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Questions? Call the Kenmore Water Line 1-800-426-9345 or visit www.kenmorewater.com
Care of Your Water Softener
SALT BRIDGE
Sometimes, a hard crust or salt “bridge” forms in the
brine 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 the salt. Then, salt
will not dissolve in the water to make brine. Without
brine, the resin bed is not recharged and hard water
will result.
If the storage tank is full of salt, it is difficult to tell if
you have a salt bridge. A bridge may be underneath
loose salt. Take a broom handle, or like tool, and hold
it next to the water softener. Measure the distance
from the floor to the rim of the water softener. Then,
gently push the broom handle straight down into the
salt. If a hard object is felt before the pencil mark is
even with the top, it is most likely a salt bridge. Gently
push into the bridge in several places to break it. Do
not use any sharp or pointed objects as you may punc-
ture the brine tank. Do not try to break the salt bridge
by pounding on the outside of the salt tank. You may
damage the tank.
Figure 40
Salt Bridge
Salt
Empty Space
Water Level
1” - 2”
Pencil
Mark
Broom
Handle
Push tool into
salt bridge
to break
Service Information
ALWAYS MAKE THESE INITIAL CHECKS FIRST
1. Does the time display show the correct time of day?
= If display is blank, check power source to the sof-
tener.
= If time is flashing, power was off for a long peri-
od. The softener resumes normal operation but
regenerations occur at the wrong time.
= If an error code (example: “Err3”) shows in the dis-
play, go to “Troubleshooting”.
2. Are bypass valve(s) fully in service position?
3. Are the inlet and outlet pipes connected to the sof-
tener inlet and outlet respectively?
4. Is the softener’s transformer plugged into a “live”,
grounded wall outlet, and the power cable fastened
securely to the controller?
5. Is the valve drain hose free of kinks and sharp bends,
and not elevated more than 8 ft. above the floor?
6. Is there salt in the storage tank?
7. Is the brine tubing connected? Brine tubing connects
to nozzle/venturi and brine valve assembly.
8. Press the SELECT button twice to display the hard-
ness setting. Make sure it is correct for the house-
hold’s water supply. Perform a hardness test of the
untreated incoming water and compare with the
hardness setting. Also test a soft water sample to
verify if a problem exists. Press the SELECT button
several more times to return to present time display.