Water softeners are an essential appliance in many homes with hard water. They work by using a process called ion exchange to remove minerals like calcium and magnesium from the water. To recharge the ion exchange beads and keep them working properly, water softeners need to be regularly refilled with sodium chloride salt. There are two main types of salt used for water softeners – regular softener salt and solar salt. But what exactly is the difference between them and does it really matter which type you use?
What is Water Softener Salt?
All salt used for water softeners is sodium chloride, commonly known as table salt. It comes in large pellet or crystal form. The sodium ions in the salt exchange places with the calcium and magnesium ions as hard water passes through the softener. This removes the minerals that cause hard water and replaces them with harmless sodium ions instead.
There are a few key characteristics that make salt suitable for use in a water softener:
- High purity – It needs to be at least 99% sodium chloride without additives.
- Large crystal size – Small fine crystals can clog systems.
- Hardness – Soft large crystals can cake together into a solid block.
- Shape – Angular crystals have more surface area for better ion exchange.
Salt made specifically for water softeners is designed with these important properties in mind. The two main types available are regular softener salt and solar salt.
Regular Water Softener Salt
Regular softener salt, sometimes called evaporated salt, is the most common kind used for water softeners. It’s produced through a process called solution mining and evaporation. First, salt deposits deep underground are drilled into and water is pumped down to dissolve salt from the deposit. The saltwater solution is then pumped back to the surface and goes through an evaporation process to remove the water. What’s left behind are dry salt crystals tailored for water softener use.
There are a few key advantages to regular softener salt:
- Purity – Evaporated salt has a very high purity, usually 99.6% sodium chloride or higher. This gives it excellent water softening performance.
- Hardness – The evaporated crystals are hard and rigid, resisting compaction into a solid block in the brine tank.
- Crystal size – Crystals range from 1/8″ to 1/2″ in size which is ideal for water softeners.
- Shape – The crystalline structure has lots of angles and edges beneficial for ion exchange.
- Additive free – No anti-caking agents or other additives are present.
Overall, regular softener salt has the right qualities to be highly effective at recharging water softeners. The evaporation process gives precise control over purity, crystal size and shape. Many brands like Morton Clean and Protect Water Softener Salt use the evaporation method.
Solar Salt
Solar salt is produced through a different process than regular evaporated softener salt. It gets its name from the use of natural solar evaporation ponds. Here’s how solar salt is made:
- Seawater or salty inland brine is fed into large shallow ponds, covering many acres of land.
- The water in the ponds is left to evaporate naturally through exposure to sunlight and wind over a period of 1 to 3 years.
- As evaporation occurs, the dissolved salt gets more and more concentrated.
- Once saturation is reached, salt crystals form on the bottom of the pond.
- The salt is then harvested by heavy equipment that scrapes up the layer of crystals.
The advantages of solar salt production include:
- Lower energy use – Takes advantage of natural sun and wind for evaporation rather than industrial processes.
- Lower cost – Solar evaporation is very low cost compared to artificial evaporation plants.
- Environmentally friendly – Does not require drilling and pumping salty water from underground.
However, there are some downsides to solar salt as well:
- Purity – Since it relies on natural processes, there is less control and purity is lower, ranging from 95-99%.
- Crystal size – Crystals can be smaller and finer than evaporated salt.
- Shape – The shapes are less defined and angular than evaporated salt crystals.
- Hardness – Crystals have a softer texture making them more prone to caking.
- Additives – Some solar salt has anti-caking agents added.
Overall, solar salt is a more variable and less refined product compared to evaporated salt. But it can still be an effective and affordable salt for water softeners when high purity and crystal structure are less important.
Comparing Regular Salt and Solar Salt
Here is a table comparing some key differences between regular softener salt and solar salt:
| Property | Regular Softener Salt | Solar Salt |
|---|---|---|
| Purity (% NaCl) | 99.6% or higher | 95-99% |
| Crystal size | Large, 1/8″-1/2″ | Smaller, variable |
| Crystal shape | Angular, cubic | Less defined shape |
| Hardness | Hard, rigid crystals | Softer crystals |
| Anti-caking additives | None | Sometimes added |
| Cost | Higher | Lower |
As you can see, regular evaporated salt has distinct advantages when it comes to purity, crystal structure and hardness. Solar salt’s main benefit is lower cost. So regular softener salt is clearly the higher performing option, but solar salt can be an affordable alternative in some cases.
Using Solar Salt in Your Water Softener
Solar salt can be used in water softeners, but it’s important to keep a few things in mind:
- Stick to solar salt products labeled for water softener use. Avoid industrial grade solar salts.
- Check the purity level. Aim for 97-99% NaCl salts to ensure adequate performance.
- Pour salt slowly and carefully to avoid bridging which can trap salt above the brine well.
- Maintain a higher salt level in the tank since solar salt is less dense.
- Clean the brine tank more frequently to remove small sediments.
- Use a salt with anti-caking additives to reduce bridging and mushing.
With proper precautions, solar salt can work in a pinch when regular softener salt is unavailable or too expensive. Just watch for any decrease in softening performance. Switching back to evaporated salt is recommended whenever possible.
The Best Salt for Water Softeners
At the end of the day, regular evaporated softening salt is the best choice for water softeners. It offers these key advantages:
- Maximum purity and softening effectiveness.
- Ideal crystal size and shape for ion exchange.
- Hardness to resist compacting and bridging.
- No additives that could impact performance.
- Predictable and consistent salt from batch to batch.
Solar salt can work in a pinch, but does not match the performance and reliability of regular softener salt. A few extra dollars spent on evaporated salt is worthwhile to get the best results from your water softener and keep hard water under control.
Conclusion
When it comes to salt for water softeners, regular evaporated salt is the superior choice over solar salt. The controlled manufacture of evaporated salt results in near perfect purity levels, evenly shaped crystals, consistent hardness, and no additives. This gives predictable, reliable softening capacity from each recharge cycle. Solar salt made from natural evaporation has more variability in purity, crystal structure, and performance. While solar salt can work in water softeners, especially with careful dosing, evaporated salt is worth the extra investment to get uncompromising hardness removal.