Here are 6 common types of water softener salt:
- Sodium Chloride (pellets or crystals): The classic choice, affordable and effective.
- Potassium Chloride: Ideal for those on sodium-restricted diets, but more expensive and less effective.
- Solar Salt: Eco-friendly but may contain impurities and require more frequent refilling.
- Evaporated Salt: Highly refined but less readily available and potentially pricier.
- Rock Salt: Cost-effective, but larger crystals can bridge and clog systems.
- Magnesium Chloride: Boosts efficiency in colder climates but can be corrosive.
Continue reading for a detailed guide on different types of water softener salt to know which is best.
Table Of Contents
- 🎯What Are The Different Water Softener Salt Types?
- 🍵Evaporated Salt For Water Softeners
- ☀️Solar Salt For Water Softeners
- 🪨Rock Salt For Water Softeners
- 🅱️Block Salt For Water Softeners
- 🧪Potassium Chloride For Water Softeners
- 🪛Rust Defense Water Softener Salt
- 🤔How Do I Know What Softener Salt to Use?
- 💪Water Hardness
- 👉Water Usage
- 💦Water Softener Type
- ⚙️Water Softener Maintenance
- 💡Water Softener Salt: FAQs
🎯What Are The Different Water Softener Salt Types?
🍵Evaporated Salt For Water Softeners
It is the purest form of sodium-based salts. It is an ideal choice for most softener systems, especially those requiring high performance, like single-tank systems or homes with more than 10 GPG water hardness.
Its efficiency and purity level ensure optimal softening and regeneration cycles, leading to longer resin life and less maintenance of the resin tank.
Pros
- Highly refined
- Dissolves efficiently
- Doesn’t clump and form salt bridges
- Maximizes softener efficiency and ensures its longer lifespan
Cons
- Slightly more expensive than other options (but worth it)
☀️Solar Salt For Water Softeners
Solar salt is an excellent choice for environmentally conscious homeowners with less than 10 GPG water hardness. Its natural production by sunlight makes it a sustainable option, and its high purity ensures proper softening.
Pros
- High purity
- Budget and eco-friendly
Cons
- It may dissolve slower than evaporated salt (so there are more chances of salt bridging or mushing)
- It’s not ideal for more than 10 GPG water hardness, high-demand situations, or both
🪨Rock Salt For Water Softeners
Extracted from underground salt sources, it is the perfect salt form for homes with high water usage thanks to its affordability and large granules that resist clumping.
However, this type of salt can require more frequent refilling due to its size.
Pros
- Large granules resist clumping
- Inexpensive option
- Ideal for high water usage
Cons
- Requires more frequent cleaning and refilling due to large size
- It may dissolve slower
Also Read: Can You Use Rock Salt To Melt Ice?
🅱️Block Salt For Water Softeners
Busy homeowners and those with low-maintenance systems often opt for block salt’s long-lasting convenience. This type of salt is slow-dissolving and requires less frequent refilling. Its large size may not fit all softeners.
Pros
- Slow-dissolving
- Requires less frequent refilling
- Convenient for low-maintenance systems
Cons
- It can be messy to handle
- Larger sizes may not fit all softeners
🧪Potassium Chloride For Water Softeners
A sodium-free alternative for those on dietary restrictions to reduce their sodium intake. It’s just as effective in softening water but gentler on the body for people with sensitive or dry skin
Pros
- Sodium-free
- Less likely to cause skin irritation
Cons
- More expensive than sodium chloride
- It may dissolve more slowly (so you have to increase the water softener hardness level by 25%)
- It is not ideal for highly humid areas
🪛Rust Defense Water Softener Salt
If your well water supply causes pesky iron rust stains, this specially formulated salt contains additives like citric acid to chelate iron and prevent rust on the water softener brine tank.
💡Pro Tip:
Water softener salt also comes in two forms: pellets and crystals. The pellet form is generally larger and dissolves slower, while the crystal form is smaller and dissolves faster. Choose pellet types of salt for high water usage for optimum water softening process.
🤔How Do I Know What Softener Salt to Use?
Consider these 4 factors in mind:
💪Water Hardness
- Opt for evaporated salt pellets if your water hardness exceeds 10 grains per gallon (gpg). They boast 99.9% purity, ensuring efficient softening and proper regeneration process.
- For average hardness levels, solar sea salt is a cost-effective and eco-friendly choice.
👉Water Usage
- For large households with high water usage, choose larger pellets or block salt. Their slow-dissolving nature reduces the frequency of refilling.
- Homes with up to 4 family members can benefit from the quick-dissolving convenience of crystals.
💦Water Softener Type
- Follow salt recommendations in your water softener system’s manual for optimum water softening. It will ensure there are no overflowing or other maintenance issues.
⚙️Water Softener Maintenance
- Evaporated salt pellets are ideal for minimizing residue and bridge formation, ensuring smooth system operation.
- Rock salt’s large granules resist clumping, and block salt offers convenience with slow dissolving, but be mindful of potential messiness.
- Avoid using pool or table salt, as their impurities and mineral buildup can damage the softener and lead to costly repairs.
💡Water Softener Salt: FAQs
What is better, salt pellets or crystals?
Water softener salt pellets are best because they have larger granules that dissolve slowly, require less frequent refilling than crystals, and are ideal for high water usage or single-tank systems.
Which is better, potassium chloride or sodium chloride, for a water softener?
Sodium chloride (NaCl) is best for water softener as it dissolves correctly and ensures effective water softening.
Potassium chloride salt dissolves faster, is more expensive than NaCl, and its softening is less effective.
What’s the difference between blue and yellow water softener salt?
Crystal salts are kept in a blue bag (hence blue water softener salt), and pellet salt is kept in a yellow bag (hence yellow water softener salt).
Choose yellow water softener salt for best results.
How do you know when to add salt to a water softener?
You will know when to add salt to the water softener when:
1. The salt level is below 25% in the brine tank.
2. Water softener alarm goes on (or you get app alerts)
Is it OK to run a water softener without salt?
No, running a water softener without salt is not OK, as salt is essential in the ion exchange process that softens the water.
If you run a water softener without salt, the water softener resin beads will eventually become saturated with hard minerals and lose effectiveness.
This can result in hard water flowing into your plumbing and affecting the life of appliances, leading to the problems you were trying to avoid by using a water softener in the first place.
Adarsh Pillai
Adarsh is a Health & Nutrition Sciences graduate with expertise in environmental health. He is associated with ventures like Glacier Fresh Filter and Simpure Filter Systems. Through Aqua Professor, he intends to provide helpful information to every home to help them make smarter decisions.
