The best Water Softeners: Reddit reviews

From 3.5 billion Reddit comments

Throwing this out there as preventative maintenance, I have a water descaling device on my main water line. I believe it is working as there’s no scale buildup on any of my faucets after 8 months of having it installed. It’s by iSpring and here’s an Amazon link. Note, it’s NOT a softener, water still has minerals. It just prevents scale buildup.

Salt softeners and Reverse osmosis setups will actually remove the minerals from the water.

All the other systems are supposed to 'condition' (chelate?) the minerals to keep them from building up as deposits.

I've gone back and forth on some options for my house, and at the moment I'm leaning towards this unit from AO smith. Seems to use the same technology as some of the Pelican conditioners but a lot cheaper. Reviews seem positive and you don't have to worry about waste water or brine.

https://www.amazon.com/AO-Smith-Whole-Salt-Free-Descaler/dp/B07R8FF5Q9/

I went HS Grandee also with the Salt System and our local water is terrible. But, I picked up an "On The Go" water softener and it took care of most of our water issues. (https://www.amazon.com/Go-OTG3NTP3M-Portable-Water-Softener/dp/B001FCE0MQ) Now, we've been running the salt system for 1 month and the maintenance is minimal.

If you REALLY want to deal with it, then maybe something like this. Note the first customer photo. That's how you'd set it up for just showering. https://www.amazon.ca/GO-OTG3NTP3M-Portable-Water-Softener/dp/B001FCE0MQ/ref=sr\_1\_8?crid=VOWH5VR8VJN8&keywords=water+softener&qid=1663278489&sprefix=water+softener%2Caps%2C93&sr=8-8

I bought a new house last year. It was pre-plumbed for a water-softener system. I opted to buy my own system and, upon recommendations from other Vegas residents, bought this system off of Amazon. ($769).

Then paid about $600 for a plumber to properly install it.

Now, I spend less than $5 a month on salt (two of us in the house).

There's no such thing, unfortunately. Any of them that you see online will not actually filter out the minerals in hard water. The only real solution to hard water is to get an ion exchange water softener that connects to your water main in your home.

Something like this is what you should be looking for if you really want to combat hard water: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OGN3162/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_i_MS89J3YJ4E45EF6NS12Z

Here's more information if you're interested: https://www.aquatell.ca/blogs/aquatell/how-can-i-soften-my-shower-water#:~:text=Well%2C%20the%20truth%20is%2C%20it's,the%20size%20of%20your%20hand.

Non-salt based system work in one of two ways. Traditional salt based water softeners work as you described through the ion exchange process and actually remove the calcium and magnesium. The other two ways do not remove the minerals, but treat them.

The first way is through coating the minerals basically making them "not sticky". This is done through the use of a phosphate material. This phosphate, usually a polyphosphate, binds with the minerals and does not allow them to create a scale buildup.

The second way is through electrical means (something like this) https://www.amazon.com/iSpring-ED2000-Electronic-Descaler-Conditioner/dp/B0744TC3PW I need to do a little more reading on this, but my basic understanding is that it basically removing the ion that causes the mineral buildup.

The biggest key to understand in both of these two alternate methods is nether of these actually soften the water. They prevent scale buildup, but the minerals still exist. So they will not help the "feel" of your water, and do not aid in cases like laundry and dishwashing. Only ion exchange will do that.

I bought this one through Amazon. DURAWATER Fleck 5600 SXT Whole House Water Softener 48,000 Grains Ships Loaded With Resin In Tank, Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B010MR6T2I/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_PQMSKFKP2WFP74A313XC?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Paid my plumber friend to install it and have been using potassium chloride from Costco. No issues at all.

I've had the same problem. Got this distiller and this TDS meter.

Using the TDS meter, I also found that a drug store house brand purified water that said it was municipal water "purified by reverse osmosis and/or steam distillation" had negligible dissolved solids. So water like that might be an alternative.

I'm considering a water conditioner vs. softener. Something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/iSpring-ED2000-Electronic-Descaler-Conditioner/dp/B0744TC3PW/

Not sure how it performs in comparison, but the difference is $3k for a softener vs. $300 for an electric conditioner. Plus no need for salt which seems like a plus.

What you have is a Culligan 8" Medallist Series Softener, 30,000 Grain Water Softener. You could probably go to your local dealer and purchase a seal kit and replace it yourself, and if the resin tank is still good you would be fine with that unit for awhile.

Alternatively if you want a new system look into a Fleck softener, likely another 30,000 grain would be sufficient. Something like this although this one is 45,000 grains.

https://www.amazon.ca/Fleck-WS48-56SXT-Softener-Digital-Metered/dp/B00OGN3162

I bought this after doing a lot of research

Got it because its for a long history of reliability and came recommended as a good brand on the water softner subreddit.

It was $550 when I purchased it a year ago. Had it installed by a local plumber who charged $570 for the install.

I don't think what you're looking for can exist in an RO system, even if you find filters and membranes that can handle the heat. Most household RO systems have a pressurized tank as an output buffer which will cause any incoming hot water to lose its heat long before it gets to the tap. A system without such a tank would have a water flow of barely a trickle, which would also lose all of its heat before getting to the tap. You'll probably have better luck finding a (non-RO) particulate filter that can handle the temperatures, but even then you're probably still going to have significant heat loss problems due to the additional buffer and surface area, combined with the reduced flow (but not nearly as much as with an RO system).

