AFWFilters 5600sxt Metered On-demand 48,000 Grain Water Softener with brine tank, bypass and 1" adapters
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Availability:
In Stock.
Arrives
Monday, Jun 22
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Features
- Engineered with double backwash
Brand: DuraWater
Special Feature: Fleck 5600SXT digital metered control head
Product Dimensions: 14"L x 14"W x 62"H
Material: Resin
Capacity: 250 Pounds
Included Components: ['Instruction Manual', 'Inlet Hose', 'Outlet Hose']
Package Information: Tank
Installation Type: Self-Installation
Purification Method: Ion Exchange
Power Source: Adapter
Other Special Features of the Product: Fleck 5600SXT digital metered control head
Container Type: Tank
Installation Type: Self-Installation
Purification Method: Ion Exchange
Power Source: Adapter
Upper Temperature Rating: 140 Degrees Fahrenheit
Supported Water TDS Level Maximum (PPM): 300
Smart Home Compatibility: Not Smart Home Compatible
Item Dimensions L x W x H: 14"L x 14"W x 62"H
Capacity: 250 Pounds
Item Weight: 0.01 Ounces
Material Type: Resin
Brand Name: DuraWater
Included Components: ['Instruction Manual', 'Inlet Hose', 'Outlet Hose']
Model Name: AFWFilters 5600sxt
Model Number: AFWFilters
UPC: 729440633042
Manufacturer: AFWFilters
Part Number: WS48-56SXT
Unit Count: 1.0 Count
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If you place your order now, the estimated arrival date for this product is:
Monday, Jun 22
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View our full returns policy here.
To initiate a return, please visit our Returns Center.
View our full returns policy here.
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Top Amazon Reviews
I’ve broken down this review into three parts • Overall satisfaction and performance of the seller and Amazon. • System Installation • Why I chose a salt system over a salt-free system. OVERALL SATISFACTION AND PERFORMANCE The system arrived on time, in good condition and all components appear to be of good quality. I was impressed with the seller because they sent me an email even before the unit arrived pointing me to the detailed instructions they had posted on their website and listing phone numbers for me to call if I had any questions. They even sent me a paper copy of the instructions via regular mail. The system install and start up went as planned (more or less) and the effect on my water hardness was immediate. The day the system install was complete, I measured 19 grains of hardness before the softener and one grain of hardness after. Two weeks later, after the first automatic regeneration cycle, the water tested less than 1 grain. SYSTEM INSTALL I installed this system literally by myself. It was easy…and by easy I mean really hard for me. I had to dismantle some built in shelving to make room for it. I had to cut in a drain stand-pipe in a space that was just 8 inches wide between the water heater and the wall. Among the many trips I made to the big box store were three trips to get the right size flexible tubing for the drain (I had such a mental block about this you wouldn’t believe.) The simple task of mounting a piece of plywood to a cinder block wall to support plumbing sent me into a mild rage. All of this resulted in a very neat, and clean install that I’m really rather proud of. Aside from the plumbing and placement of the system, the rest of the install went smoothly. I was working alone, so it was a bit tricky to pour the resin into the tank. I didn’t even attempt to pour it directly from the plastic bags it came in. I first poured some into a clean, dry mop bucket then lifted that up and poured it into the funnel (provided with the system). The resin had the consistency of damp sand, so it didn’t really “pour” into the tank. I had to fill up the funnel then sweep it into the tank with my hand. Once the system was installed, the start-up was easy, and this time I do mean easy. You have to carefully follow the directions so as not to have resin flow into your plumbing, but that’s not hard. Programming the controller was easy enough. You just have to know your system capacity, your water’s hardness expressed in grains per gallon, your water usage (the manufacturer suggest 80 gallons per person per day) and what time of day the system will regenerate. The controller takes these inputs and calculates when to regenerate based on the actual water use, WHY I CHOSE A SALT-BASED SOFTENER OVER A SALT-FREE CONDITIONER When I moved into my home last year, it was the first time I had lived in a place that had a well. I had never experienced really hard water before and I immediately considered installing a water softener. I just didn’t really know anything about them other than they used salt in some way. I thought it would require a contractor and it would cost at least a couple thousand dollars, so I put it pretty far down on my long list of things to do at my new home. Then