Fillable checklist

Water Softener Maintenance Checklist: Salt, Resin, and Bypass (Free Printable PDF)

Fillable ion-exchange water softener form for salt, brine tank, bypass, leaks, and hardness. Print blank or save a filled PDF.

Maintenance Fillable form · 6 sections · 27 checks Download filled or blank PDF and CSV Cross-checked against EPA WaterSense, Culligan, GE, Whirlpool, Pentair · Last verified Sep 16, 2026

Snugage fillable checklist

Fill this on screen, then download a PDF or CSV. Download a blank copy to complete by hand. Answers stay in this tab only. The next visitor sees a blank form. This is owner and technician periodic maintenance for a US home ion-exchange water softener (salt, brine tank, resin if the OEM says so, bypass, leaks, and a hardness log). It is not a licensed plumbing exam and not a substitute for the OEM manual on the unit.

  • 6 sections
  • 27 checks
  • Blank for each visitor

Form details

Softener and service date

Record the ion-exchange softener that is actually installed. Mark salt-free conditioners, magnetic descalers, and dishwasher-only softeners N/A on the whole form. Hardness numbers here are a log, not a pass or fail. This is a maintenance template, not a substitute for the OEM procedure or a licensed plumber.

16 fields
Softener and service date

Basement, garage, utility closet, or other. EPA WaterSense: typical layout is a tall resin tank beside a shorter brine tank.

From the rating decal. Whirlpool often prints it on the rim under the salt-lid hinges.

Date of the last completed recharge you know about. Leave blank if unknown.

Log the raw-water test or utility figure used to program the control. GE: 17.1 ppm equals 1 grain per gallon. This is not a pass or fail.

Log a cold-tap test after a completed recharge if you tested. This form does not invent a treated-water fail number.

Write what you saw: brinewell scale number, fraction full, or inches of salt. OEMs disagree on fill height, so this is a record, not a pounds pass or fail.

Owner, technician name, or company.

Inspection station

Salt and brine tank

Do these salt and brine-tank lines first. Bypass, drain hoses, and leaks stay in the next section. Mark Skip if a line is not due this visit. Mark N/A only if that part is not installed.

6 items
Salt and brine tank

Salt level checked and refilled if low

Never let the tank run empty (GE, Whirlpool, EPA WaterSense, Pentair). GE and Whirlpool: until you have a routine, check every two or three weeks and always add if the tank is less than one quarter full. EPA: check every 4 to 6 weeks, add when salt falls below the water, and do not go below one quarter full. Culligan: a typical refill is every two to four months, set by hardness and use. Water in the brine tank is normal (Culligan). Do not treat a single pound figure as pass or fail. OEMs disagree on how high to fill: EPA says about half full and not to the top; GE says about one third to one half; Pentair says the tank works best below half full; Culligan after a clean-out fills salt to within a few inches of the top. Follow this unit's manual and record the observed level in the header.

Salt level checked and refilled if low: Done, Skip, or N/A

Salt type matches the OEM, lid back on

EPA, GE, Whirlpool, and Pentair: use sodium or potassium pellets made for softeners. GE wants clean nugget, pellet, or coarse solar salt at least 99.5 percent pure. Whirlpool: nugget, pellet, or coarse solar with less than 1 percent impurities. Do not use table, block, granulated, ice-melt, or ice-cream salts (GE, Whirlpool). Pentair: sodium chloride pellet salt only, not rock or snow-melt salt. Culligan will run on good-quality rock, pellet, solar, or evaporated salt, but rock leaves insolubles that need more frequent clean-out. Whirlpool: if you use KCl, do not fill above level 4 on the brinewell scale, and keep the load lower in humid rooms. Put the brinewell cover and salt lid back on (GE, Whirlpool, Pentair).

Salt type matches the OEM, lid back on: Done, Skip, or N/A

Salt bridge checked and broken if present

A bridge is a hard crust with an empty space over the water, so salt never dissolves (GE, Whirlpool, EPA, Pentair). Push a broom handle or similar blunt rod straight down. If you hit a hard layer before the tank floor, break it in several spots. Do not use a sharp point and do not pound the outside of the tank (Whirlpool). EPA: after you break a bridge, start a regeneration. Humid rooms: keep the salt lower and refill more often (GE, Whirlpool). Culligan: if you still have hard water with salt in the tank, bridging or mushing may need a dealer.

Salt bridge checked and broken if present: Done, Skip, or N/A

No salt mush or sludge blocking the bottom

Culligan: mushing is salt that congeals into a sludge and stops brine from forming. EPA calls the same family of problems clogging when salt hardens over brinewell openings. EPA: pour about a gallon of hot tap water, wait about 10 minutes, then break the clog with a blunt rod and run a regeneration. If mush returns, empty and clean the brine tank when the salt is low (Culligan, EPA).

