Updated: July 24, 2022
You have had your water softener for many years now, and it’s always provided plenty of soft water for you and your family. But lately, you have noticed that it seems to be making more noise than it used to. What could be wrong?
Noises coming from a water softener can be caused by worn valves, warning alarms, failing motors, pistons or valves sticking, broken gears, cracks in fittings or hoses, or incorrect water pressure going into the system.
Although most noises that you might hear from a water softener are not an indication that there is a major problem, many noises are a sign that there may be a problem in the future. Let’s find out what is causing your water softener to make noise, and what you should do about it.
What causes a water softener to make noise, and why!
- Worn valves or pistons: As a valve or piston moves against water-tight seals surrounding it, the seals can wear over time causing the surface to become rough which can cause it to make a squealing or grinding noise.
- “Low Salt” or “Service” alarms: Many digital water softeners have the ability to detect when the salt in your water softeners’ brine tank is low. When this happens, a “Low Salt” or “Service” alarm will sound.
- A failing drive motor: Most water softeners use an electric motor to drive a piston back and forth to perform the resin regeneration process. This motor wears over time and can eventually make a “Ticking” or “Grinding” noise.
- Broken gears: Most water softeners use plastic gears to move their various parts in the control valve. The plastic teeth on these gears can break or wear to the point where they no longer move smoothly causing a “Clicking” noise.
- Cracked fittings: A cracked fitting can cause parts of a water softener valve to move against each other creating a “Squeeking” or “Moaning” noise.
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Most noises that you will hear from a water softener are perfectly normal.
Noises from a water softener are caused either by mechanical parts or water flowing through the system.
Although a water softener will make noises due to normal operation, excessive noise or noises that you may have not heard before may mean that the water softener is not operating correctly.
There are motors running, gears turning, and water flowing, all of these things will cause noise. But most of the time your water softener should not make a sound.
I find that when people think that their water softener is making a strange sound, it is actually working just fine, but the person never heard the sound before because they simply had never been next to the water softener when the sound happens.
A water softener will make different sounds during its regeneration process.
When a water softener regenerates its water softening resin, it will go through different cycles over a period of time that create different sounds. Although the basic cycles of all water softeners are pretty much the same, the sounds that they make can vary from one to the other.
Check out this quick video of regular sounds from a water softener.
Water Softener First backwash cycle noise:
The first primary cycle of a water softener is a brief rinse cycle where clean water is directed through the water softener in a reverse direction. This is to rinse away any debris and dirt that may have gotten into the water softener.
This cycle can be pretty loud on some brands of water softeners, and if you have a large capacity water softener, it will tend to be even louder because the amount of water going through the system will be greater.
This cycle often sounds a bit like a garden hose running at full flow. Not super loud, but loud enough for you to notice. This first rinse cycle is often pretty short, 10 minutes or less is very common.
Water Softener Brine rinse cycle noise:
The second primary cycle of a water softener is the brine draw cycle. This is often a very long cycle that can last as long as 90 minutes.
Although there is water flowing through the water softener during this cycle, it makes a steady, water-flowing sound that is usually much quieter than the first and last cycles.
This is the cycle where the majority of the regenerating is being done. The system is drawing the brine solution from the brine tank, runs the brine through the resin inside of the water softener, and then rinses the brine away.
Water Softener Second backwash Cycle noise:
The last primary cycle of a water softener is the final backwash. This is normally a fast-flowing of clean water in the same direction as the water normally flows through the water softener.
This is to rinse away any leftover brine and pack down the resin so that the system is ready to remove more hardness from your water as it passes through the water softener.
This is often the loudest of the water softeners cycles because it is using a very strong flow of water, at a very quick rate. I sometimes describe it as sounding like a car revving up its engine because it can have a high-pitched whining sound to it.
Some other causes for water softener noises other than the normal regeneration sounds.
Water Hardness build-up inside of water softener inlets.
Before water goes through a water softener, the hard minerals that a water softener is intended to remove, are still in the water. This means that any issue that the water softener is there to eliminate, can still occur in the plumbing before the water softener.