late one night, I saw an infomercial about the NUVO salt-free water softener. That commercial placed softening my water near the top of my list. The system is so simple and looks so easy to install, I knew I could install it myself and it wouldn’t bust my budget. By the way, there is a tedious argument out there about whether the NUVO system should be called a water softener or a water conditioner. Technically, it should be called a water conditioner but because its purpose is to inhibit scale formation—the main problem caused by hard water—I think it’s fair to call it a softener. The NUVO system is available on Amazon so I was able to read a lot of reviews. I found a fair number of well-written and reasonable reviews that called into question the effectiveness of the system. That made me delve deeper and research both salt-free and salt based softeners. Let me summarize my conclusions: 1. Both systems work, but they each have different limitations. 2. It’s easier to objectively measure the salt-based system’s effectiveness 3. Both systems can be DIY projects (with a few caveats) The NUVO salt-free system works by using citric acid impregnated in a solid cylinder enclosed in a replaceable cartridge. As water passes through the cartridge, the citric acid enters the water and binds to the minerals that make water hard. This allows those minerals to wash through the plumbing system rather than binding to household appliances and pipes in the form of scale. Also, the minerals are already bound so soap won’t bind with them and that allows the soap to work more effectively. The main concerns I found with the salt-free system is determining its capacity and objectively measuring its effectiveness. NUVO rates their system’s capacity in terms of the square footage of the home in which it will be installed. That may be fine for most users, but it may also explain why some users’ systems don’t achieve the expected results. Logically speaking, the hardness of the home’s water must be taken into account. The harder the water the faster the system cartridge will be exhausted. So a user with very hard water (like me) may have to replace the expensive cartridge more frequently (and maybe a lot more frequently) than the recommended 6 month period. That raises the question: How does one know when the cartridge is exhausted? What objective test can be performed? A standard hardness test won’t do because the NUVO system is not removing the minerals from the water. I did some research and experimented with testing the PH and alkalinity but I couldn’t get consistent results with the untreated water I tested so I gave that up. In comparison, salt based softeners’ manufacturers will recommend a system capacity based on the number of people living in the home. Like the NUVO system, this is a ballpark expression of likely water usage and doesn’t really address water hardness. However, there is a difference. Salt based systems technically rate their capacity in grains. For example, the system in this review is rated at 48,000 grains. That means the system will remove (really exchange) 48,000 grains of hardness from water before it needs to regenerate. In order to choose the proper capacity system and set it up correctly, the user must accurately measure the total hardness of the water to be treated. This measurement can be easily and accurately done with a total hardness test kit like the HACH Model 5B ($20 on Amazon). The results will be in grains per gallon. My system capacity is 48,000 grains and my hardness is 19 grains per gallon, so my system will treat about 2400 gallons of water before needing to regenerate. That’s more than plenty for my household. So, in the end, the balance of my decision fell to the system that I was certain would work for me and I could objectively verify. Also, in doing research, I realized that I could install it myself. The total price including plumbing came to about $900. Now may be a good time to talk about do-it-yourself caveats. I am neither a plumber nor am I a water systems expert. However, I’m fortunate to work at a place that has both plumbers and water system experts and I asked them a lot of questions. The subject of water quality is more complicated than I can convey in this review, but you can do the research and decide whether to take on the project yourself. If you are planning to purchase this system, I recommend visiting the seller’s website and downloading the installation instructions before you order the system. At the very beginning of the instructions you will find the system requirements. Finally, I offer this advice. Salt-based systems have one negative in particular that may be a deal breaker for some. They use (some say waste) a lot of water in the regeneration cycle. If your area suffers from water shortages or your well sometimes runs low, you may want to consider a different solution. You may be a better candidate for a system like NUVO offers.