No salt mush or sludge blocking the bottom: Done, Skip, or N/A

Brinewell cover on and brine tank covered

GE and Whirlpool: keep the brinewell cover on whenever you add salt. Pentair: keep the brine tank covered. An open well lets salt and debris fall into the brine valve.

Brinewell cover on and brine tank covered: Done, Skip, or N/A

Brine tank cleaned if due, while salt is low

Culligan owners guide: clean the salt storage tank at least every two years when the salt supply is low. Pentair: empty and clean the tank every three years. EPA: clean as needed for mold or dirt, at least every few years, following the manufacturer. Culligan steps include scooping residue, rinsing, washing the salt plate with mild soap, then adding 4 to 6 inches of water before you refill salt. This interval is OEM-specific. Mark Skip if a clean is not due. Mark N/A on a sealed dealer-serviced tank you are not opening.

Brine tank cleaned if due, while salt is low: Done, Skip, or N/A

Inspection station

Bypass, leaks, and drain

These lines are the bypass valve, fittings, brine line, drain, overflow, power, and freeze risk. Salt fill and brine-tank cleaning stay in the salt section.

8 items
Bypass, leaks, and drain

Bypass set to Service, not left in Bypass

GE: no soft water is a common result when the manual bypass stem is still in Bypass. Follow the decal on the stem. Whirlpool single bypass: pull out for Service (soft water), push in for Bypass. Culligan Cul-Flo-Valv: blue knob clockwise is Bypass, counter-clockwise is Service, do not overtighten. On a three-valve bypass, inlet and outlet open and the middle valve closed is Service (Culligan, Whirlpool). EPA: use Bypass for lawn, car, or pool water that does not need softening, then return the valve to Service. Pentair: hard water with the bypass open is a first check.

Bypass set to Service, not left in Bypass: Done, Skip, or N/A

Inlet and outlet fittings, clips, or unions seated

Whirlpool: clips on a single bypass must snap fully so the valve cannot pull out. After you pressurize, check the inlet and outlet clips. If a clip weeps, depressurize, then push the bypass body toward the softener and reseat. Pentair: do not hang the system weight on the valve or bypass. Mark N/A on a soldered or glued three-valve bypass with no clips.

Inlet and outlet fittings, clips, or unions seated: Done, Skip, or N/A

No leaks at valve, bypass, brine line, or tank

EPA: check connection points, valves, and drains. A continuous trickle to the drain can mean a stuck valve. Whirlpool: after the first recharge, look again about 24 hours later because some leaks show late. Pentair: even a small air leak on the brine line can empty the salt line and stop brine draw. Stop and call a plumber if water is at electrical parts.

No leaks at valve, bypass, brine line, or tank: Done, Skip, or N/A

Brine line fully seated, hand tight, no air leak

Pentair: the salt line must be secure and free of air leaks or the softener will not draw brine. Push tubing to the stop and hand-tighten the nut. Culligan clean-out: when you reconnect, push the brine line fully into the fitting. Mark N/A on a one-piece cabinet with no separate brine tubing you can see.

Brine line fully seated, hand tight, no air leak: Done, Skip, or N/A

Valve drain hose open, not pinched, not tied to overflow

GE: the drain hose must stay open to the drain, not more than 8 feet above the softener, and unobstructed. Whirlpool and Pentair: do not tee the valve drain into the brine-tank overflow hose. A kinked or elevated drain can stop brine draw (GE, Whirlpool). Home Depot: the discharge hose runs to a drain or drywell. Keep an air gap at the drain per the OEM and local code.

Valve drain hose open, not pinched, not tied to overflow: Done, Skip, or N/A

Brine-tank overflow hose separate, not elevated

Whirlpool and Pentair: the overflow is a separate hose from the tank sidewall to a drain. Do not raise it above the overflow fitting. Do not connect it to the valve drain. Pentair: in a malfunction the overflow should go to the drain instead of the floor. Mark N/A if this tank has no overflow elbow.

Brine-tank overflow hose separate, not elevated: Done, Skip, or N/A

Transformer plugged in, outlet not on a wall switch

Culligan: confirm the power cord is fully in, the outlet is not switched off, then reset time of day. Check the house breaker or fuse. A power loss throws the recharge clock off. GE and Whirlpool visual checks start with electrical power. Mark N/A only on a non-electric valve you are not powering.

Transformer plugged in, outlet not on a wall switch: Done, Skip, or N/A

Not in a freeze location; outdoor bibs stay hard if piped that way

Whirlpool: do not install where the unit can freeze, and do not treat water over 120 F. Culligan: protect the conditioner and the whole drain line from freezing. If it freezes, do not take it apart. Call the dealer. EPA and Whirlpool: keep irrigation and outside hose bibs on hard water when the piping allows it, so you do not waste salt on the lawn. Mark N/A if there is no outdoor piping question this visit.

