To put it another way, you should never let your water softener run out of salt. This mistake is likely to cause permanent damage to the system components and your fixtures and appliances as well.
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.
In general, a water softener can typically go for several weeks without salt.
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.
So How Often Should I Add Salt To My Water Softener? In general, we recommend adding a bag of salt 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.
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.
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.
Check for Running Toilets
Remember, your water softener is connected to the rest of your water system. If it's using a lot of salt, it might mean you have a toilet that's running constantly. This will deplete the salt very quickly and can be quite common if you have a bathroom that doesn't get much use.
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.
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.
Potassium Chloride for Water Softeners
Potassium Chloride works in water softeners the same way that traditional water softener salt (sodium chloride) does, by replacing hard water minerals. The primary difference is that hard water minerals are replaced with potassium instead of sodium.
Can I Drink Softened Water? While most softened water is perfectly safe to drink, the amount of sodium in the treated water will depend on the hardness of the original water. If the water hardness is below 400 ppm calcium before you soften it, then you can drink it with little concern.
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.
The Drain Line Is Clogged
It might have become blocked with salt and sediment, which can cause your water to taste salty. You might need to replace the part if you can't get it clean. You should also take a closer look at the drain line itself.
Don't let your water softener fill up with water! A water softener full of water won't be able to function properly. If your softener isn't fully draining during the regeneration cycle then your brine tank will eventually fill up with water until the safety float is engaged.
Don't Add Too Much Salt
Adding too much salt to your water quality softener can cause salt “bridging,” or a buildup and solidification of regenerant. This buildup can prevent your system from regenerating properly.
Regardless of the type of tank you have, you need water for the brine tank to perform properly. On the other hand, a dry brine tank is going to be empty after your water softener carries out a regeneration cycle. Just before the ion exchange process takes place, it will fill with water.
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.
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.
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.
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.
While they can last much longer if well maintained, water softeners have a typical lifespan of between 10 and 15 years. If your water softener was installed more than a decade ago, replacing it may be the right option.
Benefits of Hair Washing with Soft Water
Most notably, soft water lacks the heavy minerals that can damage hair and make it less resilient to other changes (like stress or diet). Because soft water can penetrate the hair follicle more fully, it generally helps hair look shinier, softer, and less damaged.
Hard water may not be the cause of skin conditions, but there is a lot of evidence indicating it can aggravate things further. With soft water, you'll be less likely to clog your pores and dry out your skin, you won't be as itchy and irritated, and you'll be more likely to have the beautiful, clear skin you want.