With more than 30 years’ experience in the residential and commercial water treatment space, Mark Nelson is a Class 1 Drinking-Water Operator and a CBWA (Canadian Bottled Water Association) Certified Plant Operator. As founder and president of Nelson Water in Ottawa, Mark focuses on dealing with challenging water treatment system designs for problem water. He also heads the largest water bottling plant in the city of Ottawa with a delivery network throughout the Valley.

There are many different brands and types of water softener salt on the market, and this can make it tricky to make an informed purchasing decision. After all, a water softener represents a significant investment, and the last thing you want is to use the wrong salt. In this article, we will take an in-depth look at water softener salt to help you choose the best one to meet your needs.

Common Water Softener Salt Types

When you visit your water softener salt supplier, you will quickly notice that there are three general types of salt available, they are salt pellets, salt crystals, and potassium chloride. Essentially, salt crystals and salt pellets are both sodium chloride (salt) in a slightly different format. This is basically the same table salt that you may use in your kitchen or have on your dining table in a salt shaker. The format of crystals or pellets is designed to make the salt easier to use in your water softener system.

The third option is potassium chloride, which is offered as an alternative to the two sodium chloride based options. A water softener that uses salt performs with an ion exchange process. The ions of minerals that cause water hardness, such as calcium, magnesium, and iron, are exchanged for benign salt ions. This occurs on a very subtle level, and the quantities of salt added are not perceptible for most people. But, for those with a sensitive palette or those on a low sodium diet, this can present a problem.

If you fall into either of these groups, making a switch to potassium chloride makes good sense. Potassium chloride is still a salt, but it’s different from sodium chloride, and it is better for your health if you’re sensitive to regular salt. This comes at a premium, and potassium chloride typically costs a lot more when compared to sodium chloride water softener salts. Let’s take a look at all three water softener types in a little more detail.

Salt Crystals

These are typically found in either solar salt or rock salt formats, and they are quite different.

Solar salt is harvested when brine evaporates, leaving the salt behind. Pools of brine are exposed to the heat of the sun, and action of the wind and brine concentrates over time. Eventually, the salt is a solid mass that’s ready to be used in your water softener. The key advantage of solar salt is that it’s purer than rock salt, but it doesn’t match the purity of salt pellets.

Rock salt, as the name suggests, is mined straight of out of the ground. For this reason, rock salt has the highest levels of impurities when compared to other water softer salts. Rock salt is extremely inexpensive, but the “savings” may not be worth it for some people due to the increased chances of salt bridging and mushing. Users of rock salt will need to clean out the brine tank more regularly to remove the accumulation of debris.

Salt Pellets

Salt pellets are created when water is forced through a naturally occurring salt deposit. As the water moves through the earth, the salt is dissolved, and a brine solution is created. This brine is pumped to the surface where it is subjected to direct heat and a vacuum to speed water evaporation. When this process is complete, an extremely pure salt is left behind, and a salt pellet could be 99.9% sodium chloride.

Salt pellets perform very well in an ion exchange process, and they are considered the preferred salt for water softening purposes. Due to the exceptional purity, salt pellets are more expensive than both solar and rock salt products. But, there is an upside, using salt pellets reduces bridging and mushing issues. In fact, if you use salt pellets exclusively, it’s likely that you will never have to clean your brine tank over the lifespan of your water softener!

Potassium Chloride

As we mentioned earlier, potassium chloride is primarily used as an alternative to sodium chloride for those with health concerns. If you have been directed to ingest a low sodium diet, you can be assured that there is no sodium in your water when you use potassium chloride. Potassium chloride performs fairly well as a water softener salt, but there are two key disadvantages that you need to understand. Firstly, potassium chloride is less effective when it comes to regenerating the resin in your water softener. Secondly, this type of salt is far more expensive than the other options. But, if you want soft water and you cannot tolerate sodium, this is the only option that works reliably.

How Do You Choose?

There are four main areas that you need to consider before you choose a water softener salt for your system.

  1. How much sodium you have in your soft water.
  2. The water softener regeneration efficiency.
  3. The cleanliness of your brine tank.
  4. The total cost of ownership.

Taking these factors into account, it’s easier to make an informed water softener salt choice.

When it comes to sodium levels in your softened water, it’s a good idea to put things into perspective. As we mentioned earlier, this is an ion exchange process, and you’re likely to have less than 13mg of sodium in a single glass of water. When you consider that the daily suggested sodium intake is 1,000-1,500 mg per day for a grown adult, that’s tolerable. But, if you require a very low sodium intake, it’s recommended that you choose potassium chloride instead.

In Conclusion

If you have a tight budget and you don’t mind regular brine tank cleaning go with rock salt. If you have a little more to spend, salt crystals are a better choice. If you don’t mind spending more to avoid the extra brine tank maintenance and you want the best performance go with the salt pellets. Finally, if you’re sensitive to sodium, choose the potassium chloride, and you will be fine.

If you have concerns about your water quality, be sure to speak to an experienced water technician. A water treatment specialist can test your water supply and guide you through the appropriate treatment solutions.