How Have You Fixed a Salt Bridge in Your Water Softener’s Brine Tank?
A salt bridge is a common water softener maintenance issue. It occurs when the salt at the top of the tank hardens and forms a bridge over the brine tank, making the entire system less effective. Keep reading to learn how other homeowners have fixed the issue.
A Wooden Dowel or PVC Pipe
A successful way to resolve a salt bridge in a brine tank [is to] insert the dowel or pipe into the tank, then gently poke the salt bridge to break it apart. Make sure not to harm the tank or the water softener components. After breaking the salt bridge, carefully remove any remaining salt. Checking and stirring the salt regularly can help keep the water softener performing optimally.
A Broom Handle and Hot Water
I had a salt bridge in my brine tank. I used a broom handle to gently break it up, making sure not to damage the tank. Then I added some hot water to speed up the dissolution of the salt.
Tapping With a Rubber Mallet
I first broke the salt bridge by gently tapping the sides of the tank with a rubber mallet. Then, I carefully removed the loose salt, ensuring it did not damage the tank’s interior. We also adjusted the salt usage to prevent future occurrences and regularly checked the tank to catch and resolve any early signs of bridging.
Sean Philips
An Old Curtain Rod
I turned off the water supply going into the water softener. Then, I carefully used an old curtain rod to remove the hard salt crust from the top of the tank. Once the salt crust was gone, I used the same tool to break up the rest of the salt at the bottom of the tank to make sure the water flows properly and dissolve the salt like it is supposed to. Then, I filled the tank with fresh salt, being careful not to put in too much.
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