As other commenters are saying, the right way to go is to put a filter before the water heater, which it sounds like you already have. If the actual issue is that your wife believes there's a water quality issue where none exists, it sounds like a perception problem rather than a technical one; and I understand the problem of not being able to convince someone whose mind has been made up. Could you just get something like this and tell her it'll add the "extra protection" she's looking for? To be clear, I'm pretty sure these things do nothing, and aren't even marketed as a filter - but might be an easy way to fix the perception problem if you can get her to believe.

http://www.lowcostwatersofteners.com/ This guy has a YouTube channel. It seems he used to own a water softening company but now only does installs. He doesn't sell anything other than getting small affiliate money from the already established and the very few Amazon water system sellers. Most online order treatment companies that hide behind their own website but two companies exposed their products to harsh Amazon review system. I'm considering buying from them from Amazon. Anyway in this video he explains that he doesn't even use his softener anymore because the conditioner does such wonderful job. If you search Amazon for conditioner you'll see some great reviews and some not so great reviews. I highly doubt that companies like AO Smith will scam for fake reviews AO Smith Whole House Salt Free Water Descaler - Water Softener Alternative - 6yr, 600,000 Gl - AO-WH-DSCLR https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07R8FF5Q9/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_MSFNCZ1JT63684Q46XXJ?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/ABCwaters-48k-56sxt-fm-Softener-Filter-System/dp/B004LYGBWM/

carbon filter is optional

Have been reading up on these and have been tempted to try one at least one section of the plumbing needs to be copper.

https://www.amazon.com/iSpring-ED2000-Electronic-Descaler-Conditioner/dp/B0744TC3PW/ref=asc\_df\_B0744TC3PW

I just installed one of these my self in Dublin. Highly recommend it, water in Dublin is ~20 - 25 hardness but is is great now. Very easy to do, I've put together Ikea furniture that is more complex.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OGN3162

You may need a plumber to come out to cut a soft water loop so you can separate out the soft water and only have it inside your house since you obviously don't need soft water for your lawn/ etc.

The other consideration is that you will need a drain nearby for the regeneration brine water but you can get pretty creative with that part.

I'm trying power a Fleck 5600SXT water softener, the transformer is uses has an input of 120VAC, 50/60Hz, 15W and an output of 24VAC, 400mA. Thanks for the HVAC shop recommendation. I'll see if I can find somewhere locally that can give me a recommendation. The location I'm using it is in a pump house, the one pictured was installed in a little electrical box about 3ft off the floor.

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Here is a link to the softener: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004GEFKN8/ref=ppx\_yo\_dt\_b\_search\_asin\_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I'm moving into a house with no water softener and I plan to install one soon after I move in. Based on my research, all water softeners are about the same except for the valve head. Fleck valve heads are basically the go-to reliable and easily fixable brand of valve heads.

I plan to buy one with a fleck 5600 sxt. It's basically the updated version of what you have.

I'll probably get this one unless I can find one for the same price locally.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B010MR6T2I/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_imm_WZK237GQP1QWW1QDGJ6B

Consider the units sold on Amazon that come with a Fleck control head. For example:

https://www.amazon.com/Fleck-Whole-Softener-Grains-Loaded/dp/B010MR6T2I

That's what I have installed at my home. It works great, and didn't cost a fortune.

I installed my own water softener, same time I did my water heater. I ordered the mostly highly recommended water softener brand, bought it on amazon. https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OGN3162/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
So test your water, get a properly sized softener, install, set up the hardness and stuff and then live a happy life

Water in water out, power for the head and a discharge hose? ez pz.
Probably different sellers.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OGN3162/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
that's the one I bought, no issues

Us too. We just replaced our ancient Culligan iron filter with a generic one from Amazon, which was easy to install and MUCH CHEAPER. Followed by a generic water softener.

I have a Kinetico Sulfurguard system with Fleck water softener. The water softener I bought on Amazon and installed myself which is very easy. Kinetico only sells and services through their dealers. My drinking water is better than the city or county. This is the best setup Ive found.

https://www.kinetico.com/specialty-solutions/sulfur-guard-backwashing-filter/ https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OGN3162/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_uGqCDbP3RQG4Z

These: iSpring ED2000 Whole House Electronic Descaler Water Conditioner, Alternative Water Softener or equivalent will eliminate the white dust that tap water in an ultrasonic humidifier creates.

A few years ago I didn’t believe in this technology.. a relative however convinced me, and after installing I can in fact say “it works”.

I understand that the are made for lower water flow camping RV's and need to be filled/regenerated every 2 or 3 weeks. Like this one.

Thanks for the reply!

I will order this one from amazon and get one carbon filter.

Fleck 5600SXT 48,000 Grain Water Softener Digital SXT Metered Whole House System https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OGN3162/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_p5a6EbW0C0EXT

I just purchased this gadget and will be installing on my incoming main - technically it doesn’t decalcify the water but does prevent the calcium from building up.

Eddy Electronic Water Descaler - Water Softener Alternative https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003Z96GR4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_URY2Db6QNSSC1

This thing works great. It doesn't remove old lime and calcium buildup, but it prevents new build up. I started using it when I got my new water heater. Faucets and dishwasher have stayed lime free for a year now.

iSpring ED2000 Whole House Electronic Descaler Water Conditioner, Silver https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0744TC3PW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_PwIFBbF7R8G4V

Makes sense I didn’t know such low ppm was considered high iron. That quote was for iron and a sulphur aeration system. How does the sulfate level look? Based on those ppm it seems fine from what I read on the internet, but also that the human nose can detect even super low sulphur levels. So I’m still in the dark. Or is possible that the iron bacteria is causing that smell?

Edit: I just realized that I was tested for hydrogen sulfate, which seems to cause black slime which I don’t experience and seems to be rare. What I have is hydrogen sulfide but they didn’t test for that. I’m really trying to be lean on this but I was thinking of using a softener upstream of this thing (Gold series) which seems like overkill but don’t want to take chances: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004FVZHLC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_1xWfBbF8K21QH

As you said, the softener can take out some iron and sulphur reducing the work this thing has to do.