Softener salts come in lots of varieties. Sodium chloride and potassium chloride, and pellets, cubes, blocks and crystals.
As such, for water softener system owners, it can be difficult to decide what type of salt should they use in their water softeners.
What should we buy? What is best for us?
Questions like these are common.
In this post, we look at all the different varieties of softener salts, discussing what each has to offer, so that when you go salt shopping, you can make the best pick for your water softener.
Sodium Chloride or Potassium Chloride?
Speaking in terms of chemistry, softener salts can be divided into two types: sodium chloride and potassium chloride.
Sodium chloride (commonly referred to as salt) is a type of water softener salt, in use, since the early days of water softening technology. It’s the traditional water softener salt and the most commonly used- and available salt type.
***Please don’t confuse sodium chloride salt used in water softeners with table salt (which is also sodium chloride). This variant of sodium chloride is specifically designed to be used with water softeners. If you use table salt in your unit, it can damage your system and leave your water tasting all salty. Plus, it won’t make the water soft.
The other type of salt used in water softeners is potassium chloride. Potassium chloride is more expensive of the two water softener salts and is mostly preferred by customers who are on sodium-restricted diets. Finding potassium chloride salt is not easy though, since not many stores sell it.
What type of salt is best for you?
If you don’t have any health concerns regarding sodium intake, then sodium chloride is the best salt choice for you. It is inexpensive and widely available. However, if you’ve sodium related health concerns or if you’re health conscious in general, then we’ll recommend using potassium chloride in your water softener.
Pellets, Cubes, Blocks or Crystals?
Next comes, the different forms of softener salts.
Softener salts are available in four different forms: as pellets, cubes, blocks and crystals. Potassium chloride, however, is only available in pellets and crystals form.
“Form” basically implies the resemblance of a water softener salt.
Water softener salts in form of pellets resemble pellets; cubes resemble small rocks or pebbles; blocks resemble salt in block form and crystals resemble crystals.
Salts in pellets form are generally more expensive because of their ease of handling. Crystal salts are less expensive, but are less pure than salts in pellets form (however, this difference is absolute minimal). Cubes and blocks are the least expensive of the all four salt forms, but we don’t recommend using them. They contain high level of impurities and do not provide ease of handling—especially the blocks.
In Conclusion
When buying softener salt, the first thing to decide, is the salt type chemistry, i.e. sodium chloride or potassium chloride.
Once you have made up your mind regarding the salt type chemistry, then choose the salt form. We recommend using salt crystals. If crystals are not available, you can go for pellets. Avoid using softener salts in form of cubes or blocks.
Do you have any other questions that you would like to ask with regards to softener salts or water softeners in general? Feel free to reach out; our Franklin water softener experts will be happy to help you.
A BONUS Read:Do You Need to Install a Pre-Filter With Your Water Softener?