In most cases, the removal of hard minerals from the water is the primary goal of installing a water softener, and that means that the water going into the water softener still has hard minerals in it.
Since the incoming water still contains hard minerals, the minerals can create a deposit around the intake of the water softener and cause a restriction in the water flow, when this happens, it often causes a pressure fluctuation, which can make a banging sound.
The control valve may make noise due to hard mineral build-up inside of the control.
The hard minerals can settle in the small gaps where the valve of the water softener meets the plumbing going into the water softener. Once just a little bit of hard minerals begin to take hold on the plumbing surface, more hard minerals building on top of the first ones are soon to follow.
Over time, these minerals build-up to the point where they restrict the water flow enough to cause the incoming pressure to become much higher than the pressure inside of the water softener.
When these two pressures become out of balance, the plumbing on one side can move to compensate for the extra pressure, and when the plumbing moves, it can make a banging sound.
This restriction in the opening of the inlet to the water softener can also cause the pressure of the water entering the water softener to be higher than recommended.
This can cause the valve of the water softener to malfunction, and water may get past the seals that are supposed to stop the water. When this happens, a hissing or spraying type sound may be heard coming from the inside of the water softener valve, or connecting parts.
Change of water pressure due to water use elsewhere in the home.
When water pressure is constant in a pipe or water softener, there will be a steady amount of force on all the interior surfaces of the water softener and the surrounding pipes.
If the water pressure in your home is low or just adequate for normal usage, just flushing a toilet or turning on a shower may be enough of a pressure drop to cause the connections to your water softener to move or the valves to stick.
If this is an occasional problem, it may be caused by a clogged sediment filter, or malfunctioning pressure tank.
I recommend that you replace the water-sediment filter cartridge in your filter housing with a high micron cartridge if possible. The higher the micron rating, the less pressure will be lost in using the filter.
I often recommend using a 30 – 50-micron pleated polyester filter to provide the best water flow, with the most filtering surface area.
Low water pressure from your pressure tank could create noise.
If you find that your pressure tank is not providing sufficient water, contact your local plumber to repressurize the tank and replace the pressure switch if needed.
If you feel that you would like to replace your pressure tank, you can find some very common sizes in my recommended products section.
Low salt, or other alarm alerting you to an issue with your water softener.
Some sounds that you may hear from your water softener might be for a very good reason.
Many water softeners now come with alarms to alert you when you are running low on salt in your water softeners brine tank.
Other alarms may include annual service reminders, or if there has been any malfunction of the water softener. See my article on Why Is My Water Softener Beeping?
A beeping or buzzer noise from your water softener may be nothing but a simple alarm to make you take notice of something that needs to be attended to.
Sometimes, you may hear a beeping noise from the direction of your water softener, and it may not be your water softener at all.
Check for smoke alarm batteries that need to be changed, ultraviolet light systems, or other appliances in your home that are in the same area as your water softener.
Timer motor ticking or clicking noise, and not because it is not working.
Electric water softeners regenerate at a pre-set time that is programmed into the computer of the system. In order for the water softener to operate when it is supposed to, it needs to know what time it is. And that is why they have a timer motor.
A water softeners timer motor is just a slow turning motor that operates the clock of the water softener. They are very simple motors, but they do have a few gears inside of them.
Sometimes these gears will make a clicking sound as they make contact with each other. This is perfectly normal and it does not mean that there is anything wrong with the timer motor.
I have even heard ticking sounds from brand new timer motors that were working perfectly.
Clunking or whining noise, due to lack of water pressure.
A water softener needs water to regenerate its water softening resin, and it needs the water pressure to be high enough to draw the brine from the brine tank, and a strong flow of water to rinse the brine away.
If you have a clogged sediment filter before your water softener, or if you have a pressure tank that is not providing sufficient and steady pressure, the parts of your water softener could bang against each other, creating a clunking noise.
If your water softener is not getting enough water, there could be air getting into the system. When this happens, the air can be pulled into the water softener very fast, creating a whining sound like a high-pitched wind.
