How to Identify and Fix a Salt Bridge in Your Water Softener.
A salt bridge is one of the most common water softener problems, and it is often the reason why your system suddenly stops producing soft water. The good news is that it is usually easy to fix yourself.
What is a Salt Bridge?
A salt bridge is a hard crust of salt that forms in the brine tank, typically near the top. It creates a hollow space between the crust and the water below, which means the water cannot dissolve the salt to create the brine solution needed for regeneration. Your system will appear to have plenty of salt, but it will not be producing soft water.
How to Fix a Salt Bridge
Follow these four steps to fix a salt bridge:
- • Step 1: Identify the Bridge — Press down on the salt with a broom handle. If you feel a hard crust with a hollow space below, you have a salt bridge.
- • Step 2: Break It Up — Use the broom handle to carefully break up the crust. Be careful not to damage the brine tank.
- • Step 3: Remove the Pieces — Remove the large chunks of broken salt from the tank.
- • Step 4: Refill with Fresh Salt — Refill with fresh, high-quality pellet salt. Avoid rock salt, which is more likely to cause bridging.
How to Prevent Salt Bridges
Use high-quality pellet or solar salt, avoid overfilling the brine tank (keep it no more than 2/3 full), and keep the brine tank lid on to prevent moisture from getting in.
Still Having Problems After Breaking the Bridge?
If your water is still hard after fixing the salt bridge, there may be another issue. Contact us for a professional diagnosis.