Pool Salt Vs. Water Softener Salt: Which One Is Better?

When you first start reading up on all the bits and bobs surrounding pool maintenance, it becomes clear that salt is a thing. Like, big time. There are tons of different types of salt that are used in keeping our water’s conditions good to go. For example, most people don’t even realize that pool salt is different from the salt used to soften water. Check out the differences between the two…

Pool salt and water softener salt can both be used to maintain your pools. However, water softener salt is coarser and may include impurities that may have a corrosive and discoloring effect on more delicate pools. It may take longer for water softener salt to dissolve too.

If you need to make sure that your saltwater pool is going to work well, you need to get the scoop on your salts. My guide will give you the basics.

Water softener is totally safe to use as a way to clean up your pool. Like pool salt, it will give you adequate levels of chlorine to keep your pool clean. While many people may advise you not to use water softener salt, the truth is that you won’t experience any negative effects from it as long as it is over 99 percent pure NaCl or KCl.

Pool salt may be easier to work with, but it’s not like using high-quality water softener salt will kill you. Pure water softener salt won’t even harm your skin. In that sense, it’s all good. However, using the wrong water softener salt can damage your pool and stain your water.

Now that we’ve gone through the basics, let’s talk about salt prices. Pool salt will cost between $5 to $8 per 40-lb bag, making it pretty reasonable. If you want to get a slightly cheaper option, you can use water softener salt for $4 to $6 per bag. While the price range is similar, the small savings can add up over time.

The only thing that you really want to consider is that water softener salt can work well for a wider range of purposes. More specifically, it can work as a water softener and as a more effective de-icer during the wintertime. This makes it more versatile and also tends to mean you’ll save money and space on salt storage.

Related Questions

Can I use table salt in my water softener?

While it may be tempting to try to cut costs by adding table salt in your water softener, the truth is that you can’t use just any salt. You need to use coarse water softener pellets. Salt that’s too fine will end up harming your water softener and can potentially seep into your drinking water. Thankfully, water softener pellets are pretty cheap. You just have to find a place to store the bag, really.

Is it possible for water softener pellets to scratch or break a vinyl pool’s bottom?

If you are worried about using water softener pellets in a vinyl or “fabric” pool, you probably should skip using it. For the most part, vinyl pools are far more durable than people give them credit for. A simple scratchy surface (like the ones on pellets) usually will not damage pool. However, if it’s digging into the pool’s bottom and being dragged heavily, it could potentially cause some slight damage.Even with mild scratches, it’s extremely unlikely that you will have a pool break or pop as a result of using water softener pellets. If this happens, you probably were going to need to get a new pool anyway.

Do all pools need to have salt added to them?

Salt is added to pools as a way to gently chlorinate the pool. That’s why they are called saltwater pools. If you have a different way to chlorinate and clean your pool, then you don’t need any salt in your pool. In fact, traditional pools don’t really involve any type of salt in their maintenance whatsoever. So, if you don’t have a saltwater pool, there’s no need to buy up a bag of salt.