Kenmore ULTRASOFT 280 - Manual (Page 16)

SECTION 3 CARE OF YOUR WATER SOFTENER
A. SALT: ADDING SALT TO STORAGE TANK, SALT BRIDGE
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WHEN TO ADD SALT: The Salt
Monitor System (see page 2-1)
will turn the low salt light on to
warn you when to refill with salt.
Check for a low salt light a few
weeks after you install the soften­
er, and every week after that. Add
salt 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. After filling, reset the Salt Monitor Sys­
tem, page 2-1.
Note:
You will have a loss in softening capacity and may
get partly hard water if less than 10 inches (salt mon­
itor level 2) of salt is in the storage tank.
PLEASE SEE PAGE 1-6 FOR SALT FILLING DIRECTIONS.
BE SURE TO RESET THE SAET MONITOR, PAGE 2-1.
SALT BRIDGE
Sometimes, a hard crust or salt bridge forms in the
salt storage tank. It is usually caused by high hu­
midity 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 wa­
ter 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. 10. 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 the tank.
If the wrong kind of salt made the bridge, take it out.
Then fill the tank with nugget or pellet salt only.
FIG. 10 Salt Bridge
salt
salt bridge
water level
3 - 1
Problems, Questions? Call 1-800-426-9345 Kenmore Water Line