How Biofilm Suffocates Water Softeners to Death by Clogging a Water Softener Valve Head through a Combination of Factors:

1. The death of a water softener begins with the accumulation of a collection of biofilm layers. These consist of microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, algae, etc.) that adhere to surfaces and form a slimy layer. Over time, these layers can accumulate and create a barrier within the valve head, obstructing the flow of water.

2. A water softener removes calcium and magnesium (hard water) while allowing itself to be compromised by dirt and biofilm. The valve head is directly responsible for directing water and controlling the regeneration process of a system. Biofilm collects microorganisms, forming a multilayer. These layers become slimy, sticking to everything within a valve head, mineral, and salt tanks. These microorganisms adhere to biofilm, beginning to form a low-grade form of bacteria, which turns into molds, pink slime, and releases a film into the water. Most people who use soft water complain of a slippery feeling on their skin when using a water softener. This is not soft water; it is slimy low-grade bacteria secreting from a water softener and its valve head into the water passing through a water system.

3. Biofilm forms a matrix of different microorganisms, which proliferate and produce a matrix of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). This matrix helps protect the microorganisms within the biofilm and contributes to its cohesion. Over time, the EPS matrix can accumulate and harden, leading to the blocking of small passages or channels within the valve head.

4. Biofilm detaches from surfaces where they have formed and migrates downstream. These detached pieces of biofilm migrate down into the valve head and penetrate into a home’s water supply. They can accumulate and contribute to visible pink, yellow to black film attaching to faucets, toilet bowl, and areas near any water source in homes.

Together, these factors can lead to the clogging of water pathways and components within the valve head of a water softener, slowly suffocating the water softener to death. This can impede proper water flow and the functioning of a valve head and its whole water softener system, affecting the performance and efficiency of the water softener system.

To prevent or mitigate biofilm-related clogging, regular sanitizing, maintenance, and disinfection of the valve head and its water softener mineral and salt tank are necessary. Following the manufacturer's recommended cleaning procedures and frequency can help ensure the optimal functioning of the valve head and minimize the risks of clogging from biofilm buildup.

In this picture you can see at the bottom of the valve head a biofilm growing into the head itself. Which is the kiss of death to any water filtration system.

The photos show a biofilm in the incoming city water supply and the return side or the water leaving the water softener system, showing a darker level of biofilm, meaning the collection of a biofilm grows or multiplies inside a water softener system.

Yet another example of biofilm clogging up 1/4” water lines used to pass water to clean a water softener system. Clogged valve head limit a water softener system to work properly and start a cycle of repeated service calls and unhappy customers.

This a riser tube inside a water softener system. That is dying because of a clogging of biofilm gucking up. The touching of the brown matter gives you a slimy feeling a texture that feels like an oil slick.

This brown matter was cleaned out of an ice maker in a home. That was using a water softener with the water source being well water. The system was estimated to be 7 years old. Eventually, because the system was not using a chlorinator or any other disinfectant. Their ice matter grew a biofilm layer so thick it could be pull off the inside of the ice maker by hand.

In this picture you can see a water softener using a very poor valve head and a prefilter. The filter wasn’t getting changed out regularly and brown matter, a rust looking color was aggressively collecting on the filter. Note the brown or orange film on the filter is not red iron. It is a combination of dirt and discolored biofilm growth.

This is a mineral tank we emptied out after removing it, because of discolored water as reported by the home owner. The tank was actually voided of resin completely and even though the home owner thought it still was producing soft water it wasn’t. What they were feeling was live biofilm, a slime, being released. This film was coming in with water into the home making the people believe they were receiving soft water.

The dark matter on this riser tube, which is the tube that returns water back into the house or is used to remove the rock collected over days during a regeneration process. In short, the brown matter is a biofilm that grows inside of a water softener!

This water softener was removed after the customer notice discolored water in his bathtub water. Superior Water Softeners ended up replacing their old unit. You will notice the brown water is supposed to be clear, which it is not. That is actually dirt that has settled in their old unit.

This customer finally listen to his wife and after years of cleaning hard water “rock” out of their water heater, which would cake in his water heater, he called Superior Water Softeners to provide clean water.