Hard water clogs pipes, stains showers and sinks, it doesn’t smell or taste good, and it can ruin your washing machine and dishwasher. A simple solution is to install a whole home water softener.
That said, finding a good water softener is easier said than done because the selection is so massive. To help make your search a bit easier, this article five of the best water softeners for hard water that the market has to offer.
Comparison Chart
iSpring ED2000 Whole House Water Descaler System, Alternative Electronic Salt-Free Hard Water Conditioner Softener, Reduces Limescale Prevent Deposits Build-up
Best Water Softeners for Hard Water – Reviews
iSpring ED2000 Whole House Water Descaler System
We start our reviews with a unique water softener or descaler that uses electricity to deal with the hard water; the best part is that it never requires a single filter cartridge.
Review
The iSpring ED2000 Whole House Water Descaler System is such a great option to go with because it requires absolutely no maintenance or filtration media replacement. It uses salt and doesn’t have filter cartridges or anything else that needs constant replacing. Instead, this system uses electricity to prevent minerals in the water from forming scale deposits.
This process is quite complicated, so we won’t explain it, but this unit more or less neutralizes the minerals in the water and does not allow them to form buildups.
In other words, the iSpring ED2000 Whole House Water Descaler System doesn’t remove minerals from the water; it just renders them unable to cause damage to your plumbing and fixtures.
The system is designed for areas with very hard water, where standard filters and water softeners won’t cut muster. On that same note, this unit can also descale your system of existing buildups.
Moreover, the iSpring ED2000 Whole House Water Descaler System is easy to install, and it should work with most types of pipes. Just have to plug it into a power source, connect the inlet and outlet pipes, and you’re good to go.
Pros
- No maintenance
- No filter replacements
- Plug and play
- Super simple
- Ideal for very hard water
Cons
- Limited durability
- May suffer from electronic/technical issues
DuraWater 64k-56sxt-10al Water Softener
This is a basic yet super-effective water softener for your whole home. The system is not cheap by any means, but it works very well and can handle large quantities of water.
Review
The DuraWater 64k-56sxt-10al Water Softener comes in a few different sizes. In terms of grain capacity, you can choose from 24K, 32K, 48K, 64K, and 80K grains, with the primary model we are looking at today being the 64,000-grain option. This should be more than enough for a large home, even one with 4 or 5 bathrooms.
This unit uses 10% cross-linked water softener resin, a very advanced and specialized resin that can remove various minerals from the water in large quantities. You also get the brine tank and float included.
The Fleck 5600 SXT control head is the most popular out there because it is super easy to program. This is a set-and-forget system, something that helps make life a bit easier for everybody.
In terms of regeneration, expect to need about 60 gallons of water and 8 lbs. of salt per regeneration cycle; regeneration will depend on your water usage and how you program the DuraWater 64k-56sxt-10al Water Softener.
All in all, this is a basic yet effective whole home water softening system. It’s nothing revolutionary, but it works very well, it’s durable, long-lasting, and installation isn’t an issue.
Pros
- Simple installation and maintenance
- Can handle large quantities
- Various sizes available
- Simple and effective
- Advanced type of resin
- Comes with everything you need
Cons
- High upfront cost
- Poor customer service
AFWFilters Fleck 5600SXT 48,000 Grain Water Softener
This is another basic, simple, and effective resin-based whole home water softener. It’s nothing revolutionary, but it’s durable, easy to install, and it does the job as advertised.
Review
This unit has a 48,000-grain capacity, which is a lot, and it should be enough to handle houses with up to 4 or 5 bathrooms – that’s about 1.5 cubic feet of resin. Keep in mind that this unit uses 8% cross-linked resin, which effectively attracts minerals and removes them from the water.
The Fleck 5600SXT 48,000 Grain Water Softener is for moderate to very hard water, and it works well for flow rates up to 12 gallons per minute.
The system comes with a Fleck bypass valve, a 1” male threaded yoke connection, the Fleck 5600 SXT meter, and a paddlewheel. You also get the brine tank with a float, along with everything else to get started.
Moreover, this unit can hold about 250 lbs. of salt. It features a 48-hour internal backup, and you get a safety float to prevent overflow.
What’s nice is that this unit features a meter-based regeneration system, so it only regenerates when it needs to, saving salt, water, and money. All in all, for the price, the Fleck 5600SXT 48,000 Grain Water Softener is an excellent choice to consider.
Pros
- Very durable components
- Very efficient
- Cost-effective
- Only regenerates when it needs to
- Decent flow rate capacity
- Fairly easy installation
Cons
Programming the unit is quite a puzzle
Watts Premier Whole House OneFlow Plus Scale Prevention System
If you are looking for a good water softening and filtration system that doesn’t need salt, electricity, regeneration, or backwashing, the Watts Premier Whole House OneFlow Plus Scale Prevention System is also an excellent option.
Reviews
The Watts Premier Whole House OneFlow Plus Scale Prevention System uses template-assisted crystallization, or TAC for short, as the primary method of mineral removal from the water. It’s a fancy way of saying that it causes the minerals to crystalize in the water, preventing buildups from occurring.
It is important to note that just like the first unit we reviewed, this one does not actually remove the minerals from the water but instead neutralizes them (more or less) so that they can no longer form buildups.
Unlike the other water softeners, this one also has secondary filtration, a high-capacity 20-micron filter that removes chlorine, bad tastes, and other unwanted substances from the water.
The Watts Premier Whole House OneFlow Plus Scale Prevention System can be installed on the floor or wall-mounted.
Furthermore, it’s pretty easy to install, even without much knowledge of plumbing. Of course, the best thing about this unit is how it does need to backwash or regenerate, plus you don’t need salt, all factors that will save money.
Pros
- Cost-effective
- No salt, backwashing, or regeneration
- Accessible floor or wall installation
- Works on very hard water
- Has some secondary filtration
Cons
Flow rate is not amazing
Capacitive Electronic Water Descaler System
Here we have another cost-effective descaling system, which is true both in the long and short run. An electric descaler like this gets the job done without question, it’s low maintenance, and it won’t cost you a fortune.
Review
The Capacitive Electronic Water Descaler System is that, like the other electronic units in our review, this one does not remove the minerals from the water but instead causes them to bond and crystalize harmlessly flowing through your pipes without causing scaling. Without getting too technical, electrical impulses cause the mineral molecules to bond with each other instead of sticking to your pipes.
One of the significant benefits is that those healthy minerals are still in the water providing various health benefits. Moreover, the Capacitive Electronic Water Descaler System does not require salt, there is no backwashing or regeneration, and there are no filters that need replacing.
There’s also the fact that the upfront cost is relatively low. These are all things that will save money.
Next, the Capacitive Electronic Water Descaler System can be installed in as little as 15 minutes, and you don’t have to be a plumber or an electrician to get it up and running. It can be installed on all standard 1” pipes, and it works with mostly all pipe materials.
Perhaps the most significant benefit is that you get 10 years of free service included with your purchase.
Pros
- Prevents scaling
- Leaves healthy minerals in the water
- Very cost-effective
- No maintenance
- Easy installation
- Durable and long-lasting
- A decade of free service
Cons
May have electronic or technical issues
Conclusion
We think the best water softener is the Capacitive Electronic Water Descaler System when it comes down to it. It has everything you need; it doesn’t require maintenance, it’s easy to install, cost-effective, and most important of all, it works really well.