How to Choose the Best Water Softener Salt for Your Needs
We know that water softener is used to process many challenging water problems. Many consumers ask questions about what happens in those tanks after they add a water softener salt. Users are usually concerned about whether these water softeners add salts to the water and their effect on our health as humans.
The truth is that water softeners do not increase the amount of salt in water. The softening process removes dissolved minerals such as calcium and magnesium in water. These minerals are the cause of the hard water. The water softener system uses salts to remove them in a process known as the ion exchange process.
After the water softener attracts calcium and magnesium ions, here comes the turn of the water softener salt. Water softener salt contains sodium. The water softener’s resin is combined with sodium leaving the negatively charged magnesium and calcium alone. The minerals combine with the chloride forming salts that get flushed out of your system. This renews the risen in your salt and allows the water softener system to be used again.
This means that sodium will not pass to the water, your water will have normal sodium content, and there is no need to worry about excessive salts in the water and their effect on health.
The Best Water Softener Salt – What You Need to Know
Finding the best water softener salt can be a challenging question to answer. There is a wide variety of types in the market out there. The water softener salt prices vary according to the brand, quality, and quantity. The most known brands for the best water softener salt include the Diamond Crystal water softener salt, The Water Softener Salt Home Depot, Morton Clean, and Protect II Water Softening Pellets, and the Pro Products Rust Out Water Softener Cleaner.
It would help to consider many factors before choosing the water softener salt. These factors include:
- Type of water softener salt
There are different forms of water softener salt. These forms include salt crystals, solar sea salt, pellets, and potassium chloride.
Usually, the most needed form is evaporated water softener salt pellets. It is made from refining crystals and is formed of pure sodium chloride. It is 100% pure salt. Its purity makes it the best option to be used in a water softener salt. They are easily dissolved in water and do not precipitate any residue. However, these water softener salt pellets have more water softener salt prices than other forms.
- The purity of water softener salt.
Purity means the number of other materials in the product other than salt. The more the purity of the salt, the more its efficiency. Pure forms of salts do not leave residue in the softener’s basin. Pure salt makes the dissolving process more accessible and more straightforward. It prevents clogging and bridging. This also makes the system more efficient and reduces problems. Usually, the softeners have a purity of at least 99.5%. The more expensive evaporated soft pellets enjoy 100% purity.
- Household size and water hardness.
These two factors will affect the choice of your water softener salt. We estimate roughly that two persons with a small household may need about one bag containing 40 pounds of water softener salt every month. Larger families with more household and water consumption may need three or four bags every two months.
The water hardness is also essential in determining the amount of water softener salt needed. The more magnesium and calcium minerals, the more you will need salt. In particularly hard water areas, you may need four or more bags every two months for a household that usually needs three bags every two months.
- Water-softener maintenance.
The less pure water softeners salts leave impurities in the base of the softener. This affects the rate and type of maintenance of water softeners. You need to flush the softener to remove deposits from the water softener. If not removed, these deposits can destroy the internal components of the softener after some time and shorten its lifespan.
To protect your softener, use pure water salt softener as evaporated pellets to leave fewer deposits and schedule regular maintenance for your softener.
You need to take care of bridging to protect your softener. Bridging is forming a thick crust in the base of a brine’s tank. This crust decreases the ability to mix the salt with softener and reduces its efficiency. This problem also affects the water quality and can go unnoticed for an extended period.
Salts with more amounts of impurities are prone to bridging. Use more pure products to protect your water softener. You also need to check for bridging in your softener. If there is a crust in your tank, you need special maintenance to remove the crust manually.
Now, start buying your water softener salt through water softener salt delivery services.
Frequently asked questions about water softener salt
You can choose from a wide variety of products. We advise you to select salt pellets with 100% purity. Our top picks are Morton Clean and Protect II Water Softening Pellets, diamond crystal water softener salt, and water softener salt home depot.
In this article, we have established that pellets are better as they are purer. They also protect your softener against problems such as bridging.
As a general answer, most types of salt or pellets can be used with all types of softeners. There is no known harm from mixing different types in your softener. We usually advise using pellets alone as a first choice.
To add the water pellets correctly, you need to find the brine tank in your softener. Just open the lid and fill it. This tank is usually easily accessible and not sealed.
As a general answer, most types of salt or pellets can be used with all types of softeners. There is no known harm from mixing different types in your softener. We usually advise using pellets alone as a first choice.