If you're feeling salty, try using potassium chloride in your water softener
Potassium chloride works in the same way that sodium chloride does in water softeners.
There are health and environmental benefits to using potassium chloride.
Potassium chloride costs $45 to $65 for a 40-pound bag.
People with certain health conditions should not use potassium chloride.
Potassium chloride, a substitute for sodium chloride, can be used in most home water softeners. In some cases, you may need to use the same chemical for the entire life of the appliance after you install your water softener—for instance, if you started with sodium chloride, you have to stay with sodium chloride—so be sure to check your owner’s manual to make sure that you can make the switch without damaging your appliance.
Potassium chloride is a naturally occurring mineral and an essential nutrient found in fruits and vegetables, dairy products, and meat. It’s also a salt you can use in your water softening system. Your water softener works by removing minerals from hard water, and the uses salts like sodium chloride and potassium chloride to flush out the collected minerals.
When you use potassium chloride crystals in a water softener, they filter out the magnesium and calcium (the minerals that make hard water “hard”) and replace them with potassium.
Most water softeners were designed to run with sodium chloride crystals (aka salt). The only exception would be salt-free water softeners, but these aren’t as common and usually aren’t nearly as efficient.
Both sodium chloride and potassium chloride are effective when it comes to softening water. But when you use sodium chloride crystals in water softeners, they leave a residual amount of sodium in the water after the softening process has occurred. Making the swap to potassium gets rid of this issue.
For people who are looking to reduce their salt intake due to health restrictions, using potassium chloride is an option. According to the American Heart Association, the effects of excess sodium consumption include heart disease, stroke, stomach cancer, and other health conditions. As 90% of Americans consume too much sodium, any way to cut out a little here and there is beneficial for your health.
Health benefits aren’t the only advantage of using potassium chloride over sodium chloride, according to the University of Massachusetts-Amherst's Center for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment. Disposing of the brine, or saltwater, from your water softener can be a challenge. Brine is bad for plants, and if your municipality isn’t equipped to handle it, you’ll need to find other ways to dispose of your water.
Alternatively, potassium is often used industrially as a fertilizer and is good for plants. Using the backwash from a potassium-based water softener to water your plants should help them to flourish.
Generally, a water softener can’t tell the difference between potassium chloride crystals and sodium chloride crystals, and water softener maintenance will be the same regardless of what salt you use. As long as there is a mineral agent binding to the magnesium and the calcium to remove them from the hard water, most softeners will do the job without any problems. In some cases, you can even mix potassium chloride and sodium chloride crystals in your water softener.
You can always call in a water specialist near you to help you decide how to get the best quality water from your softener.
One of the main reasons people continue to use sodium chloride over potassium chloride is cost. A 40-pound bag of salt (sodium chloride) crystals usually runs around $10. Compare that with potassium chloride, which costs $54 to $65 for a 40-pound bag.
A 40-pound bag of either is enough to soften the water of a two-person household for a month. Over a year, you’d save $264 to $330—depending on the size of your water softener—by using sodium chloride instead of potassium chloride.
Sodium is also more efficient than potassium, so you would also need around 25% more potassium chloride crystals for your water softener than sodium chloride crystals.
According to the American Heart Association, people with chronic kidney disease, heart failure, diabetes, and people who take medication that alters potassium levels (including some blood-pressure-lowering medications) should be careful when increasing their potassium intake. If you fall into one of these categories, consult your doctor before making a switch in your water softener.
Chaz, the owner, was very responsive and he communicated with us throughout the entire process. The overall cost was in the middle compared to the three estimates we received. The installation crew was very professional. Chaz was considerate enough to send a crew back to our home to repair...
Unique Hardwood Floor LLCI've used Quality Drain Solutions multiple times and they are consistently excellent in terms of their level of service and quality of work. They respond quickly, arrive when they say they will, and clean up when they're done. They removed the leaky water heater, and replaced it with a new...
Quality Plumbing & Drains Inc.They unclogged the drain and sent me a bill for more than 4 times what I paid before. I called the Water Works to ask why the bill was so high and that they should have gotten my authorization before assuming they could make expensive decisions like that on my behalf and for their benefit....
The WaterworksI was called back immediately when I contacted this provider on Angie's list. Robert called ahead and arrived when he said he would. After looking over the appliance, explained what he thought the problems might be and worked on them. He fixed the problem at the bottom of the freezer that...
Central Ohio Appliance RepairGreat!, Was able to get them to show up within 2 hours of calling, which was very much needed. Had a new refrigerator delivered that could not be installed. The main water shut off to my house and the shut off to the old refrigerator could not be turned off. Water was leaking everywhere...
A Mann Plumbing LtdThey removed the old rubber roof from a small shallow pitched roof that covers a porch on my house. They then installed an underlayment material in accordance with manufacturer's instructions and covered that with a rubber roof (because the roof is shallow and does not shed water well enough...
Muth & Company RoofingEverything was great. They installed a new motor on a Wednesday and it heated ok for a day, which they did not charge me for. They came back out on Saturday and said that it was admitting Co2. They had to shut it down for safety. They made an appointment to come out Sunday. They made an...
From average costs to expert advice, get all the answers you need to get your job done.
Discover how much well water treatment systems cost, including installation, maintenance, and tips to save. Get expert insights to plan your water system project.
Wondering about water treatment system costs? Learn average prices, key cost factors, and ways to save on installation and maintenance for your home.
Water softener repair costs can add up, but they’re almost always worthwhile. Use this guide to see what your project is going to cost before you get started.
Need help dialing in your water hardness? Use this handy DIY guide on how to set a water softener to save money and get the best results possible.
If your home has hard water, it can damage your appliances, including the water heater. Find out if you need a water softener for your tankless water heater.
Is hard water bad for you? Not to drink, but it can dry out your skin and create problems for your household appliances. Here’s what you need to know.
