UPDATED: 2/28/22
A Kinetico water softener needs to use brine (saltwater) to remove the hardness ions that it has removed from the water and have accumulated in its tank. This brine gets flushed through the water softeners’ control valve and then through the water softeners softening resin. If the brine is not properly routed and then rinsed away, it can end up coming out of your kitchen faucet.
A Kinetico water softener can produce salty water when the brine is drawn too slowly through the water softener resin due to poor water pressure. Salty water can also seep into the in-service tank from the regenerating tank if the valves inside of the control valve fail to open or close correctly.
Salty-tasting water from a Kinetico water softener is often caused by poor water flow during regeneration because it can leave salt water (brine) behind in the tank when poor water pressure draws the brine too slowly.
Sometimes saltwater can get through improperly sealing valves within the Kinetico control valve during regeneration allowing the brine to get into the water softener tank that is currently supplying water to your home.
How does salt get into my Kinetico softened water?
Experiencing salty-tasting water from a Kinetico water softener is usually caused by the lack of a strong flow of water when the system is in its regeneration process.
If a Kinetico water softener does not have sufficient water pressure during its regeneration process, brine (saltwater) can be left behind because the brine was drawn out from the brine tank too slowly.
During the Kinetico regeneration process, brine from the brine tank is supposed to be drawn out from the brine tank and flushed through the water softening resin at a fast rate until the brine is gone and then the rinsing continues for several minutes after the brine is gone to rinse out the brine from the softening resin.
How does poor water pressure cause salty water from a Kinetico water softener?
If the water pressure going through the water softener becomes too low, the brine will still be flowing through the softeners’ tanks when the regeneration process is over.
Since this is all one cycle in the regeneration process, the system has no way to know if the brine has been depleted or not. Weak water flow will draw the brine slowly and for a greater portion of the regeneration process.
Kinetico water softeners have a preset regeneration disc that controls the length of the regeneration process. Depending on which model you have, the regeneration process could last as little as 11 minutes or up to 90 minutes.
When this happens, you will not experience salty water right away. Instead, when the Kinetico water softener needs to regenerate again, it will switch tanks and then you will get the leftover salty water from the previous regeneration.
Running your cold water for just a short time should alleviate this problem, but salty water that has made its way into your hot water storage tank or reverse osmosis storage tank will have to be used up before it will be replaced with salt-free water.
What causes poor water pressure in a Kinetico water softener?
Most of the time, the poor pressure that is causing the salty water problem is due to a water prefilter being clogged with sediment.
Replacing the water filter cartridge with a new one or thoroughly rinsing the old filter cartridge will allow sufficient flow for the Kinetico water softener to regenerate properly and rinse the brine from the softener tank.
Using a pre-filtering sediment filter that is too fine f a filter can reduce the water pressure, clog up quicker, and it will need to be changed more often. I usually recommend using a 20 to 30-micron pleated polyester filter cartridge for most sediment issues.
This type of water filter cartridge will allow a strong flow of water with minimal flow restriction and still filter out the most common sized sediment. Using cellulose (paper) water filter cartridges is not recommended because they can tear and allow pieces of its paper to get into the Kinetico water softener’s control valve.
Any debris that gets into a Kinetico water softener’s control valve can get lodged in the gears of the system and cause it not to regenerate, so be sure to change your filter cartridge regularly with a pleated polyester 20 to 30-micron filter.
Brine solution may be getting into both tanks during regeneration.
Inside the Kinetico control valve is a series of gears and valves that must move freely in order for the system to regenerate correctly.
If these valves stick or do not seal correctly, brine that is supposed to only go through the one tank that is being regenerated for use in the next regeneration can bleed into the tank that is in use right now. This will add salt into the water that you are using when the water softening is regenerating and shortly afterward.
If you are experiencing salty water when the Kinetico water softener is regenerating, it is most likely due to the control valves not opening and closing properly.
Unless you are very handy, I do not recommend trying to remedy this problem yourself as the Kinetico valve is a bit complex and can be difficult to work on.
