The two maintenance tasks that prevent most problems are checking the salt every four to six weeks and cleaning the venturi valve once a year. Most homeowners do the first and skip the second entirely, which is why the venturi clog is the leading reason softeners stop using salt and the most common source of … Read more
Water softener salt is a purchase that does not go away, and prices vary enough between retailers that where you buy it is worth figuring out once and sticking with. For most households using one 40 lb bag per month, the gap between the cheapest and most expensive retail source adds up to $36-60 per … Read more
For most households, one 40-pound bag of salt per month is the normal range for a demand-initiated water softener running at average hardness levels. If you are going through a bag every two weeks, the system is almost certainly regenerating more often than your water requires. In the majority of cases I have seen, the … Read more
Potassium chloride and sodium chloride both soften water through the same ion exchange process. The result in your pipes is identical. What changes is the ion added to your water, the price you pay for salt, and how efficiently each one regenerates the resin. For most households, the higher cost of potassium chloride buys nothing … Read more
The main forms of water softener salt sold at hardware stores are pellets, solar crystals, rock salt, and blocks. For a standard two-tank residential softener, evaporated pellets are the right choice in almost every situation. Crystals work but are more prone to mushing and bridging, especially in warm or humid conditions. Rock salt leaves more … Read more
Water softener salt is the one part of a softener system that runs out on a schedule. Most households use a 40 lb bag every four to six weeks and spend between $100 and $200 per year, depending on water hardness and household size. Pellets, crystals, and block salt are not interchangeable, and using the … Read more