16
GENERAL WATER SOFTENER MAINTENANCE
CHECKING THE SALT STORAGE LEVEL, AND ADDING SALT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Brine (salt dissolved in water) is needed for each
and every regeneration. The water for making brine
is metered into the salt storage area by the softener
valve and electronic controller. However,
you must
maintain a level of salt in the tank.
NOTE: In humid areas, it is best to add less salt,
more often.
WHEN TO ADD SALT: Check the salt level a few
weeks after you install the softener and every week
after that. Add when the brine tank is from 1/3 to 1/2
full. Never allow the softener to use all the salt before
you add more. Without salt, you will soon have hard
water.
Use clean water softener salts only, at least 99.5%
pure. NUGGET, PELLET or coarse SOLAR salts are
recommended. Do not use rock, block, granulated,
and ice cream making salts. They contain dirt and
sediments, or mush and cake, and will create main-
tenance problems. For best results, North Star rec-
ommends Morton
R
System Saver
R
Pellets for use
in this water softener.
BREAKING A SALT BRIDGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Sometimes, a hard crust or salt bridge forms in the
salt storage area. It is usually caused by high humid-
ity or the wrong kind of salt. When the salt bridges,
an empty space forms between the water and salt.
Then salt will not dissolve in the water to make brine.
If the brine 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. Take a broom handle, or like tool, and
careful-
ly
push it down into the salt, working it up and down.
If the tool strikes a hard object (be sure it’s not the
bottom or sides of the tank), it’s most likely a salt
bridge. Carefully break the bridge with the tool. DO
NOT pound on the walls of the tank.
If the wrong kind of salt made the bridge, take it out.
Then fill the tank with nugget or pellet salt only. For
best results, North Star recommends Morton
R
Sys-
tem Saver
R
Pellets for use in this water softener.
Broom Handle
push tool into salt
bridge to break
Salt
Salt Bridge
Water Level
Pencil
Mark
1” -- 2”
CLEANING IRON OUT OF THE WATER SOFTENER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Your water softener takes hardness minerals (cal-
cium and magnesium) out of the water. Also, it can
control some (see specifications, page 4) “clear
water” iron. With clear water iron, water from a fau-
cet is clear when first put into a glass. After 15 to 30
minutes, the water begins to cloud or turn rust col-
ored. A water softener WILL NOT remove any iron
that makes the water cloudy or rusty as it comes
from the faucet (called red water iron). To take red
water iron out of water, or over the maximum of clear
water iron, an iron filter or other equipment is need-
ed. Your local dealer has trained people to help you
with iron water problems.
If your water supply has clear water iron, periodic
resin bed cleaning is needed. Clean the bed at least
every six months, or more often if iron appears in the
soft water between treatments. Follow directions on
the resin bed cleaner container.
