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If your Whirlpool water softener is producing hard water, check the salt, clock, and hardness setting before assuming a component has failed. The procedures below are for the WHES40 and WHES44; other models may use different controls and diagnostics. Find the model and serial number on the rating decal—on these models, it is typically near the rim below the salt-lid hinges—and use the matching Whirlpool manual for instructions and parts.
Start with the model and the display
Record the model and serial number before changing settings, ordering parts, or arranging service. The WHES40/WHES44 startup screen displays a model code; an incorrect code means the unit is operating with incorrect configuration data. Do not assume these models’ button sequences or error meanings apply to another Whirlpool softener.
- Steady time: The clock is set.
- Flashing time: Reset the clock, which may be necessary after a prolonged power outage.
- No display or power: Check the applicable manual and power supply. The WHES40/WHES44 self-diagnostics do not cover input power or the water meter, so those diagnostics cannot rule out either issue.
Check the salt and brine tank
For WHES40 and WHES44, Whirlpool recommends nugget, pellet, or coarse solar salt with less than 1% impurities. The manual does not recommend rock, block, granulated, table, ice-melting, or ice-cream-making salts. Follow the salt guidance in your own model’s manual if you have a different unit.
Look for a salt bridge
A salt bridge is a hardened crust that can form above an empty space in the brine tank, often associated in the manual with high humidity or the wrong salt. Salt can appear to be present while remaining separated from the water. Without dissolved salt, brine does not form and the resin bed is not recharged, so hard water can result.
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- Resin Cleaner: Res Care is a specially formulated cleaning agent designed to restore and extend the life of polluted resin beds contaminated with metallic and organic compounds that can erode surfaces and affect performance
- Res Care Water Softener Cleaner: Res Care cleans resin pores of iron, manganese and metal particles; it's a fast and effective way to prevent iron and mineral buildup in the water softener, resin and surfaces
- Easy to Use: Res Care liquid water softener cleaner can be poured directly into the brine well or salt tank; a half-cup treats most residential water softeners
- Cleans and Maintains: Res Care liquid resin cleaning solution is formulated to improve the lifespan and performance of your water softener, reduces hardness and scaling issues, protects your water softener and maximizes its performance with regular use
- Safe Water Softener Treatment: Add the liquid cleaner to your water softener according to the given directions; Res Care is NSF Certified to NSF/ANSI 60 for drinking water
To check for a bridge, gently probe the salt with a broom handle or similar tool, following the WHES40/WHES44 manual. Avoid force that could damage the tank. If the salt has bridged, clear it gently and confirm that salt can contact the water.
Confirm the salt-level indicator
If your unit has a low-salt indicator, the manual says to set the salt monitor each time salt is added. Level the salt as directed and set the indicator to match the actual level; an indicator setting is not a substitute for checking the tank.
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- Water Softener Cleaner: Maintain optimal water softening system performance with this multi-purpose cleanser. It’s formulated to rid contaminants that salt leaves behind, including iron, manganese, silt, metal particles, and harmful compounds.
- Extends Appliance Life: Hard water mineral buildup clogs resin beds, valve parts, and beads, but this cleanser helps clean and restore. Regular use helps reduce maintenance calls and promotes consistent water quality. Works with any water softener.
- Easy to Use: Manually add an entire 4 oz bottle of the resin cleanser before each regeneration. For best results, pair with Pro Products Easy Feeder kit (sold separately) to provide your water softener with a low, consistent dose each day.
- Drinking Water Peace of Mind: Res Care is NSF Certified to meet NSF/ANSI/CAN Standard 60 for drinking water additives. Made in the USA, our water treatment helps provide peace of mind with suitable drinking water for families and pets.
- Professional-Grade Formula: Created by professionals and backed by a deep commitment to customer support, we help home and business owners simplify maintenance while protecting their water softening investment.
Verify the clock, hardness, and salt-type settings
A softener can appear to have failed when its settings do not match the water supply or salt being used. Check the time and hardness setting against the matching manual. The WHES40/WHES44 manual says to account for iron when calculating hardness. Its example adds 5 hardness units per 1 ppm of iron: water with 20 gpg hardness and 2 ppm iron gives a setting of 30. This is the manufacturer’s example for these models, not a universal formula for all systems.
