The average water softener needs between one and one-and-a-half 40-pound bags of salt per month. This is assuming that the water softener has a small-to-medium capacity of around 32,000-40,000 grains and is serving a family of four.
For a properly sized water softener system, the industry standard for an average family of four, (with a water hardness level of 7-10 grains per gallon) will use approximately 10lbs of salt each week or one 40lbs bag of salt each 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.
Don't Add Too Much Salt
This buildup can prevent your system from regenerating properly.
Salt Level Is Too High (or Water Is Too Low)
More than that could mean you're adding too much salt, which is wasteful and encourages crusty build-up. Ideally, you should fill salt to an appropriate level for your household, then let the salt drop until you see the water level in the brine tank.
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.
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.
Determine your salt level by lifting the cover of the brine tank and taking a peek inside. If the salt looks dry and the tank is less than half full, refill until it's just over half full. Also, if the salt looks wet or the water level is above the salt, it's time to fill the tank about half full.
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.
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.
But, if you see the tank half full of water or more, it can mean there is a mechanical problem or a frozen/clogged drain line. 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.
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.
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.
Evaporated salt is 99.9% sodium chloride—the purest option. Using evaporated salt–in pellet or nugget form–will result in less storage tank residue, a decrease in bridging, mushiness, and will require less overall maintenance for your water softening system.
As long as the anode rod is in good shape, the water heater won't be affected, but the anode can waste away faster because of the presence of sodium in the water, and once the anode rod is gone, the sodium could expedite the corrosion of the water heater.
Excessive salt usage can oftentimes be the result of leaking valves or improper controls leading to overflowing brine systems, causing highly concentrated and highly valued salt water to be lost before even entering the regeneration process.
Should your softener have water in the brine tank? Yes, it should, as long as it's a post-fill system. But as stated above, unless the salt is almost empty you should not be able to see any of it, because the tank is not supposed to fill up to the top (usually no higher than 10″ to 12″).
If your drain line is clogged, kinked, or frozen, the water softener won't go through that regeneration cycle. It won't suck out the brine, but it will still try to keep adding more water to the brine tank, which would give you that high water level.
The water softener uses a pressurized system. It's advisable to avoid running water in the home during the regeneration cycle. If you do use water at this time, it can prevent water from going through the softener to complete the regeneration.
Softened water is very safe to drink. Some people worry about the sodium that is released into the water during the softening process, but these concerns are unnecessary. In general, for every milligram of minerals removed from the water, two milligrams of sodium are released.
Washing a dish or flushing a toilet are okay, but you'll want to stay away from bathing or washing laundry during this time to reduce the risk of hardness minerals sneaking into your plumbing or water heater. For more information, visit our Recharge Cycle article.