# Maintenance guides > Salt, resin, filters and service intervals: the maintenance schedule that keeps a treatment system working. Independent guidance from Water Treatment Pro. Canonical: https://watertreatmentpro.com/maintenance/ Last updated: 2026-11-08 ## The maintenance schedule that matters Water treatment equipment fails in predictable ways: resin fouls, salt bridges, filters clog, membranes scale and UV lamps dim. Every one of those failures is cheaper to prevent than to repair, and every one has a schedule you can put in a calendar. | | Item | Interval | Cost | What happens if you skip it | Salt level check | Monthly | $6–$12 per 40 lb bag | Hard water returns; resin can foul | Salt bridge inspection | Every 3 months | — | Unit regenerates with no brine; water stays hard | Sediment cartridge | 3–6 months | $8–$25 | Pressure drop; downstream filters clog faster | Carbon cartridge | 6–12 months | $20–$60 | Chlorine passes through; taste returns | RO pre-filters | 6–12 months | $15–$40 | Membrane scales; output drops | RO membrane | 2–3 years | $40–$120 | TDS rejection falls; water tastes flat | UV lamp | 12 months | $30–$90 | Lamp dims before it fails; no visible warning | Resin rebed | 8–12 years | $300–$600 | Capacity drops; salt use rises | Sanitise softener | Yearly | $10–$30 (chlorine) | Bacteria and odour build in the resin bed ## Salt: the number that tells you the unit is working A softener should use roughly 8–12 lb of salt per regeneration for a 32,000-grain unit at medium hardness. If salt consumption doubles without a change in water use, either the hardness setting is wrong or the resin is exhausted. If salt consumption drops to nothing, check for a bridge — a crust of salt that forms above the water line and stops brine from being drawn. Pellets dissolve cleanly and are the default for most homes; crystals are cheaper but leave more residue; block salt is convenient but can bridge in humid installations. Iron-fighting salts contain a resin cleaner and are worth the premium where iron is present. ## Filters: change on pressure, not on the calendar A cartridge is spent when the pressure drop across it exceeds about 10 psi, which shows up as weaker flow at the tap. Calendar intervals are a fallback for homes with steady use; a pressure gauge on either side of the housing is the honest signal. Sediment filters in well systems can clog in weeks during spring runoff and last a year in winter. Carbon filters have a second failure mode: channeling. Water finds a path through the bed and stops contacting the carbon, so the cartridge looks fine and does nothing. If chlorine smell returns before the change interval, replace it regardless of the date. ## RO systems: the membrane is the expensive part Pre-filters protect the membrane, so replacing them on time is the whole game. A membrane that runs on chlorinated water degrades permanently; a membrane fed hard water scales and loses output. Check the product-water TDS every few months with a $15 meter: when rejection falls below about 80%, the membrane is done. Sanitising the storage tank and faucet once a year prevents the flat, stale taste that owners blame on the membrane. The [reverse osmosis maintenance guide](/reverse-osmosis-maintenance/) walks through the sequence, and the [softener maintenance guide](/water-softener-maintenance/) covers the brine tank in detail. ### How often should a softener regenerate? A metered unit regenerates when its capacity is used — typically every 3–7 days for a family of four. A timer unit regenerates on a fixed schedule, which wastes salt in low-use weeks. If yours runs every night, it is either undersized or set wrong. ### Why is my softener using so much salt? Hardness setting too high, capacity too low for the household, or a failing control head. Check the hardness number first; a unit set for 25 gpg on 8-gpg water can use twice the salt it needs. ### Can I maintenance a softener myself? Yes for salt, bridging, sanitising and the bypass. Resin replacement and control-head repair are worth paying for — the parts are inexpensive but the plumbing is not forgiving. ## Guides in Maintenance - [alkaline water filter maintenance schedule](https://watertreatmentpro.com/alkaline-water-filter-maintenance/) - [alkaline water filter troubleshooting](https://watertreatmentpro.com/alkaline-water-filter-troubleshooting/) - [Bio Clean Hard Water Stain Remover: How to Use It](https://watertreatmentpro.com/bio-clean-hard-water-stain-remover/) - [Brita water filter replacement](https://watertreatmentpro.com/brita-water-filter-replacement/) - [catalytic carbon filter maintenance schedule](https://watertreatmentpro.com/catalytic-carbon-filter-maintenance/) - [catalytic carbon filter troubleshooting](https://watertreatmentpro.com/catalytic-carbon-filter-troubleshooting/) - [When and How to Change an RO Membrane](https://watertreatmentpro.com/change-ro-membrane/) - [How to Clean a Brine Tank Without Damaging Your Softener](https://watertreatmentpro.com/clean-brine-tank/) - 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[Iron Filter Backwash Problems and Fixes](https://watertreatmentpro.com/iron-filter-backwash/) - [iron filter maintenance