Can you use pellets in a Culligan softener?

Culligan's High Efficiency owner's guide says all of its water conditioners are designed to use any water conditioner salt of good quality, including rock, pellet, solar or "evaporated" types. Its Medallist Series guide uses the same wording. The Medallist materials list is a little narrower, naming rock, solar or pellet salt formulated specifically for water softeners.

Two limits come with that permission:

• "Good quality" and "made for water softeners" are the requirements. Culligan's salt guide warns that a salt that doesn't fit your system, such as sidewalk salt or other products not designed for softening, could damage parts of the softener.
• Culligan prefers its own. Both guides say that whatever type you use, Culligan recommends Culligan Brand Salt as suggested by your Culligan dealer. That's a preference, not a requirement.

That's a much looser rule than Kinetico's. Kinetico's manual rules out rock and solar salt, so don't carry one brand's rule over to the other. Our page on what salt a Kinetico softener uses shows the difference.

Purified salt, which includes evaporated pellets, changes what builds up in the bottom of the tank. Culligan says all rock salt, regardless of source, contains insoluble material that collects at the bottom of the salt storage tank and requires periodic clean-out. If you use purified salt products, the guide says the salt compartment will need less frequent clean-out, but you must check more frequently for bridging.

Culligan's salt article fills in the picture:

• Shape isn't the type. Crystals, pellets and blocks are forms of the same basic product, much like sugar cubes and granulated sugar. The shape alone doesn't decide how well it works.
• Evaporated salt is high purity and is commonly sold as pellets or crystals. Culligan says it typically dissolves readily and leaves less residue, and it's a popular choice for many softeners, including high-efficiency models, when the owner's guide recommends it.
• Solar salt is widely available. Depending on the product it may leave more residue than evaporated salt and need more frequent cleaning.
• Rock salt is mined, less processed and usually leaves the most residue. Culligan says to check your owner's guide before using it.
• Additives in some salts, especially pellet salt, can cause salt problems, so read the bag.

If you're weighing types, the practical trade is simple. Purified salt keeps the tank cleaner. Rock salt leaves more sludge to clean out. Either way, buy the same kind each time, as Culligan advises.

Bridging is when a crust or empty space forms between the salt and the water below it, so the salt can't dissolve into brine. Culligan's Medallist guide puts it bluntly: no brine, no soft conditioned water. It says high humidity and the use of some brands of purified salt can cause a salt bridge to form. That's the same tradeoff the High Efficiency guide flagged when it said purified salts need more frequent bridging checks.

Culligan's method for checking is worth copying:

1. 1Take a broom handle or similar tool and mark it 34 inches from the end.
2. 2Carefully probe down through the salt.
3. 3If you hit an obstruction before the mark reaches the rim of the tank, a bridge has likely formed.
4. 4Keep probing and break the bridge up completely.

Don't force the tool past the mark, Culligan cautions, because you can damage the horizontal salt plate. After you add salt, Culligan says to wait about 4 hours for it to dissolve before you start a recharge.

At least every two years, when the salt supply is low, according to the High Efficiency guide. It lists the tools as a scoop, a clean bucket-size container, a garden hose and a household scrub brush or sponge. The steps go like this:

1. 1Remove the tank cover and the cap from the brine valve chamber.
2. 2Disconnect the brine line and lift the brine valve out.
3. 3Save any clean, dry salt in a container, then scoop out and discard the rest of the salt, water and debris.
4. 4Remove the brine valve chamber and the salt plate at the bottom.
5. 5Lay the tank on its side and rinse it with a brisk stream from a garden hose.
6. 6Scrub the salt plate with mild soapy water.
7. 7Reassemble, add 4 to 6 inches of water, then fill with salt to within a few inches of the top.

Culligan's guide leaves the tank filled to within a few inches of the top after cleaning. That's a different fill level from Kinetico's half-full advice, so follow the guide for your brand.

### What decides how much salt it uses?

Culligan's High Efficiency guide says the salt economizer control is set at installation and determines salt usage according to the water hardness, the number of people in the household and how much water you use. Culligan also describes a Dial-A-Softness adjustment that lets some hard water bypass into the softened water, from 0 to 30 percent, and says that setting raises the softener's capacity in proportion, so it uses less salt. If your salt disappears faster than you expect, ask your dealer to check those settings before you blame the salt itself.

### When should you bypass the softener?

Culligan's Medallist guide names two reasons. One is if your outside faucets aren't already plumbed around the softener, so you don't waste soft water on the lawn. The other is a vacation, since bypassing keeps the unit from recharging while you're away. To bypass, turn the blue knob clockwise. Turn it counterclockwise to return to soft water. The guides also say the softener is sold for potable water only, so during a boil-water situation you should bypass it and call your dealer to sanitize the system before it goes back into service. Our page on what to do in a boil water notice covers the household side.

Culligan's guides carry a sodium notice: softeners that regenerate with sodium chloride add sodium to the water, and people on sodium-restricted diets should count it in their intake. Culligan also says to check your owner's guide and talk to a local Culligan expert before switching to potassium chloride, which it says typically costs more and may take a larger amount to soften as well.

If salt is in the tank and the water is still hard, our page on why a water softener stops working covers the next checks, and water softener vs. conditioner helps if you're deciding whether a softener is right for you. HQ Plumbing & Air is licensed and insured, gives free estimates and quotes an upfront price on softener service.