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What Is the Best Water Softener Salt?

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As a water softener owner, there’s not much you need to worry about when it comes to maintenance. Your system handles most of its processes on its own. Even the latest smart features give you options for easily managing your system from your smartphone, which means you can sit back and relax.

However, there’s one thing you always want to stay on top of —your water softener salt.

Salt is a crucial part of the water softening process, and it keeps your softener working efficiently and effectively. That’s why it’s so important to choose the right salt type — and that depends on a number of factors. Generally, the best water softener salt is whatever is recommended for your specific system. But what does that mean and how do you find out what’s right for your softener?

Here’s what you should know.

How To Choose The Right Water Softener Salt

It’s important to choose the right kind of salt and add it to your softener at the correct intervals. However, you can’t do that until you fully understand your options, why the differences matter and how to find accurate recommendations. Let’s take a look at choosing salt for your water softening system:

Types of Water Softener Salt

First, you should know that there are multiple types of softener salt. The main differences between them are:

  • Appearance: Softener salt can come in different packages, shapes and amounts depending on the type. Bags measured by weight are the most common type.
  • Purity: Every salt variety has a certain purity level, which measures the amount of salt vs. other materials in the product. Those impurities can include rocks and other insoluble material. Higher-purity salt creates less residue and keeps the brine tank cleaner.
  • Preparation: Each salt type is created or prepared differently. For example, some salt is sourced from ocean water while other is sourced from salt mines. There are also a variety of processes for drying, grading, and packaging the salts.

Here’s an overview of the most common water softener salt options:

Crystals, Pellets or Blocks

The first thing to consider when choosing softener salt is the “shape.” This doesn’t impact the type of salt itself. It’s similar to choosing between a sugar cube or granulated sugar — it’s the same basic product but in a different form.

  • Appearance: Different types of salts look different. However, this alone doesn’t determine the type or effectiveness of the salt.
  • Additives: Some salts, especially pellet salt, may have additives that can result in salt problems.
  • Cost: Although costs vary by salt brand, you’ll notice that some tend to be more expensive; For example, salt pellets may be pricier than other forms.

Regardless of the shape you choose, you will have the choice between the following types of softener salt:

Evaporated

Evaporated salt is exactly what it sounds like: softener salt made through the process of evaporation. This leaves behind a highly pure, highly concentrated product that can then be formed into evaporated salt pellets or crystals.

Compared to other types, evaporated salt varieties tend to dissolve especially quickly and easily. They may also be less likely to cause salt issues — but they can also be more expensive.

Rock

Rock salt is an option with a lot of considerations. On one hand, it’s widely available and tends to be less expensive, which makes it an attractive choice for homes with high water usage or water hardness levels. On the other hand, it’s generally less pure than other types; that’s because it’s mined from underground and doesn’t go through much processing, which means it may contain impurities like calcium sulfate. As such, it won’t dissolve as well as other types, may leave residue in the salt tank and may even cause repair problems.

Solar

Solar salt, sometimes called solar sea salt, is made from evaporating seawater. It’s widely available, works with most softener types and can be highly pure — and it’s affordable, too. The only drawback is that not all solar salt dissolves as easily as evaporated salt; depending on the product and processes, it may also have lower overall purity, which could leave residue in your salt tank.

Potassium Chloride

Everyday table salt is called sodium chloride, which is a term you’ll see on plenty of softener salt varieties. However, you might also see “potassium chloride” — a different form of salt that may be recommended for those with certain health considerations like high blood pressure. It works much like sodium chloride and dissolves well in water, making it a good choice for many water softeners — but it can be more expensive, especially because you may need more to soften the same amount of water compared to standard salt varieties.***

Specialty Salts

Some salts may offer additional benefits besides their softening abilities. If you are interested, be on the lookout for salts that promote:

  • Iron reduction: Some salts are designed to target iron content, making them a two-in-one water treatment solution that addresses both hardness and rust stains.
  • Water softener system cleaning: Certain salts may be better at cleaning the softener itself, helping prevent buildup, staining, scaling and more.

Why Softener Salt Type Matters

It’s clear that softener salt types have a lot of variables — and while they’re intended to help you get the soft water your home needs, they won’t all have the same benefits.

That’s because of factors like your water’s hardness, iron level, your water usage levels, your system’s age and more. Each salt works a little differently, and what complements one system might cause issues with another — so it pays to choose the type that works best for both your softener and your budget.