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Reviewed in the United States on July 30, 2015 by Spinner
Since this review ran quite a bit longer than I intended, I'm going to run through some highlights for people who don't feel like reading the whole thing: 1) We had a salt-free Pelican softener before and I promise that salt free doesn't really work. If you don't want sodium in your water, just use Potassium in a regular softener instead. 2) If you choose to install this yourself, the process isn't hard at all - but don't forget to fill the brine tank with water before the first recharge. (The resin does come pre-charged so you won't have to worry about that for a while.) 3) According to other reviewers, installing the resin is a hassle; but, mine came from ABC Water Equipment with the resin already installed. They were also super helpful when I called them with a quick programming question. Now, on to the real review! Our water isn't super hard (around 12gr); but, the benefits of using a water softener are still well worth it to us - especially after coming from an area with harder water where we got used to using one. About 5 years ago, I decided we didn't want to deal with salt or reverse-osmosis anymore, so we 'upgraded' to a salt-free Pelican 'softener' as well as a matching whole house filter. The whole house filter was excellent; but, the salt-free softener didn't appear to do much of anything. I kept a log as the hardness deposits started to build up - and it now looks like we never had a softener at all... Since we're in the process of remodeling our kitchen, I decided it was also time to switch back to a real softener. I almost bought into the more expensive Kinetico or Culligan systems, but opted to try this Fleck unit out because of the massive price difference. It's seriously hard to justify the additional cost when the actual capabilities are identical; and, who cares if this lasts 5 years less since I can buy 10 of them for the same price. :) We also decided to use Potassium instead of Salt this time around since I still don't want the additional sodium in our drinking water. I know it's more expensive; but, even with our family of 5, we're talking about just barely over 1 bag per month. I was going to use a plumber to install this, but when the water softener arrived I decided to just give it a try myself. Thanks to the Internet and Shark Bite connectors, I was able to easily get it done in an afternoon. I did have one issue with the programming - but I called the seller (ABC Water Equipment) and they were extremely helpful and only took a couple of minutes to get everything ironed out over the phone. I should mention that this unit came from ABC Water Equipment with the resin already installed - which seems to be the hardest part of the installation based on other reviews I read. Since the resin was pre-charged and I didn't want to waste any potassium if I didn't need to - it took a while before it was ready to charge the first time. I'm glad I started the charge manually because I hadn't realized the brine bucket is supposed to be full of water before a recharge starts. I hadn't pre-filled it, so I ended up running 2 charge cycles that first time. We also hooked this softener up inline with an Aqua-Pure Water Filter System since we've loved having our whole house filtered. Anyway, now that it's installed, the water quality is excellent! It's unbelievable how big of a difference softened water makes to how quickly everything gets dirty. Our shower stays looking cleaner longer - and we've always liked the feel of soft water. I wish I had skipped on the salt-free softener experiment altogether, but I guess you live & learn. :) It probably sounds dumb, but water softened with Potassium has a slightly different feel than water softened with salt. It also tastes better in my opinion - although that may be in my head since I hate the thought of drinking 'sodium-enriched' water... At the end of the day, I would definitely recommend this softener to just about anybody. It was fairly easy to install; but, it's also pretty inexpensive to have a plumber come do it if you don't feel like tackling the project. The end result is far superior than the salt-free system - and identical to the results from the premium brands. I can't think of any downside to using this system! [*** Update 4/27/2015 ***] This softener is still working flawlessly; but, I learned the hard way that it's not smart to completely fill the brine tank with potassium. Unlike salt, it cakes into a solid mass at the bottom of the tank and then doesn't dissolve well. Please keep in mind that this issue is due to the potassium, and has nothing to do with this softener. Anyway, to resolve the issue I had to break up the caked-up potassium with a garden transplanting tool and then recharge a couple of times until it was fully dissolved. Now, I'm keeping the potassium level deliberately low (about half a bag at a time) so it won't cake up like that again. It's a little more of a hassle since I have to monitor it more often; but it's not a huge deal since I still only have to add potassium ever couple of weeks.
