GE PNSF39Z01, Owner'S Manual & Installation Instructions

22

Care and cleaning of the water softening system.

Checking the Salt Storage Level and Refilling

Brine (salt dissolved in water) is needed for each and every regeneration. The water for making brine
is metered into the salt storage area by the water softening system valve and control. 

However, you must

keep the tank supplied with salt.

When to refill with salt:

Check the salt level a few weeks after you install the water softening system 

and every week after that. Refill when the brine tank is from 1/3 to 1/2 full. Never allow the water
softening system to use all the salt before you refill it. Without salt, you will soon have hard water.

Use clean water softening salts only, at least 99.5% pure. NUGGET, PELLET or coarse SOLAR salts
are recommended. 

Do not use rock, block, granulated or ice cream making salts.

They contain dirt and

sediments, or mush and cake, and will create maintenance problems.

CAUTION: Water softening salt with iron removing additives:

Some salts may have an additive to help

the water softening system handle iron in the water supply. Although this additive may help to
keep the water softening system resin clean, it may also release corrosive fumes that weaken and
shorten the life of some water softening system parts. GE recommends using only Diamond
Crystal® Red•Out® brand salt.

Cleaning Iron Out of the Water Softening System

Your water softening system takes hardness minerals (calcium and magnesium) out of the water. 
Also, it can control some (see 

Specification Guidelines 

section) “clear water” iron. With clear water iron,

water from a faucet is clear when first put into a glass. After 15 to 30 minutes, the water begins to cloud
or turn rust colored. A water softening system 

will not

remove any iron that makes the water cloudy or

rusty as it comes from the faucet (called red water iron). To take red water iron out of water, or over
the maximum of clear water iron, an iron filter or other equipment is needed.

GE recommends using only Diamond Crystal® Red•Out® brand salts with Iron Fighter® additive to
help keep the resin bed clean of clear iron. If your water supply has clear water iron, periodic resin bed
cleaning is needed. GE recommends using Super Iron Out® brand resin bed cleaner to thoroughly
clean your resin bed if your iron content is high. Clean the bed at least every six months, or more often
if iron appears in the soft water between cleanings.

IMPORTANT: 

It is important to mix the resin bed cleaner with water (following the manufacturer’s

instructions), pour it into the 

brine well 

(see page 6) and regenerate the softener immediately. 

Do not pour the resin bed cleaner in with the salt, as it will not be as effective in cleaning the resin, 
and can cause damage to the softener if it is left in the brine tank for an extended period due to the
corrosive gases that are formed.