schedule](https://watertreatmentpro.com/iron-filter-maintenance/) - [iron filter troubleshooting](https://watertreatmentpro.com/iron-filter-troubleshooting/) - [Morton Clean and Protect Salt: Additive Explained](https://watertreatmentpro.com/morton-clean-and-protect-water-softener-salt/) - [refrigerator water filter maintenance schedule](https://watertreatmentpro.com/refrigerator-water-filter-maintenance/) - [refrigerator water filter troubleshooting](https://watertreatmentpro.com/refrigerator-water-filter-troubleshooting/) - [Reverse Osmosis Maintenance Schedule: A Simple Plan](https://watertreatmentpro.com/reverse-osmosis-maintenance/) - [reverse osmosis system troubleshooting](https://watertreatmentpro.com/reverse-osmosis-system-troubleshooting/) - [RV water filter maintenance schedule](https://watertreatmentpro.com/rv-water-filter-maintenance/) - [RV water filter troubleshooting](https://watertreatmentpro.com/rv-water-filter-troubleshooting/) - [Salt Bridge: Why the Softener Runs but the Water Stays.](https://watertreatmentpro.com/salt-bridge-in-softener/) - [Salt Dose and Efficiency: The 8 lb Rule](https://watertreatmentpro.com/salt-dose-and-efficiency/) - [salt-free water softener maintenance schedule](https://watertreatmentpro.com/salt-free-water-softener-maintenance/) - [salt-free water softener troubleshooting](https://watertreatmentpro.com/salt-free-water-softener-troubleshooting/) - [Salt mushing in the brine tank](https://watertreatmentpro.com/salt-mushing/) - [sediment filter maintenance schedule](https://watertreatmentpro.com/sediment-filter-maintenance/) - [sediment filter troubleshooting](https://watertreatmentpro.com/sediment-filter-troubleshooting/) - [How to Shock Chlorinate a Well: Steps and Costs](https://watertreatmentpro.com/shock-chlorinate-well/) - [shower water filter maintenance schedule](https://watertreatmentpro.com/shower-water-filter-maintenance/) - [shower water filter troubleshooting](https://watertreatmentpro.com/shower-water-filter-troubleshooting/) - [Softener stopped softening: diagnosis order](https://watertreatmentpro.com/softener-hard-water-again/) - [Water Softener Leaking: Where to Look First](https://watertreatmentpro.com/softener-leaking/) - [Softener Not Using Salt: The Five Causes](https://watertreatmentpro.com/softener-not-using-salt/) - [Why the Softener Regenerates Every Night](https://watertreatmentpro.com/softener-regenerating-every-night/) - [Salt Pellets vs Crystals vs Block: Which to Buy](https://watertreatmentpro.com/softener-salt-types/) - [sulfur filter maintenance schedule](https://watertreatmentpro.com/sulfur-filter-maintenance/) - [sulfur filter troubleshooting](https://watertreatmentpro.com/sulfur-filter-troubleshooting/) - [tankless reverse osmosis maintenance schedule](https://watertreatmentpro.com/tankless-reverse-osmosis-maintenance/) - [tankless reverse osmosis troubleshooting](https://watertreatmentpro.com/tankless-reverse-osmosis-troubleshooting/) - [under sink water filter maintenance schedule](https://watertreatmentpro.com/under-sink-water-filter-maintenance/) - [under sink water filter troubleshooting](https://watertreatmentpro.com/under-sink-water-filter-troubleshooting/) - [UV Lamp Replacement: Why the Date Matters](https://watertreatmentpro.com/uv-lamp-replacement/) - [UV water purifier maintenance schedule](https://watertreatmentpro.com/uv-water-purifier-maintenance/) - [UV water purifier troubleshooting](https://watertreatmentpro.com/uv-water-purifier-troubleshooting/) - [water distiller maintenance schedule](https://watertreatmentpro.com/water-distiller-maintenance/) - [water distiller troubleshooting](https://watertreatmentpro.com/water-distiller-troubleshooting/) - [What to do with spent filter cartridges](https://watertreatmentpro.com/water-filter-recycling/) - [water softener alternative maintenance schedule](https://watertreatmentpro.com/water-softener-alternative-maintenance/) - [water softener alternative troubleshooting](https://watertreatmentpro.com/water-softener-alternative-troubleshooting/) - [Water softener cleaner](https://watertreatmentpro.com/water-softener-cleaner/) - [How Much Electricity a Softener Uses](https://watertreatmentpro.com/water-softener-electricity-use/) - [Softener error codes: the common ones](https://watertreatmentpro.com/water-softener-error-codes/) - [Water Softener Maintenance: The Yearly Checklist](https://watertreatmentpro.com/water-softener-maintenance/) - [Softener noise: hissing, knocking, running at night](https://watertreatmentpro.com/water-softener-noise/) - [Water softener repair](https://watertreatmentpro.com/water-softener-repair/) - [Water softener replacement](https://watertreatmentpro.com/water-softener-replacement/) - [When to Replace Softener Resin: Signs and Costs](https://watertreatmentpro.com/water-softener-resin-replacement/) - [water softener salt maintenance schedule](https://watertreatmentpro.com/water-softener-salt-maintenance/) - [water softener salt troubleshooting](https://watertreatmentpro.com/water-softener-salt-troubleshooting/) - [water softener troubleshooting](https://watertreatmentpro.com/water-softener-troubleshooting/) - 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