Water hardness refers to the level of certain minerals, particularly calcium and magnesium, found in your tap water.

Albertville - 22 gpg Apple Valley - 17 Andover - 13 Anoka - 13 Bayport - 14 Bloomington - 5 Blaine - 21 Brooklyn Center - 32 Brooklyn Park - 35 Burnsville - 25 Centerville 11 Circle Pines - 16 Champlin - 17 Chanhassen - 21 Chaska - 26 Circle Pines - 16 Coon Rapids - 18 Corcoran - 22 Cottage Grove - 17 Crystal - 7 Dayton - 21 Eagan - 17 Eden Prairie - 6 Edina - 25 Elk River - 16 Elko New Market - 26 Excelsior - 21 Farmington - 16 Forest Lake - 8 Fridley - 15 Golden Valley - 7 Hastings - 16 Hopkins - 21 Hudson - 12 Hugo - 14 Inver Grove Heights - 22 Jordan - 24 Lake Elmo - 15 Lakeville - 18 Lino Lakes - 15 Long Lake - 24 Mahtomedi - 16 Maple Grove - 25 Maplewood - 7 Medina - 24 Mendota Heights - 5 Minneapolis - 5 Minnetonka - 18 Minnetrista - 24 Mound - 28 Moundsview - 17 New Brighton - 20 New Hope - 7 Newport -16 North Branch - 16 Northfield - 24 North Oaks - 16 North St. Paul - 17 Oakdale - 16 Osseo - 19 Otsego - 16 Plymouth - 22 Prior Lake - 17 Ramsey - 17 Richfield - 7 Rogers - 22 Rosemount - 17 St. Anthony - 16 St. Louis Park - 18 St. Paul Park - 17 Savage - 23 Shakopee - 18 Shoreview - 15 Shorewood - 15 South St. Paul - 18 Spring Lake Park - 16 Stillwater - 13 Vadnais Heights - 12 Wayzata - 20 White Bear Lake - 13 Woodbury - 17

Your softener acts as a large filter.When water is used in your home it runs through the softener to pull out the hardness minerals and produces soft water.When the media inside the softener reaches capacity, a regeneration is initiated either immediately or at a programmed time.During the regeneration process salt water from the brine tank is pulled into the softener to release the hardness from the resin which is flushed to the drain. Now the resin is fully charged and ready to continue filtering your water.

IN THE KITCHEN… Shiny, spotless dishes and glasses Sparkling-clean sinks Longer life for plumbing and appliances Cleaner dishwasher with no scale buildup IN THE BATHROOM… Cleaner fixtures with no soap scum buildup Stain-free sinks, tubs, and showers Softer skin and more manageable hair Use less shampoo and conditioners IN THE LAUNDRY… Wash is fresher, cleaner, and brighter Longer life for washing machines Use less detergent Softer clothes

It will depend on your water use but a typical family of 4 will generally go through one 40 pound bag of salt per month. If your softener is using considerably more or less than this amount there could be something not working correctly with your softener or your settings might need to be adjusted.

There are two main types of water softening salt, crystals and pellets. When choosing salt you should follow the manufactures recommendation for that softener. We only recommend the use of crystal salt with all of our softeners. Crystals can also be labeled as extra course solar or just solar salt, and it’s almost always in a blue bag.

If the softener is regenerating and the salt level is not going down it could be caused by a salt bridge. A salt bridge can form when the salt inside the salt tank gets wet and then dries, forming a hard layer that doesn’t allow the salt to drop into the water at the bottom of the salt tank. This is a very common problem with the cabinet or all in one style softeners where the softener sits inside the salt tank. This can happen due to higher humidity, especially during the spring and summer months, where the mineral tank will sweat and that water runs down the tank and contacts the salt. When that salt dries it forms a salt bridge and your salt level will not go down and your softener will not produce soft water.

You want to try to break up the hard layer with a metal rod or broom handle so the salt drops into the water at the bottom of salt tank. You do need to be careful so you don’t damage the salt tank, mineral tank, or any other components inside the salt tank. If you’re having a hard time breaking up the salt bridge you can pour water over the hardened area to help loosen it up. Make sure to use up all of the remaining salt in the tank before adding more to make sure you cleared the whole harden area.

Hard water causes both aesthetic and usage problems, such as spots on dishes or sink fixtures, scale buildup on showers, tubs, sinks, and toilets, and poor soap lathering. It can clog pipes over time, increase the energy for heating water, and damage internal parts of household appliances that use water.