Kenmore 625.38356 - Manual (Page 20)

Adding Salt To The Storage Tank
ADDING SALT TO THE STORAGE TANK
Brine (salt dissolved in water) is needed for each and
every regeneration. The water for making brine is
metered into the salt storage tank by the softener. You
must keep salt in the tank, but because the water soften­
er is very efficient, it is not necessary to keep it full.
Especially in humid areas, it is best to fill the storage
tank one quarter to one half full, and to add salt more
often. Salt bridging occurs more often when conditions
are humid.
Use NUGGET or PELLET water softener salt. DO NOT
use rock salts, as they have dirt and sediments that will
stop the softener from working.To maintain optimum per­
formance of your water softener, the salt tank should be
cleaned out every 2 to 3 years.
Before adding salt, be sure the brinewell cover is in place
on the top of the brinewell. It is recommended to set the
salt monitor system, although it is not required for proper
operation.
NOTE: The salt monitor system is calibrated to the
density of nugget or pellet water softener salt. The
monitor will not work as accurately with other types
of salt including rock and solar.
If you choose Potassium Chloride (KCI) as a regenerant,
following these suggestions will help give you years of
maintenance free service.
1. Place only one bag of KCI in your softener at a time
(the salt storage tank should contain no more than
60 pounds of KCI at any one time).
2. A softener using KCI should not be placed in areas
with temperature fluctuations and high humidity (KCI
will harden in these environments and may make the
softener inoperable).
3. Check the brine tank and brine well (black tube in salt
storage tank) monthly. If hardening is present, pour
small amounts of warm water on hardened areas until
they loosen.
4. If your softener does not have a KCI salt setting you
must increase your hardness setting by 25% to ensure
continuous soft water as in example below.
Softener Setting
When Using KCI
gpg
13 gpg
Raw Water Hardness
(Grains Per Galion)
5 gpg
10 gpg
15 gpg
20 gpg
25 gpg
30 gpg
35 gpg
40 gpg + 25 %
19 gpg
25 gpg
32 gpg
38 gpg
44 gpg
50 gpg
Persons who are on sodium restricted diets should con­
sider the added sodium as part of their overall sodium
intake. For example, if your water supply is 15 grains
hard, and you drank 3 quarts of softened water you
would consume 335 milligrams of sodium. That is
equivalent to eating 2-1/2 slices of white bread.
WATER SOFTENING SALT WITH IRON
REMOVING ADDITIVES
Some salts have an additive to help the softener handle
iron in the water supply. These salts may be used if
your water supply has a high iron content. It is recom­
mended to use Sears Resin Bed Cleaner (refer to the
Parts List in back of manual for part number) for period­
ic treatments to keep your resin bed clean. This is avail­
able at your local Sears store.
Persons who are concerned about their drinking water
should consider a Kenmore Drinking Water System that
will remove or reduce in excess of 90% of the sodium
and other drinking water contaminants.
Questions? Call The Kenmore Water Line 1-800-426-9345
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