EcoPure EP40 - Manual (Page 18)

18
POWER OUTAGE MEMORY
If electrical power to the water softener is lost, “mem-
ory'' built into the timer circuitry will keep all settings
for several hours. While the power is out, the display
is blank and the water softener will not regenerate.
When electrical power is restored, the following will
occur.
You have to reset the present time only if the display
is flashing. The HARDNESS and RECHARGE TIME
never require resetting unless a change is desired.
Even if the clock is incorrect after a long power out-
age, the softener operates as it should to keep your
water soft. However, regenerations may occur at the
wrong time of day until you reset the clock to the cor-
rect time of day.
NOTE: If the water softener was regenerating when
power was lost, it will now finish the cycle.
Routine Maintenance Customizing
Features / Options
(All Models)
ADDING SALT
Lift the salt lid and check the salt storage level fre-
quently. If the water softener uses all the salt before
you refill it, you will experience hard water. Until you
have established a refilling routine, check the salt
every two or three weeks. Always add if less than 1/4
full. Be sure the brinewell cover is on.
NOTE: In humid areas, it is best to keep the salt stor-
age level lower, and to refill more often to avoid
salt “bridging”.
Recommended Salt: Nugget, pellet or coarse solar
salts with less than 1% impurities.
Salt Not Recommended: Rock salt, high in impurities,
block, granulated, table, ice melting, ice cream making
salts, etc.
BREAKING A SALT BRIDGE
Sometimes, a hard crust or salt “bridge” forms in the
brine 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 the salt. Then,
salt will not dissolve in the water to make brine.
Without brine, the resin bed is not recharged and hard
water will result.
If the storage tank is full of salt, it is difficult to tell if
you have a salt bridge. A bridge may be underneath
loose salt. Take a broom handle, or like tool, and hold
it next to the water softener. Measure the distance
from the floor to the rim of the water softener. Then,
gently push the broom handle straight down into the
salt. If a hard object is felt before the pencil mark is
even with the top, it is most likely a salt bridge. Gently
push into the bridge in several places to break it. Do
not use any sharp or pointed objects as you may
puncture the brine tank. Do not try to break the salt
bridge by pounding on the outside of the salt tank.
You may damage the tank.
FIG. 41
Broom
Handle
Pencil
Mark
3 - 5 cm
Salt
Salt
Bridge
Water
Level
Push Tool into
Salt Bridge to
Break