Not in a freeze location; outdoor bibs stay hard if piped that way: Done, Skip, or N/A

Inspection station

Control, hardness, and regeneration

Write incoming and treated hardness in the header. These lines are the control, clock, and recharge check only. Injector or venturi cleaning stays in the resin section.

7 items
Control, hardness, and regeneration

Time of day correct after any power loss

Culligan: a power cut or a daylight-saving change throws the timer off. Reset present time. EPA: after an outage, confirm the program is still correct and reset the clock. Whirlpool and GE: a flashing clock means the control lost power.

Time of day correct after any power loss: Done, Skip, or N/A

Hardness setting matches a current test or utility report

GE and Whirlpool: set the control to the incoming grains per gallon from a lab or the water department. GE: hardness can rise over time, especially on a well. Retest and change the number. EPA WaterSense and Home Depot both treat about 7 gpg (EPA also writes 120 mg/L) as water that is generally hard. EPA often points to softening when hardness is above about 180 mg/L or 10 gpg. Those figures are selection guidance, not a field fail on this visit. Some cities restrict ion-exchange softeners because of brine (EPA). Check local rules before you assume the unit should stay in service.

Hardness setting matches a current test or utility report: Done, Skip, or N/A

Iron compensation or extra backwash set only if this OEM uses it

Whirlpool: if the supply has iron, add 5 to the hardness number for each 1 ppm of iron (example: 20 gpg plus 2 ppm iron is entered as 30). An optional extra backwash is for clear-water iron. Culligan and GE: on clear-water iron, regenerate more often than hardness alone would require, and plan resin-bed cleaner. Wisconsin (Whirlpool spec note): additional treatment is required if clear-water iron exceeds 5 ppm. This is not a universal code fail. Mark N/A if the water has no iron and the OEM has no iron setting.

Iron compensation or extra backwash set only if this OEM uses it: Done, Skip, or N/A

Regeneration is demand-initiated or only as often as needed

EPA: prefer demand-initiated regeneration. On a time clock, do not default to a daily recharge. Regenerating too often wastes salt and water. Culligan: a well-sized unit often recharges about every four to seven days. That is typical, not a pass or fail. Home Depot: frequency depends on hardness and household use. EPA NSF/ANSI 44 efficiency context: look for models that use 5 gallons or less of water per 1,000 grains removed and more than 3,350 grains of hardness exchange per pound of salt. Those are purchase ratings, not a field fail.

Regeneration is demand-initiated or only as often as needed: Done, Skip, or N/A

Vacation, bypass, or unplug used if the house will sit empty

EPA: if you will be away a long time, use vacation mode, bypass or unplug the softener, or shut the house water so it does not keep wasting salt and water. Culligan: bypass if you are going on vacation and do not want the unit to recharge. Mark Skip if no trip is planned. Mark N/A on a twin-tank you are leaving in service on purpose.

Vacation, bypass, or unplug used if the house will sit empty: Done, Skip, or N/A

Softened water hardness tested or scheduled

Home Depot: a hardness test kit or a lab is the way to know incoming hardness. About 7 gpg often means a softener may be useful. Log incoming and treated numbers in the header. GE: 17.1 ppm equals 1 gpg. Culligan: a dealer water test can confirm whether the softener is working. This form does not invent a treated-water pass or fail (for example 0 to 3 gpg). If treated water tests hard, look at salt, bridge, bypass, and the hardness setting before you assume the resin is dead.

Softened water hardness tested or scheduled: Done, Skip, or N/A

Manual recharge started if salt ran out or a bridge was broken

GE and Culligan: after you correct no-salt, a bridge, or a bypass error, start a manual regeneration so the resin is recharged. EPA and Pentair: start a recharge after you break a salt bridge. Whirlpool: hold RECHARGE until the display flashes. Avoid using hot water during recharge so the water heater does not refill with bypass hard water (GE, Whirlpool). Mark Skip if the unit already completed a normal recharge and water tests soft.

Manual recharge started if salt ran out or a bridge was broken: Done, Skip, or N/A

Inspection station

Resin, injector, and sanitizing

Complete resin cleaner, injector or venturi, and bleach sanitizing only when the OEM or water condition calls for it. Do not invent an annual resin-clean fail if this manual does not ask for one. Salt fill stays in the salt section.

6 items
Resin, injector, and sanitizing

Resin cleaner used only if the OEM or iron condition calls for it

EPA WaterSense: clean resin beads annually by following the owner's manual, usually by pouring a manufacturer-recommended cleaner into the brinewell and running a regeneration. GE: if you have clear-water iron, clean the bed at least every six months, or sooner if iron returns, with a resin-bed cleaner. Culligan: on clear-water iron, clean every six months or more often if iron appears, even when iron is below the unit maximum. Home Depot: resin beads are not a routine replacement part. Do not add a cleaner the OEM does not list. Mark Skip if no cleaner is due. Mark N/A if this water has no iron and the manual has no resin-clean step.

