Which Water Softener Salt Should I Buy?

Written by Craig "The Water Guy" Phillips

Picking the Best Water Softener Salt

Deciding which water softener salt to buy can seem like a small detail, but it can really make a difference in how well our water softener does its job. Let's dish out the deets on the salt aisle heroes and what influences our pick. The trick is choosing a winner that not only softens water like a dream but also kicks impurities to the curb.

Salt Types for Water Softeners

Water softener salts aren't just plain old salt; each type comes with its own quirks and perks. Here’s the lowdown on the most common contenders:

Salt Type	What’s Cool About It	Purity Peak	Cha-Ching
Evaporated Salt	Super pure, leaves almost zilch residue.	Top-notch	Mid-range
Solar Salt	Dried under the sun’s watchful eye; decent purity.	Pretty good	Bargain
Rock Salt	Easy on the wallet, not so pure, might gunk up the works.	Eh, not great	Bargain
Block Salt	Really pure, prevents tank goop and salt clogs.	Very high	Mid-range

Evaporated salt is the cream of the crop—so pure it barely leaves any gunk behind, cutting down on cleanup time (Clear Water Arizona). Rock salt might be the budget pick, but the hassle of tank messiness could come back to haunt us.

Things to Ponder

Before tossing the first bag of salt into our cart, there are some things we might want to weigh in on:

1. Purity Check: Higher purity? Less crud in the tank.
2. Sticker Price: How deep do we wanna dig into our pockets?
3. Salt Compatibility: Is our water softener picky about salt?
4. Clean-Up Crew Requirements: Some salts might make us clean the tank more often—bummer.
5. Green Consideration: Potassium chloride could be our eco-friendlier buddy; it’s plant-friendly and easy on sodium levels in wastewater (Clear Water Arizona).

Knowing what makes each salt tick can help us score the best match for our water needs, making sure our softener stays in tip-top shape and our water is as smooth as butter.

Evaluating Water Softener Salt Options

When we're on the hunt for the right water softener salt, it's crucial to know what we're dealing with. There's more than one kind of salt out there, each with something a little different to offer. Let's tackle the four main types: evaporated salt, solar salt, rock salt, and block salt.

Evaporated Salt

Evaporated salt is often seen as top-notch in the purity department. It's got way less of the stuff that clogs up our water softeners, which makes it a champ for those of us battling ultra-hard water. If you're aiming to keep your system running smooth, this is the stuff that might just do the trick (Clear Water Arizona).

Feature	Details
Purity Level	High as a kite
Ideal For	Super hard water woes
Water Insolubles	Practically zilch

Solar Salt

Solar salt comes in crystals or pellets, bragging around 99% purity. It's a pretty sweet spot between quality and cost, which is why it's a go-to for homes with decently tough water. Watch out for one hiccup, though—it doesn't dissolve as well as evaporated salt and might lead to clumping in spots prone to humidity (Angi).

Feature	Details
Purity Level	Over 99%
Ideal For	Water that's kinda hard
Drawbacks	Prone to clumps in sticky weather

Rock Salt

Rock salt is the budget-friendly buddy of water softeners. It's cheap, but you gotta deal with more impurities, which means you might end up wrestling with clogs and wearing out your gear faster. It's the pick for those of us who don't mind rolling up our sleeves for a little extra maintenance (Angi).

Feature	Details
Purity Level	Lower end of the scale
Ideal For	Tight budgets
Maintenance	Prepare for some elbow grease

Block Salt

Block salt, nearly as pure as they come at around 99.8%, dissolves almost completely, which helps dodge any mushing messes in the tank. You gotta be on point with the water level to make sure it works its magic. Check in with your water softener folks to see if this is the right block for your block (Clear Water Arizona).

Feature	Details
Purity Level	Around 99.8%
Solubility	As good as it gets
Recommendations	Follow the expert's advice

Knowing what's what with these salts gets us closer to picking the best fit for our water systems. Each has its charms and hiccups, so it really comes down to what we need and the kind of water we're dealing with.

Understanding Alternative Salt Options

When we're in the market for water softener salt, it might be worth looking beyond plain old sodium chloride. One exciting player in the game is potassium chloride.

Potassium Chloride

Potassium chloride is like the cool cousin of regular salt. It's a superstar if we're trying to dodge sodium since it's practically a sodium ghost—99.9% free of it. Ideal for folks who gotta watch their salt intake or are on some kind of low-sodium gig. Plus, plants love potassium, so if it ends up getting into our wastewater, it’s not the end of the world. But, just a heads-up, this bad boy usually costs more than the ordinary stuff.

Pros and Cons

Pros	Cons
No sodium hangover, great choice for low-sodium diets	Takes a bit of a nosedive in performance—about 30% less effective than sodium chloride
Gives plants a potassium boost	Prone to turning rock-hard if we’re not careful about storage
Perfect for the salt-sensitive crowd	More of a water conditioner than a hardcore softener

Switching to potassium chloride means tweaking the salt dosage settings of our water softener when doing its magic. Chatting it up with a water softener guru is a good idea to keep things running smoothly.

