A study says that 90% of American households have a problem with hard water. Rust, limescale, and other harmful elements are frequently found in the water system. They leave stains in the sanitary elements such as bathtubs, sinks, toilet shells. The build-up can cause malfunction of the kitchen and bathroom appliances, heating tanks, and even can lead to failure of the plumbing system as well.
To reduce the impact of the hard water, you can install a water softener tank. To function properly, these tanks require softener salts. Presently, there are numerous salt softening products on the market. We have select the most exceptional products that will help you reduce the unsafe substances and provide you and your family with healthy and tasty water.
Top Picks for 2024
Up next the six best water softener salts in 2024:
1. Clean & Protect /Rust Defense Water Softener Pellets F124700000
The Clean & Protect Water Softener Pellets by the brand Morton are specifically designed for water with a higher percentage of iron. Morton is one of the leading companies when it comes to the production of softener salts.
The product will help remove up to 15 times more iron from your household water. As a result, water will taste better. There will be fewer rust spots and stains in your kitchen or your bathroom. Also, you can expect fewer stains on the freshly washed laundry. It will prevent scale from building up in the water heaters and pipes. When the water is soft, you will need less cleaning products such as soap or detergent to keep your home clean. Your body will benefit from soft water as well- your skin and hair will be softer and radiant.
The Clean & Protect Plus Rust Defense is the product easy to use. It comes in a package of 40 lbs. Due to its particular bag design, the product is easy to carry around, open, and pour into your water softener. For the best results, recharge your softener with two bags of salts every two months.
2. Bright & Soft Salt Pellets for Water Softeners
The Bright & Soft Salt Pellets for Water Softener are produced by the brand Diamond Crystal. The Diamond Crystal is one of the largest manufacturers of the softener salts on the market.
These salts will remove numerous hard minerals from your water. Some of these minerals are barium, calcium, iron, and magnesium. The manufacturer promises these salts to be 99.8% pure, and they are based on sodium chloride.
You can use The Bright & Soft Salt Pellets with most water softeners. They come in practical packaging with a handle on each end. The transpiration and lifting of the product are quite simple and easy.
The salt comes in the form of a pellet and there is about 50 lb per bag.
3. Iron Fighter Pellets for Water Softeners
The Iron Fighter is another product by the brand Diamond Crystal. As the name indicates, these salts will reduce the level of iron in your water. In fact, it is a highly effective rust remover.
Why is this beneficial? Not only will your water be softer and taste better, but this will extend the life of the appliances at your home. In the longer run, your pipes will last longer without the need to replace them. It is an FDA-approved and NSF certified rust removal.
The product is 99.6% pure. It will minimize the limescale and rust building-up on your water softener tank. Like in the previous product, the packaging is easy to use and very practical. The handles come on both ends of the bag, which makes it easy to transport. The material used to make the bag is actually 50% recycled. Around 40 lb of the product comes within one bag. When you are ready to pour pellets into the water softener tank, just rip off the piece of the bag where it says “Easy Open Bag.” Now, you are ready to go.
4. Water Softener Potassium Solution
The Water Softener Potassium Solution by the brand Nature’s Own comes in the form of cubes. Nature’s Own is offering a natural solution to your problems with hard water. The product has a unique formula that is a natural and sodium-free solution.
The Water Softener Potassium Solution provides the necessary ingredient potassium. This element is crucial for nutrition and overall health.
The product is compatible with all traditional water softeners. It will protect pipes and appliances. The product comes in a 40 lb bag.
It is really easy to use Water Softener Potassium. Just pour the cubes into the water softener tank. It will rejuvenate the water and provide you and your home with healthy liquid in a natural way.
5. Pure and Natural Water Softener Crystals
Unlike the previous Morton product, this one comes as crystals. This product will not only make the water soft but will also remove harmful substances. Your water will be safe and healthy to use.
The Pure and Natural Water Softener Crystals are effective salt crystals that will soften your water. This is important as the product will help protect your pipes and plumbing system from accumulating scale. Your water heaters and boilers will benefit greatly from this feature of the water crystals. The product will work well with most water softener tanks.
Hard water can contribute to the dryness of the skin and hair. By eliminating the harmful components, the Pure and Natural salt will help your skin and hair be soft. Doing the dishes or perhaps washing your clothes will become easier as the detergent can work more effectively.
