Water Softner Salt

[Samuel Warren]

I got a watersoftner installed today. The Installing company sells "Dura-Cube" by Cargill for around $6.00 for 50lbs. Of course they set me up with my first 250 pounds. The salt is sort of in a chip form. The Installer said rock salt and "solar-salt" are inferior and are less pure, so do not use them. Is this so? What brand of salt do you use? And the cost? And of course where to purchase? Is the $6.00 for the "Dura-Cube" too much or about normal. I can purchase the salt on my own at the dealer when needed, but I am not paying them a service call to bring it by.

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samuelREMOVE [e-mail]

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Rock salt has many impurities and should be avoided. The price you have for the Dura-Cube is not bad and yes, it is a bit better than solar salt. For the slight cost difference in a year, I'd continue to use it.

That said, we use solar salt at work. I buy 2,000 pounds at a time and pay about $5 a bag delivered. We treat about 8,000 to 11,000 gallons of water a day. Twice a year we drain and clean the brine tank.

[Erma1ina]

I use Diamond Crystal (Cargill) "Hardi-Cube". It's also in a chiplike form. The recent price was $4.70 per 50lbs at the local seed&feed store, not delivered.

As I recall, I was told by a wholesale distributor that Hardi-Cube tended to be less susceptible to "bridging" than the more easily-found pellets.

I know that rock salt should not be used in a softener but I believe that "solar-salt" is OK -- in fact, I think some recommend it, though it is not as pure as some other kinds of salt.

[Samuel Warren]

What is this "bridging"?

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[John]

I think it's when the salt hardens from being wet and causes a bridge above the brine level causing the water to not effectivly reach the salt causing the softener not to be able to regenerate.

[Samuel Warren]

So an occasional stirring up of the salt would be a good thing?

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[Paul Franklin]

Yes, most manufacturers recommend occasionally pushing a clean piece of wood or plastic down through the salt to make sure a salt "bridge" hasn't formed keeping the loose salt from falling to the bottom.

I did every other week or so for a year or so, and never had a problem, so now I don't bother. I'd notice soon enough if the water went hard.

I buy my salt at the local "Sams" warehouse club for around $5 for 40 lbs. It's Mortons softener salt.

[DaveG]