An important part of keeping your Kinetico quality water softener operating efficiently is knowing how to check the salt level. But how much is too much and how much is too little? In this month’s blog, the Secondwind team answers these questions so you can keep your water treatment system in good condition and your delicious, high-quality water flowing

Locate Your Brine Tank

On a classic Kinetico series water softener, your brine tank is typically located alongside your twin resin tanks. Your brine tank, which usually has a black lid, is drum-shaped, and larger than the resin tanks. It’s important because it’s job is to hold salt or potassium and make brine for regeneration.

Check the Salt Level

Checking the salt level is easy! Simply remove the lid to your brine tank and take a look.  If you see water at the bottom of your brine tank, it’s time to add more salt (or regenerant) .

Before you add any new salt pellets, be sure to loosen any encrusted salt that may be sticking to the sides of your tank. If you should note a salt buildup, manually break it up by shaking it up. See how to “shake your brine” here.

Fill your tank no higher than the halfway mark—roughly “knee height” for most people.

Note: always use salt pellets (available at major home improvement stores) and avoid using salt crystals, which can contain dirt and other unknown elements.

Don’t Add Too Much Salt

Adding too much salt to your water quality softener can cause salt “bridging,” or a buildup and solidification of regenerant. This buildup can prevent your system from regenerating properly.

How often should you check the salt level?

If sized correctly, it is not uncommon for our Kinetico customers to use only 3 to 6 bags of salt per year! Homes with more residents or more hardness will use 6 to 12, and of course homes with extreme water conditions will use more. Because Kinetico water softeners are both energy and salt efficient, you should only have to check the salt level about every 2-3 months. Contact the Secondwind Water Systems team if you have questions.

Water Quality Softeners in NH

If you have questions about your water softener, contact the certified water specialists at Secondwind Water Systems. We sell and install Kinetico water softeners, which remove calcium, magnesium, and certain other metals from your water. The resulting soft water is more compatible with soap, and extends the life of your plumbing, appliances and laundry. Visit us online to learn more!