Tag Archives: Potassium chloride water softener salt

The Role of Salt Pellets in a Conventional Water Softener

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When it comes to our water softeners, we don’t put much thought into how they work. So long as our water quality continues to meet our standards, we trust that our water conditioning system is doing its job right. However, it is common to question the purpose of putting salt in our water softeners, since it seems like a strange task.

The truth is salt is the secret to having soft water. Continue reading to learn more about water softener salt, including some key terms that will help you better understand what it is for.

Call 317-784-1870 For Water Softener Service in Indianapolis.
Call 317-784-1870 For Water Softener Service in Indianapolis.

The Basics of Water Softener Salt

Water softener salt plays a major role in hard water removal. To understand how water softener salt works, you first must have a basic understanding of how a water softener uses ion exchange technology to remove hard mineral ions from municipal water. See our blog, “The Basics of Water Softening” to learn a quick review of the water conditioning process.

Basically, traditional tank-style water softeners that use salt have a resin tank, where thousands of tiny resin beads hold electrically-charged ions. When the water softener system regenerates overnight, the resin beads fill up with sodium ions provided by the softening salt. The sodium-filled resin beads attract all the magnesium, calcium, and other minerals in hard water as it passes through, and trades them for the sodium ions.

Water Softening Terms You Should Know

Resin Beads – Water softener resin beads are the ion-exchange media used to implement the ion-exchange process that renders hard water, soft. Also known as sulfonated co-polymer of styrene and divinyl benzene, the most commonly used resin beads in the water softener industry are polystyrene-type gel resin beads, which are primarily Polystyrene and Divinylbenzene (DVB).

Resin Tank – This is where the water softening process takes place. The hard water passes through the resin tank, which contains resin beads, or ion exchange resin, ready to attract all the hard mineral ions and swap them with softer sodium ions.

Brine Tank – This tank is important to tank-style water softeners because it is where the salt is filled. For the average home, the brine tank need only refilled around six to eight times, annually. Just be sure to use the right salt!

Brine Solutions – A water softener produces a brine solution from the salt added in the brine tank when it regenerates. A mixture of water and salt, this brine solution serves to cleanse the resin beads and recharge them for their next softening cycle.

Regeneration – Regeneration is the process of a water softener removing hard mineral ions from water. It is normal for a water softener to take up to an hour or more to finish a regeneration cycle. Of course, this all depends on the size, make, and model of the unit, and the number of occupants in the home.

Timer-Based Regeneration – Water softeners that enter their regeneration cycle on a preset schedule are known as timer-based regeneration models. They are quite outdated, and do not come highly recommended. Although there might be some benefits to setting your own regeneration times, newer models do a more efficient job, which saves you money.

Demand-Initiated Regeneration – A water softener that comes with this feature is very efficient. It is designed with sensors that monitor your home’s water usage and make adjustments as needed. This as-needed operation saves water, time, and money.

If you’re looking for assistance with treating hard water, make sure to contact a local plumbing expert today! Just call Weilhammer Plumbing Company at 317-784-1870 for trusted water softener sales, service, and installation in Indianapolis, Indiana. We serve residential and commercial clients.

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What Kind of Salt Should I Put in My Water Softener?

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If your water softener has a tank, it uses salt to eliminate the hard mineral ions in your home’s tap water. But if you are new to the whole water softener maintenance thing, you might be confused about the type of salt you should be putting in yours. After all, when you go to the water softener salt aisle, there are numerous options to choose from. How do you know which water softening salt is the right one for your water softener?

Continue below to learn how to choose a water softener salt based on your hard water removal and soft water needs.

Water Softener Services Indianapolis Indiana 317-784-1870
Water Softener Services Indianapolis Indiana 317-784-1870

Top 2 Water Softener Salt Options

Salt-based water softeners are designed to use two primary types of salt products: sodium chloride salt or potassium chloride salt. These two kinds of water softener salts are available at any local home improvement or grocery store and come in all sorts of different brands and salt shapes (mainly pellets, crystals, rocks, and blocks). They also range in purity, which is important when selecting a salt brand for your water softener. Look for a label on the bag that shows it is 99.9% pure salt.

Lower quality water softener salt contains higher traces of impurities and water-insoluble matter (things that won’t dissolve in water), which will cause a higher rate of scale and sediment buildup inside the tank. As a result, you will have to clean out the brine tank more often than you should, which can be a hassle. So, which high-quality water softening salt product should you buy, potassium or sodium chloride? It depends on your personal preference and a few other varying factors.

