How Often Replace Salt In Water Softener

Don't Go Too Salty—When to Add Salt to Your Water Softener

Salt in the Brine Tank of Your H2o Softener System

One of the well-nigh common questions among homeowners with a water softener system is how much common salt should exist in the brine tank. The brine tank is ordinarily the plastic tank that sits next to your water softener.

The alkali solution is a necessary role of the ion exchange process in a h2o softener considering table salt is what regenerates the ion resins of a softener. It is crucial for your softener's components to have the proper amount of salt in the brine tank. In this post, nosotros will discuss what that proper amount is, and how you tin exist certain to get the most out of your h2o softening equipment.

How frequently should I have to add common salt?

Water softeners and conditioners work effectively with either sodium chloride (commonly referred to as salt) or potassium chloride (really a type of salt also). Information technology is important to understand that salt absorbs wet and can clog or span and can become mushy. At this signal the salt is useless. You should allow the salt to resolve down to, or at the water level earlier adding more. In other words—employ what y'all put in before adding more. How often y'all'll have to add together more salt to the brine tank will depend on a few factors.

— Size of the brine tank

While a separate brine tank is platonic, some water softeners take the brine tank built into the softener. These born tanks are ordinarily smaller and therefore require you lot to add salt more frequently.

— Water hardness in your area

Unfortunately, Fundamental Indiana has notoriously difficult h2o. Harder water means more salt is needed for the ion substitution process and regeneration. It'south part of the h2o treatment process to provide soft water to homes. Certified water specialists tin can test your water for hardness, as well every bit program your softener to do all the calculations for you lot.

— The needs of your family

The size of your family and how much water you use are directly correlated with how oftentimes your brine tank needs to be replenished with salt. A larger family will near likely consume more water which will cause your softener to regenerate more than frequently, and thus more salt will need to be added more than often.

How much salt should I add together?

We recommend keeping your brine tank at least one-quarter full of salt at all times and no more than than 4-half dozen inches from the pinnacle in society to maintain optimal performance. Also, brand sure that the salt level always remains a few inches above the water level. Earlier you add new common salt pellets to the brine tank, be sure to loosen up any encrusted salt that may be sticking to the edges of the tank and make sure to break upward any big pieces of salt.

If the salt has formed one solid mass (known equally bridging), manually break up the salt block by pouring hot h2o over it—making it easier to break up and remove.

How much salt should my water softener utilize?

As mentioned above, the usage will vary depending on your family unit's needs and the hardness of your water. If your softener is sized and programmed correctly, y'all volition probably employ between 40-50 pounds of common salt per calendar month. Make certain you check your salt levels at least once every month.

In that location always seems to be water in my brine tank—is that ok?

In that location will usually be several gallons of water in the bottom of the alkali tank but usually is never more than than twelve inches high. We recommend that you check the salt level in your brine tank at least monthly. The more frequently your system regenerates, the more you'll need to check and add salt to the tank.

Does it matter what kind of salt I use?

H2o softeners and conditioners piece of work effectively with either sodium chloride (commonly referred to as salt) or potassium chloride (actually a blazon of salt, also). Potassium chloride may exist used in place of sodium chloride in the alkali tank to regenerate the softening resin. Potassium chloride is 99.9% sodium-complimentary and an alternative for those who are looking to reduce sodium intake.

Be enlightened that potassium chloride pellets are generally more expensive and not as piece of cake to find as salt pellets. If switching from salt to potassium chloride pellets, information technology may exist necessary to increment table salt dosage plan settings on the valve by x% to ensure proper regeneration of the resin.

Some of the softening salt pellets sold at the supermarket or home improvement shop contain a high level of h2o-insoluble matter or impurities. This insoluble matter tin cause buildup in the reservoir or cause your softener to malfunction. If you find buildup, the brine tank volition need to exist cleaned more frequently. And so as you shop for softening salt, wait for labeling on the salt pellet sack that indicates y'all're getting the highest purity level.

Evaporated common salt pellets take the highest purity rate of the aforementioned salts and are generally the nearly expensive. The college the purity of your table salt (we adopt 99.nine% pure salt), the less water-insoluble matter, which means less chance of "bridging", "mushing", or insoluble buildup in the bottom of the tank that volition need to be cleaned out later.

Solar salt pellets are most commonly sold in crystal or pellet class and are fabricated through evaporating seawater. Solar common salt is more soluble than rock table salt, but may not work as well as evaporated salt when your water hardness level is very loftier. Many solar common salt brands contain 99.6 pure salts.

Rock salt resembles small rocks or pebbles. Although this class of common salt is more economical, we don't recommend using it as it contains a high corporeality of calcium sulfate which means it won't dissolve well in water and tin cause maintenance headaches.

Do you need a water softener installation or service?

If you lot all the same have questions nigh water softening, common salt usage, or the hardness level of your h2o, contact us for a Free H2o Analysis. Nosotros will come to your home and provide an analysis of your urban center or rural water and respond any questions you may have. Your visit will take 30 – 45 minutes and will be scheduled at a time that'due south right for you. Contact us today to schedule!