How Much Salt Does a Water Softener Use?
Figuring out the actual amount of salt that you need for the water softener can be tricky. There are numerous factors, which make it confusing. To keep it simple, you should use about 20 to 80 pounds of salt in a month. If you want to calculate the accurate amount of salt, read on. In this article, you will find calculations to determine the right amount. All you need to do is to put your values, and you will find the estimated amount of salt that you should use in a single month.
Brine works as an essential component to maintain the quality of water. You need to maintain a perfect balance between salt and water to make brine. The solution will help your water softener reduce the hardness level of water. So, if you think that your water softener is using plenty of salt or the quality is insufficient, your softener won’t work properly.
There can be numerous reasons your softener isn’t using an adequate amount of salt. Major contributors include choosing the wrong brand and type of salt. If you face this issue, you can easily solve the problem by shifting to the right brand or changing the type of salt you are using. Below, you will find some popular brands that will help you improve the efficiency of your softener.
The Best Water Softener Brands
From numerous different brands of water softeners, there are three top-tiered brands. If you want to enhance the quality of the water, it is essential that you choose a product wisely. Some top-quality brands include Morton, Nature’s Own, and Diamond Crystal. All these products offer impeccable quality. When it comes to the quantity, you can read the instructions on the packaging. Below, you will find some essential information about why these brands are better than other options in the market.
1. Morton
There is no other except when it comes to the quality of Morton products. This brand is top in all range of salt products. They have four different types of water softener, and the design of these systems is unique and robust. Each of these products solves a different type of water problem. Their products range from salt pellets to crystal salt. No other brand can match the quality that they offer. All their salt products have 99.98% of purity which is hard to beat. Besides their quality, their prices are hard to match, making it an affordable option.
1. Diamond Crystal
Diamond crystal is a top brand that maintains a reputation by offering amazing salt products. Their products are 99% pure, which explains their position as one of the top brands in the market. Their lowest quality product also includes 99.6% of purity level. If you consider the number of products for the success of the brand, then Diamond Crystal is the best choice. They offer a variety of water softener options so you can make a proper decision.
2. Nature’s Own
Nature’s Own have one product that beats the competition in the market, and it’s widely available in the US. Also, they supply their products internationally. But they only manufacture potassium cubes, which act as a substitute for salt. But, the quality level of their product is hard to beat. This product goes through various high-quality industry tests before it reaches the market.
What are the Types of Water Softener Salt
You can put three different types of salts in your water softener, including blocks, crystals, and pellets. These options come in different purity levels, which will be rock salt, solar salt, and evaporated salt.
1. Rock salt
This is the lowest quality of salt available in the market. The low quality of this salt is due to impurities, including calcium sulfate. These impurities will not let the rock salt dissolve that easily. The structure of these salts is like little rocks.
2. Solar Salt
Solar salts have a 99.6% purity. However, these salts still have a problem softening the water if the hardness level is high. We refer to this salt as solar salt because of the manufacturing process. The manufacturing process includes evaporation of the seawater. This salt is crystal-shaped with opaque and white color.
3. Evaporated Salt
This type of salt has the highest score when it comes to quality. The purity level of this salt is 99.9%. A common name for this variant is table salt, which is widely available throughout the world. This high-quality salt completely dissolves in water. When you mix this salt in water, you notice that there is no residue left. This confirms that this salt type is pure.
How to Calculate the Usage of the Water Softener Salt?
While calculating the usage of water softener salt, you need to consider various factors. Factors include the size of the family, hardness of the water, type of the unit, and daily water consumption. The type of unit is not part of the formula. But you need to consider it to choose the right salt product. The formula for choosing the right quantity of salt is:
A = N x H x Q
In this formula:
- “A” is the total hardness level that needs to be removed from the system. This quantity will measure in a gram of NaCl or CaCO3. You can check the hardness level in your area through this link.
- “N” is the number of days from the last water softener regeneration cycle.
- “Q” is the water that flows through the system every day.
- “H” is the hardness of the water. You will measure this amount in PPM.
After figuring out the A, you will multiply it with 0.035274. This will give the amount of salt you will require for each regeneration cycle. This amount will be in ounces.
You can read about our other popular reviews on Culligan, Kinetico, Rayne Water, and waterboss.
Conclusion
Now that you know the method to calculate the amount of salt in the water softener, you can get the most out of your water softener. However, it is important to consider the brand and salt type you are using. These factors will not only affect the quantity you need between regeneration cycles, but they also have a significant impact on your systems’ life.
