Water Softener Salt Tank

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Peterjame

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Appleton, wisconsin
My water softener salt tank continues to fill almost to the point of overfilling. Not sure I thoroughly understand the process. The float type check valve in the salt tank was removed and placed in a glass of water and the float did not always rise when submerged into the water. I have a Homelite water softner that has been in service for roughly 15 years, and most of which I have not been adding salt to.

Questions;
1. What is the function of the float in the salt tank ?
2. Is the flow of water drawn out of the salt tank during the rinse cycle based on time or measured water flow
3. and is the flow that replenishes the salt tank with water time based or flow based.
4. How much water should be in the salt tank normally ?
 
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I thought Homelite made chainsaws.

The short answer is, the check valve can serve two purposes. Sometimes it's the only adjustment for the amount of brine used per regeneration. Sometimes it's just a safety to keep salt water off the floor. Sometimes both.

When a softener backwashes, it normally does a hard backwash, then a brine draw into the softener from the brine tank, then a rinse and brine refill. Then back to service. If your not adding salt, it's not working. When the brine tank overflows in some cases it means the brine is not being pulled into the softener.

A 15 year old unit in almost all cases is worn out.
 

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