Adjusting salt in a water softener is a simple process: you don't actually adjust it; you just add more salt as needed. The water softener uses salt, similar to how a car uses gas, to perform its softening process. The amount of salt needed will vary depending on your water usage and the hardness of your water.
Understanding Salt Consumption
The amount of salt your water softener needs depends primarily on two factors:
- Water Consumption: The more water you use, the more salt your softener will need to regenerate.
- Water Hardness: The harder your water is (i.e., the more mineral content it has), the more frequently the softener will need to regenerate, and thus, the more salt it will use.
Salt Adjustment Process
Here's how to approach salt management for your water softener:
- Monitoring: Regularly check the salt level in your water softener's brine tank.
- Adding Salt:
- Add salt to the brine tank as needed. The tank should be kept at least one-third full.
- Avoid overfilling the tank, as this can lead to clumping or salt bridging which can prevent the system from working properly.
- Generally, the brine tank should be filled to no more than two-thirds to three-quarters full to allow space for water to mix with the salt to create brine.
Types of Salt to Use
There are various types of salt available for water softeners. Here is a quick guide:
- Rock Salt: This is the least expensive option but contains impurities that can accumulate in the brine tank. This can cause issues and require more frequent cleaning of the brine tank.
- Solar Salt: This option is created by evaporating seawater and is relatively pure. Solar salt is a great option and widely used.
- Evaporated Salt Pellets: This is the purest option and is often recommended by manufacturers. Pellets are less likely to clump together and cause bridging, they also dissolve evenly.
Key Takeaways
- You don't change the salt, just add it.
- The amount of salt you use depends on water consumption and water hardness.
- Monitor and refill the brine tank when the salt level is low.
- Using the correct type of salt ensures the effectiveness of the system.