Usually, these sounds can be eliminated by ensuring that the water softener is getting enough water to perform its functions without a loss of water pressure.
Check that your water pre-filter is not clogged, and that your pressure tank is delivering enough water for your water softener. If your water filter is too fine, it will restrict the water flow to your water softener.
Valves not sealing correctly, allowing water to flow out of the waste line.
Because mechanical parts wear, and seals on valves lose their ability to properly seal over time, sometimes water can escape out the waste line when it shouldn’t be.
Water continuously draining out the water softener’s drain hose will often go unnoticed for quite some time because it makes very little noise at all.
You might hear a slight trickling, or at most, a noise like a kitchen faucet flowing slowly when a valve is leaking water out a drain line. This is caused by normal wear and tear, or sometimes by sediment getting stuck on the valve’s seal.
Sudden banging or squealing noise, due to sticking valves.
If a valve inside of a water softener does not open smoothly, an air pocket can develop on one side of the valve where water should normally be. Then when the valve finally opens, a surge of water will rush in to fill the air pocket.
This sudden change in pressure inside of the water softener causes movable parts of the water softener to shift and cause a banging noise. Since this noise will normally only happen when a sticking valve releases, it is very hard to re-create, and therefore sometimes very hard to diagnose.
A sticking valve could create a squealing noise.
A second noise that a sticking water valve may make is a squealing, or hissing type noise that happens when the valve is sticking but a small stream of water is able to pass through.
This is similar to when you put your thumb over a running garden hose.
Because the stream is deep inside the water softener valve, the sound can echo inside the water chamber making a squealing type of noise.
For any of these noises that can be caused by a water valve sticking, cleaning the valve seals, and putting a thin film of a silicon-based lubricant will often solve the problem, but replacement of the sticking valves is the best, long term solution.
Clicking noise, due to broken teeth on a worn gear.
A water softener is a mechanical device that uses gears, valves, motors, and other mechanical parts that have teeth or other points of contact where different parts make contact with each other.
These points of contact are often the most fragile area of the part, which means that they are usually the area of the part that breaks first.
If the teeth on a gear break off, the broken nubs will often still make contact with the part that it is intended to work with, but because it can’t make secure enough contact with the other part, it will slip and make a “CLICK” noise.
Despite the small size of the broken teeth on a broken gear, the remedy is usually more than just replacing the broken gear.
What causes a gear tooth to break and make noise?
The teeth of the gear more than likely broke off because there was strong resistance against the teeth as they were trying to move the other part, or the other part trying to move the gear.
On a water softener, this is often the result of a piston sticking due to debris, iron, or simple wear and tear.
In some cases, you can remove and clean the piston, then add a silicone-based lubricant to the seals and replace the piston and broken gear, but I highly recommend replacing the entire piston and gear for best results.
Hissing noise from your water softener due to crack in tubing or fitting.
This noise is commonly found on a water softener’s brine line, or in some cases, on a water softener’s drain line.
The brine line is the tubing going from the water softener to the brine tank. This tube is normally full of clean water and only has salt water (brine) going through it during the water softener’s regeneration process.
Over time, this tube can become brittle from changes in temperature, exposure to sunlight, and age. If a crack develops in this brine line, air can slowly seep into the brine line and create an air pocket.
When the water softener goes through its regeneration process and attempts to draw the brine solution from the brine tank, it may also draw more air into the brine line, making a hissing noise.
The same type of noise can sometimes be made when the water softener puts water back into the brine tank.
This crack may start off too small for water to escape, so you may hear the hissing noise for quite a while before you see any water coming out.
A crack in the water softener’s drain line is much less common because it is usually made of thick durable plastic, but a crack can form if the tubing becomes brittle and there is backpressure due to a clog or kink in the line.
Because of the high pressure of the water being discharged through the drain line, a crack in the line will usually cause water to spray out which creates a hissing noise.
Want to learn more about water softener noises and how to fix them? Check out my article “How To Fix A Noisy Water Softener”
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To sum up!
These are some of the most common noises that can come from a water softener, or other water treatment system.
