At Mountain Water Systems, we frequently hear one crucial question from homeowners: “How much salt do we need in our brine tank?” The answer is simpler than you might think. We recommend maintaining your salt level between 20% and 80% full in your brine tank. This is the optimal range for peak performance. While your softener will technically function with salt levels as low as 2%, there’s no need to risk running out completely and ending up with hard water. You can generally fill your brine tank to the brim without issues. However, there’s one important exception: humid environments. In high-humidity areas, completely full tanks are more likely to experience salt bridging or “bricking up,” The simple solution is leaving 20% empty space when filling your tank 80% full in humid climates.
Another Question We Get at MWS Is; What is the Salt For?
Salt plays a vital role in the regeneration process that keeps your Water Softener working effectively. During the regeneration cycle, salt creates a concentrated brine solution that flows through the resin media in your softener tank. The sodium ions from the salt bond to the resin beads, knocking off accumulated calcium and magnesium ions from your hard water. These hardness minerals are then rinsed away through your drain line. Here’s something that surprises many homeowners: approximately 99.999% of the salt used in this process gets washed away during the rinse cycle and doesn’t enter your drinking water supply.
Here at Mountain Water Systems, we are here to give you the best advice in water filtration for your home and or business.