Water softeners can leave low levels of salt in the building water supply.

People who for health reasons need to minimize every source of salt in their diet and whose homes are supplied with hard water high in minerals may want to consider a potassium chloride water softener treatment system.

This article series describes procedures for diagnosing and repairing water softener or water conditioner problems including water conditioner control settings and adjustment or repair, brine tank and brine tank float cleaning and repair, and the proper amount of water softening or conditioning that is needed.

Potassium Chloride (KCl) Water Softener Salt Substitute

As we explain at how water softeners work, salt is used in the water softener to remove other minerals, typically calcium and magnesium that cause hardness in water.

The minerals removed by the water softener accumulate inside that device and must be periodically removed by a water conditioner / softener regeneration cycle.

During the water softener regeneration cycle, salty water (produced in the brine tank) washes calcium and other minerals out of the water softener while at the same time salt molecules are captured by the resin inside the water softener.

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How much salt is put into the building's water supply by a typical water softener?

There is no single answer to the how much salt? question because water hardness and the amount of water softening needed to remove grains of hardness vary both from one water source to another, and even within the same water source where the water's mineral content may vary over time.

Here is a representative example:

One cubic foot of water softener resin can remove the calcium and magnesium from about 3,200 gallons (12,000 liters) of water that has been measured at 10 grains of hardness.

To do so will add about 750 milligrams of salt to each gallon of treated water.

The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) considers 750 mg/gallon to be in the low-sodium range as measured to permit the labeling of beverages as "low-salt" or "low sodium". - source: WATER SOFTENER RESIN REPLACEMENT

However some people with special health concerns may still wish to eliminate the water softener as a source of salt in the drinking water they consume as part of their diet.

Persons who are on sodium restricted diets should consider the added sodium as part of their overall sodium intake.

For example, if your water supply is 15 grains hard, and you drank 3 quarts of softened water you would consume 335 milligrams of sodium.

That is equivalent to eating 2-1/2 slices of white bread   - "Kenmore Model / Modelo No. 625.384200 Water Softener with Ultra Flow Valve retrieved 4/20/14, orginal source: http://c.sears.com/assets/own/896152e.pdf [copy on file]

As we discuss at SALT / SOFT WATER IMPACT on SEPTIC, PLUMBING, HEATERS, substitures for ordinary salt (sodium chloride) can be used in water softeners but some adjustments may be necessary.

Water Softener Adjustments for Potassium Chloride Use

Some water softener manufacturers such as for the Sears Kenmore electronic water softener recommend using potassium chloride "salt" (KCL) instead of standard sodium chloride (NaCL) which is standard or ordinary salt. and remark that potassium chloride salt will give longer equipment life and will permit lower hardness settings on the water softener control.

Kenmore explains that if you are not using KCl in their water softener you might need to increase the equipment's hardness settings by 25%:

If your softener does not have a KCl salt setting, you must increase your hardness setting by 25% to ensure continuous soft water.[21]

Watch out: Sears-Kenmore warns:

A softener using KCl should not be placed in areas with temperature fluctuations and high humidity (KCl will harden in these environments and may make the softener inoperable.

Check the brine tank and brinewell (black tube in salt storage tank) monthly. If hardening is present, pour small amounts of warm water onto hardened areas until they loosen. [21] 

If your water softener does not have a KCl (potassium chloride) salt setting you must incrrease your hardness setting by 25% to ensure continuous soft water.

Reader question: is it ok to use Potassium Chloride instead of regular salt in my water softener?

My water softener installer says we should use potassium chloride rather than salt in our water softener. Is that a good idea?

Reply: Sears has the following advice that you should follow if using potassium chloride (KCL) instead of sodium chloride or "regular salt" (NaCL) in your water softener:

POTASSIUM CHLORIDE (KCl) SALT If you choose Potassium Chloride (KCl) as a regenerant, following these suggestions will help give you years of maintenance free service.

