Most softeners need about 40 to 50 pounds per fill-up. That’s roughly one bag from the hardware store. Don’t try to be a hero and dump in two bags. It won’t work faster. It’ll just create a salt-mountain that looks like a toddler’s sandbox after a tantrum.
As for type: get the solar salt or the pellet salt. Avoid the block salt that looks like a brick from your neighbor’s failed concrete art project. Trust me. I once bought the wrong kind and spent an afternoon chipping away at something that felt like the dentist’s scaler gone rogue. Not my finest hour.
How Much Salt Should I Put In A Water Softener at Regena Rudolph blog
Seasonal Salt Shenanigans
Summer is easy. Your softener gulps salt like you gulp lemonade. But winter? That’s when things get weird. If your water softener lives in an unheated garage, the salt can form a solid block that looks like a frosting disaster on a wedding cake. You’ll need to break it up with a hammer. Pro tip: do not use your good hammer. Use the one that already has paint flecks from when you thought you could hang a shelf.
During rainy spells, your tank might get a little too much water, creating a soupy mush. It’s not ruined. It’s just being dramatic. Stir it with a broom handle and go back to your life. You have a softener to yell at, a dog to walk, and a show to finish.