If you hear an odd noise coming from your water softener, listen carefully to find out where it is coming from. Hopefully, it can be easily identified, and this article will help you to remedy the problem.
The pipe feeding into my water softener Is rattling almost constantly
Hello Carol, and thank you for the question.
Rattling pipes is usually caused by air in the pipes causing rapid changes in pressure. If you have a sediment filter, it may be clogged, or you may be using a filter that is restricting your water flow. See my article on WHAT WATER FILTER DO I NEED FOR MY HOUSE.
If you have a well, have your pressure tank checked to make sure that it is operating correctly.
Also, check to see if you have any running toilets or other water fixtures that are running constantly. This could cause poor pressure, which could make the pipe rattle.
Hope this was helpful.
Paul
Periodically our water softener makes a huge bang, loud enough to wake us out of sleep on the second floor. We now have a guest sleeping in our basement family room and she was jolted out of sleep by it. My husband thinks this a normal part of the regeneration process but I think something must be causing it that a needs to be corrected.
Hello Sona and thank you for the question.
Banging noise from your plumbing going to and from a water softener is often caused by a quick change in pressure. In some cases, just the drop in pressure caused by a toilet refilling or a sink running can cause this change in pressure.
If you have a water pre-filter before the water softener, make sure that the filter is not clogged as this can cause a sharp drop in pressure if the water softener regenerates but does not receive enough water pressure.
There may be clogging in the pipes, but I do not often find that to be the case.
You might need to anchor the plumbing better. If the pipes are not supported properly, they are more likely to move and therefore make a noise.
I hope this was helpful.
Paul
I have a Whirlpool Water Softener Model Number WHES30 LE31 that was installed by a professional plumber about 8 years ago. Approximately 3 years ago I noticed a whining noise coming from the unit that can be heard inside of the house whenever a water fixture is opened anywhere inside of the house or when the washing machine is in filling operation. I have noticed a low water pressure particularly when more than one water fixture is used at the same time. What is possibly wrong?
Hello Mr. Cortez and thank you for the question.
On your Whirlpool water softener, there is a turbine inside of the connection where the softener meets the plumbing that meters your water usage and tells the water softener how often to regenerate. This turbine turns very fast and only turns when water is being used. I suspect that the turbine or the opening surrounding it has some debris in it which is pressing against the turbine when it is spinning.
If you bypass the system and remove the plumbing from the back of the softener, you should be able to clean the turbine and the area around it to correct this problem but if you are hearing the turbine whine then it should be working fine, it is just going to be a little noisy.
I hope this was helpful.
Paul
I have a question
My water softener timer makes a buzzing noise and the softener is not coming on – is it the timer or the softener causing this problem.
Hello Bryan and thank you for the question.
It sounds very much like the timer motor has either gone bad or it is straining to try to activate the water softener regeneration cycle. I don’t know what type of water softener you have, but the symptoms would lead me to want to check if the timer motor is working and if the main piston is sticking.
I hope this was helpful.
Paul
Hi, unexpectedly my water softener is making draining noise since yesterday. What could be the problem?
Hello Maruthi and thank you for the question.
A water softener can continue to drain water for several reasons. Since I don’t know what type of water softener you have, I can’t be sure what might be the problem but if the water softener is running constantly, you should put it on bypass mode to stop the water from running and then get in touch with your local water softener professional or get back to me with the brand and model and I will see what I can do.
Paul
We had plumbing repairs that generated air in our water pipes. Turning faucets on caused spitting and spraying but cleared the air. My water softener now makes excessive noise during the regeneration cycle that it did not make prior to the plumbing repairs. Does it need a professional to evaluate?
Hello Curt and thank you for the question.
There is probably still some air inside of the water softener causing a whirring or high-pitched whining noise. If you have a water pre-filter before your water softener, it may be clogged due to the plumbing work being done.
I recommend changing your pre-filter if you have one and then turn on the cold water all around the home. Bathtubs and sinks and let them run on full for about 10 minutes to get rid of any air bubbles that may still be in the water softener.
