Imagine a giant, rock-hard salt cookie sitting on top of your salt. That’s it. That’s the bridge. It happens when humidity, weird salt pellets, or temperature changes glue the top layer of salt together.
Meanwhile, your softener is down there crying because it can’t draw any brine. It’s like having a full pantry but no way to open the door. Rude, right?
Your dishes will spot up. Your skin will feel itchy. And your water heater might grumble at you. Let’s fix it before you start showering in bottled water.