How can I get rid of salty water in my Kinetico water softener?
Sometimes, simply regenerating your Kinetico water softener will rinse the salty water from the system. You can wait until your Kinetico needs to regenerate again or you can manually regenerate it yourself. To do this simply follow these steps.
- With a #2 Phillips head screwdriver, place the tip of the screwdriver into the X slot directly in the center of the Kinetico valve head.
- Press straight down firmly, and then turn the screwdriver clockwise.
- You will soon feel the screwdriver stop as a tab inside the valve makes contact with another tab inside of the valve.
- Continue turning the screwdriver until you hear 5 clicks. By doing this, you are advancing the valve into the brine draw cycle.
- Now you may remove the screwdriver and the water softener will continue through the regeneration cycle.
Because there are 2 tanks, wait until the water softener stops regenerating and follow these steps again to regenerate the second tank.
Each regeneration will take anywhere from 11 to 90 minutes, it all depends on which Kinetico model water softener you have.
Now that you have regenerated both tanks, the saltwater should be cleared. If not, you may want to contact your certified Kinetico dealer for further assistance.
To sum Up!
- Getting salty-tasting water from a Kinetico water softener is usually due to poor water pressure due to a clogged water-sediment pre-filter.
- If you have a pre-filter before your Kinetico water softener, change the filter cartridge, run your cold water for a few minutes and the saltiness should go away.
- If you have determined that there is good water pressure to your Kinetico water softener but you still have salty water, there is most likely a sticking or poorly sealing valve in the control valve and you may need to contact your local Kinetico service professional.
Thank you Paul. We have been dealing with this annoying problem on and off for 7 years. Your article was very helpful. I am going to try to get help from the dealer who sold us the Kinetico.
My Kinetico is about 8 1/2 years old and I have had salty water issues for several years. I have a certified Kinetico service person come out every time and they claim nothing is wrong. They adjust the float and drainage tube or whatever they do, to make it look like they are doing something but nothing has corrected the problem and they think I am crazy. I am ready to replace it with anything but a Kinetico. I have city water but it’s pretty hard and has other chemicals in it. I am just furious that Kinetico will not fix the problem.
Hello Miss Morgan and thank you for the question.
Salty water from a Kinetico water softener is often caused by poor water pressure. If you have a water pre-filter before your water softener, make sure that you are using a filter cartridge that allows a very good water flow.
If you are using water from your city and it is free of sediment, you may not need a very fine filter at all. Try a 20 or higher micron filter to allow optimum water flow.
If this is not the case, you may have a leaking valve inside of the Kinetico control head. If your local Kinetico service person cannot detect this, you may need to contact Kinetico directly for assistance.
Kinetico may have your local service person remove the head and send it to Kinetico for evaluation and they may rebuild it for you.
We have had the kinetico system for 4 years and keep getting salty water. There was no
pre filter unit installed and we have a well with sandy soil. Could this be the cause?
Hello Debbie and thank you for the question.
Sandy soil and other sediments can clog screens and get lodged in the gears and other internal parts of any water softener. If you have sediment issues, you certainly should have a sediment pre-filter installed before your Kinetico water softener.
Sediment may be causing poor water flow through the Kinetico valve which can mean that the brine gets drawn too slowly through the valve which can mean that there can be brine being drawn at the end of the regeneration process which stays in the softener tank and then gets into your home.
I would contact your local Kinetico service person to have your Kinetico water softener serviced and make sure that they check for clogging in the systems drain line which can cause back pressure and slow brine draw.
Also, install a water-sediment pre-filter before the water softener to protect it from sediment. I always install a sediment pre-filter before any Kinetico water softener if there is ANY sediment issue.
I hope this was helpful!
Paul
Absolutely, you need the long blue pre-filter that holds an 18 inch or so 20/25 micron filter change every month and make sure you are running water daily.