If that doesn’t do the trick, your pressure tank may not be providing enough water pressure to the water softener. Check that your pressure tank is filling by the time the pressure drops to about 30 PSI and then fills to at least 50 PSI. If your pressure tank is not supplying enough water pressure your well water pump may be coming on more often than it should and therefore causing fluctuation water pressure.
Hope this helps.
Paul
Softener is making a grinding gear sound when water is running. Display is blinking “Softening.” Sound is of varying loudness and duration. Usually not very loud at the softener itself, but can be a loud, prolonged groaning in the wall/floor where the main drainpipe leaves the house (which is close to where the softener is. Loudest when the washing machine was filling, but have heard with sink running and toilet flush.
Hello Dave and thank you for the question.
Different brand water softeners may make a noise like you are describing for different reasons but because you stated that the display is blinking “Softening”, it sounds as if the water softener is stuck in regeneration.
This means that it is constantly trying to use water which can deprive other water appliances of sufficient water pressure that can make a howling or grinding type noise.
Some water softeners use an impeller in the outgoing connector to meter your water usage. Sometimes, some debris can get caught in the impeller and cause a grinding noise.
Try bypassing the water softener for a day to see if the noise goes away. If the noise goes away, put the water softener back into service and see if it is discharging water down its drain line.
If it is and it does not stop after about 2 hours, I believe that it is stuck in regeneration and you may need to call your water softener professional to diagnose why.
If you let me know the brand and model of the water softener, I may be able to provide some more detail.
I hope this was helpful.
Paul
Paul, thank you for your help. Much appreciated. The same noise occurs even when the softener is bypassed, which makes no logical sense to me. The display no longer blinks “Softening,” but otherwise everything is the same as before. As for the brand, I cannot find a nameplate or any other identifier anywhere. For all I know, the guy who sold it to me builds them in his basement. The tank is wrapped in a thick black shrinkwrap-looking cover. No names anywhere. By the way, the softener was installed last August, so less than a year old.
Hello Dave
If the noise occurs when the water softener is bypassed, then it is not likely that the noise is from the water softener at all. There may be a clog in your plumbing that is causing a change in water pressure in the plumbing when water is running. This can make a howling or whistling noise.
If you are comfortable with plumbing, you may want to disconnect the water softener and check for hard water build-up in the plumbing leading up to the water softener or contact your local water softener service provider to look into it further.
Paul
Last night I was awakened by a very loud banging sound and water rushing and then it stopped and all it showed after it stopped was the clock. The owners will not be here to check on it for another 2 weeks,I unplugged it ,do I need to do anything else?
Thanks,Joyce
Hello Joyce and thank you for the question.
It sounds like the plumbing made a knocking noise when the water softener was using a large volume of water. If you unplugged the water softener while it was still using water, it may continue to use water. I recommend checking that there is no water coming out of the system, if there is, you should bypass the system to stop the water from flowing.
Since I don’t know what type of system you have, I don’t know what type of bypass you have but I suggest that you check out these articles that may help you.
Why is my water softener draining?
What happens if you unplug a water softener?
I hope this was helpful
Paul
I just bought my house a few months ago and it has one of your water softeners on the side of the building. I have never noticed it making much noise until today it’s making a loud hissing noise all of a sudden. I can hear it from inside the house. I have never had something like this so I have no idea what to do or who to call. Thank you
Hello Jeremiah and thank you for the question.
Without being there to hear the sound myself I can’t be sure but the hissing noise may simply be the system regenerating as it should be.
Check out my article What Does A Water Softener Regeneration Sound Like for more details.
I hope this was helpful.
Paul
Hi my water softener seems to be Clicking on and off way more often than I was used to hearing. Sounds like something is wrong
Hello Heather and thank you for the question.
You may be using more water than you used to or perhaps the settings on your water softener have changed or been reset due to a power outage and the water softener thinks that it needs to regenerate more often.
It is very hard to evaluate the problem without being there to check it out so I suggest that you test your water and make sure that the settings are correct, if they are, you may need to have the system serviced by a water treatment professional.
I hope this was helpful.
Paul