Which is the best Commercial Water Softener?
When evaluating the various makes and models available today, there are several key factors to consider when selecting a water softener for your home. The hardness level of your home's water, the size and total water use of your household, your budget, and the technical functionality of specific water softener systems are all important considerations.
As a water softener owner, you can see that the salt in your brine tank is running low and that it's time to replenish it. Many people are perplexed by the variety of water softener salt options available at the store, including crystals, block, table, rock, and pellets.
Which is better: solar salt pellets or evaporated salt pellets? What about the difference between salt pellets and potassium chloride pellets? What should you purchase? What is the best option?
Multiply the number of people in your home by the number of gallons of water they use each day to determine the appropriate water softener size for your home (80 gallons per person is the average). Multiply that figure by the number of grains of hardness in your water to determine how many grains must be removed each day. Then, look for a water softener that can handle the load. A 33,000-grain unit is used by the majority of four-person households.
To begin with, only salt or potassium chloride designed specifically for water softeners should be used.
Softener Potassium Chloride vs. Softener Salt
Water softeners work best with sodium chloride (also known as salt) or potassium chloride (actually a type of salt, also).Some softening salt pellets sold in supermarkets or home improvement stores contain a high concentration of water-insoluble matter or impurities. This insoluble matter can cause reservoir buildup or cause your softener to malfunction. If there is a buildup, the brine tank will need to be cleaned more frequently. So, when shopping for softening salt, look for labelling on the salt pellet sack indicating the highest purity level.
There are three types of salt: table salt, sea salt, and rock salt.
The most common are salt pellets, which are less expensive than potassium pellets. Here's a rundown of the other alternatives:
- Evaporated salt pellets have the highest purity rate of the salts, but they are also the most expensive. The higher the purity of your salt (we prefer 99.9% pure salt), the less water-insoluble matter there is in the tank, which means less chance of "bridging," "mushing," or insoluble buildup that will need to be cleaned out later.
- Solar salt pellets are most commonly sold in the form of crystals or pellets and are produced by evaporating sea water. Solar salt is more soluble than rock salt, but it may not work as well as evaporated salt when the hardness of your water is extremely high. Many brands of solar salt contain 99.6% pure salt.
- Rock salt looks like small rocks or pebbles. Although this type of salt is less expensive, we do not recommend using it because it contains a high amount of calcium sulphate, which means it will not dissolve well in water and can cause maintenance headaches.
- Block salt should not be used unless an expert recommends it and raises the water level in the brine tank to fully submerge the blocks for maximum brine formation.
POTASSIUM CHLORIDE
Potassium chloride is a final option for your brine tank. It can be used in the brine tank instead of salt (sodium chloride) to regenerate the softening resin. Potassium chloride is 99.9% sodium free and a good option for people who want to cut back on their sodium intake.
Keep in mind that potassium chloride pellets are generally more expensive and harder to come by than salt pellets. When switching from salt to potassium chloride pellets, the salt dosage programme settings on the valve may need to be increased by 10% to ensure proper resin regeneration.