Resin cleaner used only if the OEM or iron condition calls for it: Done, Skip, or N/A

Nozzle and venturi, or injector and screen, cleaned if brine will not draw

GE and Whirlpool: a clean nozzle and venturi make the suction that moves brine. If it plugs with sand or iron, you get hard water. Put the unit in bypass, confirm it is in the service cycle (no pressure at the nozzle), wash parts in warm water, hand-tighten the cap, then return to Service and recharge. Pentair: a plugged injector or injector screen is a top cause of hard water and no brine draw. Culligan: injector or venturi clogs from sediment or iron need a dealer if you are not trained. Line pressure below about 20 psi can also stop brine draw (Pentair troubleshooting, and GE lists a 20 psi minimum in its hard-water troubleshooting).

Nozzle and venturi, or injector and screen, cleaned if brine will not draw: Done, Skip, or N/A

Sanitized after install, long idle, or boil-water, only per OEM

GE: sanitizing is suggested at install and about once a year after that (Water Quality Association disinfection note in that manual). Mix about 3/4 oz of 5.25 percent household bleach in about 1 quart of water, pour it into the brinewell, then start an immediate recharge. Do not pour straight bleach into the softener (GE). Whirlpool after service: about 3 oz (6 tablespoons) of household bleach in the brinewell, recharge, then run about 50 gallons of downstream cold water. Culligan: sanitize at start-up, after idle of a week or more, or for musty or rotten-egg odor on a private well. Culligan bleach dose is 1/3 to 1/2 cup of 5.25 percent bleach per cubic foot of resin, poured into the brine chamber, then a manual recharge. Do not sanitize if the salt has iron-control additives (Culligan). If the water has iron, regenerate first (Culligan). Mark Skip if sanitizing is not due.

Sanitized after install, long idle, or boil-water, only per OEM: Done, Skip, or N/A

Cabinet wiped with mild soap only, nothing stacked on top

Culligan: clean the exterior with mild soap and warm water. Do not use harsh abrasives or cleaners that contain acid, vinegar, or bleach on the cabinet. Do not put heavy objects on the salt tank or timer cover.

Cabinet wiped with mild soap only, nothing stacked on top: Done, Skip, or N/A

Left off after a boil-water advisory until the supply is potable again

Culligan: sold for potable water only. During a boil-water advisory, discontinue the softener (bypass) until the water is verified potable, then have the system sanitized before you return it to Service. Mark N/A if there is no advisory.

Left off after a boil-water advisory until the supply is potable again: Done, Skip, or N/A

Error or low-salt display recorded, cause fixed before you clear it

Culligan Smart Brine Tank: LOW can mean low salt or an overfilled tank. Less than about 15 days of salt remaining is their low-salt alert. Pentair SXT: error codes include cam, cycle, regen-failure (no regen for a long stretch), and memory. Whirlpool: while an error shows, use the program or diagnostic path, do not ignore it. Fix salt, power, or a stuck valve first.

Error or low-salt display recorded, cause fixed before you clear it: Done, Skip, or N/A

Form details

Service log and sign-off

Write what you found and added, set the next salt and clean dates, then sign. If a leak at electrical parts, no brine draw you cannot clear, or a frozen unit needs a dealer, pick Licensed technician needed instead of Service complete.

9 fields
Service log and sign-off

Log the pounds you poured. This is a household record. It is not a pass or fail. Sources do not agree on one required bag weight.

GE and Whirlpool start at every two or three weeks until you know the use rate. EPA: every 4 to 6 weeks. Culligan refill is often every two to four months. Pick a date for this house, not a universal interval.

Culligan: at least every two years when salt is low. Pentair: every three years. EPA: at least every few years. Use the OEM for this unit.

Set a dealer or plumber date when you cannot clear no-soft-water, iron fouling, a freeze, or a drain you cannot reach.

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References

  1. Cation exchange water softeners - EPA WaterSense
  2. Soften water without wasting it: selection and maintenance guide - EPA WaterSense
  3. Guide to selecting water treatment systems - EPA WaterSense
  4. High Efficiency water softener owners guide - Culligan
  5. Water softener maintenance: salt, bridging, and service - Culligan
  6. Water softening system owner's manual - GE Appliances
  7. Demand controlled water softener owner's manual, WHES40 and WHES44 - Whirlpool Water Solutions
  8. 5600SXT softener system operator's manual - Pentair
  9. How does a water softener work? - The Home Depot

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These checklists are provided for general reference only. Always verify the steps against local codes, a licensed inspector or a qualified contractor before relying on them, especially for safety-critical work.