Back for the Season? A Snowbird Checklist for Your Softener and RO
Oct 03, 2026The short version: when a Florida home sits closed up for the summer, the water in the pipes, the softener and the reverse osmosis tank sits too. Before you go back to normal use, turn the water on slowly and look for leaks, flush every tap, check the softener’s clock and salt, run one manual regeneration, and empty the RO tank twice. It takes about an hour, most of it waiting. If the RO filters were close to due before you left, change them now.
The first hour back
- Turn the main on slowly. Open it partway, listen, then open it fully. Walk to the softener, the RO under the sink, the water heater and each toilet and look for drips.
- Flush the cold side. Start at the tap closest to where the water comes in and work to the farthest. Run each one for a few minutes. Water that sat in the pipes all summer has lost its disinfectant and tastes stale.
- Flush the hot side. If the water heater was off, turn it back on, let it heat, then run the hot taps.
- Reset the softener. See the next section.
- Empty the RO tank twice. See the RO section below.
- Dump the ice. Throw out what is in the bin and the first two batches the ice maker produces.
Restarting the softener
- Check the display. Summer storms knock power out. If the time of day is wrong, set it, or the softener will regenerate in the middle of the afternoon.
- Take it out of bypass if you left it bypassed.
- Look in the brine tank. Florida humidity turns salt into a hard crust. Push a broom handle down through it. If it breaks through into a hollow space, that is a salt bridge. Break it up so the salt drops into the water.
- Top up the salt to about half full. We prefer salt crystals.
- Run a manual regeneration. On most valves you hold the regen button for a few seconds. It takes about an hour or two and leaves the resin freshly cleaned and rinsed.
If the water still feels hard a day later, see softener not working: common problems and fixes, or water in the brine tank if the level looks wrong.
Restarting reverse osmosis
An RO storage tank holds a couple of gallons that have been sitting since you left. Open the RO faucet and let the tank run empty, wait a few hours for it to refill, then empty it once more. After that it is ready to use.
Filters sit wet the whole time you are away, so the calendar still counts. If they were due in the fall anyway, change them when you get back and not a month later. If the faucet only gives a short burst and then trickles after a summer of sitting, the tank may have lost its air charge. See RO tank lost pressure.
Homes on a well
A rotten-egg smell after months of sitting is common on well water, especially on the hot side. Flushing the lines and the water heater usually clears it within a day. If the smell stays, or the water runs orange or cloudy, the treatment equipment needs a look. See why well water smells like rotten eggs.
Before you leave next spring
| Item | What to do |
|---|---|
| Main water valve | Shut it off, unless irrigation or a pool auto-fill is on the same line. A closed main is the best protection against a leak in an empty house. |
| Softener | Leave it plugged in so it keeps its clock and settings. Don’t fill the brine tank to the top. Half full bridges less over a humid summer. |
| Reverse osmosis | Close the feed valve and empty the tank at the faucet. |
| Water heater | Set it to vacation mode or turn it off at the breaker. |
| Ice maker | Turn it off and empty the bin. |
| Leak protection | If the water has to stay on, a smart shutoff valve like the Moen Flo can close the main when it detects a leak and alert your phone. |
Homeowners who are here part of the year often put the yearly service visit right before they return or right after, so the filters are fresh and the softener is checked for the season. Our service plans include salt delivery, so the brine tank is handled as well.
Common questions
Should I turn off my water softener when I leave Florida for the summer?
Leave it plugged in so it keeps its clock and settings. If you shut the main water valve, the softener just sits idle. Run one manual regeneration when you return.
Do I need to regenerate my softener after being away?
Yes, one manual regeneration after a long absence is a good habit. It cleans and rinses resin that has been sitting in still water.
What should I do with my reverse osmosis system after months away?
Empty the storage tank at the faucet, let it refill, and empty it once more. Change the filters if they were close to due.
Why is my softener salt hard as a rock when I get back?
Humidity makes salt crust over into a bridge with a hollow space underneath. Break it up with a broom handle so the salt drops into the water.
Why does my water smell after the house sat empty?
Water that sits loses its disinfectant and can pick up odors, especially in the water heater and on well water. Flushing every tap usually clears it.
Should I shut off the main water valve when I leave for the season?
If nothing else depends on it, yes. A closed main is the simplest protection against a leak in an empty house. Check first whether irrigation or a pool auto-fill is on the same line.
Back in town? We’ll test the water, check the softener and RO, and change filters in one visit. Call or text 941-266-8991.
Related: Softener maintenance: salt and filters · RO water cloudy, slow or tastes off · Softener, well and RO after a hurricane · Finding an intermittent leak · Service plans
Sources: softener valve and reverse osmosis manufacturer guidance on extended non-use; Hydrology Water Solutions service records.
