Water remains hard at all taps even though the Kinetico softener appears to be operating and salt level is normal.

Safety first: Place the softener in bypass if you need to work on the brine tank or control head. Wear gloves and eye protection when handling salt or cleaning chemicals.

• Test hardness: Use a Kinetico hardness test kit to measure hardness before and after the softener. If both are similar, the softener is not exchanging ions effectively.
• Check salt and brine: Confirm there is sufficient salt and that the brine tank contains water. Break any salt bridges and ensure loose salt is in contact with water.
• Force a manual regeneration: Initiate a full regeneration cycle. After completion, retest the softened water hardness.
• Review settings (electronic models): Verify hardness and capacity settings are correct for your water supply and usage.
• If hardness remains high: The resin may be exhausted, iron‑fouled, or damaged. Resin replacement or a professional resin clean (using a resin cleaner approved by Kinetico UK) is recommended.

Warning: Do not introduce unapproved chemicals into the brine tank; they can damage the resin and void warranties.