Hope it turns out to be good. Now since your salt was not working to make the water softer,How is the condition of your pipes and boiler if you have one. I am just guessing but is that why you are emptying the hot water tank....to much buildup?
I don't think I have bad water to begin with, so I don't think I am suffering from build up. My hot water heater is electric, which I will be changing once the gas company hooks up my house (we just got gas in the area)
I bought a total dissolved solids tester on eBay for about $16 that works great to determine how hard your water is and how well your softener is working. I also use it to test the effectiveness of my reverse osmosis drinking water system.