Kenmore 625.3486 - Manual (Page 15)

SECTION 3
CARE OF YOUR SOFTENER
3A. SALT. ..REFILLING STORAGE TANK/BREAKING A SALT BRIDGE
WHEN TO REFILL WITH SALT: The Salt Monitor
System (see page 10) 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
softener, and every week after that. Always refill
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 Moni­
tor System, page 10.
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
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 salttank. 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.
FIG. 9 SALT BRIDGE
salt
salt bridge
water level
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