What is Softener Salt, & What types of Water softener salt?

A water softener system requires salt, which is a consumable component. Water softener salt is used to treat, or "soften," hard water, as the name implies. Hard water is water with a high mineral concentration that is harmful to household appliances, plumbing fittings, and pipelines. There are also rumors that high mineral water is linked to certain health issues, but this has not been confirmed. 

Water conditioner salt is used in a water purifier to encourage an ion exchange, which removes the "hardness" of the water. The minerals in the unfiltered water are exchanged with sodium ions from the salt during the ion exchange, the hard minerals are washed out, and the water becomes "soft.

How Is Softener Salt Produced?
Salt is formed through the evaporation of water. For example, our seas contain a lot of dissolved sodium, and salt forms as the seawater evaporate.

The sun heats the ocean water, and when it evaporates, it leaves elements like sodium and chlorine behind. Salt is formed when sodium and chlorine combine.

For every gram of salt, approximately 40% is sodium and 60% is chlorine. Purity levels of salt refer to how much sodium chloride the salt contains. For example, food-grade table salt is almost pure sodium chloride—97% or higher—with most of its impurities and trace minerals removed. 

How is Salt Obtained?
There are three basic methods for extracting salt from saltwater or underground mines:

• Evaporation from the sun 
  
  Solar evaporation occurs when saltwater evaporates owing to the sun and wind in artificially built salt ponds. These ponds' salt crystals are gathered, washed, dried, stored, and packed.

 

• Mining for rock salt
  
  Rock salt mining is the extraction of salt from rock formations that are present underground or inside mountains. These subterranean salt mines were produced by an evaporation process that occurred many thousands of years ago.
  
  Explosives or continuous drilling machines dig into the deposits to recover salt lumps, which are then crushed into smaller bits.
  
  
• Mining for solutions  
  
  Water is utilized in solution mining to flood underground rock salt deposits and drive out a highly saturated brine (a mix of salt and water).
  
  This brine is poured into collection tanks and then transferred to either salt ponds for sun evaporation or evaporation plants where the salt is crystallized using a highly controlled steam heat.

Also check:
Buy Reverse Osmosis System in Edwardsburg
Water Softener Salt Delivery in Edwardsburg 

Types of Softener Salt 

Rock Salt
The least processed type of salt is rock salt. It is extracted and broken into smaller pieces during rock salt mining. It contains 95 percent or more sodium chloride, depending on the mine from which it is extracted.

Rock salt is excellent for de-icing roads, but it is not necessarily suitable for water softeners because impurities in rock salt, such as rock or shale, might clog or damage your water softener.

While rock salt can be used, you will need to clean your brine tank considerably more frequently to remove contaminants and build-up.

Solar Salt
Solar salt is salt created as a result of solar evaporation. Insoluble contaminants in the salt can be removed because solar salt is created from brine.

The sodium chloride level of solar salt is frequently 99.5 percent or higher. Water softening is one of the most prevalent applications for solar salt. Solar salt is typically sold in crystal (also known as coarse) or pellet form. 

Evaporated Salt
While all salt is generated by evaporation, evaporated salt is salt that was processed within an evaporation factory, using heated steam rather than the sun to evaporate the water and leave behind the salt.

This sort of salt has the highest purity (99.9%) and is normally the most expensive type of salt available. Evaporated salt is often offered in the form of pellets.

Crystals or Pellets?

As previously stated, solar salt is often available in two forms: crystal or pellet. Crystals are smaller than pellets and are typically advised for houses with lower-than-average water consumption or for water softeners that use a twin tank system.

The pellet type of salt is greater in size and is ideal for high-water-usage families or water softeners with a single tank. Why? Bridging is prevented by the increased size of the particle.

Bridging occurs when a coating or crust of solidified salt forms on the top of the brine tanks, creating a space between the salt and the water and preventing the water from softening.

Where to get the Water Softener Salt? 

Spencers Quality water is your one-stop shop for all the softener salt requirements. We offer them at the best price.

Before ordering make sure to check our Service Area. 

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