Why Is There Salt On The Outside Of My Water Softener?

When adding salt to your water softener brine tank, you happen to notice that there is some salt build-up on the outside of the brine tank. What could cause salt to get on the outside of the brine tank and what should you do about it?

Salt on the outside of your water softener is often due to saltwater (Brine) from the brine tank evaporating from the brine tank and then re-crystalizing on the outside surface of the softener brine tank or a leak in the brine tank.

Discovering some salt build-up on the outside of your water softener is usually nothing serious and can easily be explained and remedied once you understand how it got there and how salt can recrystallize after evaporating.

Here’s What We Will Be Going Over:

• How Does Salt Get On The Outside Of A Water Softener?

• How To Remove Salt From The Outside Of A Water Softener?

• A Quick Video On How To Clear Salt Build-Up From A Water Softener.

• Why Is There Salt On The Floor Around My Water Softener Brine Tank?

• Do All Water Softener Salts Build Up On The Outside Of A Water Softener?

• How To Prevent Salt Build-Up On The Outside Of A Water Softener?

How Does Salt Get On The Outside Of A Water Softener?

Saltwater (Brine) from a water softener brine tank can evaporate just like rainwater will disappear from a puddle.

If you have a water softener that is in an area that is warm enough to cause the brine in the water softener brine tank to evaporate, the salt from the brine can re-crystallize on surfaces as it cools.

Re-crystallization of salt from brine will often start on the inside of a water softener brine tank and then work its way to the outside of the brine tank where it is most often noticed.

Just because you see salt build-up on the outside of your water softener does not necessarily mean that the salt build-up started outside your water softener brine tank.

How To Remove Salt From The Outside Of A Water Softener?

The best way that I have found to remove salt build-up from the inside or outside of your water softener brine tank is by using a plastic putty knife or plastic scraper and a plastic brush.

Never use any sharp or pointy objects to clear off salt build-up from your water softener brine tank as you risk the chance of puncturing the tank.

Lightly scrape off the salt build-up with your plastic putty knife then remove smaller pieces with your plastic brush and then use a clean damp cloth to wipe away any leftover salt that you could not remove with your putty knife.

Check Out This Quick Video On How To Clear Salt Build-Up From A Water Softener.

Why Is There Salt On The Floor Around My Water Softener Brine Tank?

Discovering salt on the floor around your water softener or your water softener brine tank can sometimes be caused by salt from your brine tank evaporating and then recrystallizing on the floor, but it could also be from an overflowing brine tank, too much water in the brine tank, a leaking brine tank, a leaking drain line or dissolved salt from a nearby unused bag of salt.

Although salt can recrystallize on the floor surrounding your water softener, salt on the floor is often due to a slow leak in the brine tank or your water softener drain line.

Even a tiny crack in a water softener brine tank or drain line can leak out enough brine to create a noticeable amount of crystallized salt on the floor around a water softener.

Check for a leak in the sides of the brine tank by thoroughly drying the outside of the brine tank and then checking for any water developing on the surface. You can often “temporarily” patch a small leak on a brine tank with some duct tape.

Check for a leak in your water softener drain line by examining the line while the water softener is regenerating. You may be able to patch a leak in the drain line with some duct tape but if the drain line is leaking from a fitting, the fitting itself should be replaced.

Check any extra bags of salt kept by the water softener for condensation or water getting into the bags that could dissolve some salt from inside the bag and then deposit the crystallized salt on the floor outside of the bag.

Do All Water Softener Salts Build Up On The Outside Of A Water Softener?

Because all water softener salts create a brine in the same way, all types of water softener salts can lead to salt build-up on the surfaces of a brine tank.

Both water softener Pellets and Crystals dissolve in the water in your brine tank to create brine so both forms of water softener salt can recrystallize on the outside of your brine tank.

To learn more about what salt you should use for your water softener, see my article “Should You Use Pellets Or Crystals In Your Water Softener?“.

How To Prevent Salt Build-Up On The Outside Of A Water Softener?

The leading cause of salt building up on the outside of your water softener brine tank is the brine tank being in a warm and humid area where the brine can quickly evaporate and recrystallize on surfaces near the brine itself.

Since heat and humidity are the primary cause for the brine to evaporate, keeping the area where your water softener brine tank is located cool and dry is the best way to prevent the salt from recrystallizing on the sides of your brine tank.

By using a dehumidifier you can keep the area cooler and dryer which will not only help to prevent salt crystallization on your brine tank but will also help prevent condensation on your water softener and pipes and help to prevent mold growth.

To Sum Up!

Salt build-up on the outside of a water softener or on the floor surrounding the water softener is often caused by brine evaporating from the brine tank and recrystallizing on outside surfaces.

Salt deposits on the floor or other surfaces surrounding a water softener can often be caused by a leak in the brine tank or drain line or water getting into reserve bags of salt.