What salt should i use for my water softener

This is because an older system is not that efficient. Newer models usually need new salt every six to eight weeks, while older models have to be regularly checked to figure whether they need more salt or not.

Bridging affects water softeners by limiting the salt the latter gets. Bridging may also be avoided by having your water softener in a low-humidity area, using only high-quality salt, and by keeping your brine tank exactly half full of salt. Given that you will most likely notice the difference between hard and soft water once you install a water softener, you will be able to easily determine if your softener needs more salt added.

As we mentioned a couple of times above, choosing the right type of salt for your water softener means choosing between the usual softener salt and softener potassium chloride. Sodium chloride can come in three forms — namely pellets, block salt, and crystal.

Salt pellets are usually less expensive than potassium chloride pellets, making the former the most common products on the market. With sodium chloride for water softeners, you have the possibility to choose between four types of salt:. They come with the highest purity rate and are usually the most expensive when compared to other types of sodium chloride. Higher-purity salt is recommended because it has less water-insoluble matter in it. These are usually sold in the form of either crystals or pellets.

Solar salt is made via the evaporation of seawater and is much more soluble than rock salt. Even though most solar salt comes with a high purity level — Obviously, this type of salt resembles pebbles or small rocks. A literal block of salt should not be used in a water softener unless your plumber recommends it. Potassium chloride is the other option in terms of salt for your brine tank.

It has no problem in replacing sodium chloride and, depending on certain circumstances, it may be the better choice for you. For example, potassium chloride is On top of that, water with medium to high salt levels is not suitable for plant watering or for pets.

Therefore, if you want to be able to use proper soft water for your plants and animals, then you will have to buy potassium chloride bags. Remember that this type of salt for water softeners is a bit hard to find, as well as more expensive than sodium chloride. Naturally, the form that the salt comes in is important for your water softening system.

In this respect, we mention water softener crystals and pellets. Each of the aforementioned is recommended for different types of household and usage, as you will see in the following lines. Softener crystals are usually They are made through the process of solar evaporation, which is achieved by exposing a salt, brine, and water mixture to the wind, which removes the water.

The result is a bunch of coarse white crystals. Softener crystals are recommended for those households that have lower-than-average water consumption or that use a two-part water-softening system. Potassium chloride is a sodium alternative that is Potassium chloride generally comes in pellet form and can be used to regenerate the softening resin.

Some people prefer using potassium chloride if they have a sensitivity to salt and have certain dietary restrictions that require significant reduction in sodium intake.

But again, for those worried about the taste of salt, know that salt used in water softeners does not make water salty. Potassium chloride is a safe salt alternative for those who do not want to or cannot use salt with a water softener.

Potassium is also a nutrient that plants and flowers rely on to grow, so you might prefer having that in your wastewater versus sodium. Potassium chloride is generally more expensive than sodium chloride.

You may also need to increase the salt dosage program settings during regeneration. If you would prefer to have potassium rather than sodium in your water — especially if you have dietary restrictions or health concerns related to sodium intake — potassium chloride for water softeners may be an option.

In addition to these basic types of water softener salts, there are also specialty water softener salts with specific purpose, including:. You can find specialty salts like these from leading manufacturers like Morton and Diamond Crystal. The type of water softener salt that will work best for you and your family will depend on a variety of factors.

It helps to talk with your water softener installer to get their recommendations based on your unique needs. Some factors to consider include:. Selecting a lower-quality salt could cause costly problems and negatively impact your water quality. Remember: Cheaper is not necessarily better regarding water softener salt.

Many systems can use any type of salt, but we do not recommend any salt that comes in pellet form. Pellet-style salt uses adhesives that allow the salt to bind together which can create problems with your water softening system. The adhesive can promote bridging or caking and also can gel to the bottom of the brine tank and clog floats.

Clear Water Concepts recommends using coarse or crystal salt always. A water softener expert can help you choose the right type of softener salt based on your needs.

Our team at Clear Water Concepts is here to help. With its Cargill Diamond Crystal comes in pound bags. With their lighter pound weight, these water softening pellets are a great option for those who struggle with heavier bags. In addition to being lightweight, each bag also includes a large built-in handle at the top that makes it easier to grip for carrying and pouring.

Morton Salt consists of evaporated pellets, which are percent pure salt and leave little residue to clean up. With fewer impurities, this salt can soften very hard water, helping to eliminate staining in faucets and sinks. It will also improve the performance of water heaters by eliminating impurities that make water harder to heat, such as calcium nitrate. As with salt-based softeners, Morton Potassium Chloride softens hard water, helping to prevent scaling on pipes or inside appliances while making soaps and detergents used in the home sudsier and more effective.

Morton potassium chloride comes in pound bags with a built-in handle that makes it convenient for carrying and pouring. To use, add a bag of potassium chloride pellets to the brine basin each month. Rust Out Water Softener Cleaner is specially formulated to combat high iron content in water, eliminating the orange stains it can cause in faucets, bathtubs, toilets, and even clothing.

Rust Out functions as an additive to existing water softener salt and can be mixed into the system, either by creating a solution and adding it to the brine well or by layering a half cup of it in the well between two pound bags of softener salt.

Once added, Rust Out takes a few weeks to work into the water softener before it starts working. The result is clear water, as well as tubs, faucets, and sinks that no longer have to be scrubbed with rust removal cleaners. Rust Out comes in ounce bottles, which is enough for five treatments. While water softening needs and systems can vary among households, the Morton Clean and Protect II Water Softening Pellets is one of the best water softener salts for most home needs.

For those who try to limit sodium intake, the Morton Potassium Chloride Pellets is an excellent alternative that uses potassium chloride to soften water.

These recommendations for the best water softener salts include a variety of options to suit the various needs of most typical users. As softening salts come in a range of types, including evaporated salt pellets, sea salt, rock salt, crystals, and even saltless softeners that use potassium chloride instead of sodium chloride, we focused our research on easy-to-carry options that are best suited for residential settings.

Rock salt is typically the least pure option when it comes to water softener pellets. Unless it comes from a particularly pure mine, rock salt almost invariably contains other minerals that can clog up your brine tank and cause the formation of salt bridges. Depending on how environmentally conscious you are, you may share some of the concerns environmental activists have raised about salt mining namely that it causes contamination of ecosystems and formation of sinkholes.

Food manufacturers even use it as a sodium substitute since it tastes roughly like the table salt most people are used to. As we explored in this article , many people use potassium chloride in their water softeners because they are afraid that regular sodium pellets will adversely impact their health. After all, ions from whatever is in your brine tank will seep into your water supply as part of the softening process.

Using potassium chloride can be beneficial for people with specific health conditions that require micromanagement of their sodium intake. For most healthy people, however, the amount of sodium that salt introduces to your water is negligible, as confirmed by several health authorities see the link above to our detailed article on this topic.

Potassium chloride can best be described as a water conditioner rather than a true softener. It crystallizes the mineral concentrations in your water rather than removing it. Many water softener manufacturers consider evaporated salt pellets to be the best choice. These are pellets that have been distilled down to as much as One of the methods for doing this involves forcing water into underground salt deposits. The salt gets pumped back up where it is treated with heat and vacuum equipment.

Because evaporated salt is so pure, using it results in less stringent brine tank maintenance requirements. This added cost may prove reasonable, however, given the fact that your water softener will perform more efficiently possibly using less water throughout its life. Morton is one of the biggest names in water softener salt manufacturing. They offer a variety of products, including evaporated salt and potassium chloride.