1. Place only one bag of KCl in your softener at a time (the salt storage tank should contain no more than 60 pounds of KCl at any one time).

2. A softener using KCl should not be placed in areas with temperature fluctuations and high humidity (KCl will harden in these environments and may make the softener inoperable).

3. Check the brine tank and brine well (black tube in salt storage tank) monthly. If hardening is present, pour small amounts of warm water onto hardened areas until they loosen.

4. Be sure to set “Salt Type” on the controller to “KCl”. This setting adjusts the regeneration cycle times to compensate for the different rate at which KCl dissolves. See “Set Salt Type” on the previous page.  - "Kenmore Model / Modelo No. 625.384200 Water Softener with Ultra Flow Valve retrieved 4/20/14, orginal source: http://c.sears.com/assets/own/896152e.pdf [copy on file]

Reserch on Water Softener Salt Salt Alternatives & Health Effects of Hard Water

• Fregly, Melvin J. "Estimates of sodium and potassium intake." Annals of internal medicine 98, no. 5_Part_2 (1983): 792-799.
• KENMORE WATER SOFTENER with Ultra Flow Valve MANUAL, [PDF], (2011), Kenmore Model / Modelo No. 625.384200 Water Softener with Ultra Flow Valve - Ablandador de Agua con válvula de ultra flujo", Sears Roebuck &Co., 1-800-469-4663, www.sears.com www.sears.ca, Para pedir servicio de reparación a domicilio, y para ordenar piezas: 1-888-SU-HOGAR (1-888-784-6427), retrieved 4/20/14, orginal source: http://c.sears.com/assets/own/896152e.pdf
• Korsmeyer, R. W., R. Gurny, E. Doelker, P. Buri, and N. A. Peppas. "Mechanisms of potassium chloride release from compressed, hydrophilic, polymeric matrices: effect of entrapped air." Journal of pharmaceutical sciences 72, no. 10 (1983): 1189-1191.
• Neri, Luciano C., and Helen L. Johansen. "Water hardness and cardiovascular mortality." Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 304, no. 1 (1978): 203-219.
• Saxena, Kusum. "Clinical features and management of poisoning due to potassium chloride." Medical toxicology and adverse drug experience 4, no. 6 (1989): 429-443.
• Schaefer, Timothy J., and Robert W. Wolford. "Disorders of potassium." Emergency Medicine Clinics 23, no. 3 (2005): 723-747.
• World Health Organization. POTASSIUM in drinking-water: background document for development of WHO guidelines for drinking-water quality. [PDF] No. WHO/HSE/WSH/09.01/7. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2009. retrieved 2018/07/10, original source: http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/70171/WHO_HSE_WSH_09.01_7_eng.pdf?sequence=1

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Reader Q&A - also see RECOMMENDED ARTICLES & FAQs

Question:

(Feb 11, 2013) Sarg s. said:

The city recently came in and changed our water reader and once they did our water consumption went from 10,500 gallons to 55,500 gallons of water in a 28 day cycle. The only thing running when we were notified was the water softener BUT I do not know for sure if it was in its cycle for the day or if it was the problem. The thing is the city just replaced their head in our basement a day before we started wasting water. WHat gives, if anything? Is this normal or was it just our luck? Any ideas would be great. Thanks

Question:

(Feb 15, 2013) Shannon - in New Castle said:

I'm new to having a water softener.. I don't know how to use this thing, don't know how to adjust it, and can't get it to cycle. How often should it cycle for 2 people living in the house? There are NO stickers or labels on it anywhere to tell me what make/model/mnfctr it is either. I'm pretty sure the dern thing hasn't run in over a week now, the water is starting to smell really strong... HALP!

Reply:

x

Question:

(Feb 8, 2014) kawika said:

Similar to the question "discolored water after water softener regen cycle". I cleaned the brine tank but I still get discolored water afar regeneration. We have only noticed the discoloration in the 2nd bath toilet and tub, nowhere else. it clears up after 3 flushes.

