02 May 2019

Is potassium or salt better for water softeners?

Sodium chloride (salt) and potassium chloride water softening salts are both effective in softening your water. The two products can also be used interchangeably or be mixed in together. One reason you might choose one product over the other could be if your water softener is connected to the cold water line in your kitchen, resulting in trace amounts of sodium or potassium in your drinking water. 

1. When using sodium chloride water softener salt, a minimal amount of sodium is transferred to your water. For moderately hard water (8 grains per gallon), drinking 2 liters of softened water per day would contribute the amount of sodium you would find in a slice of bread (~125 mg). If your doctor recommends reducing sodium intake, you may want to consider using potassium chloride water softener salt instead.

2. When using potassium chloride water softener salt, a minimal amount of potassium is transferred to the water. If you have kidney or other renal issues, potassium can aggravate those problems so your doctor may recommend reducing your potassium intake. In this case, you may consider using sodium chloride rather than potassium chloride.