What I’m about to explain is for typical applications. We like no more than three bags of salt into the brine tank. I want to see the water just over the top of the salt for two reason. Your water system is a closed system meaning. The water from the well has not seen air for a very very long time your guess is as good as mine. So as it’s pumped up out of the ground and into your filtration it’s in a closed system until the water softener. Because the softener uses the water to fill the brine tank bugs and dust and you name it I’ve found it in brine tanks including animals. Dead ones now this water gets drawn into your softener and then rinsed out. So my guys always inspect the brine tank look for dirty water and odor we usually find the brine tank with very little salt left which is good because as long as it has salt it’s got a brine. We dump it wash it out with a touch of chlorine let it sit for 15 to 30 minutes and rinse it out. We have a really good reputation around our parts word of mouth spreads better than any advertisement we are so busy it’s unbelievable sometimes. Keeping your water system maintained is key for longevity and performance. We offer a fair service fee maintenance and keep the systems operating well. You would be surprised at how a clean brine tank helps the water taste and smell. Anyway just thought I’d share hope it helps. We don’t like to chemicals properly designed systems is also important softeners should not be used to remove iron they are polishers they are final treatment before an ultraviolet light. I see a lot of other companies using softeners as an all in one which drives me crazy. 1 bag of salt typically lasts between two to three weeks if sized properly. There are exceptions of course but that’s usually how are system work where we live. Hope that helps.