Reply:

Kawika, I'm just guessing, but it seems to me that if water looks different colors at different fixtures in the building I'd think the root source is not the softner (that all water passes through) but perhaps the piping or some other contaminant, or iron, or debris source.

If you see it mostly at a toilet it could be worth cleaning debris out of the toilet tank too.

Reader says:

he discoloration is only present immediately after a regeneration cycle. Why only in the toilet/tub is unknown. If it were the piping or other source it should be present at all times.

Reply:

K
I agree with your reasoning, more or less; sometimes a fixture that runs water faster (like a tub) will stir up and show debris that slower running fixtures don't. A toilet would offer the opposite explanation: debris often accumulates in the toilet tank - in part because the relatively slow fill rate doesn't stir it up enough to flush out when the toilet is flushed.

Start (because it's easy) by taking a look in the toilet tank; look for deposits on the tank walls or crud on the tank bottom; that may point to a water supply debris problem; if there are yellow stains but no deposits more often that points to iron in the water;

With that simple look out of the way and assuming we want to pursue the water softener, I'd check the softner brine tank - in these articles we describe cleaning and disinfecting the brine tank. It's tempting to also run a disinfectant cycle through the water softner itself but I would not do that without knowing the brand and model and then checking the manufacturer's cleaning instructions.

Summarizing: try:

1. checking and cleaning the brine tank
2. running the softener through an extra regen cycle

Reader says:

Toilet tank is clean. Cleaned brine tank, manually ran two regenerations…next scheduled regeneration had no water discoloration…latest regeneration (Today) had the discoloration back in toilet (cleared after 4 flushes).

Reply:

K
are we certain that the incoming water from the source is not the origin of the discoloration you're seeing? Have you tested that water - ahead of any treatment equipment?

Question: white residue in dishwasher

(Feb 16, 2014) stanley costello said:

i get a light powder like residue on my dishes after a dishwashing cycle

Reply:

Stanley,

I've seen this deposit in more than one circumstance: using too much dishwasher detergent, very hard water supply, and on occasion, debris that needs to be cleaned from the dishwasher bottom.

Question:

(June 7, 2014) Ann said:

Just set up new digital water softener. finished settings and run regeneration cycle. It carried out regeneration adn then started cycle all over again ? what is wrong pleaase - what should I do?

Question: replace algae-contaminated water softener?

(June 9, 2014) David Williams said:

have well water system. had a bad algae bloom. water co. said softener had to be replaced. could it have been cleaned, repaired instead?

Reply:

David

I'm unclear why a dirty water softener would need replacement; someone is giving expensive advice that's safe for them and costly for you. Instead I would follow the water softener cleaning and disinfection procedure in your water softener's instruction manual or see our water softener cleaning procedure article at

inspectapedia.com/plumbing/Water_Softener_Cleaning.php

Question: cleaned water softener, lost prime

(June 29, 2014) Dave said:

I cleaned my water softner tank and now I can't get the prime back. Please help!

Reply:

Dave,

If you mean your well pump has lost prime just search inspectApedia for "LOST WELL PRIME" or "HOW TO PRIME THE PUMP" to see procedural details.

If you mean the water softener is not filling the brine tank you will want to check for disconnected tubing, a clogged check valve, or a clogged or improperly set (e.g. on bypass) control valve.

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Continue reading  at WATER SOFTENER SALT DOSE SETTING or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see these

Recommended Articles

• HEALTH RISKS & WATER SOFTENERS - research on approaches to removing salt from drinking water
• REDUCE IMPACT of SOFTENER on SEPTIC
• SALT / SOFT WATER IMPACT on SEPTIC, PLUMBING, HEATERS
• WATER CONDITIONER / SOFTENER MANUALS
• WATER SOFTENER OPERATING CYCLES
• WATER SOFTENER SALT CHOICES
• WATER SOFTENER SALT DOSE SETTING

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WATER SOFTENER SALT SUBSTIUTE: POTASSIUM CHLORIDE at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.

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