Water Systems - FAQs

1. I think I have hard water, how do I find out?
2. How often will my water softener regenerate?
3. My softener is leaking, what do I do?
4. My question is not found in these FAQs. Where do I look next?
 
1. I think I have hard water, how do I find out?

  • Contact your local water company or county extension agent.
    If you live in a municipal area, contact your local water company. If you live in a rural area, or some suburban areas, contact your local water company or a county extension agent.

  • Have your water tested by a laboratory.
    GE offers a test kit for sale; for further details contact the GE Answer Center™ at 1-800-626-2000. You can have your household tap water tested for hardness, dissolved solids, iron, PH, and corrosivity by an independent, EPA certified laboratory. You will also receive a recommendation on a GE SmartWater whole home system that is appropriate for your water needs.
2. How often will my water softener regenerate?

To minimize the possibility of electric shock, unplug this appliance from the power supply before attempting any maintenance or cleaning.

Your water softener will regenerate about every three days.

The electronic control on your GE water softener uses several factors to determine when to regenerate:
  • The total capacity of the water softener in GPG (grains per gallon).
  • The water hardness setting that was programmed into the control when it was first installed. Make sure the setting agrees with your local conditions.
  • Actual water usage per day.
  • Your water usage patterns as developed over time.

How does it work?

  • Softening water is accomplished by passing hard water over a "resin bed" of plastic beads that attract the minerals in the water like a magnet. Water, without the hardness, flows from the softener and throughout your house.
  • Depending on the hardness of your local water, at some point the resin bed becomes coated with hardness minerals and must be regenerated or cleaned. All GE water softeners are programmed from the factory to regenerate at 2:00 am.
  • The water softener has a reserve capacity of 20 to 25% before it regenerates; this means that it regenerates when the "resin beads" are 75 to 80% saturated.
3. My softener is leaking, what do I do?

To minimize the possibility of electric shock, unplug this appliance from the power supply before attempting any maintenance or cleaning.

Leak in the water softener:

  • Turn off the water supply to the softener. If water is leaking/flooding into the home from a softener, the first step is to locate and turn off the water supply to that softener.
  • Water connections to the softener are made at the rear of unit and are usually visible. Locate the bypass valve. The bypass valve is white plastic and will have the water inlet/outlet supply lines connected. It is located at the top rear of the water softener. One end of the bypass valve has the words "push for bypass" printed on it. Push this in. This will allow the water to bypass the softener.
  • If the bypass valve was not installed, locate the water inlet supply line. Facing the unit from the front, it will be the line on the right. Follow the supply line to the water shutoff valve (it may look like an outside faucet). Turn the valve clockwise until it stops. This will turn off the water supply to the softener.
  • Contact the installer. For leaks when the unit is new, contact your installer first. Most leaks are the result of installer problems. SmartWater authorized installers provide a 30-day warranty on their installation.

Leak from pipe connections to the softener:

  • Contact the installer. The installer is responsible for the tubing and the connections bringing supply water to the inlet of the valve on the softener and taking the soft water from the outlet of the valve on the softener to the house. The installer is also responsible for transformer wiring connections and power supply.
  • If it is determined that the problem is with the softener and not in the components above, contact GE Consumer Service at 1-800-GE CARES (1-800-432-2737) for the nearest authorized SmartWater Servicer in your area.
4. My question is not found in these FAQs. Where do I look next?

Our newest tool for troubleshooting is our GE Appliance Knowledge Base. In your owner's manual, this tool used to be referred to as "Ask Our Team of Experts™".

  • You can use keywords to search for troubleshooting resolutions in our Knowledge Base. Some examples of keywords for the search are: dishwasher leaking, refrigerator too cold, range fault code, etc.
  • Visit our Knowledge Base for further assistance.