1) Your Water Is Getting Hard
Intervals of hard water are the biggest sign that your water softener's resin tank needs attention. Find out if the salt in your water softener's brine tank is being used at a normal rate. If it is, and you notice hard water at certain points during the month, it's possible that the resin bed is losing its softening capacity and can't consistently provide softened drinking water until it regenerates.
2) Your Water Looks, Tastes, or Smells Different
After so many years of use, you've probably become accustomed to the taste, smell, and appearance of the soft water your water softener produces.
If something doesn't seem right, and the softening salt in your brine tank is fine, it could be a problem with the resin beads.
Water that tastes bad, has an odor, has cloudy or colored water, or has reddish debris in the water could be a sign that the resin bed has degraded and is releasing unwanted impurities into the water.
3) Drop in Water Pressure
Finally, a drop in water pressure is also a sign that the resin in your water softener is aging.
Degraded resin can limit the amount of water that flows through your water softener's tank, reducing your home's water pressure.
However, there are many other reasons for low water flow and pressure in your home, so be careful to look at other influences on your water softener's performance to determine if resin aging or failure is to blame.
