Water Softener - Does it make water salty?

[bigjohn14]

I've never experienced one of these creatures, but just curious.

[Tony Hwang]

Hi, No!

[J.A. Michel]

Yes, it puts a small amount of salt in the water. You can't hardly notice it though. When the water is treated by the softener, Calcium and Magnesium ions are replaced by Sodium ions.

[perrylep]

In the case of someone who is advised by their cardiologist to monitor sodium intake...what are the numbers?

I had this discussion with a friend recently who is advised to watch her sodium...my thoughts are that the salt added to the water is minimal...and that for drinking, she might filter or buy "canned water". But my thinking has no numbers to back it up.

Thanks. Curious too! Perry

[Grandpa]

Best site I know to answer your questions:

[Doug Miller]

It does not. It puts a small amount of *sodium* in the water.

That's correct. But sodium is not salt.

[Rick Blaine]

In most cases, softened water contains between 40-80mg of sodium per litre. To put that in context, ask yourself how many litres of tap water you drink a day and consider that a single slice of white bread contains between 150-200mg of sodium and a can of chicken noodle soup can conatin over 500mg of sodium.

[J.A. Michel]

Gee ok, you are correct. Want a cookie or something? sheesh!

[Doug Miller]

There *is* a difference. Softened water does not taste salty. The OP asked if water softeners add salt to the water. The correct answer to that question is "no".

[J.A. Michel]

Nothing like splitting hairs. There are lots of different kinds of 'salt', since you want to be so technical. Which salt did the OP mean? Sodium is an ingredient in salt (sodium chloride), and the softener puts it in the water. I believe this is what the OP wanted to know.

[Mike Hartigan]

[Doug Miller]

It's not "splitting hairs" to draw a distinction between two things that are not the same.

Now who's splitting hairs?

In the absence of any qualifiers indicating otherwise, *most* people assume the word "salt" to mean common salt, NaCl. If you supposed, even for a moment, that the OP meant anything *but* common salt, then you should seek therapy.

Sodium is also an ingredient in lye; applying your criteria, a water softener makes water lye-like.

Then you have a reading comprehension problem, as "what the OP wanted to know" is very clearly stated in plain English in the title of the thread: "Does it [a water softener] make water salty?"

The correct answer to that question is "no".

[Charlie Bress]

My, my all this hairsplitting when you have lost sight of the problem. The OP in a second note said the friend was on a salt restricted diet. In that context the real concern is not the sodium chloride, per se, both the sodium sensitivity of a person with hypertension.

You will notice that on the nutrition label there is no number for salt, but there is one for sodium.

So ther right answer is not if there is salt or not, but is there added sodium. Yes there is. Is it a problem? Thats what needs to be answered. Another poster who understood the question has answered it.