This over-crusting of the salt layer causing a salt bridge can be caused by high relative humidity, or by using the incorrect type of salt. Or, it may occur when you have overfilled the tank with salt.
Symptoms of a Salt Bridge
Sometimes, the indication that a salt bridge is present is when you notice that the water softener is no longer correctly conditioning the water. If your water softener appears to be running correctly, but you notice that the water is hard to the touch and feel—or you notice a change in how detergents and soaps perform—you know that something is stopping the water softener from performing its normal regeneration cycle. The regeneration cycle of the resin bed is where the water conditioning occurs. Assuming you are not out of salt, there are only a few likely causes of this problem:
A crusted plug of salt or some other form of blockage has occurred between the brine tank and the resin tank. There may be a problem with the control valve (if you have an automatic water softener). A salt bridge has occurred, causing the salt to bond together in a surface layer rather than settle down into the brine tank as it is supposed to.
Although any one of these causes can be to blame for causing the water softener to fail to enter its regeneration cycle, the most common reason is a salt bridge.
Removing a Salt Bridge
Here is an easy method for eliminating a salt bridge in your water softener:
