If you've read through any of the other softener posts, this will sound like a broken record, but here goes: Get your water tested by an independent lab. Take liter samples of water before and after the softener to see what is in your water and how much of it the softener is (or is not) removing. You will find out quickly if your softener is doing its job. You want to know: calcium, magnesium, iron, pH, TDS (total dissolved solids), manganese, alkalinity (all 3 kinds), sulfur, sulfur dioxide, chloride, bacteria, etc. If you ask for a complete water test, like what they would do for a city water system, you will get all of that and more. Once you have the tests in hand, then some of us on GW can help steer you in the right direction to solve the problem. You will likely end up speaking to a local water treatment professional to help you make your current system operate properly or get the correct treatment system in place.

There are a variety of metals or metal/mineral combinations that can result in yellow staining, the most likely of which is iron. A well-designed softener can handle iron, up to a point. Very high iron requires a separate treatment method. However, this is premature until you have the water test results.