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Reviewed in the United States on September 4, 2014 by D. Matheny
TLDR; Pros: soft skin, healthy hair, air dry car wash. Advice: plan accordingly. Great system that works, at fraction of the cost. Cons: bare bone system. For novices, it can be time consuming and tedious. For the price, this is a great system. If you have any kind of hard water, get this, your skin and hair will thank you. Your car and appliances will thank you too! Warning: the install is not for the faint of heart, if you're a novice like me it may feel fairly complex. Be advised the system comes with no additional accessories, it is bare bone. Note that the instructions ask to lube all the O-rings, but not an ounce of lube is provided. It does NOT come with a drain line, the drive clamp, not even a tiny tube of silicone lube. I've had more ancillary materials in IKEA furniture. There are zero freebies, you must supply absolutely everything. Regardless, not a deal breaker. Try to plan your install to the last detail. I'm not handy and I have no electrical or plumbing experience so I spent a few weeks learning how to install outlets, breakers, safety, etc. I had to add an electrical outlet to the other side of the garage and of course add some plumbing. I had a non-plumber friend come by and help with the rerouting of the pipes, but I still had to cut holes in drywall to find the water inlet to split off of. I also don't have drywall experience, but I'll learn it and fix the holes. As other reviewers said, the install is not difficult, but as a novice, IMO the setup can feel complex and tedious. I used PEX tubing and Shark Bite fittings, they are expensive in comparison but easier to work with and are serviceable down the road in case you want to make some changes. If you don't need it, don't bother with an AirGap on the washer's drain line, I bought one and all it did was make a mess. If both drain lines fit, just shove them in there together, you'll be fine. Also, have towels, buckets, and mops ready for when the water lines empty after cutting water to the house. Install took us 8 hours over 2 days. you can do 90% of the setup work before the system arrives (installs and plumbing). Once it arrives, you'll just need to install it and run pipe to it. Just PLAN accordingly to reduce material waste. PDF install guides for the Fleck are online, just read up on it before it arrives and plan. Design wish: You'll notice the controller valves come wayyyy out of the tank and you can't install 90 degree fittings to come straight down, you'll need flex tubing. Despite the small footprint, the system unnecessarily takes up space, I ended up installing at an angle. I wish the valves didn't come out so far so the system used less space and could be closer to the wall.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 17, 2020 by RxRoids101
Shipping was a bit sketchy as it wasn't delivered when it was supposed to be, then they delivered it to the wrong address, but that isn't the fault of the company shipping. The product itself is great, works great and is easy to program. When programmed properly, this softner uses little salt. I have been through about 4 regents and am just to the point where I can add 40 lbs of salt. I paired this unit with a pre-filter (sediment) and a post filter (carbon block) and can check the conditions before and after the setup. Water is moderately hard at 7-8gpg, and my last chlorine test put the chlorine at 1.8ppm. (used my own hardness kit and pool chlorine FAS-DPD kit) water softner did its job and keeps the water @ <1gpg. When paired with the 20 inch big blue, my chlorine is @ <0.2ppm. Setup is relatively easy, and I set mine up for minimal salt consumption. Easy to find info on YouTube to help set up, instructions are so-so. I opted to plumb my own bypass in and did not use the factory bypass. Be sure to wrap the threads in plenty of Teflon tape and tighten thoroughly. Definitely worth the purchase. If anything comes up will update.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 27, 2021 by Mark Boymer
We've got some pretty hard water here in Jacksonville; even with City water, plumbing fixtures usually don't last long due to the soft limestone that permeates this area. When the low-end Whirlpool unit we purchased from a home warehouse store 10 years ago finally gave out, I looked everywhere to find a moderately priced, high capacity unit. Over and over, I read great reviews for Fleck, and reading the reviews here on Amazon really made up my mind. The seller - Abundant Flow - shipped the unit so quickly it arrived at my home several days ahead of the earliest estimated arrival date. The resin tank was well packaged. Likewise with the brine tank - the control unit was packed inside the brine tank and it was well cushioned and protected. The only issue I had was boxes/bags the resin beads were shipped in. They must have gotten some rough handling during shipping, because both bags were split along the bottom seam for about 3 inches. Not apparent while the bags were still in the shipping boxes, but as soon as I lifted them out there were (and still are!) resin beads everywhere. I didn't lose much (maybe 4-6 cups of resin beads total), and that really was my only issue during this installation. I discovered Shark Bite fittings, too. Wow, what a time saver! I couldn't believe fittings you simply push together would form a watertight seal, but they do. With the 'do-over' tool, you can remove the Shark Bite fitting if needed. I bought one (just in case!), but didn't need it. I