A sudden increase in salt use should be compared with your own water use, settings and recharge history, not a universal bags-per-month figure. GE GXSF30V and Fleck instructions identify increased demand, salt settings and excessive brine water as relevant checks. Document the change before resetting the controller or buying another unit.
Make a short usage record
Record salt added, dates, whether the tank was actually empty, and observed recharge events. Include household changes and any unusually high water bill. A full-looking crust can mislead the estimate of usable salt; the existing softener maintenance guide explains salt checks.
Compare the controller's intended hardness and operating settings with the installer record and a current supply hardness measurement. Do not substitute a city-wide hardness range for the actual untreated supply or change master-programming values merely to reduce salt.
Separate demand from a fault
The Fleck 5600SXT Downflow table lists improper salt setting and excessive brine-tank water when a unit uses too much salt. Those possibilities are distinct from deciding a tank is undersized.
If water keeps rising, use the brine-overflow guide. If the level is contained but unfamiliar, first check whether that water level fits the model and phase.
Also watch for continuous drainage. The EPA WaterSense guide recommends monitoring connection points, valves and drains for leaks and says unnecessary regeneration wastes salt and water. Correcting the settings alone will not repair a leaking water path.
Keep efficiency settings within the actual design
A technician can compare demand, hardness, reserve/capacity configuration and programmed phases with the installed resin tank and valve. Do not copy another tank's capacity or brine-fill time. A setting that lowers salt dose may change available capacity and treatment performance.
Ask whether the unit is regenerating because of measured usage, a time schedule, a day override or a fault. Save the existing configuration before any justified change. GE's manual distinguishes optional manual recharges from its normal automatic operation; repeatedly forcing extra cycles makes the usage comparison harder.
Verify both consumption and water quality
After a correction, repeat the record under comparable use and confirm softening with the hardness-test guide. Less salt disappearing is not enough if untreated hardness is passing through.
Report unexpected salty tap water separately. For selecting capacity in a changed household, use the existing softener sizing page rather than treating every consumption increase as evidence a replacement is necessary.