This is why various communities in the State of
California have banned or restricted their use.
Other states have pending legislation.
For more information about this, click below.
http://www.lacsd.org/chloride/

Traditional water softening methodology (salt based) uses ion exchange. The hard water passes through a tank containing high capacity ion exchange resin beads. The beads are saturated with sodium (salt) to cover both their exterior and interior surfaces. As water passes through the bed of softening materials, calcium and magnesium ions attach to the resin beads while the salt or sodium on the resin is released into the water. This is why salt softened water feels slimy on the skin and should be run through a reverse osmosis unit prior to drinking. The harder your water is the worse this problem will be.

Eventually, the beads become saturated with calcium and magnesium ions and no sodium ions remain. When this occurs, the softener must be regenerated or recharged by flushing the ion exchange resin with large amounts of water and a salt brine solution. This will replenish sodium ions on the resin. Frequency of regeneration (back flushing) depends on the hardness of the water, the amount of water used, the size of the unit and the capacity of resins to absorb hardness minerals. The capacity of resins to absorb hardness minerals between back flushes decreases over time, faster, if your have iron in your water. This is why salt based water softeners are not a permanent solution. GMX is a permanent solution for hard water problems. You will never have to purchase another GMX system again. Salt based water softeners usually have to be replaced every 5 to 10 years due contamination of the resin bed and mechanical problems.

>>> GMX Water Softener Lifetime Warranty <<<

Salt based water softeners typically back flush or regenerate once every 2 to 3 days. A typical regeneration cycle uses 10 to 20 pounds of salt. More in areas with very hard water.

A salt based water softener will remove small amounts of dissolved iron (5 to 10 ppm). However, if there is oxidized iron or iron bacteria in the water, the ion-exchange resin will become coated or clogged and lose its softening ability. In this case, another method of iron removal such as an iron filter or a chlorination-filter combination is needed before the water passes through the softener. The GMX water softener will handle these same amounts (up to 15 ppm) of iron without a problem.

Salt based water softeners can be corrosive to your plumbing, especially in homes over 5 years old, and they do nothing to remove existing scale build-up in your pipes and water heater. You should consult your physician if salt in you diet is a concern prior to using a traditional salt based water softener. This is one of the advantages to using a GMX water softener system. For a side-by-side comparison chart, click here.