Salt costs only $6 to $8 per bag. Another option for salt-free drinking water is to use salt pellets in the brine tank, but then install a reverse-osmosis water filter at the kitchen sink.

Kinetico softeners can use 70% less salt than other brands. ... For the home system, maintenance is straightforward—I just need to add a 40-pound bag of salt approximately every eight weeks.

Salt or potassium refills cost $5 to $10 per 40 lb. bag and $50 to $70 per 40 lb. bag, respectively. Clean the tank every three to four months to prevent resin build up. Renting a water softener.

Trusted Trader. 'It might also require expensive annual servicing and have a much higher rate of salt usage.' You'll need to add salt tablets to the machine when it runs low. You should expect to ...

Salt for a water softener can either be granular, tablet or in block form. There are also different grades of salt: rock, solar and evaporated. How to Clean a Water Softener.

As of Wednesday, Leitrim Home Hardware estimates it has 1,800 bags of water softener salt on site. (Giacomo Panico/CBC)Water softener tips to deal with absence of salt.

Water softener salt is not as effective at melting ice and takes longer to get the job done. It can also be more expensive than typical ice melt products, but it is available in larger bags.