We need to determine which one you have to give you the correct directions for cleaning it.

Which assembly does your system have? 

• • If your system has the one on the left, with the plastic float piece, click here to skip ahead to step n.
  • If your system has the one on the right, with the Styrofoam float piece, continue with step g.

   

Cleaning the Styrofoam Float Brine Valve Assembly 

 

g. Disassemble the bottom V-shaped white plastic piece by disconnecting the 2 black clips that hold it together. It's helpful to remember the order when taking it apart. Clean the internal parts including the screen, with warm, soapy water and reassemble. 

h. Reinsert the assembly into the brinewell. It should rest on the bottom of the well. Secure the hose in the notch on the neck of the well. If you removed the brinewell lid, replace it now.

i. Find the black brine hose again from before where it attaches to the unit.

j. Blow air through it again to confirm it's clear. You should be able to hear bubbles coming up through the water easily. 

• • If you have trouble getting air/water through the hose, you may need to replace the Brine Valve Assembly. You can purchase replacement parts here. Otherwise, check out What is My Warranty to see if you're still covered.

 

k. Reattach the black brine hose to the venturi and replace the top cover to the softener.

• Either screw the white nut back on by twisting it clock-wise:

• Or insert the hose into the collet. You'll need to make sure to push it in until you notice some resistance. Then push it in a little further. The hose should be in about 5/8 of an inch. 

l. Pull the bypass valve back OUT.

m. Now you'll need to run a manual recharge to verify that your excess water issue has been resolved:

• • Press and hold the ‘Recharge’ button for a few seconds until you hear the motor kick on, then let go. The motor will turn off quickly and the screen will show ‘Recharge Now’, meaning the system is recharging. 

• • This recharge cycle will take about 2 – 2 ½ hours. You can expect the water level to rise slightly in the first 10 minutes, then slowly drain over the next 90 minutes. The last 10 minutes of the recharge are a fast backwash and rinse of water to the drain.

If the recharge is successful in emptying the brine tank down to about 0-4 inches of water but then the tank fills slowly up over night or over multiple hours, this is a sign of a leak. Please refer to our Internal Leak article and our Valve Head Leak article for help. 

IF your tank does NOT drain down to 0-4 inches of water by the end of this two-hour recharge, it's likely a step was missed or done incorrectly. We suggest going back and reviewing the steps to ensure they were done correctly. If steps were done correctly and nothing was missed, please contact us for additional support.

 

Cleaning the Plastic Float Brine Valve Assembly

n. At the base of the assembly, find the small screen area (as pictured below.) Make sure it's clear and nothing is blocking it. 

o. Now, you can put the assembly back into the brinewell. It should should rest on the bottom. Make sure to secure the hose in the notch of the well if you have a unit like that. If you needed to remove the brinewell lid, replace it now. 

p. Find the black brine hose again from before where it attaches to the unit.

q. Blow air through it again to confirm it's clear. You should be able to hear bubbles coming up through the water easily. 

• • If you have trouble getting air/water through the hose, you may need to replace the Brine Valve Assembly. If you are still under warranty, have your serial/model number handy and Contact Us. Otherwise, replacement parts can be purchased here.

r. Reattach the black brine hose to the unit and then replace the top cover of the unit. 

• Either screw the white nut back on by twisting it clock-wise:

• Or insert the hose into the collet. You'll need to make sure to push it in until it you notice some resistance. Then push it in a little further. The hose should be in about 5/8 of an inch. 

s. Pull the bypass back out into the service position. 

t. Run a manual recharge to verify that your excess water issue has been resolved. To do so: 

• • Press and hold the 'Recharge' button for a few seconds until you hear the motor kick on, then let go. The motor will turn off quickly and the screen will show 'Recharge Now,' meaning the system is recharging. 

• • This recharge cycle will take about 2 – 2 ½ hours. You can expect the water level to rise slightly in the first 10 minutes, then slowly drain over the next 90 minutes. The last 10 minutes of the recharge are a fast backwash and rinse of water to the drain.

If the recharge is successful in emptying the brine tank down to about 0-4 inches of water but then the tank fills slowly up over night or over multiple hours, this is a sign of a leak. Please refer to our Internal Leak article and our Valve Head Leak article for help. 

IF your tank does NOT drain down to 0-4 inches of water by the end of this two-hour recharge, it's likely a step was missed or done incorrectly. We suggest going back and reviewing the steps to ensure they were done correctly. If steps were done correctly and nothing was missed, please contact us for additional support.