Water Softener Question

[PBPitcher]

I am having a water softener problem, and I can't find my answers anywhere...please help!!

Lately, our water has been tasting 'funny' - I keep calling it "chemically", hubby thinks salty or just "off". I have a feeling it is our water softener - if we use this water to water our house plants, when the water evaporates, there is this white powdery ring left behind. Are we actually drinking salt water, or is that another mineral that is being left behind? This is a fairly recent development (within the past 3 weeks or so)...any ideas what could be causing this? We don't have a manual for the water softener, and I can't find any information on the brand name (it is Artesian). Thoughts...?

Thanks!

[painterswife]

Sounds to me like it is not removing the "hardness" from the water.

Are you putting salt in? Is it flushing properly?

[Heidi's_Goats]

Do you use a filtration system before it goes in the softener?

Does your skin feel rough or slippery after you shower?

Here when you have lots of iron and other minerals in the water it smells sulfury, and when there is lots of salt in the water it tastes "chemically". I cannot drink our tap water.

[PBPitcher]

We keep the iron-out salt in the softener regularly, and I believe it is cycling every day when we are not home. I haven't noticed any new or strange odors coming from our water. I don't know if there is a filtration system before it gets to the softener...we are still new at this whole home-owning thing, so these are challenges our landlord would normally have taken care of

Could the resin bed need cleaned? Or could a clogged tube cause the salty taste? Is it odd that I cannot find any information on Artesian water softeners online? Does that mean the previous owners put in a bad system...