So, there is a trade off, you can increase the quantity of salt for each regeneration cycle and decrease the number needed over a certain period, or you can decrease the quantity of salt used and increase the frequency of regeneration cycles. The quantity of salt required for a regeneration cycle will determine the volume of water that can be softened before the next regeneration cycle is necessary. Many modern water softeners can be easily adjusted to used more or less salt as required each month. So, to keep the water softener working well for an entire month a 40 pound bag of water softener salt would be needed. The water softening industry standard for an average home with four occupants with a water hardness of 7-10 grains per gallon is around 10 pounds of salt each week. The exact quantity of salt required may vary a little depending on a number of different factors, such as the level of water hardness in the area and the volume of water used in your home. As a general rule of thumb, the salt level should be around four inches above the water level in the brine tank. It’s important to check the brine tank once each month to make sure that it contains a sufficient quantity of salt. The salt is added to the brine tank periodically to ensure that the system is working efficiently. So, in order to work correctly, the water softener needs a consistent supply of special water softening salt. The water softener uses an ion exchange process to swap out these mineral ions for a benign sodium (salt) ion to make the water softer. Hard water has elevated quantities of dissolved minerals present, such as calcium, magnesium, and iron. In this article, we will take a look at some water softener basics and how you should add salt to your water softener to ensure it’s working at peak efficiency. This mineral content is not visible to the naked eye, but it can wreak havoc in your home and lower the quality of your life. Water is an effective solvent it passes through layers of soil and rock and then into our waterways, and it dissolves minerals adding their properties during its journey. Many homeowners have installed a water softener in their home to remove the water hardening ions present.