Often, our new customers wonder what type of salt they should use for their softeners: Pellet Salt or Extra Coarse Solar Crystals. They always ask: “How do you know which type of salt is best for your water softener?” Good question.
Below, we’ll describe the basics for each type of salt, including reasons why you may choose one over the other.
Extra Coarse Solar Crystals
Extra coarse solar salt is a naturally made from evaporated saltwater. The final crystalized product that comes to you in plastic, blue bags is 99.5% pure. We recommend extra coarse solar for two-part water softening units (these units will have two separate sections: a tall, cylindrical resin tank and a plastic brine tank). To see an example this style softener, you can go to the Residential Water Softeners page on our Web site.
Pellet Salt
Pellet salt is manufactured in a similar way to extra coarse solar; it is made by evaporating water from a brine mixture. However, the minerals used in pellet salt come from salt deposits, mined underground, that are pressed into pellet form. This mining process makes pellet salt slightly more pure than the extra coarse solar—somewhere between 99.6 and 99.9 percent.
We recommend pellet salt for customers with all-in-one softening units (such as GE or Sears brand softeners) because solar salt has a tendency to stick together and cause “bridging,” which can prohibit water from flowing through the tank. Pellet salt is also recommended for heavy water users such as a business or apartment building because purer salt means less buildup of sediment over time.
Next time you need salt—either extra coarse solar or pellets—be sure to call Peterson Salt for competitive prices and in-home delivery. To order, call our office at (952) 929-0422 or order online.
Fun Fact:
Did you know that solar salt is actually created through solar power? Water softener salt is harvested by putting natural salt water from an ocean or inland sea into outdoor pools where sun and wind evaporate the water, leaving the product you use in your home!