Water is rusty or discolored after regeneration cycles.

Safety first: Do not drink discolored water until it clears. Iron is usually not acutely toxic but indicates improper treatment.

• Check drain line: Ensure the drain line is not kinked or restricted and that the drain flow control is correct for your softener size.
• Increase backwash time: If adjustable, increase the backwash duration to better flush iron and sediment from the resin bed.
• Use resin cleaner: Run a series of regenerations using an iron-removing resin cleaner compatible with Tier1 systems, following product instructions.
• Consider pre-treatment: If raw water iron is high, install an iron filter ahead of the softener to protect the resin.
• Replace resin if needed: Severely iron-fouled resin may need to be replaced with new cation exchange resin.