also installed a Watts WH-LD Premier Whole House Filter System at the same time. Between the softener, the whole house filter, and a couple of trips back to the home warehouse store, it took me just about 2 hours. The pictures I attached show the finish product supply layout. Isn't the prettiest job by a long stretch, but it works, and doesn't leak a drop. As other reviewers have pointed out, installing the resin beads seems to be the single hardest task. The 'funnel' that comes with the unit doesn't really fit the neck of the tank all that well, and is very loose. You really should have a second set of hands to hold the funnel steady while you pour the resin in. The resin beads seem somewhat damp in the bags, and they can be pretty heavy. You DON'T want to have to split your concentration between pouring the beads in while keeping the funnel in place - you'll wind up with resin all over the floor if you're not careful. I didn't have anyone available to hold the funnel down, so I used duct tape to fasten the funnel to the tank while I poured, and that worked out pretty well. If you DO spill some resin, be certain to clean it up promptly and thoroughly - the beads are round, and could cause you to lose your footing and take a nasty fall. Doing the installation yourself is pretty easy if you have just a little experience with DIY plumbing. Do yourself a favor, though, and make adequate preparations before you begin - your home's water supply will be OFF while you're installing the unit, so you must minimize the time your household can't use the toilet. 1. Make sure everyone takes their shower and uses the can before you begin. 2. Put a few gallons of water in the bathtub for flushing toilets and have some drinking water set aside. 3. Be certain you have the right tools on hand before you get started. SILICONE LUBRICANT IS A MUST!!! It doesn't come with the unit, so you'll have to purchase that ahead of time. Don't substitute a petroleum based lube - that will eventually turn your O-rings to mush and possibly damage your unit. 4. PLAN YOUR LAYOUT, and have the needed supplies at the ready. The decision to also install the whole-house water filter was a last-minute decision; it caused my layout to change, and thus, the hardware I needed also changed (reading between the lines = 'Another trip to the store'). As you can see in the photos I attached, I used 3/4" braided stainless flexible hoses. Because I was originally connecting 3/4" CPVC pipes directly to the unit's bypass valve, I purchased two flex hoses where one end was a shark-bite connector, while the other end was a 3/4" female connector that connected to the bypass valve with two 3/4" brass nipples. Adding the whole-house filter, however, required adding in another braided flex fitting (both ends 3/4" female connectors and a third brass nipple. The drain tubing also doesn't come with the unit, so you'll need to purchase enough to run both the backwash and the brine tank overflow to the drain. Purchase the right size for the push-on connectors on the valve head and the brine tank, and lubricate the connectors with silicone lube before pushing them on. The backwash tube will have water under pressure, so it can be run at virtually any angle to get it to the drain. Be sure you fasten it down so the end of the hose doesn't work out of the drain. The brine tank is a gravity-feed hose, so it has to run down and flat to the drain area. Be sure it isn't obstructed or blocked - should an overflow condition occur you want to be sure the brine will flow to the drain, and not all over the floor where you have the unit installed. So, with just a little thought and planning, the time your home's water supply is shut off can be minimal - just a couple of hours. Oh, one other thing to consider - your water heater may be filled with hard water, and it'll take a bit of time to replenish the hard water already in the tank with soft water, so be patient - it'll take a couple of days under normal usage - more or less, depending on how many people live in your home that take baths/showers, or how often you run the dishwasher or do laundry. All-in-all, a great unit that was pretty easy to put together and install. The seller was fantastic, and provided some fairly easy to read guides that were pretty helpful (both via email and US mail). I very much like having those flexible braided hoses instead of rigid copper or CPVC - it gives me the ability to quickly disconnect should the need arise, and I can move the tank around a little for cleaning the floor around it. **UPDATED December 7, 2015** Wanted to check back in now that I've been using the unit for a couple of months. I neglected to speak to placement of the brine tank during my original review, and I should have. The natural inclination (at least mine was) is to put the resin tank front and center because it's smaller, and that makes it easier to monitor the control head. Really, however, it's the other way around - the brine tank should be placed to the front where it gives you easiest access to replace the salt. The brine tank is essentially a big garbage bin filled with salt pellets and water, so it's really heavy. So are the bags of salt you'll pour in, so make it a bit easier on your back and place the brine tank in a location with clear, open access so you aren't trying to reach into an uncomfortable position to pour the salt. I couldn't be more pleased with the unit's operation. Everything just works as expected, and those Shark Bite fittings I was so happy to discover still don't leak. I need to mention that whole house