The more you run water on a regular basis the more it will wind up the non-electrical system making sure it has enough pressure on the gear wheel to cycle all the way. Running your bathtub water for 20 minutes 3 times a week along with changing the filter monthly you will have the best water ever. Trust me your local Kinetico dealer sells filters cheap 5/6 bucks buy a 12 pack and if you change monthly or if u smell the water coming out with a little odor u need to change the filter. It service free system except for filter and supply water.
We ran into this when both kids went to college we weren’t using enough water so we flush all sinks and tubs weekly and we enjoy crystal clear great water.
A filter is a Must!!!! Plus using enough water
Have had a system for about 8 years. Water is often salty and replaced pressure tank and valve. Still salty. Washer machine rusting out too. White powdery residue everywhere. Ice cubes are useless. Have had serviced twice with no resolution. Will never buy another one.
I do not want to deal with a distributor in our area. Can I find a other company to evaluate what water is accumulating in salt tank. Your help is greatly appreciated if you can get me a phone number not De Anza company.
Hello Tanjore and thank you for the question.
Kinetico is very territorial when it comes to its dealers. They like to only allow their local dealers to take care of the customers in their area.
I recommend going to the Kinetico website and entering your zip code to find your local dealer options. If the only dealer in your area is the one that you do not want to do business with, contact Kinetico directly. Tell them why you don’t want to use your local dealer and request the number of another dealer close by.
You can enter your zip code on the Kinetico website HERE
If your Kinetico brine tank is overflowing, it is most likely because some dirt has gotten into the brine float shut off.
Check out my article Why is my water softener overflowing?
I hope this was helpful
Paul
Just had the head level 1&2 replaced. Old head was not broken but no marking to tell where the regen process was. After new top replaced i now notice salt taste. Tech ran the regen on both tanks when he finished. Good water pressure. New pree filter. If it aint broke dont fix it. It has a 1 on the disk.
Hello Tom and thank you for the comment.
More than likely the salty taste is simply due to the system being worked on and it should go away after a few regenerations. The #1 disc means that your Kinetico water softener will not be regenerating very often so it could be several days before it regenerates again.
I sometimes agree that if it isn’t broken, then don’t fix it, but I think your system should be fine.
Hope you get many more years of service from your Kinetico.
Paul
I’ve had a Kinetico system for almost 3 years now. The last 8-10 months, we keep getting and very salty and metallic taste out of the faucets. My salesman came out and tested the water and it was 6400ppm. I was going to have a tech come out, but I’m not spending $119 for the first 30 minutes and $89 an hour after. I put a new pre-filter in and the same thing happens. Any suggestions? Thanks
Hello Glenn and thank you for the question.
Salty water from a Kinetico dual-tank water softener is very often due to poor water pressure going into the system.
Be sure to use a pre-filter cartridge that is not too fine. I usually recommend a 20-30 micron pleated polyester filter cartridge to allow the best water flow while still filtering out fine sediment.
A solid filter or 1-5 micron filter cartridge may restrict your water flow too much and cause a drop in water pressure.
Also, if the brine float inside of the brine tank tube is set too high, the system might be getting too much brine which may not all get rinsed away during regeneration. If you do call for service, make sure that they clean and reset the brine float to the correct level for your system.
I hope this was helpful.
Paul
Just installed a Kinetico system on Jan 30, 2023 and the faucet water is very salty. What’s the problem.
Hello Monica and thank you for the question.
The most common reason that you may have salty water from a Kinetico water softener is because of poor incoming water pressure to the system.
Because a Kinetico water softener draws brine from its brine tank for most of its regeneration process and the brine should be drawn in quickly, if the incoming water pressure is low, the brine may draw into the system slowly and therefore still be being drawn into the system till the very end of the regeneration.
If you have a sediment pre-filter before the water softener, you may need to clean or replace the filter cartridge.
Also, a water pressure tank that does not provide sufficient water pressure during the water softener regeneration may cause salt to remain in the system after the regeneration is finished.
I hope this was helpful.
Paul