Pellets are those compact, pillow-shaped nuggets, usually made by compacting salt. They’re smooth, uniform, and look like they belong in a fancy spa, not a grimy brine tank. Their big selling point? They dissolve slowly, which means less gunk building up at the bottom of your tank.
But here’s the ironic twist: pellets are also the divas of the salt world. If your water softener sits in a humid basement or a damp garage, pellets can stick together like a bad batch of mashed potatoes. You end up with a solid “salt bridge” that blocks water flow, and suddenly your softener is on strike. I once had to chisel that stuff out with a screwdriver—not my finest Saturday. (Pro tip: always poke around in the tank with a broom handle to check for bridges, even with pellets.)
