Many areas have very hard water, which can cause a number of issues such as mineral build-up and corrosion inside plumbing, problems with doing laundry, and water that may not taste very good. A simple solution for hard water is to have a water softener installed in your home. A water softener will treat all of the water coming into your home so you will no longer have to deal with hard water flowing through your pipes are coming out of any of your taps. While water softeners are very efficient and usually last for a long time, they can develop problems that can cause them to stop working properly. Luckily, most water softener issues can be rectified through professional servicing and repair. Some common signs that you need to have your home's water softener serviced include:

Noticeable Difference in Your Skin

One reason that people do not like living in a home with hard water is because it is not nearly as good for the skin as soft water. After installing a water softener, most people notice that their skin feels much softer and more moisturized than when they were showering in hard water. Thus, if you suddenly begin to notice that your skin is feeling dry or itchy after getting out of the shower, it may be because your water softener is not working right and is no longer softening all of the water in your plumbing system. In addition to dry and itchy skin, you may also notice that your soap doesn't lather as well during your shower, which is a sign of hard water.

Dishes Do Not Look as Clean

One obvious sign that there may be something wrong with your home's water softener is dishes that do not look as clean as they normally do after coming out of the dishwasher. Since hard water has a high mineral content, washing dishes in it often leaves water spots on them, and clear glassware may look cloudy. If you have a water softener in your home and you're dishes are cloudy after being washed, it is a good idea to have your water softener checked out before assuming that there is a problem with your dishwasher.

Salt Is Lasting Longer

In order for a water softener to work properly, salt needs to be added to the system on a regular basis. After owning a water softener for a while, most people know how long a bag of salt lasts. If it has been more than a month since you have refilled the salt in the water heater but the tank is still full of salt, it most likely means that your water softener is not working and needs to be serviced by a professional.