Routine Maintenance; Adding Salt; Cleaning The Nozzle & Venturi - Whirlpool WHES20 Installation And Operation Manual

ADDING SALT

Lift the salt hole cover and check the salt storage level
frequently. If the water softener uses all the salt before
you refill it, you will experience hard water. Until you
have established a refilling routine, check the salt
every two or three weeks. Always add if less than 1/4
full. Be sure the brinewell cover is on.
NOTE: If using potassium chloride (KCl), do not fill
above level 4 on the brinewell decal.
NOTE: In humid areas, it is best to keep the salt stor-
age level lower, and to refill more often to avoid
salt "bridging".
Recommended Salt: Nugget, pellet or coarse solar
salts with less than 1% impurities.
Salt Not Recommended: Rock salt, high in impurities,
block, granulated, table, ice melting, ice cream making
salts, etc.
BREAKING A SALT BRIDGE
Sometimes, a hard crust or salt "bridge" forms in the
brine 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 the salt. Then,
salt will not dissolve in the water to make brine.
Without brine, the resin bed is not recharged and hard
water will result.
If the storage tank is full of salt, it is difficult to tell if
you have a salt bridge. A bridge may be underneath
loose salt. Take a broom handle, or like tool, and hold
it next to the water softener. Measure the distance
from the floor to the rim of the water softener. Then,
gently push the broom handle straight down into the
salt. If a hard object is felt before the pencil mark is
even with the top, it is most likely a salt bridge. Gently
push into the bridge in several places to break it. Do
not use any sharp or pointed objects as you may
puncture the brine tank. Do not try to break the salt
bridge by pounding on the outside of the salt tank.
You may damage the tank.
Push Tool into
Salt Bridge to
Break
1" - 2"
Pencil
Mark
Broom
Handle

Routine Maintenance

Salt
Salt
Bridge
Water
Level
FIG. 42
CLEANING THE NOZZLE & VENTURI
A clean nozzle & venturi (See Figure 43) is a necessity
for the water softener to work properly. This small
component creates the suction to move brine from the
brine tank, into the resin tank. If it should become
plugged with sand, silt, dirt, etc., the water softener will
not work, and hard water will result.
O-ring Seal
Screen Support
Screen
Nozzle & Venturi Disc
Gasket
*Flow Plug (HVDC)
Housing
*Install with lettered
side up, concave
side down.
IMPORTANT: Be sure small hole in the gasket is cen-
tered directly over the small hole in the nozzle & ven-
turi housing. Be sure the numbers are facing up
To get access to the nozzle & venturi, remove the
water softener's top cover. Put the bypass valve(s)
into the bypass position. Be sure the water softener is
in soft water (service) cycle (no water pressure at noz-
zle & venturi). Then, holding the nozzle & venturi
housing with one hand, unscrew the cap. Do not lose
the o-ring seal. Lift out the screen support and screen.
Then, remove the nozzle & venturi disc, gasket and
flow plug(s). Wash the parts in warm, soapy water
and rinse in fresh water. Be sure to clean both the top
and bottom of the nozzle & venturi disc. If needed,
use a small brush to remove iron or dirt. Do not
scratch, misshape, etc., surfaces of the nozzle & ven-
turi.
Gently replace all parts in the correct order. Lubricate
the o-ring seal with silicone grease and locate in place.
Install and tighten the cap by hand, while supporting
the housing. Overtightening may break the cap or
housing. Put the bypass valve(s) into service (soft
water) position.
Recharge the softener to reduce water level in the
tank. This will also assure that the softener is com-
pletely recharged and ready to provide softened water
again. Check the water level in the tank by looking
down the brinewell. If the water level does not drop
after a recharge, the problem has not been resolved.
Call 1-866-986-3223, Monday - Friday, 8 am to 7 pm,
EST.
19
Cap
*Flow Plug
Cone Screen
Ferrule
Nut
FIG. 43