Determine your salt level by lifting the cover of the brine tank and taking a peek inside. If the salt looks dry and the tank is less than half full, refill until it's just over half full. Also, if the salt looks wet or the water level is above the salt, it's time to fill the tank about half full.
Checking the salt level is easy! Simply remove the lid to your brine tank and take a look. If you see water at the bottom of your brine tank, it's time to add more salt (or regenerant) . Before you add any new salt pellets, be sure to loosen any encrusted salt that may be sticking to the sides of your tank.
You will likely need to add one full 40 lb. bag of salt to your water softener per month (on average), to keep your salt at an adequate level.
If your water softener runs out of salt, the resulting hard water that will be pouring out will leave hard water stains and streaks on everything that it comes in contact with (e.g. cups, bowls, silverware). A white film will cover your glassware when it comes out of your dishwasher.
While the average family will go through a 40 lb bag about once a month or so, your amount will vary. Another factor to consider is how often your water softener regenerates; if it's nightly, then the average family may go through a 40lb bag every 10 to 14 days.
Water softeners today work off gallons going through the system. A house with one person with a 30,000-grain unit will go through a 50Lb bag of salt every five to six weeks.
Water softener salt lasts about 2-3 months in the softener, but, to stay on the safe side, you should check and top up the tank once a month. In storage, salt for a water softener lasts indefinitely, as long as it's properly stored.
This is a common problem. clogged eductors or jets in the control valve can cause a water softener to not draw in salt. A malfunctioning brine or float valve can be the culprit. A brine line that has a hole in it can also cause a water softener to not use salt.
We recommend keeping your brine tank at least one-quarter full of salt at all times and no more than 4-6 inches from the top in order to maintain optimal performance. Also, make sure that the salt level always remains a few inches above the water level.
Adding salt to your water softener is key. Without it, ion exchange-based systems simply won't work. Many factors determine how much salt to put in a water softener, including the type of system, the brine tank's size, your water hardness level, and daily water usage.
For a properly sized water softener system, the industry standard for an average family of four, (with a water hardness level of 7-10 grains per gallon) will use approximately 10lbs of salt each week or one 40lbs bag of salt each month.
No brine tank should ever be FULL of water! Newer water softeners, especially those with digital valves, only have water in the brine tank two hours before the softener goes through a cycle. These “dry” tanks should not have water in them between cycles.
Keep your brine tank at least one quarter full of salt at all times. Don't fill your salt up past 4 to 6 inches below the top of your brine tank. Make sure that your salt level always stays a few inches above the water level in your brine tank.
Salt mushing occurs when the salt in the brine tank recrystallizes to create a sludge. A salt bridge is a dome of hardened salt creating an air pocket between the water and salt. Both of these situations prevent proper recharging, and you'll need to check your brine tank to resolve either of these issues.
Water softening systems need salt for ion exchange – removing hardness minerals and exchanging them with sodium. On average, a water softener needs between 1 and 1.5 40-pound bags of salt per month. Make sure the brine tank is never less than one-quarter full of salt.
The salt helps to soften the water and gives it a cleaner taste. Even though your water supply will be soft within less than two hours, it will take longer to see the build-up in your plumbing start to diminish. It could take a few weeks before you can see the difference.
To check the salt level of your water softener, you need to open the tank brine and look inside. If the salt level is less than half, that's a sign you have to do a refill. Ideally, the salt must take up about three-quarters of the tank volume. Adding too much salt will prevent the system from regenerating properly.
If your water softener stops putting out soft water, or if it ends up running out of soft water quickly, you likely have a damaged bed of resin beads. Resin beads in water softeners typically last about 10 to 15 years.
Don't let your water softener fill up with water! A water softener full of water won't be able to function properly. If your softener isn't fully draining during the regeneration cycle then your brine tank will eventually fill up with water until the safety float is engaged.
As a good rule of thumb, you should start by setting your water hardness level on your water softener to match the GPG of your water supply. For example, if your report shows you that your water hardness level is 10 GPG, then you need to set your water softener to 10 GPG as well.
The answer is that you should have about five gallons of water in your brine tank, and it should look like there are a few inches of water on the floor of the tank itself. The long answer is that it depends on a number of factors.
Water softener crystals are better for two-part water softening systems, but it's still best to use pellets in homes with a high water (and therefore salt) usage, because they're less prone to clogging the brine tank.
The salt you choose for your water softener is an important decision that impacts your softener's performance and longevity. Selecting a lower-quality salt could cause costly problems and negatively impact your water quality. Remember: Cheaper is not necessarily better regarding water softener salt.