Kenmore 625.34857 Owner's Manual page 15

SECTION 3
CARE OF YOUR SOFTENER
I I
3A. SALToooREFILLING STORAGE TANK/BREAKING A SALT BRIDGE
WHEN TO REFILL WITH SALT
The Salt Monitor System (see page 10) will turn on
the low salt light to warn you when to refill with salt.
Check for a low salt light a few weeks after you install
the softener, and evew week after that. Always
ref'dl at about the #2 salt monitor level. At this level,
the tank is about 1/3 full. Never let the softener use
all the salt before refilling. Without salt, you will soon
have hard water.
NOTE:
You will have a loss in softening capacity and may
get partly hard water if less than 10 inches (salt
monitor level 2) of salt is in the storage tank.
PLEASE SEE PAGE 9 FOR SALT FILLING DIRECTIONS.
BE SURE TO RESET THE SALT MONITOR, PAGE 10.
SALT BRIDGE
SALT BRIDGE
Sometimes, a hard crust or salt bridge forms in the
salt storage tank. It is usually caused by high
humidity or the wrong kind of salt. When the salt
bridges, an empty space forms between the water
and salt. Then salt will not dissolve (melt) in the
water to make brine. Without brine, the resin bed
does not regenerate and you will have hard water.
If the storage tank is full of salt, it is hard to tell if you
have a salt bridge. Salt is loose on top, but the bridge
is under it. The following is the best way to check for
a salt bridge.
Salt should be loose all the way to the bottom of the
tank. Hold a broom handle, or like tool, up to the
softener as shown in FIG. 9. Make a pencil mark on
the handle, 1." or 2" below the top height of the rim.
Then, carefully push it straight down into the salt. If a
hard object is felt before the pencil mark gets to the
top of the tank, it's most likely a salt bridge. Carefully
push into the bridge in a few places to break it. Do
not
try to break the salt bridge by
pounding on
the outside of the salt tank.
You may
damage
it.
If the wrong kind of salt made the bridge, take it out.
Then fill the tank with nugget
or pellet
salt only.
Pencil
Mark
Broom Handle
push tool into salt
bridge to break
Salt
Salt Bridge
Water Level
15