Should I winterize my water softener in Arizona?

Yes, in the right conditions. Kinetico says water in a softener or other treatment system can freeze in frigid weather, and that this is especially important if the system is installed outdoors or in a space that isn't heated, even in an area with a mostly temperate climate. Kinetico's wording covers mild climates too, and the Valley is one of them.

The American Red Cross explains why the location matters. It says water expands as it freezes and puts tremendous pressure on whatever holds it, including metal and plastic pipes. It lists the pipes that freeze most often as those in unheated areas like basements, crawl spaces, attics and garages, and those running against exterior walls with little or no insulation. A softener plumbed into a garage wall has the same exposure. Our page on whether pipes can freeze in Phoenix covers the local weather picture.

Kinetico also gives an operating range. It says most of its systems run at 35 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and suggests installing the system in a controlled-temperature room so it stays within those limits. That range matters at both ends in Arizona. A garage that dips near freezing in January is outside the limit. So is any space that runs hotter than 100 degrees, which is worth asking your dealer about if your garage gets very hot in summer.

### What does the warranty say?

Kinetico says its manufacturer's warranty doesn't cover damage to the system caused by freezing. It says this more than once, so it's not a small footnote. If a cracked valve body or housing comes from a freeze, expect to pay for the repair yourself. Other brands often have similar exclusions, so read yours.

Kinetico lists four situations where you should consider winterizing:

• A part-time residence. The system is in a cabin or vacation home.
• A long stretch without use in cold months. The system will sit unused for an extended period when it's cold.
• An outdoor installation. The system is installed outside.
• An unheated area. The system is in a garage or similar unheated space.

For the Valley, the two that matter most are the garage and the part-time home. Plenty of Phoenix houses put the softener in the garage, and many owners spend part of the year elsewhere. Our page on where to install a softener on the side of the house covers placement.

### What about a system you use every day?

Kinetico says that in most cool climates, softeners are installed indoors in a heated environment, which greatly reduces the freezing risk. It still recommends watching for the cases where the heating fails and the house temperature drops to 35 to 40 degrees, and for softeners on or near an outside, uninsulated wall. In the Valley, that mostly means a garage wall or an exterior closet. If your softener is on an exterior wall, ask your dealer about insulating it before a cold snap.

Kinetico's advice for a home you don't live in all year is to consider winterizing during cold months, even if your location doesn't normally see freezing temperatures. Its steps are simple in principle but it says not to do them yourself: contact your local Kinetico dealer to schedule a service visit or discuss winterizing, and don't tamper with the system on your own, because you could void the warranty.

That matters for snowbirds. If you leave your house for months, the softener isn't in use, and Kinetico separately says a system that hasn't been used for an extended period needs sanitizing. Its list of situations that call for sanitizing is:

1. 1The unit is first installed in your home.
2. 2Any part of your home's plumbing has been exposed to air.
3. 3The system has been moved to a new location, in a new home or a new space in the same home.
4. 4The system has not been used for an extended period.
5. 5A boil water notice or another event may have contaminated your home's water.

Kinetico's page on boil orders says to have your local dealer sanitize the system in those cases. Our page on what to do with a softener or RO system during a boil water advisory covers item 5 in detail. Our snowbird plumbing checklist covers the rest of the house.

### Can you just leave it running?

Kinetico doesn't say to shut a softener off or leave it on for an empty house. What it does say is to contact a dealer for a service appointment, since the right steps depend on your equipment. If you have a different brand, look for a vacation or holiday mode in the manual, and ask the installer.

### What can you do without tampering with the unit?

A few low-risk steps don't involve the softener's internals:

• Know where it is. If it's in the garage or outside, note the wall it's on and whether it's insulated.
• Contact your dealer before a freeze warning. Kinetico suggests asking about insulating and protecting the unit ahead of time, not after the cold arrives.
• Keep the garage door closed. The Red Cross advises this when water supply lines are in the garage.
• Insulate exposed supply lines. The Red Cross suggests pipe sleeves or UL-listed heat tape or cable on exposed water pipes in unheated areas. Ask your dealer before adding anything to the softener itself.
• Find the bypass valve. Kinetico's guidance for other events uses the bypass, and knowing where it is helps in any emergency.

The Red Cross says a trickle from a faucet is the sign of a frozen pipe. Likely places include exterior walls and where the water service enters the house through the foundation. Its advice is to keep the faucet open as you thaw, since running water helps melt the ice, and to apply heat with a heating pad, a hair dryer, a space heater kept away from flammable materials, or towels soaked in hot water. It says never to use a blowtorch or any open flame. If you can't find the frozen area, can't reach it or can't thaw the pipe, the Red Cross says to call a licensed plumber. Check other faucets too, because if one pipe freezes, others may. Don't apply heat to the softener body or valve yourself; ask your dealer, since Kinetico advises against tampering with the system.

If you plan to be away in cold weather, the Red Cross says to leave the heat on, set to no lower than 55 degrees.

Call if you see a drip or crack at the softener, if the bypass valve leaks, or if a supply line or shut-off near the unit looks corroded. A frozen or split fitting can flood a garage quickly. HQ Plumbing & Air is licensed and insured, gives free estimates and quotes an upfront price, and offers 24/7 service. For the softener itself, your brand's dealer is the right call. For more on how a Kinetico system works, see whether a Kinetico softener uses electricity.