We've shared what you need to know in this guide. Water softener salt usually lasts 2-3 months, but the best practice is to top up the salt tank with one 40-pound bag every month.
How long does a 40 lb bag of water softener salt last? We hear questions like this often, and the answer is that it really just depends on your system and your household water needs. While the average family will go through a 40 lb bag about once a month or so, your amount will vary.
Water softeners today work off gallons going through the system. A house with one person with a 30,000-grain unit will go through a 50Lb bag of salt every five to six weeks.
The latest systems also have low salt indicators or even a remote monitoring alert to let you know you are running low on salt and help make water softener maintenance easy. Overall, because newer models are more efficient with salt use, they typically only need to have salt added every 6-8 weeks.
If your softener is using an excessive amount of salt, it is recharging much more than it should. This can be a result of an out of date hardness setting, or a metering hiccup.
As mentioned above, the usage will vary depending on your family's needs and the hardness of your water. If your softener is sized and programmed correctly, you will probably use between 40-50 pounds of salt per month. Make sure you check your salt levels at least once every month.
Don't Add Too Much Salt
This buildup can prevent your system from regenerating properly.
So How Often Should I Add Salt To My Water Softener? In general, we recommend adding a bag of salt every month.
No brine tank should ever be FULL of water! Newer water softeners, especially those with digital valves, only have water in the brine tank two hours before the softener goes through a cycle. These “dry” tanks should not have water in them between cycles.
Can a Water Softener Work Without Salt? Typical water softening systems need salt in order to regenerate and produce soft water. Without sodium, the softener can no longer effectively remove calcium and magnesium from your water, allowing hard water back into your pipes and home.
The average family of four with hard water (7-10 grains per gallon hardness level) will use about one 40-lb bag of salt each month. Hardness levels above 10 grains per gallon or more, might require more salt.
This is a common problem. clogged eductors or jets in the control valve can cause a water softener to not draw in salt. A malfunctioning brine or float valve can be the culprit. A brine line that has a hole in it can also cause a water softener to not use salt.
If your softener isn't working properly, you will begin to see hardness symptoms and iron popping up in the home, and your softener will use less salt than it had previously. You may also notice less water pressure throughout the home.
Blockages or Clogging
Over time, an accumulation of these minerals and salt from your brine solution can clog the water line that runs through the tank of your water softener. A tell-tale sign that your water softener might be clogged is if the softness of your water changes considerably.
To check the salt level of your water softener, you need to open the tank brine and look inside. If the salt level is less than half, that's a sign you have to do a refill. Ideally, the salt must take up about three-quarters of the tank volume. Adding too much salt will prevent the system from regenerating properly.
The salt helps to soften the water and gives it a cleaner taste. Even though your water supply will be soft within less than two hours, it will take longer to see the build-up in your plumbing start to diminish. It could take a few weeks before you can see the difference.
Keep your brine tank at least one quarter full of salt at all times. Don't fill your salt up past 4 to 6 inches below the top of your brine tank. Make sure that your salt level always stays a few inches above the water level in your brine tank.
As a good rule of thumb, you should start by setting your water hardness level on your water softener to match the GPG of your water supply. For example, if your report shows you that your water hardness level is 10 GPG, then you need to set your water softener to 10 GPG as well.
If you have a wet brine tank, it should have between 3 and 6 gallons of water in it. The water on the floor of the tank should be between six inches and a foot deep. If you feel like your wet brine tank has a low level of water, the drain itself could be blocked or frozen. There could also be a mechanical issue.
Water softener crystals are better for two-part water softening systems, but it's still best to use pellets in homes with a high water (and therefore salt) usage, because they're less prone to clogging the brine tank.