If your water bill suddenly shoots up and you can’t figure out why, there’s a good chance your water softener is wasting water without you realizing it. One of the most common culprits is the backwash or drain valve getting stuck open. When that happens, the softener keeps sending clean water straight down the drain all day long. You won’t hear much, maybe a faint trickle, but it adds up fast, hundreds or even thousands of gallons a day.
Even if your softener has no salt in it, it can waste water by continuing to run its regeneration cycle!
The Backwash Problem
A water softener is supposed to regenerate the resin bed with a regeneration cycle that runs every few days (using about 120 gallons per cycle in a typical home). There is a valve that turns the water on and off for the regeneration cycle. It's common for this valve to get stuck, which causes the water to constantly run and waste water right into the drain.
If the valve is stuck and wastes a quarter gallon per minute, the softener will waste more than 400 gallons a day. That’s the kind of problem you don’t notice until your bill doubles.
What to Check
Here are a few quick things to look at before calling a plumber:
- Listen to the softener. Follow the drain line from your softener. If you hear or see a steady flow when no water is running in the house, that’s a red flag.
- Try the bypass. Switch the softener to “bypass.” If your water meter slows or stops, you’ve found the issue.
- Check the salt. The salt in the brine tank should cover the water line. If you just see standing water, or a crust of salt stuck to the sides, that’s a salt bridge.
- Look at the display. Check for error codes or odd regeneration times.
And here’s a sneaky one: even if your softener runs out of salt, it still goes through its regeneration cycle. It’ll dump all that water down the drain and give you no benefit at all.
Regeneration Schedules That Make Sense
Not every home or business needs the same setup. The right regeneration schedule depends on:
- How hard your water is
- How big your tank is
- How many people live in the house
- Whether your unit uses a timer or a demand meter
Most households regenerate every three to seven days. A typical cycle uses six to twelve pounds of salt. If your system regenerates more often than that, or if it’s on a timer instead of demand-based, you’re probably wasting water and salt.
When to Call for Help
If you notice constant flow to the drain, low salt usage, or error codes on the softener, it’s time to have someone look at it. A technician can:
- Replace the valve seals or piston
- Clean or swap the injector and venturi
- Reprogram the unit for your actual water conditions
It’s worth bringing your latest water test results and the softener model number so they can dial in the settings properly.
Managing the Salt
To prevent waste and make sure the softener is running correctly:
- Keep salt above the water line but not packed to the top.
- Break up any salt bridges with a broom handle if you see a solid crust.
- Stick with pellet salt—it dissolves better and doesn’t clump up as much as rock salt.
- If your water has iron, use a salt with an iron remover or clean the resin once in a while.
Routine Maintenance
- Check for drain flow once a month when nobody’s using water.
- Top off salt every few weeks.
- Clean the brine tank once a year.
- Replace valve seals and injectors every few years.
- Test water hardness once a year or after any plumbing changes.
A little maintenance goes a long way. Keeping the softener in good shape helps your water heater, dishwasher, and faucets last longer, and it cuts down on soap use.
The Bottom Line
If your bill goes up suddenly, don’t overlook the water softener. A stuck valve or empty salt tank can quietly waste thousands of gallons every month.
Check for flow at the drain, keep salt in the tank, and make sure your regeneration settings make sense for your water. If something doesn’t seem right, put the softener in bypass and get it checked out.
If you really want to stay ahead of these kinds of issues, a real-time water monitor (like the ones from NOWi) can catch constant flow right when it starts—before it becomes a costly surprise.