What brand/type of salt do you recommend?

[Saturn94]

So a local pool store carried a brand of salt that I really liked, US Salt Superior Crystal, but now they’ve closed up shop. Everyone else in the area carries Aqua Salt, a brand I really dislike (dirty, mystery “stain inhibitors” that no one knows what it is). No one else around here has the brand I like.

I’ve tried Morton’s, but it had a lot of pebbles in it. Clorox has staining complaints, and apparently it comes from fracking waste!

My local HD has this from Diamond Crystal. Is it good?

Diamond Crystal Splash Ready 40 lb. Pool Salt 110002702 - The Home Depot

Diamond Crystal Splash Ready 40 lb. Pool Salt is 99.3% pure salt and naturally free of additives. If is fast dissolving and is specially formulated for use with most electric chlorinator systems.

www.homedepot.com

I know some here use salt sold for water softeners, but I have no clue about those.

So, what would you recommend?

Thanks.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Use softener salt either crystals or pellets. It costs less and works fine. There may be a little bit of dirt or debris in it but that should vacuum up easily.

 

[Saturn94]

Thanks. ?


Any particular brand/product?

Dirt? Who wants to vacuum! ?

 

[Rancho Cost-a-Lotta]

I used the Diamond Crystal Water Softener Salt a few weeks ago. No issues and dissolved pretty quick. Price break at 6 bags.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Haha...that Diamond Crystal bag looks practically indistinguishable from their softener salt bags except for the extra $2 premium per bag....look around in another aisle or ask someone there where the softener salt bags are. I bet you’ll find Diamond Crystal softener salt bags for less

 

[Saturn94]

I found this;

Diamond Crystal 40 lbs. Bright and Soft Water Softener Salt Pellets 100012420 - The Home Depot

These compacted water softener salt pellets are specially formulated to prevent mushing and bridging in the water softener brine tank helping to keep your water softener clean and trouble-free. Keep your

www.homedepot.com

Looking at the description it looks like “pure” salt, but looking at the SDS I see this is in it;

Sodium Hexametaphosphate

I looked it up and apparently it’s used as a sequestrant.

So, is this ok, or no?

 

[mariane]

We use Morton's solar salt crystals and get it at Menards. I'm sorry I don't know anything about the other ones.

 

[Saturn94]

I used the Diamond Crystal Water Softener Salt a few weeks ago. No issues and dissolved pretty quick. Price break at 6 bags.

That looks pretty good. Nothing added. But not available at my local HD. Maybe they are just out of stock temporarily?

 

[JoyfulNoise]

I found this;

Diamond Crystal 40 lbs. Bright and Soft Water Softener Salt Pellets 100012420 - The Home Depot

These compacted water softener salt pellets are specially formulated to prevent mushing and bridging in the water softener brine tank helping to keep your water softener clean and trouble-free. Keep your

www.homedepot.com

Looking at the description it looks like “pure” salt, but looking at the SDS I see this is in it;

Sodium Hexametaphosphate

I looked it up and apparently it’s used as a sequestrant.

So, is this ok, or no?

Nope. That’s not what you want. Some softeners require using a salt with “additives” if you’re in a high iron area.

You want regular softener salt, no additives.

 

[Saturn94]

Nope. That’s not what you want. Some softeners require using a salt with “additives” if you’re in a high iron area.

You want regular softener salt, no additives.

Thanks. That’s what I suspected.

It looks like the one Rancho suggested would be good? I don’t see any additives on the SDS sheet.

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions. ?

 

[Saturn94]

Today I picked up 4 bags of the Diamond Crystal Pool Salt. I had to pick through them to find bags without holes, and they were on the middle shelf (I’m short, the bags heavy, no one around to help, it wasn’t pretty!). They were in the same location as the softener salt. The only softener salt I saw were the ones with additives.

I can already see the salt crystals are much larger then the stuff I use to buy. I see more stirring in my future.

 

[ajw22]

I can already see the salt crystals are much larger then the stuff I use to buy. I see more stirring in my future.

You will be suprised how even the larger crystals dissolve.

I bought the same Mortons Pool Salt this year and found it had larger crystals then the bag I had from last year. It didn't seem to make a difference once poured into the water.

 

[linuxninja00]

Nope. That’s not what you want. Some softeners require using a salt with “additives” if you’re in a high iron area.

You want regular softener salt, no additives.

So uhhhh, how bad is it if you added that salt with the Sodium Hexametaphosphate? I may or may not have grabbed a couple of those in my haste at HD.

 

[ajw22]

So uhhhh, how bad is it if you added that salt with the Sodium Hexametaphosphate? I may or may not have grabbed a couple of those in my haste at HD.

Well you raised your phosphate level a bit. I wouldn’t worry about it. Just make sure you follow the FC/CYA Levels

 

[linuxninja00]

Well you raised your phosphate level a bit. I wouldn’t worry about it. Just make sure you follow the FC/CYA Levels

Whew, thanks.... yah test kit numbers are perfect, everything holding just fine... Next year I'll be more careful

 

[ajw22]

What % Sodium Hexametaphosphate did the bag contain? What brand and type of salt has that in it?

 

[linuxninja00]

What % Sodium Hexametaphosphate did the bag contain? What brand and type of salt has that in it?

It was the one linked above, Diamond Crystal Bright and Soft. 0.03% Sodium Hexametaphosphate

 

[ajw22]

0.03% is no worry.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Every 40lb bag of salt containing 0.03 wt% SHMP will raise your 25,000 gallon pool’s orthophosphate (PO4) level by 54ppb (parts per billion).

 

[linuxninja00]

Every 40lb bag of salt containing 0.03 wt% SHMP will raise your 25,000 gallon pool’s orthophosphate (PO4) level by 54ppb (parts per billion).

Thanks Joyful. Since i'm maintaining to TFP practices with regards to FC/CYA, the raised phosphate level isn't a huge issue?