How Do You Know If Its a Salt Bridge

A salt bridge is simply a hard crust that has developed over the water in your brine tank causing improper regeneration. If you’ve noticed your water has suddenly become hard, or brine isn’t being produced and your water softener has stopped using salt, your tank may have developed a salt bridge.

How do you get rid of a salt bridge?

1. Turn off the water supply to your softener. …
2. Locate a long tool you can use to break up the salt bridge. …
3. Insert the end of the handle in the brine tank and use it to chip away at the salt crust. …
4. As you work, use something like a plastic container to scoop out salt chunks at the surface.

Why is my water softener not using salt?

The primary reason why a water softener can stop using salt is when a salt bridge forms in the brine tank. The salt bridge is a hard crust that forms when salt clumps together in the brine tank. Unfortunately, it prevents more salt from dissolving in the tank’s water.