Softener brine tank stays dry (no water to make brine)

First decide whether the tank is supposed to look dry: some valves (Clack pre-fill, some cabinet units) keep little water between cycles, while Fleck 5600-style post-fill units should hold several inches of water after every regeneration. If it should have water, the usual causes are a plugged brine line flow control, a stuck float/brine valve, a brine line leak sucking air, a too-short fill time, or a valve that never reaches the refill step.

Cross-checked ~45 min moderateBrands: Fleck (Pentair), Clack, Whirlpool, GE, All

Before you start

Bypass and relieve pressure before removing any fitting on the valve
Unplug the transformer before opening the control (it plugs into 120 V)

Diagnostic steps

Unlock all 8 steps with expected values

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Flow to drain is normal only during a regeneration (usually about 1.5-2 hours, overnight). If it continues, either the valve is stuck in a regeneration position (power loss, stalled motor, seized piston) or worn piston seals are leaking service water to drain. Bypass first to stop the waste, then decide which it is.

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Most UV alarms are the lamp-life countdown reaching zero or a timer that was not reset after a lamp change. A true lamp-failure alarm, a ballast fault or a low-UV reading on a monitored unit means water may not be disinfected: treat the water as unsafe until the cause is fixed and the plumbing is shocked. Exact alarm patterns and reset steps differ by controller, so confirm on the unit's label or manual.

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RO water: TDS creeping up or bad taste

Measure before replacing anything: compare feed and product TDS to get the membrane's rejection, and compare a first draw with a flushed sample to separate normal TDS creep from a real failure. Bad taste with good rejection usually points to the post filter, the tank or stagnant water; poor rejection points to the membrane, the carbon pre-filters that protect it, low pressure or a plumbing mistake.

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