Find out which are the pros and cons of this product in the following video:
6. Potassium Chloride Pellets for Water Softening
The Potassium Chloride Pellets for Water Softening is a great alternative for users that would like to soften their water without sodium. It is a natural solution to soften water in your household. These pellets are 99% sodium-free
Once you use the pellets, you will notice that the dishes will be sparkling clean. The Morton Potassium Softening Pellets will prevent scale and buildup from the hard water from pilling up on the pipes and appliances. The product has a convenient design. It is easy to lift, open, and apply thanks to the sturdy plastic handle. It is also easy to pour with an easy-tear opening method.
To apply the Potassium Chloride Pellets, check the level of salt first. After this step, keep the water softener tank at least ½ full. For the best results, refill the tank with one bag of salt every other month. The product comes in a 40 lb bag.
Before we continue, find out how water softeners actually work:
We have presented you with the best salt-based products that will help soften the water in your households. As you may have seen, some of these will reduce or completely remove harmful elements or even rust. You probably must be wondering how to decide on the adequate softening salt for the household? Don’t worry, we got your back here! We have prepared a detailed buyer’s guide, followed by some frequently asked questions. They will provide you with all the necessary information about choosing the product that best fits your needs.
Buyer’s guide
When do you need to introduce water softener salt?
Although there are some sodium-free softeners on the market, they won’t remove the hard water minerals. Minerals such as magnesium and calcium won’t disappear from the water unless you start using salts. Salt is crucial for the ion exchange. Except for salt and potassium chloride, no other minerals can be used to effectively purify water.
Here are some things to consider before purchasing softener salts:
- The actual hardness of your household water – Depending on the substances in your water, it will be more or less hard. The larger amount of hard elements, the greater will be the consumption of salt.
- Type of water softener – You can only need salt if your water softener is salt-based. Some devices work on other principles. Therefore, determine if you should or shouldn’t make the purchase.
- Sodium-based vs. sodium-free salts – Both work in exactly the same way. However, if you are on a low sodium diet, or you plan to use the water for watering your plants or for your pets, you should reconsider buying the sodium
- Crystals or pellets – Decide which form of salt you need for your household. Crystals are made of sodium-chloride in the process of solar evaporation. They are great for the house units with lower than average water usage. On the other hand, pellets are a better fit for homes with moderate to high water consumption.
- Budget – potassium chloride is less common on the market and therefore more expensive than sodium chloride (the scientific term for the standard softener salt).
FAQs
Can I fill my water softener to the top with salt?
You can add as much salt as you like. Some water softener users like to add one bag of salt per month. This is to make sure that the softening system contains salt at all times.
Other users, to spare their time, can fill up the salt all the way up to the top. This way, they can reduce the frequency of supplying the system. However, this way, you will need to remember to check up your softener tank from time to time. If you see only water you should add the salt again. The main goal is to maintain the salt above the water. It should look dry. This will push sodium concentration up and will result in nice and soft water.
Is it bad to let your water softener run out of salt?
If you let your water softener ran out of salt, it won’t be able to properly clean minerals, iron, and other harmful substances from the hard water. This will lead to your water leave rust or limescale stains on the surfaces in your kitchen or your bathroom.
Some people might tell you to just add salt to your softener tank-no big deal. The truth is that the moment salt is gone, hard water starts damaging your water fixtures and appliances. The limescale will start pilling-up in your pipes, which can eventually cause damage to the water tank.
How to clean a water softener brine tank?
Have you heard about a brine tank? If not, don’t worry. We will explain it now. Every water softener comes with two tanks- the brine and the resin tank.
The purpose of the resin tank is to hold beads. On the other hand, the brine one contains salt pellets. Now and then, these pellets break down, forming some sort of sediment in the tank.
It is highly beneficial to know how to clean the brine tank, as it will prevent harmful substances from damaging it. When the amount of salt is rather low, remove the “sludge” with a small spade or shovel. If the residue is too hard you will probably need to dig deeper or even hit that pile with some heavy tool.
You can also take a look at this instructional video:
How often should you add salt to the water softener?
You should check the softener’s brine tank at least once per month. The majority of experts agree that the level of salt should be three to four inches above the water level.
The level of the “hardness” of the water and the amount of water your household consumes will determine the quantity of salt you will need to pour into the softening device. According to the industry standards, a family of 4 with hard water will use one 40 lb of salt each month.
Conclusion
After reading these short but hopefully helpful reviews, you have learned much more about the salts and how to use them. As you noticed, using salts to obtain healthy and safe water is not so complicated at all.
We have faith that our review has given you all the necessary information on how to pick the right product. According to your particular needs, you can choose between a variety of products. Whichever pellets from the list you decide to invest in, you won’t make a mistake.
Here are some other options available on today’s market:
Before you go, take a look at our other in-depth reviews. Find out which are the best water pumps for home use or learn everything you need to know about the best air purifiers for dust removal.