water filter. I was AMAZED at the stuff I found in that filter after a couple of months - grit, stuff I can't even identify, and rust - LOTS of rust. I recall watching one of those YouTube installation videos - the tech was talking about the very fine mesh filter that fits into the brine hose connecting the brine tank to the control head. He said 'don't even install this little guy, because it'll constantly clog on you.' I didn't put much thought into it at the time, but after seeing the amount of gunk the whole house filter is trapping, I totally get what he was saying. I installed the filter with my installation, but if I hadn't installed the whole house unit, I'd certainly be experiencing clogging issues. Just to be certain I DON'T, I purchased 5 micron Culligan filter cartridges to trap even more solids before it gets to my water softener. I just replaced one after running about 8,000 gallons through it, and the deep red color and visible grains of 'something' embedded in it makes me VERY glad I thought to add it into my water supply. It adds another layer of protection in front of my water softener, and makes me feel a lot more confident with the quality of water we're drinking. If you're getting ready to install a water softener, I VERY HIGHLY recommend you consider adding a whole house filter in front of your water softener, with 5 - 10 micron filters.You won't ever regret the few extra dollars when you see with your own eyes what it's keeping out of your drinking water.
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Reviewed in the United States on September 9, 2015 Reviewed in the United States on September 9, 2015 by Dean Buzzell
After having only had it installed for just over a day so far, I cannot comment on the longevity of the system yet. However, the ordering, delivery, and installation have worked out -really- well!! Well done to AFWFilters and Amazon! Read on for more details... After receiving quotes ranging from $1,500 to $3,500 (and each with 2-3 weeks of wait time), I decided to replace my 14 yr old water softener myself (since it costs too much to repair). Looking at what was available from the big box stores versus what was available online, I decided to go with this Fleck 5600sxt 48,000 grain model from AFWFilters via Amazon. So far, I am very glad I did! I ordered it and it arrived sooner than expected - just two days later! Everything arrived in just two boxes - one for the salt/brine tank and one for the tall, skinny resin tank. The box with the resin tank weighed 95+ pounds but the other box weighed much less. UPS did a great job delivering both boxes right outside my garage door and both were in very good shape. They did a nice job handling something that big and heavy! The box with the resin tank contained only the resin tank. The salt/brine tank box, however, contained the tank but also a box inside of the tank which contained the fittings, the bypass, the brine draw tube, control valve, instructions, water test strip, small silicone lubricant packet, and some stickers. You get -almost- everything you need to install it. In fact, I only needed to go buy (2x) 3/4" to 1" FIP Sharkbite connectors, teflon tape, 5ft of PEX 1/2" ID pipe (for the drain), and some supplemental silicone lubricant (plumbers faucet grease) all from Home Depot. Overall, the installation was really pretty straightforward and easy. I'm not a plumber but generally handy around the house. I would say you don't need a plumber if you are comfortable cutting into your pipe and using a bit of force to push on the sharkbite connectors. They are working great for me but took more force to install than what I had anticipated. Getting everything installed took a couple hours or so but was easy enough. Programming the unit was also very easy - just make sure you go to 12:01 -PM- for programming and not 12:01am. I read the instructions completely through ahead of time but they were fine for me to follow. Here are just a few notes that I took away from the installation: NOTES: 1) As the instructions mentioned, I did have to raise (a few inches) and physically drop the resin tank a number of times to square-up and re-level its base. It came out pretty crooked of the box but that fixed it. 2) My previous installers did quite a number on my water softener loop and I had to think quite a bit about how to cut into it and still allow myself approx 1 1/4" of straight pipe for the sharkbite connector to latch onto. For whatever reason they had a lot of short copper pipe segments and lots of connectors. Thinking through how to best use that was the hardest part. Cutting into the pipe and finishing/cleaning the cut edge was fine. (I just used one of those circular cutters where you increase the blade depth every few rotations. Pretty low tech but that was the easiest way to do it!) 3) Pushing the 1/2 ID Pex pipe over the drain tube fitting took way more strength than I had anticipated. Yikes! 4) Just like the manual says (but I wish it would say it with more emphasis), you very much need to go into master programming and set the capacity and efficiency for your unit. Mine had defaulted to a much smaller capacity than what it should have been. Programming it fixed it. As I said, I cannot comment on the performance or longevity of the system (yet) but so far, this has worked out -really- well!! It came with everything that one could reasonably ask for, the instructions were clear and easy enough for me to follow, and installation was straightforward. The process to turn it on seems to have worked and now we'll see how it goes from here!
