Pu too much salt in water softener (Alamo: how much, to buy)

[StormNinja]

I have a Ellite Pro system and it was getting low on salt. I bought 2 bags and dumped them in. Now all I see is salt, no water. Is there such a thing as putting too much salt in the water? Is this is nay way going to hamper the operation of the water softener ? How is one to know how much salt to put in the tank ?

[Rustybolt]

You are fine. All the salt does is saturate the water and turn it into a brine. It will max out on dissolved salt and won't dissolve any more. I usually fill mine to where I don't see the water line any more. Speaking of which, I need to buy more salt!

[TexasRedneck]

Rustybolt is exactly right - when you add salt, just add the top of the brine well (the tube inside the salt tank). It's designed to hold extra salt so that you don't have to babysit it all the time. My customers usually top off their brine tanks about every 4-6 months.

[Bradford72]

I'm confused. I've had my water softener for about 9 months (my first one ever) and there's never water in the salt tank. It's just salt. Am I missing something?

[Rustybolt]

You've never had to put more salt in? If not and there is no water, then you softener hasn't been operating. Water softening works by creating a salt brine mixture that passes over a resin. The resin takes on a sodium ion from the salt brine and that "charges" the resin. The resin is then flushed to clear out any salt left. Then, as you hard water passes over the resin, it exchanges a calcium ion for a sodium one. The calcium, as a component of calcium chloride, is what makes your water hard and leads to scaling. When the resin no longer has enough sodium ions clinging to it, a charge cycle is initiated. The salt in your salt tank is used to create the brine water that is used in the recharge cycle. No water in the salt tank, no brine water. You need to have it checked out. TR is the one who could do that for you or recommend someone.

[TexasRedneck]

Originally Posted by Bradford72

I'm confused. I've had my water softener for about 9 months (my first one ever) and there's never water in the salt tank. It's just salt. Am I missing something?

There's two types of brine systems - one makes brine just before regeneration by adding water to the brine tank when the cycle begins (which I don't like/recommend), the other ads water to the brine tank as the regeneration is ending (which I prefer). It takes about 4 hours to get a GOOD brine solution, which is why I prefer the style that stores water in the brine tank. Either way, though, as long as it's keeping your water soft, that's what counts.

[Bradford72]

Originally Posted by TexasRedneck

There's two types of brine systems - one makes brine just before regeneration by adding water to the brine tank when the cycle begins (which I don't like/recommend), the other ads water to the brine tank as the regeneration is ending (which I prefer). It takes about 4 hours to get a GOOD brine solution, which is why I prefer the style that stores water in the brine tank. Either way, though, as long as it's keeping your water soft, that's what counts.

Ahh okay thanks for the explanation. We bought ours from Alamo Water Softeners based on high praise from a friend of ours, and we've been very satisfied with the water quality and their service.