Will ask again after typo. I have recently moved to a new home and have a Pentair water softener which treats all the household water, how much salt do I need to put in and how often.

You didn't state what model number. But Pentair manuals can be found at this website.
Pentair Fleck User Manuals Water Softeners Filters

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the only way to get 'salt water' from any tap in your home is to have a water softener operating there. Most likely the culprit is calcium from your hot water heater as a result of local hard water.

If this is in fact the case, the aforementioned water softener may be your solution. You can also periodically flush out your water heater to dispose of mineral build up inside it, or reduce the tempurature it operates at.

check the operation of the water softener as the flakes may be calcium deposits. Use only kiln dried softener salt in the unit as pool salt has impurities that will damage the filter medium

I think this can also be due to rusty pipes or connections as it is seen to clear off after the initials flow. You can connect an online filter unless the water is confirmed to be hard and needs to be softenend..

Check the time of day, and make sure it's accuate. Reset if necessary. Add salt if it's low. It's always best to let the salt level run low (about 1-2") so it doesn't mush. Only add 80-100 lbs at a time for best results. This particular softener doesn't keep a water level in the tank, so you won't see any water in the salt area. If there is standing water in the salt area, that could mean it's not working the way it should. Here is a link to the owners manual. It's in PDF format

http://products.geappliances.com/MarketingObjectRetrieval/Dispatcher?RequestType=PDF&Name=003674144.PDF

Hello. Here is an excellent article on how a water softener works which may answer your problem for you. http://home.howstuffworks.com/question99.htm

J.

http://www.diyonline.com/servlet/GIB_BaseT/diylib_article.html?session.docid=1501

Hello, I would like to help with your dilemma. First, adding a Liquid or Powder Softening agent to the Wash or Rinse Cycle of a Washing Machine when using extremely Hard Water as the source is trying to treat the symptom and not fix the cause. These pre-packaged Softening agents are filled with Salts that attempt to mix with the Hard Water Minerals and Neutralize them so the soaps can saturate the water and supposedly clean the clothes more effectively. However, the Hard Water Minerals are still trapped in the water supply with these Salts because they are not removed. And, the manufacturers of these Salt Based Softening Agents have no idea of what level of Hardness (Calcium and Magnesium Carbonates) exist from City to City, State to State, or in private Well water supplies. So, if they provide 200 parts per million of Salts in their package, but the Water Hardness is 600 parts per million of Calcium and Magnesium Carbonates, there is no way the Salts will be effective. With "Traditional" Whole House Water Softening, the Water Treatment Appliance actually removes the Hard Water Minerals before the water is distributed to the entire home or business, then allowing the Washing Machine, Dishwasher, Water Heater, Showers, Bathtubs, and other water bearing appliances to perform their tasks as specified by their manufacturer. These Water Softeners typically attach to the main water line of the entire home or business, and virtually exchange equal amounts of Salt for equal amounts of Hardness regardless of the incoming hardness rating. Then, as the total capacity of the Softener becomes exhausted for the batch of water it has treated, the Control Valve automatically Regenerates the system with a new batch of Salt-Softened Water to use in the home or business. And, when you treat the water for the entire home, you reap the benefits of Protecting ALL of the Plumbing, Fixtures, Faucets, Valves, Appliances, and other household items from Scale and Hard Water Destruction. Visit our Web Site for more information: www.puresafe.com Thanks and Hope this helps. Victor Kernes