Softener Using More or Less Salt Than Normal?

Pick an option below: 

My softener is using an excessive amount of salt

My softener is not using enough salt

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Excessive Salt Use

Your softener consumes salt during its frequent recharge cycles. These cycles are based on the Hardness setting and Water Usage metering. Let’s take a look at these:

1. Hardness

The hardness number in your programming should be set to match the hardness/iron content in your incoming water. The higher this number, the more frequently the softener will recharge. To determine your appropriate value, use our Hardness Calculation worksheet.

2. Metering Water Usage

1. Turn off all the water in your home (faucets, sprinklers, laundry, dishwasher).

2. Hold Program/Select until ‘000’ appears on the screen, then let go. This is the water flow screen.

3. If the numbers are counting, water is flowing somewhere in your home. We can use this feature as a tool to make sure water is not running in your home that you are unaware of.

4. Monitor this over several days to confirm there are no leaky toilet flaps, hoses, etc. that could be using water without your knowledge. Make sure to think about outdoor faucets or sprinklers that may be softened.

*Optional Programming

Your unit might have a customizing option to set ‘Max Days between Recharges’. If this is accidentally set to 1 or 2 days, your system will be recharging more frequently than necessary and using a lot of salt.

1. Hold Select until ‘000’ appears, then let go. Press the Select button repeatedly to see if you have a screen that displays ‘Set Recharge’:

     

 2. You should see ‘Auto‘ on the screen, meaning the system is running completely automatically.

        a. If there is a number on the screen here, it means the system is forcing a recharge every X amount of days.

        b.  In your case of excessive salt use, you’ll want to push the Down arrow until you see the screen above. Then press Program twice to return to the home screen.

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Little/No Salt Use

Your softener consumes salt during its frequent recharge cycles. If the salt consumption has slowed or stopped over the past few weeks, follow the steps below:

1. Water Usage

Your unit will recharge based on the Water usage in your home. Let’s confirm:

    a. Hold the Program/Select button until ‘000’ appears on the screen, then let go. This is your water metering screen – any time a softened faucet is used in the home, it will count here.

    b. Turn on the hot water side of a nearby faucet and leave it running. Return to the softener.

    c. Are the numbers counting up?

          i. YES; your unit is metering water flow, meaning it is also recharging automatically. Continue to #2. 

          ii. NO; your unit has not been keeping track of water usage, meaning it has not been recharging or using salt properly. Visit our Failure to Meter Water article to troubleshoot further. 

2. Salt Block

Since your unit is recharging, it is also trying to use salt. It is possible for the salt will to solidify or stick together in the bottom of the tank, making it impossible for the water to dissolve it properly.

    a. Visit our Salt Bridge article to check for a salt bridge or block.

    b. If you do not have a salt bridge or block, continue to step 3. 

3. Fill cycle

If there is no salt bridge/block, the softener must not be filling the tank properly with water during the recharge cycles. Please visit our Tank Filling article to check this.