Does Water Softener Salt Melt Ice on the SideWalk?
Other than a traditional method to get rid of ice, there’s another method that can be used. Water softener salt.
Yes, water softener salt helps get rid of ice on your sidewalks.
Typically, water softening salt is used to eliminate hard minerals from your water supply. The elimination is necessary to prevent the accumulation of scale buildup.
Water softener salt is safe since it’s used for removing hard minerals from the water. Therefore it’s safe for both animal and human consumption.
SideWalk Salt vs Softener Salt
Softener Salt
Softener salt is also known as solar salt. This is because of the way it is created. Large amounts of saltwater are left to evaporate through the sun, wind, and air.
What’s left behind is up to 99.99% pure solar salt. This is why it is used in water softening units, to prevent impurities from interfering in the brine tank.
In addition, solar salt has larger crystals. This makes them more expensive. So you’re spending a large amount of money to attain the same result you would by using rock salt instead.
Sidewalk Salt
Sidewalk salt is also known as rock salt. Rock salt isn’t made but is rather taken directly from the ground.
That is why it has a 95% purity rate only. Since it’s extracted directly from the ground it contains impurities which include clay, dirt, and other minerals.
You can use sidewalk salt to melt ice, but using it in a water softener unit will impair it. The high level of impurities is harmful to the resin bed and will clog it.
This means your water softener may require more salt, more cleaning, and maintenance.
Conclusion
Yes, softener salt can be used to melt ice, however, it would be like throwing money away!
We hope this helped you!