How To Find the Best Salt Recommendations

Water softener systems usually come with manuals or user guides that include important information about salt requirements and recommendations. If you can’t find the details, you could always ask your water treatment provider or contact the manufacturer directly.

What Happens if You Use the Wrong Salt?

There are a lot of similarities between softener salt types, so you generally have more than one option. However, it’s certainly possible to use the wrong salt — and if that happens, you could see three main issues:

  • Reduced efficiency: Some salts technically work inside your water softener system but aren’t the best choice. In these cases, you may notice that your water feels different, you’re spending more on salt refills or hard water symptoms are coming back.
  • Salt problems: Some types of salt cause “mushing,” a salty sludge in your softener’s tank, or “bridging,” a hard crust that prevents salt from dissolving and working properly.
  • Softener damage: If you use a salt that doesn’t fit your system– like sidewalk salt or other products not designed for water softening– you could potentially damage different parts of the softener.

To make sure you don’t run into these kinds of problems, it’s best to purchase the same kind of salt every time — and remember to follow expert recommendations for your specific softener model.

The Benefits of a Great Water Softener

Salt isn’t just part of the softening process. It also helps you get the most out of your softening system — which means better outcomes for your whole home.

Here’s what you can expect when you have the right softener and salt combination:

No Hard Water Symptoms

Softened water is gentler on your fixtures, plumbing, water-using appliances and even hair and skin. That means you spend less time scrubbing away stubborn soap spots and mineral buildup — plus, your cleaning supplies and personal care products like shampoo will work more effectively.

Lower Costs

When you have the right softener and the best salt, you’ll notice all kinds of cost savings. For example, this combination means you’ll spend less on cleaning supplies, softener maintenance, salt refills and more — all because you chose a system that fits your home’s needs and the salt that makes it work properly.

Increased Efficiency

A good softener/salt duo means you get more from both investments. Your softener will operate better for longer with the right salt. Meanwhile, the salt itself will last longer, too as the system doesn’t need to use as much to keep its processes running smoothly.

Water Softener Salt FAQs

Want to learn more about water softener salt? Here are some FAQs to get you started:

How Do You Choose the Right Softener?

A softener’s performance and salt needs depend on your home’s water hardness levels, water usage and other factors. Higher hardness means your softener must work harder — and some systems are specifically designed for that.

To find out what your home needs, start with a free water test. Your local water expert will explain hardness levels, softener recommendations, salt requirements and more. You’ll also learn whether you need a water filter solution, which is separate from softening but can complement your overall water treatment plan.

Can You Replace Salt by Yourself?

It’s possible — and generally easy — to refill your softener’s salt by yourself. When installing the system, your water expert should explain everything you need to know about its functions and maintenance, including where and how to add more salt.

To make things even more convenient, you can use a salt delivery service to avoid hauling heavy bags from the store. You’ll get the right type of salt delivered to your door regularly, which means you also won’t have to worry about remembering which type your softener needs.

How Often Should You Refill Your Water Softener Salt?

When the softener removes hard water minerals, it eventually needs to flush them out. This is a process called “regeneration,” and it uses water softener salt to make a brine solution that cleans away mineral content from inside the system.

Salt replacement is directly tied to regeneration frequency. However, that’s not necessarily an easy number to uncover. This is because softeners have different ways of deciding when regeneration is necessary; some base this schedule on how much time has passed or how much water you’ve used, while the smartest models can monitor their own condition and trigger regeneration at the most effective intervals.

Generally speaking, you should check your softener’s salt levels once a month. When you see the salt tank less than half full, it’s probably time for a refill.

Do All Softeners Use Salt?

You may have heard that some softeners don’t use salt. These are sometimes called “salt-free water softeners,” but they are more accurately described as water conditioners. While they offer benefits, they come with some caveats, too.

The most important thing to remember is that softeners without salt don’t technically soften water. They make hard water minerals easier to clean away, but don’t remove them — which means some hard water symptoms likely will remain. On the other hand, these systems are great for areas with brine restrictions, allowing you to get better water without salt concerns.

What if Your Softener Runs Out of Salt?

If your softener is out of salt, the system will stop operating effectively until the salt is replaced. That means you may notice the temporary return of hard water symptoms until you’ve refilled the salt tank and the system goes through a few regeneration cycles.

The Simple Way To Get Water Softener Salt

If you’re worried about having a consistent supply of the right water softener salt, it might be time to turn to the experts. Salt delivery is fast, simple and stress-free — and it will get the best salt to your door every time.

To get started, learn more about Culligan salt delivery solutions.

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