How to Choose the Best Water Softener Salt

Water softener salt  contains either potassium chloride or sodium chloride. It is used for conditioning water and removing minerals that may build up and clog heating or plumbing systems. It flushes out the minerals in hard water by letting it pass through a tank of negatively charged plastic beads that are bonded by a special kind of salt. As hard water runs through the tank, calcium, mineral, and other minerals that cause water hardness are gradually removed. Here are some of the things you need to remember when shopping for the best water conditioning salt.

Types of water softener salt

When people buy water softeners that are salt-based, they are not sure which type of salt is best for their new filtration system. Your decision will actually depend on the kind of unit you are keeping because some units operate best with a particular type of salt. Oftentimes, shopping for water softener salt is actually a matter of personal preference. Evaporated salt, solar salt, and rock salt are only some of the three types of salt that you can use for your water softener. Extracted from underground salt deposits, rock salt is used in its raw form so it usually contains traces of minerals that cannot dissolve in water.

Evaporated salt is considered purer than rock salt because it is extracted from salt deposits that are already in the process of dissolving. Afterwards, it is converted into a form of nearly 100% pure salt by using heat to evaporate moisture and leaving only the salt deposits behind. Finally, solar salt is extracted from evaporated seawater. Aside from being less insoluble, it also has less sodium content than other salts. This water softener salt is also available as pellets or crystals. The best way to find out what kind of salt is best for your water softener is to check the recommendations of your units manufacturer.

It is also important to consider how often you intend to use your water softener. If it seems that you will need to soften high volumes of water, evaporated salt might be your safest bet. Since it is nearly 100% pure salt, it can leave behind fewer non-soluble residues than other salts could. Using rock salt for a unit that constantly deals with high volumes of water may require you to clean the unit frequently in order to remove the dissolved salt that it will leave behind.

Choosing the best water softener salt

Now that you already familiar with the different types of salt used for water softeners, it will be easier for you to choose which one is best for you. The first thing you need to consider is the hardness level of your water. The harder your water is, the stronger the salt you will need to convert water into soft water. While rock salt may require a lot of salt, evaporated salt for water softeners will not require as much because it will need to break down the magnesium and calcium in water.

If you are planning to switch from one type of salt to another, you should never attempt to add a new kind of salt if your unit is not yet empty. You should wait until the tank is empty before switching to another type of salt because mixing different types of salt may cause damage to your water softener. If you are the type of person who hates cleaning his water softening system, you should also avoid using rock salt. It may solidify at the bottom of your tank and affect the performance of your softener so it may require you to clean your tank more often than you would want to.

These are only some of the most important things you need to remember when choosing from different types of salt that you can use for your new water conditioning system. Once you have considered your budget, needs, and preferences, it will be easier for you to find the best water softener salt in the market.