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.
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.
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.
The amount of salt you should add to your softener will vary by the level of hardness in your water and the amount of water your family consumes. The average family of four with hard water, or levels around 7-10 grains per gallon hardness, will typically use about 10 lbs. of salt each week.
In general, we recommend adding a bag of salt every month. At the first of each month check your brine tank and you'll be able to monitor your salt usage and adjust as needed.
Your salt consumption will depend on the level of water hardness (minerals in your water) and the amount of water your household consumes. 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.
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.
Don't Add Too Much Salt
This buildup can prevent your system from regenerating properly.
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.
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 This can be a result of an out of date hardness setting, or a metering hiccup.
The absence of salt means that the water will no longer be softened, and the control valve will be filled with hard water. The water can't be softened without salt. That means hard water will build-up your pipes and cause less efficiency in your water heating system.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Efficient softeners may regenerate daily while others do so two to three times a week. Others still (particularly older units) can regenerate as little as once weekly. This process is key to ensuring that your softener functions properly and provides your home with adequate water.
During normal operation of a water softening system regeneration cycle, water fills the brine tank ¼ to half of the way, then the brine is drawn back into the softener tank to clean the resin.
Salt pellets.
Salt pellets are made by refining salt crystals into pure sodium chloride. Pellets do not bridge, they dissolve easily, and they do not leave any residue. In most cases, they are the best option for keeping your water softener up and running.
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.
A dry water softener brine tank means that you will only have water in your tank an hour or two before your softener is ready to go through a regeneration cycle. When your softener is in between cycles, it shouldn't have water in it.
Most water softener experts recommend cleaning your brine tank once per year. Otherwise, salt can form clumps or sludge and reduce the effectiveness of your softener's regeneration process. If your water has high levels of iron or sediment, you may need to clean your brine tank more often.
If you have a wet brine tank, it should have water in it constantly. The overwhelming majority of water softeners that were manufactured prior to 2015 should have a wet brine tank. A dry brine tank probably will not have very much water in it, but it doesn't mean that it will always be dry.
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.