How To Set Water Softener Controls

Setting the controls on your water softener is important because it allows you to set the clock to your family's preferences. Additionally, a water softener helps remove mineral and chemical build-ups that cause hardened water. Setting the controls properly on your water softener will ensure that your pipes remain clear and that you're receiving softer, cleaner water for your family.

Step 1

Press the buttons marked 'hour' and 'minutes' on your water softener to set the current time. If you have an older water softener, you will need to pull the dial slightly out before turning the hour and minutes dials to set the current time.

Step 2

Determine what time your household doesn't use any water. Many water softener pre-sets have determined this time to be 2 a.m.

Step 3

Set the time on the regeneration dials, that indicate the time you want the water softener to run. The actual time must be accurate in order for your water softener to regenerate at the time you wish.

Step 4

Figure out how hard your water is by testing it. The owner's manual should tell you how to test your water, to determine how much salt is to be used per cycle.

Step 5

Turn the dial on your water softener that indicates the salt dosage to soften your water. The dosages indicate the number of pounds of salt that will be used in each cycle.

Step 6

Test your water's hardness yearly to determine if you need to change the salt dosage released per recharge cycle.

Step 7

Refer to your salt dosage setting to determine the hardness of your water.

Step 8

Determine how much water your household uses each day. Your water softener should include a manual with basic information on how many gallons are used when engaging in particular activities like bathing and washing dishes.

Step 9

Check to make sure that your clock is set to the correct time.

Step 10

Find the button or tuner on your water softener that indicates the day of the week, and turn the dial or press the button to the day you wish to recharge your water softener.