Removing hardened salt, often called a salt bridge, from a water softener's brine tank involves several steps. This process focuses on breaking up and removing the solidified salt buildup, not reducing the salt content of the softened water itself. For reducing the sodium content of the water after it's been softened, reverse osmosis (RO) or distillation are generally recommended (see references below).
Removing a Salt Bridge
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Safety First: Turn off the water supply to your water softener before beginning any maintenance.
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Break up the Bridge: Use a long, sturdy tool (avoid metal to prevent scratching the tank) to carefully break up the hardened salt crust (salt bridge) inside the brine tank. Gently chip away at the larger chunks.
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Remove the Salt: Use a plastic container or scoop to remove the loosened salt chunks from the surface. Avoid using metal tools to prevent scratching the tank.
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Dissolve Remaining Salt: While breaking up large chunks is key, sometimes hot water can help dissolve any remaining stubborn salt deposits. However, this is more practical for small amounts. For larger deposits, the physical removal method is generally more effective.
Reducing Sodium in Softened Water
While the above addresses salt buildup within the softener, reducing the sodium content in the softened water itself is a different matter. The references indicate that reverse osmosis (RO) and distillation are effective methods for significantly reducing sodium levels in water that has already passed through a softener.
- Reverse osmosis: This process uses a semi-permeable membrane to filter out sodium and other impurities. RO systems are very effective at reducing sodium levels by 94-98%.
- Distillation: This method involves boiling water and collecting the condensed steam, leaving behind impurities like sodium.
Other methods such as using a water softener with a lower sodium output or employing a two-stage water softener system might be considered for lower salt content, but RO and distillation remain the most effective for dramatically reducing sodium levels in softened water.