Best Applications

Potassium chloride really shines for those of us with health issues needing less sodium. It's handy for people in places where water quality isn't a big nag, crystallizing minerals instead of kicking them out. But, if top-notch water quality is at the top of our wishlist, sticking with sodium chloride is the safer bet.

So, while potassium chloride gives us a sodium-free water softening buddy, we gotta balance its nifty perks with the fact that it's less efficient and a bit of a hit on the wallet.

Selecting the Ideal Water Softener Salt

Picking the right water softener salt? Yeah, it’s like choosing the best ice cream flavor but with a tad more science involved. It’s crucial for keeping our water softener system in top condition. With a few key things to think about, we can confidently grab the best salt off the shelf for our needs.

Factors for Decision Making

When it’s decision time for water softener salt, keep these in mind:

1. Water Hardness: How hard is your water? Like, really, how many minerals are we talking here? If it’s mineral city, go for evaporated salt. It’s got the muscle to handle all those pesky minerals.

2. Salt Purity: The purer the salt, the smoother the operation. Pellets can hit the big number—100% pure. Evaporated salt’s no slouch either at around 99.9% pure. Less fuss, less mess.

3. Maintenance Needs: Less hassle is always best. Cleaner salts, like those with fewer impurities, mean a cleaner brine tank and less cleaning for us. Nobody likes a clogged-up system!

4. Cost and Availability: How easy is it to get? More importantly, how is it gonna pinch our wallets? Buying in bulk can save cash over time, but it’s all about what’s available nearby.

Thing to Consider	Our Recommendation
Water Hardness	Evaporated salt for those with really hard H2O
Salt Purity	Pelleted salts for pure performance
Maintenance Needs	Less impurities mean less cleaning—simple
Cost and Availability	Scope out local suppliers for bulk deals

Purity Levels and Impurities

Purity in water softener salts can make or break how dreamy our water feels. Better purity means less of the hard stuff and a well-behaved system that doesn’t demand constant attention.

• Evaporated Salt: The real MVP for tough jobs with a purity up to 99.99%. It keeps us slacking off on maintenance but loving our soft water!

• Solar Salt: Not the cleanest, with some impurities that might muck up the brine tank. It’s decent for everyday use but keep an eye on it unless you’re cool with brown rings.

• Pellet-Based Salt: Super clean, leaving your tank pristine. Solid performers, but if you’re not using them fast enough, they might get a little lazy and lose structure.

Salt Type	Purity Level	Maintenance	Good For
Evaporated Salt	Up to 99.99%	Keeps it low-key	Seriously hard water
Solar Salt	Moderate-ish	Needs a bit of watch	Regular, everyday use
Pellet-Based Salt	Up to 100%	Low on chores	Smooth and efficient operating

With this scoop on purity and impurities, we can zero in on the optimal water softener salt, making our system hum along nicely with less fuss tailored to our water needs.

Installation and Maintenance Considerations

So, we're on the hunt for the right water softener salt, but before we start popping the top, let's gab about putting that bad boy into action and keeping it top-notch. We're covering all the bases for install tricks, care tips, and money-saving hacks — because let's face it, who doesn't love saving a buck?

DIY vs Professional Installation

Firstly, let's chat about whether we're feeling like Bob the Builder or if calling up a pro is more our style.

• DIY Installation: Rolling up our sleeves and doing it ourselves is the wallet-friendly choice. If we're just swapping out an old unit, it'll only take about an hour of our weekend — which means more time for Saturday activities. Bear in mind, a brand-new set-up might take a smidge longer and a little elbow grease in the plumbing department (Whirlpool Water Solutions).
• Professional Installation: Sure, hiring the pros guarantees a clean job. But, it's gonna cost more. Complexity of the job can depend on how ready your plumbing is to join the party and how fancy your chosen water softener turns out to be.

Installation Path	Time Required	Cost Impact
DIY	1-3 hours	Save those dollars
Professional	Depends (usually snappy)	A dent in the budget

Maintenance Tips

Now, to keep things running smoother than a freshly-waxed floor, here's the skinny on water softener love-in:

• Watch the Salt: Keep an eye on that brine tank and make sure it doesn't go on a salt diet.
• Resin Cleaners: These little guys make the regeneration cycle shine, keeping those resin beads free of hard minerals (Fresh Water Systems).
• Guard the Resin Bed: Iron and manganese are the villains here. Think of a sediment filter as your trusty sidekick to help protect and add extra miles to your system's life.

Cost-Saving Strategies

Let's sprinkle in some genius to save our cash on setup and the long haul:

• DIY Installation: As we've already hinted at, doing-it-yourself keeps those greenbacks where they belong—in our pockets.
• Scout for Efficiency: Opting for efficiant water softeners means slashing salt and water use, which in turn, keep our bills from ballooning.
• Pre-Plan with a Checklist: Jotting down plan details in advance cuts down on mess-ups. Having all parts lined up avoids those pesky last-minute store runs and any surprise expenses (Whirlpool Water Solutions).

By knowing how to install, keep up, and scheme to spare some savings, we can make smart choices that keep our water-softening sidekick going strong for years to come.