To get rid of hard water issues, you may have installed a water softener system in your house. While the correct choice and proper installation matter, you also need to maintain it well. This is important whether it is a filter, a purifier, a softener, or a combination of these. Each component demands monitoring and timely intervention so that you and your home continue to receive an uninterrupted, healthy water supply throughout the day. Like any other water treatment system, your water softener can also face performance issues due to the occurrence of a salt bridge, or a hard layer of salt formation, in the brine tank. When it forms, the salt in the tank fails to dissolve, affecting the system’s ability to regenerate and soften water.
Hence, those using whole-house water softeners should be aware of this particular issue and know what to do to tackle it and prevent it from happening in the future. Here’s a quick look into this.
Dealing with salt bridge formation
This particular problem is faced when moisture levels rise, leading to clumping and hardening of salt. If you add too much salt to the brine tank, it can also create trouble for your softening system. Salt will not be evenly distributed, and airflow will also be impacted. Sometimes, people use low-quality salt, which can build up and crust. Then, changing temperatures are another risk factor. Due to condensation, salt can become compacted.
How do you know that a salt bridge is the culprit? You can check your brine tank for salt levels. If the salt is still at the same level, you can suspect a problem like this. It becomes more evident when salt is not used despite regeneration cycles happening. What should you do? The simple trick is to break the hardened salt layer with the back of a broom, eliminate large chunks, and add fresh salt.
Preventing salt bridges in the brine tank
If you want your home water softener to work at its peak and avoid problems like salt bridges, maintain it well. Routine servicing is the key. Let the same technicians handle this task who installed your softener system. They will have everything needed to address any performance issue. Apart from this, you can do a few simple things on your end. For example, don’t compromise on salt quality. Use high-quality salt pellets that have no or fewer impurities. Refill the tank up to halfway and not more than that, because overfilling impacts airflow and causes salt compaction. Also, make sure you replenish the system only when needed. At the same time, you can gently check the edges of the tank with a broom handle once every month for hollow spaces or crusts. The water softener should be placed in a dry place with a controlled temperature, if possible.
When it comes to cleaning your brine tank, you can request professionals to manage this. They will remove everything from the tank to give it a thorough scrub. Once all the residue is gone, they will rinse and refill it.
Using a water softener for an entire house is a great decision. Resin beads in the tank replace hard minerals like magnesium and calcium with potassium or sodium ions, changing the water’s mineral chemistry. They don’t affect chemicals or particles.