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Reviewed in the United States on September 15, 2020 by EW
I have now been running this unit for about a week. Dishes and my shower are without a doubt cleaner. Like, amazingly cleaner. I have no experience with softeners, but I can say that there has been the improvement that I expected. I had one install question and one operating question that I reached out to the seller on, and they were incredibly prompt. 5 stars for service. Salt usage appears to be very minimal. This unit appears to just work. I did add a media filter and carbon filter, all ordered on Amazon to both protect the softener from contamination and to improve water quality. I HIGHLY recommend doing so. My water tastes, feels, and performs great. I did run my hose bib connections in front of the softener to avoid unnecessarily treating water being used outside of the house. I believe that was also a good decision. I would not hesitate to install this in your home if you are dealing with hard water issues. ------------------- I am now following up about a month after installing. My glass shower doors are sparkling. My glassware and silverware are sparkling. I have yet to add another bag of salt to the brine tank. I'm OCD enough to stay up one night to monitor a recharge at 2AM and it did exactly what it was supposed to do. The fact is, this is a very simple process and the valve executes the simple take flawlessly. Shame on other companies charging thousands for comparable products. I've answered numerous questions and do not hesitate recommending this product. ______________ Without a doubt one of the best purchases I have ever made. It was affordable, easy to install, and the results are just outstanding. I honestly think that even my teeth are cleaner using softened water. I have used 1 bag of salt in 2 months since filling the brine tank, and that was not even necessary. I check on the gallons used and the recharge schedule, and it just works. Buy it. PERIOD. I love it.
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Reviewed in the United States on March 7, 2016 Reviewed in the United States on March 7, 2016 by Adam M. Rice
I have been using this for a awhile now and wanted to wait a bit to post a review. I made the decision to get one after I moved to this neighborhood, where we are about a 20 on the hardness scale. I got tired of getting the red, stinging eyes from all the chlorine when I took a shower. Also hard water kills your hair, drys your skin and who knows what else we'll find out years down the road. I decided to try it out based on the positive reviews. I have done a TON of research on softeners, almost too much, and this set up has performed well for me. Mine is set up in the garage. This softerner is very well built. In addition to the plastic bypass included, I decided to make my own additional bypass out of copper pipe just because if the unit fails down the road, I would not want to lose water usage to the rest of the house until it gets fixed. The control head is plastic of course. Programming this seems very difficult at first glance of the instructions, so I called a Fleck rep just to make sure I programmed it correctly and he walked me through it, which saved me some time. The rep was very helpful and patient with me. He also advised that I could use potassium chloride as well in addition to salt, but keep in mind potassium is 5-6 times more expensive because it is more difficult to mine it. I still chose salt because of the price obviously. I have family of 4 and we use about 2 bags a month. The water does NOT taste salty like some have claimed, but if you have health issues related to small amounts of sodium, then you will need potassium. It is good to know you can use salt, potassium, or even mix them up in the brine tank if you want to lower the sodium but are keeping an eye on the cost. The tap water is pretty good now, not as good as if I use reverse osmosis at the kitchen faucet, but still ten times better than before. The regeneration process is not super quite, but then again the unit is about 15 feet away from my master bedroom, separated by 3 walls (so it is relately close). If your house is plumbed already for a softerner, I would highly recommend using clips to secure the drain line, as it does appear to have a small amount of pressure. There is a backup overflow, which is basically a clear plastic tube that will spill out water in case your drain gets clogged for some reason. Overall, this was one of the best upgrades to your house and extremely affordable compared to the usual $3000-$5000 these companies out here charge.
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Reviewed in the United States on October 20, 2016 by Bryan Robinson