How to Water a Garden With Potassium Water Softeners

Water softeners use either sodium chloride or potassium chloride to remove minerals from hard water. Because they leave very little trace of sodium or potassium behind, it's OK to water a garden with the softened water, but you probably don't want to waste that water. Watering your garden with softened water means you'll have to run the softener more often, costing money for potassium chloride and driving up your water bill if you use municipal water. Instead, you can bypass your water softener when watering your garden.

Instructions

1. Locate the bypass valve at the back of your water softener. Most softeners have one of these valves, typically made of plastic and about eight inches in length. It is located near the top of the softener and runs parallel to the floor. The plumbing pipes go through this valve before they reach the softener.

2. Push the knob that moves the valve to bypass the softener. It may be a different color than the knob on the other side, or it may be labeled "bypass." Some valves are all one color and are not labeled, but if you've been running the softener, the valve knob that is currently pushed in keeps water running through the softener. Push the other side to bypass the softener.

3. Restore the water softener to regular use when you're done watering the garden by pushing in the opposite side of the valve.

4. Call your plumber if this method is inconvenient. You may want to use soft water in the house while watering the garden, for instance, but you won't be able to if you have the softener on bypass. You also may have your sprinkler set on a timer to run when you're not home and aren't able to bypass the softener. Your plumber may be able to install a hose bib ahead of the softener, so the outside water never goes through this appliance. If you haven't yet had the water softener installed, the technician may be able to do this at the time of installation.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't discharge the softener waste water from the regeneration process directly into the garden, as it can have a negative effect on plants.

References

• Bob Vila: Maintaining a Water Softener
• Lenntech: Water Softener Frequently-Asked Questions