GE PNSF31Z01 - Manual (Page 17)

Care and cleaning of the water softening system.
Customer Ser
vice
Tr
oubleshooting T
ips
Operating Instr
uctions
Safety Infor
mation
Checking the Salt Storage Level and Refilling
17
Brine (salt dissolved in water) is needed for each and every
regeneration. The water for making brine is metered into the salt
storage area by the water softening system valve and timer.
However,
you must keep the tank full of salt.
When to refill with salt: Check the salt level a few weeks after you
install the water softening system and every week after that. Refill
when the brine tank is from 1/3 to 1/2 full. Never allow the water
softening system to use all the salt before you refill it. Without salt,
you will soon have hard water.
Use clean water softening salts only, at least 99.5% pure. NUGGET,
PELLET or coarse SOLAR salts are recommended.
Do not use rock,
block, granulated or ice cream making salts. They contain dirt and
sediments, or mush and cake, and will create maintenance
problems.
CAUTION: Water softening salt with iron removing additives: Some salts
have an additive to help the water softening system handle iron in
the water supply. Although this additive may help to keep the water
softening system resin clean, it may also release corrosive fumes that
weaken and shorten the life of some water softening system parts.
Do not use salt with iron removing additives.
Cleaning Iron Out of the Water Softening System
Your water softening system takes hardness minerals (calcium and
magnesium) out of the water. Also, it can control some (see
Specification Guidelines section) “clear water” iron. With clear water
iron, water from a faucet is clear when first put into a glass. After 15
to 30 minutes, the water begins to cloud or turn rust colored. A
water softening system
WILL NOT remove any iron that makes the
water cloudy or rusty as it comes from the faucet (called red water
iron). To take red water iron out of water, or over the maximum of
clear water iron, an iron filter or other equipment is needed.
If your water supply has clear water iron, periodic resin bed
cleaning is needed. Clean the bed at least every six months, or more
often if iron appears in the soft water between treatments, using a
resin bed cleaner. Follow directions on the resin bed cleaner
container. Resin bed cleaner is available from most hardware
stores.