Kenmore GENIUS II 625.34867 - Manual (Page 16)

SECTION 3
CARE OF YOUR SOFTENER
3A. SALT...REFILLING STORAGE TANK/BREAKING A SALT BRIDGE
WHEN TO REFILL WITH SALT (or potassium chlo­
ride): 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 ail
the salt before refilling. Without salt, you will soon
have hard water. After filling, reset the Salt Monitor
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, 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 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
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