Softener Spear - Salt bridge breaking tool

Easily break apart the salt bridge in your water softener’s salt tank

Stop shoving a broom handle into your salt tank. Simply push and twist the Softener Spear to break apart your salt bridge.

✅ Improved water softener function

✅ Easily break apart salt bridge

✅ Confidence inspiring tactile feedback

✅ Innovative Patent Pending design

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Video

When water softeners don’t use salt, they can’t function properly

When you have a water softener in your home, you expect it to work properly. It should remove calcium and magnesium to soften your water. This benefits your home by preventing hard water stains on your faucets, showers, appliances, and glassware.

If your water softener isn’t delivering the desired results, there may be a problem in the salt tank. First, ensure that salt is filled to the manufacturer's recommended level. Sometimes, even if it looks like the salt tank is full, there can be a problem deeper in the tank. A salt bridge is not visible from the surface of the tank, but if allowed to grow, a salt bridge will diminish the effectiveness of the water softener. This may negate an appliance that costs hundreds or thousands of dollars, and risks damaging the rest of the appliances in your house.

Monitor your salt tank for a salt bridge by tracking the frequency that salt is added. If your water softener doesn’t use salt, then, you likely have a salt bridge.

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Benefits

Efficient
Quickly drive the fork to the depth of the salt bridge
Tactile feedback
Solid stainless steel handle gives immediate feel to what’s going on below the surface of the salt
Simple to use
Ergonomically designed handle allows for comfortable one or two handed grips

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Features

Curved prong on fork pulls tool into the salt
Curved end to avoid catching on salt tank
Stainless steel construction

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FAQs

How often will I need to use the Softener Spear?

It will depend on the frequency of salt bridge formation in your water softener. Variables that can effect a salt bridge formation include humidity, frequency of water regeneration, and purity of salt. More frequent use can easily break apart the start of salt bridges. Whereas, waiting longer between Softener Spear uses may require more effort to break apart a more solidified salt bridge.

What is a salt bridge?

A salt bridge forms in a water softener's salt tank (brine tank) over time as the water softener fills and empties brine during normal function. Resitual water on the salt granules or pellets slowly evaporates and leaves behind salt deposits connecting between the granules. As these individual granules become more connected together over time, the salt will begin to stay in a hardened shape rather than flowing into the lowest part of the salt tank. As salt continues to dissolve at the bottom of the salt tank, a continuous salt bridge may form above the lowest part of the tank. When the salt bridge is left undisturbed, it can continue to increase in size and hardness. This "bridge" may eventually lead to a condition where very little salt is present below the water level in the salt tank. The reduced brine concentration can have a negative effect on the water softener's ability to self-clean and deliver soft water.

What is salt mushing?

Salt mushing refers to the impurities and undissolved salt that collects at the bottom of a salt tank. These impurities may be captured in lower purity salt and the impurities will naturally settle out over time as salt is dissolved in the salt tank. The impurities may also come from the rinse water that is used to operate the water softener's cleaning function.

If a water softener is clogged, one possible source of the issue is that the salt tank bottom has collected enough of the "mushed" salt so that the water flow is blocked.

Will it damage my water softener?

The Softener Spear is made of hard 304 stainless steel and a typical salt tank is made of plastic, so care should be taken to avoid contacting plastic components with the tool. Design features have been included to best reduce the risk of damage inside the salt tank. The tips of the fork are rounded and the salt buster prong curves inward at the end to minimize the risk of it catching on the tank or components within.

Comparing to a stick or broom handle, the twisting motion of the Softener Spear allows for a significantly more controlled method to break apart the salt. Avoiding high effort and a hammering motions give the Softener Spear and advantage for safety and precision placement.