Occasionally, you may need to clean the salt tank and brinewell. Often times this is done after a long vacation, or if you experience a salt bridge. Let's go through the steps below to get yours cleaned up!
Click the steps below to expand directions.
Step 1 - Empty the Tank
1. Confirm the salt in the tank is soft and movable. If the salt is solidified, follow our Salt Bridge instructions first to soften the pellets or crystals.
2. Remove the existing salt from the tank with a wet/dry vacuum, or manually with a container or shovel. Any clean, dry, individual pellets or crystals can be stored to reuse.
3. Bypass the unit by pushing the handle in on the back of the unit. This will stop water from coming in or out of the softener while you work.
If you have a blending valve, make sure it's closed so no hard water is coming through. Refer to What is a Blending Valve for instructions.
4. Now you're going to open the salt lid and remove the brinewell tube. To do this, you'll need to remove the top lid off the tube and then unscrew the hardware holding the tube to the side of the tank. Set the screw and wingnut aside.
5. After removing the screw and wingnut, you should be able to lift the brinewell tube up and out of the tank. The brinewell is a hollow tube, so any salt in the bottom should fall out when it is lifted up. Remove any residual salt from the tank. Inside the brinewell will also be the brine valve float assembly (pictured below), which will come out with it. You can set the brinewell tube and the brine valve float assembly to the side while you work.
Brine Valve Float Assembly inside (2 types)
Step 2 - Clean the Tank and Refill
1. Now you'll want to use a damp cloth to wipe out the inside of the tank. Continue to wipe it down until it's clean. Great work!
2. Go ahead and put the brinewell back into the salt tank. Reconnect the tube to the side of the tank using the screw and the wingnut you removed earlier. Keep the float assembly in there and reattach the cap on top of the tube. The brinewell should sit on the bottom of the tank.
3. Lastly, fill the tank with 3 gallons of fresh water and then add your salt (do NOT add any salt into the brinewell tube). We recommend filling the tank with salt no higher than 4 or 5 (halfway) to reduce salt bridging in the future. You can allow the salt to drop to level 2 before refilling.
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