If you do not know the hardness, check with your water supplier or use a water-hardness test. If using potassium chloride instead of sodium chloride, select the matching salt-type setting and follow the manual’s cautions; it notes that potassium chloride can harden with high temperature changes or humidity.
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- 1 Gallon Bottle
- Cleans Water Softener Resin
- Restores Softener Resin Capacity
- Maintains Performance of Your Softener
- High Quality Cleaner
Run a recharge when the unit needs one
Recharge is the normal cycle that restores the softener’s conditioning capacity. On the WHES40/WHES44, hold RECHARGE for three seconds to start an immediate recharge. Press and release RECHARGE to schedule one, as described in the model manual. Button names and behavior vary by controller, so use the instructions for your exact unit.
Regeneration advances through its stages automatically. Water used while it is in progress may be untreated. Avoid hot-water use during the cycle: if the water heater refills while the softener is bypassing water, hard water can enter the heater.
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- Keep Your Softener Performing Like New: Helps remove harmful deposits and buildup from your water softener’s resin bed, valve, and system—tough contaminants that salt alone can’t remove
- Improves Efficiency & Water Quality: Cleans away iron, sediment, dirt, and rust, restoring your system’s performance for softer water and longer-lasting appliances
- Universal Compatibility: Designed for use in any brand of water softener, including EcoPure, Whirlpool, Omni, Culligan, GE, Kenmore, Morton, Rheem, North Star, and more
- Simple Maintenance Schedule: For best results, use every 4 months to keep your system running at peak efficiency
- Protect Your Investment: Extend your EcoPure water softener’s parts and labor warranty up to 5 years with regular use—register your product for details
Understand error codes before resetting
The WHES40/WHES44 manual associates Err1, Err3, and Err4 with possible wiring-harness or position-switch faults, valve torque, or motor faults. Err5 is associated with an electronic-control malfunction. These are model-specific associations, not a general Whirlpool error-code guide.
During an error, the manual says the buttons are generally inoperable except PROGRAM, which remains available to a service person performing manual-advance diagnostics. Its reset sequence is to unplug the power supply, correct the underlying problem, reconnect power, and wait eight minutes. If the cause remains, the code returns; unplugging and reconnecting alone does not repair the fault.
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- Deep Cleans Water Softeners: Helps remove iron, sediment, dirt, rust, and other harmful deposits from the resin bed, valve, and internal system components that salt alone may not eliminate
- Helps Maintain Performance: Regular use helps maintain water softener efficiency and performance by reducing buildup that can impact operation over time
- Universal Compatibility: Designed for use with most major water softener brands including Morton, Whirlpool, EcoPure, Omni, Culligan, GE, Kenmore, and many others
- Easy Preventative Maintenance: Recommended for use every 4 months as part of a routine water softener maintenance schedule to help keep systems operating properly
- Supports Extended Morton Softener Coverage: Using this product 3 times per year after purchasing a Morton water softener may help extend limited warranty coverage from 1 year up to 5 years full parts and labor coverage
When brine fill or draw appears to fail
The WHES40/WHES44 manual’s manual-advance check observes whether water enters the brine tank during fill and whether the brine level visibly drops during brine draw. The drop may take 15–20 minutes. Because this procedure involves advancing the regeneration cycle and observing internal operation, treat it as service-level troubleshooting if it requires opening the unit or you are not comfortable with the process.
If the tank does not fill
The manual lists possible obstructions in the nozzle, venturi, flow plug, brine tubing, or brine-valve riser. It does not establish that any one obstruction is the cause without inspection.
If the brine level does not drop
Possible causes listed in the manual include a dirty or plugged nozzle/venturi, gasket seating problems, leaking valve seals, drain restriction or backpressure, or an obstruction in the brine valve or tubing. For these covered models, the manual warns that a long or elevated drain hose can create backpressure at low system pressure; it specifies avoiding runs longer than 30 feet or elevations over 8 feet. These limits are specific to the WHES40/WHES44 instructions, not universal installation guidance.
Know when to call for service
Arrange qualified Whirlpool or water-treatment service when an error persists after the underlying issue has been addressed, the unit does not fill or draw brine, or diagnosis points to the valve, motor, wiring, or electronic control. These faults can require internal inspection. Match any replacement component to the exact model and confirmed diagnosis; the WHES40/WHES44 parts list does not establish fit for other models or third-party parts.
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