Potassium Chloride Versus Sodium Chloride

Sodium chloride water softener salts are the more popular choice, mostly because they are easier to find, more widely available, and typically cheaper than potassium salts. They are available in different forms, including evaporated pellets, which are considered the highest purity, as well as crystal salt (also called solar salt pellets), rock salt, and block salt.

Potassium chloride is the less common choice for water softening, namely sought after by those looking to mitigate their sodium intake. Although sodium-free, this type of water softener salt works just as well to regenerate the resin beads. If you are planning to make the switch from sodium softening salts to potassium, you may need to increase the unit’s salt dosage settings by 10 percent to ensure proper resin bead regeneration.

Saltless Water Softeners

In contrast to salt-based water softeners, salt-free water softeners do not use salt. Instead, they use a process known as Template Assisted Crystallization (TAC), which processes water through a catalytic media. Because of this fact, saltless water softening does not technically soften water, but rather, conditions it. For this reason, saltless water softeners are more accurately described as water conditioners.

Are you for professional help with your residential or commercial water softening needs? Contact Weilhammer Plumbing Company at 317-784-1870 for water softener service and repair in Indianapolis, Indiana, and its surrounding counties. We sell top-of-the-line water softeners, including ones that don’t use salt at all! Call for residential or commercial service, anytime.

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Best Salt Options for Residential Water Softeners

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Water softeners are excellent, money-saving appliances that significantly contribute to your quality of life. Not only do water softening systems remove solid and dissolved minerals from water, making them an effective solution for hard water removal, but they also reduce monthly utility costs by saving homeowners energy and water. Even better, water softeners protect other important plumbing appliances, such as water heaters, washing machines, dishwashers, piping, and more.

By having a water softener, you have already made a wise and impactful decision for your home. Nonetheless, using the right softening salt is another important element of soft water maintenance at home. But which softening salt is best for your water softener? What are the differences between potassium and sodium chloride salt pellets?

Continue below to learn some of the best salt options for residential water softeners, plus where you can get more advice and service for your water softening needs in Indianapolis.

Water Softeners Indianapolis Indiana 317-784-1870
Water Softeners Indianapolis Indiana 317-784-1870

Top 2 Water Softener Salt Options

When it comes to choosing a water softening salt, it is important to select a quality product. Lower-quality water softener salts contain high traces of contaminants and water-insoluble matter. Such contaminators can leave behind residues in the water softener tank, which can lead to breakdowns and costly repairs. Although brine tank cleaning can abate the likelihood or frequency of water softener malfunctions, using a good quality water softening salt can eliminate the risk of long-term damage.

Sodium Chloride and Potassium Chloride

The top two options for water softener salt are sodium chloride and potassium chloride. Each water softener salt product is acceptable in most types of water softeners, but one might work better than the other for your water softener unit or softening needs.

Sodium chloride is your traditional water softening salt. Common types include evaporated salt pellets, solar salt pellets, rock salt, and block salt, all of which comes in three forms: pellet, crystal, or block. Evaporated salt is the highest purity water softener salt at 99.9% pure salt, and it comes highly recommended. Solar salt is a close second being 99.6% pure salt.

Rock salt contains high calcium sulfate levels and does not dissolve well. For these reasons, rock salt is not usually recommended because it cause a lot of water softener maintenance issues. Sodium chloride water softener salt will be the more economical buy, as it tends to be less expensive to potassium chloride water softening salt. It tends to be more available as well.

Potassium chloride is another type of water softening salt that works well to regenerate the softening resin. Potassium chloride is great for anyone looking to reduce their sodium intake because it is 99.9% sodium-free. Although a bit pricier and more challenging to come by, potassium chloride water softening salt is an excellent alternative to the traditional water softener salts on the market.

Switching Water Softener Salts

If you have been using sodium chloride and wish to make the switch to potassium chloride water softener salts, you may need to increase the salt dosage by up to 10% to accommodate proper resin bead regeneration.

If you have been using potassium chloride and now wish to switch back to sodium chloride, you can do so without making any major modifications or adjustments. If you increased the salt dosage on the valve when you originally switched to potassium chloride, you may need to adjust this again to accommodate for sodium chloride water softening.

Would you like to learn how to improve your soft water quality at home or in the office? Contact Weilhammer Plumbing Company at 317-784-1870 for licensed and insured water softener services in Indianapolis, Indiana. We serve residential and commercial clients, offering water softener sales, service, and repair! Ask us about our saltless water softeners!

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