What do Culligan softener error messages mean?

Culligan's guide says that when the controller identifies an error, it is programmed to try to correct the error without user input. If the problem persists, the home screen displays PROBLEM FOUND. From there:

1. 1Press the check mark button to display the first error present.
2. 2Press the down arrow to display any additional errors.
3. 3Use the check mark and down arrow to view the actions: CLEAR ERRORS, GO TO MENU or EXIT.
4. 4If you select CLEAR ERRORS, the controller checks the error status and tries to clear the error. If the error still exists, the home screen shows PROBLEM FOUND again. If it no longer exists, the screen displays SYSTEM OK.

The same messages can appear on the wireless remote display, if your unit has one, the guide says. Write down the exact wording before you clear anything. It tells your dealer where to start.

Most of the list concerns the brine system, which is the salt tank and the lines that carry brine to the resin tank. Culligan's table gives these reasons:

• Brine Blocked. The brine draw rate of water to the brine tank was longer than normal.
• Brine Overfill. Too much water in the brine tank. Culligan's possible causes are a plugged drain line flow control (the unit will not draw brine), a plugged eductor system (the unit will not draw brine), a slow leak to the brine line, a faulty eductor piston, or a power outage while the control was in the refill position.
• Check Brine Tank. The Aqua-Sensor did not detect brine during the regeneration cycle.
• No Refill. Failure to refill the brine tank. The refill restrictor is plugged, or air in the brine line causes the float to slam shut.
• No Brine In Tank. The same reasons Culligan gives for No Refill.
• Check SBT Sensor. The smart brine tank sensor indicated improper signals at the beginning of the refill cycle.
• Low Salt Level. Salt level is low, with less than 15 days of salt remaining.
• Salt Bridging. The brine tank has a low concentration of brine, but solid salt exists above the liquid brine level.

Culligan's guide describes the smart brine tank probe this way: it monitors conditions inside the brine tank, predicts when salt needs to be added, and detects the presence of salt bridging, eductor line plugging and brine tank overfilling.

The remaining messages are about electronics and accessories:

• Aqua Sens Probe. An Aqua-Sensor was installed, but the main board detects it is not connected. The board might not be detecting the 2.5 volt power supply.
• Motor Home Err. The controller failed to detect proper position sensor feedback during initialization, which is not during a regeneration or progressive flow.
• Pos Sensor Err / Motor Position Error. The controller is seeking a known valve position before, during or after a regeneration, or during progressive flow, but cannot find it. The error does not appear during initialization.
• No Remote Signal. The main board is not receiving a signal from the remote.
• Low Battery. The battery needs replacement.
• Replace Ext Filt. Total gallons through the secondary filter, such as a "Big Blue" filter, has exceeded the specified capacity of that filter.
• Call Culligan at xxx-xxx-xxxx. This message is displayed if an error has been detected that requires servicing and no modem is installed in the system.

Culligan lists "Contact your local Culligan dealer" as the comment for each of these. None of them has a homeowner repair step in the guide.

Culligan's guide has a separate list called "Things to Check Before You Call for Service." It says that if any of these conditions is found, the softener should be manually regenerated after you correct the problem:

• Power. Check that the power cord is plugged in fully and that the outlet is not controlled by a wall switch that is off. Plug in the transformer, then reset the unit to the correct time of day.
• Fuse or breaker. Check the house fuse or circuit breaker panel. Replace a blown fuse or reset an open breaker.
• Power failure. Any interruption in power, or a time change such as daylight saving time, can disrupt the regeneration schedule by causing the timer to run off schedule. Reset the time of day.
• Bypass valves. Make sure the valve is in the proper position. The Cul-Flo-Valv bypass should be in the service position.

The salt supply is the other easy check, and it is not on that list. Our page on how to check the salt level on a Culligan softener covers it.

For the salt bridging message, you can look yourself. Culligan's Medallist guide describes a probe test: mark a broom handle 34 inches from the end and carefully probe down through the salt. Culligan says a bridge has likely formed if the tool meets an obstruction before the mark gets down to the rim of the tank. Keep probing until it is broken up completely, and do not force the tool past the mark, because the horizontal salt plate can be damaged.

The EPA's WaterSense guide gives a matching description. Salt bridging forms a hard layer in the middle of the tank, preventing the salt pellets from falling to the bottom and keeping the salt from mixing with the water below to form brine. You can use a broom handle or similar item to break it up, and you should start a regeneration cycle afterward. The EPA says that if salt hardens over the openings in the brine well, you can pour a gallon of hot tap water into the brine tank, let it sit for about 10 minutes and then break up the clog with a broom handle.

Our page on Culligan salt types and clean-outs says more about what makes a bridge more likely. To start a cycle after you clear a bridge, follow the steps in how to manually regenerate a Culligan softener.

Leave the repair to a trained technician for any message that points inside the control, the brine lines or the valve. That covers the position sensor and motor messages, the eductor and drain line messages, and the sensor probe messages. Culligan says its guide is written for trained service personnel and that maintenance done by an untrained service person can cause major damage to equipment or property. It also warns that disassembly under water pressure can cause flooding.

Call for service if:

• The same message returns after you correct the power, bypass or salt problem and clear the error.
• You see Brine Overfill. Extra water in the brine tank can mean a plugged line or a leak, and our page on a water softener brine tank that is overflowing explains why that deserves attention.
• Your water is hard and the display says nothing. Our page on a water softener that is not working covers the other causes.

A licensed plumber can check the water supply, bypass and drain connections around your softener. For the control valve, brine valve and sensors, Culligan points you to your local Culligan dealer. Tell whoever you call the exact message and what you already checked.