Tableted salt for water treatment is used in industry and for household purposes. It comes in the form of snow-white round tablets that do not smell. It is made of pressed salt powder, which has been purified from impurities, with a sodium concentration of more than 95 percent. Salt is used to improve the quality and soften the water. Filter elements with this filling help reduce the appearance of limescale.
Application and varieties
It is used in filtration devices used to soften water, both industrial and domestic.
Salt preparations made according to GOST have four classifications according to different characteristics:
- Production method: vacuum cooking, stone, cage or self-deposited.
- Processing method: clean and with an admixture of other components.
- Grind: 0, 1, 2 and 3, as well as "Extra".
- Qualitative indicator: highest, first, second grade and extra class.
Other types of salt are not used for filtration, since they are mined like mountain ore from mines. With this mechanized method of obtaining the final product at the outlet does not have the necessary purification. High quality indicators of water treatment are possessed by tablets created by the vacuum-cooking method from table salt "Extra" without inclusions. Raw materials are extracted from wells dug in salt deposits by pouring water into them. After the saline layer has been washed out, the brine is pumped out to the surface and evaporated. After this process, a product with an ideal composition is obtained, where the concentration of sodium chloride is at least 99.7 percent. The salt is then granulated or tableted.
Types of salt filters and principle of operation
Tableted salt is universal; it is used in simple flow-through and ion-exchange filters. Both are used to purify and soften hard water. There are filtration devices in the form of jugs, for example, of the Aquaphor brand, and nozzles for spouts.
The budget options include pitcher and packed filter elements. The former are extremely simple in design. Their principle of operation is based on the effect of gravity on water. As a result, it passes through the filter cartridge, which leads to its cleaning.
The mixer spout is another option for an inexpensive filter device. It is compact in size. The principle of operation of the water purification device is to pass the liquid through itself, soften it and retain impurities using a built-in filter.
A stationary filtration unit of flow-through accumulation action is a more expensive device for removing hardness salts. The degree of purification is much higher in comparison with simple devices. The device is installed on the table and is connected to the water supply tap by means of a flexible hose. The unit is equipped with a reservoir where purified water is collected. It can be used for drinking after the required amount has been processed.
The essence of the work of ion-exchange filtration elements:
- Salt tablets are placed in a container with liquid.
- After its complete dissolution, the water is sent to a filter with resin, where calcium and magnesium ions are replaced with neutral sodium elements.
- The liquid is drained into the drainage network, and the resin can be used again - the volumetric index of the filtering material is being restored.
In reverse osmosis filtration systems, a salt component is used after the reverse osmosis process. After cleansing, the acid-base balance of the water changes. Salt tablets help to restore it, which create a comfortable, slightly alkaline environment.
For the treatment of water in filtration devices, it will be advisable to use salt tablets, since they allow you to guarantee the fastest, uniform dissolution and the best contact with water during purification.
Replacing cartridges is very easy. It is enough to open the device and place the required amount into it according to the technical manual.
Criterias of choice
Tableted salt must meet certain quality requirements:
- tablets should not be colored;
- the size of a quality product decreases gradually when dissolved;
- the cleaner does not contain additives.
Mandatory certification for salt in tablets in the Russian territory is not necessary, and some manufacturers take advantage of this by mixing cheap rock salt with high-quality salt. The final product is inexpensive, but its quality is low. When purchasing such salt, for economic reasons, there is a risk of shortening the operating life of the filtration devices. This is especially true for filters with ion exchange resins and reverse osmosis systems.
Features of use in everyday life
In addition to softening drinking water, purifying it from hardness compounds and ferrous impurities, restoring the properties of ion exchange resins, salt tablets are often used to protect household appliances from scale: washing machines and dishwashers, boilers and water heaters. In a harsh environment, magnesium and potassium are the first to dissolve, and other dangerous impurities are covered with a sodium polyphosphate film. Thanks to this, scale does not form, and the operating period of household appliances increases several times.
To add filter media, open the top cover and load the required number of tablets. The product consumption for different filters differs, it is indicated in the accompanying documentation for the device. For example, for "dishwashers" and "washing machines" it is from 3 to 5 grams per 100 liters.
Salt is poured into simple filtration devices, which are easy to connect with your own hands. They are connected in front of the household appliance. So, the installation of a device for a washing machine or dishwasher is carried out between the ball valve or valve and the inlet of the supply hose. If the machine is connected to a separate branch of the water supply, the installation is done before the tap.
Salt tablets are also used to purify water in a home pool - frame or inflatable. For disinfection, a chlorine generator is connected, where salt is a reagent.
Advantages and disadvantages
Tableted salt has many benefits. The main ones include:
- slow dissolution, and not disintegration into uneven pieces;
- limiting concentration of pure component NaCl with the smallest inclusion of additives;
- free circulation of fluid when using several tablets;
- ergonomic size;
- cost savings are more than twice as compared to the powder analogue;
- impossibility of tracking and petrification in the tank;
- simple control of all stages of dissolution;
- non-toxic, fire and explosion safety.
In water of the same hardness, the dissolution of the agent always occurs at the same speed. The output is a homogeneous saline solution that does not need to be mixed. The "melting effect" of the salt avoids the appearance of insoluble sediment in the receiver, which can damage the devices or significantly reduce their service life.
The main disadvantage of the method is that it is impossible to predict the results of purification of excessively contaminated water from the pipeline. There are many foreign impurities in it. It is difficult to accurately predict the reaction of salt to non-specific contamination.
Product cost
Tableted salt for water filtration is sold in 25 kg bags, which are easy to transport. Its cost is determined depending on the category and manufacturer. The prices for tableted salt for filling filters of water purification systems from the Belarusian manufacturer "Mozyrsalt", the Russian "Extra", "Promsalt" and "Egida" are approximately the same - about 460 rubles per bag.
The cost of a product of Western European and Eastern brands - German Supertab, Italian Vialta, Chinese Alpha Commoditles and Egyptian Secosalt - is in the range of 600–650 rubles per 25 kilograms.
The use of a filter element and salt tablets will protect household appliances from scale and increase their service life. High-quality softening and purification of water will allow it to be used for various household needs.
