Which Saltless Water Softener Is Best?

I don’t know about you guys but I’ve made up my mind on these things. There’s just no justification for the old style softeners, these saltless water softeners do the job more efficiently and in a more environmentally friendly manner – talk about a no brainer!

Now the hard part, which softener to buy… Obviously price is a concern and I’ve found a couple of pitfalls for you to avoid. First off, it’s really true when they say you get what you pay for. It’s soooo much better to pay a little extra today and avoid costly repairs later.

The consensus seems to be that Kinetico makes one of the finest saltless water softener lines out there, actually a whole range of models so you can suit most situations. Expect to pay a little more for the equipment, but, repair bills? No, there won’t be any issues from what I’ve heard but if there are it’s most likely going to be covered. Read everything carefully, of course, but these guys have a solid reputation in the industry. Oh, and some models don’t even require electricity in addition to requiring no salt – that’s pretty green!

Your second option, and really nothing to sneeze at, it Culligan. Yes, THAT Culligan. They’re famous for their water for a reason so you can expect these models to perform well. Although not as well regarded for reliability, these are highly regarded by customers, an odd paradox. Although they may be reportedly less reliable than other models, for whatever reason, customers report being happier with this model than customers of other models report of their supposedly more reliable ones.

I hope that made sense…

The third, and in my opinion least desirable option would be something like a Clearwave or other “in-line” solution. These are cheaper individually and if your only having a problem with, say, a dish washer or hot water heater being fouled up it could make sense. The cost is much lower, but you’re going to need to buy one unit for each appliance requiring soft water… usually a whole-house saltless water softener system is far more efficient. Installation costs can really spiral out of control when you’re installing multiple units (with multiple electrical connections…) That time adds up fast.

So what’s the bottom line? When it’s all said and done you can expect to spend anywhere from 500 to 1,000 dollars for a whole house system. No, not installed – just the system. Probably another 250 or so for the install, if your plumber is a decent guy. This sounds like a a lot but you have to remember how long this system will LAST. And those savings can really add up year after year.

First, salt – you won’t be buying that anymore.

Next, electricity – this is the best selling point for the Kinetico systems in my mind. They don’t use any juice.

Either way though you’re definitely saving money with ANY saltless water softener and over the years you’ll use the system it’s bound to pay for itself. Do the math yourself, but that’s how it looks to me anyway!

Please leave me any questions or comments you may have.

Also, if I’ve made any factual mistakes in here please let me know!

This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 9th, 2011 at 21:54 and is filed under Saltless Water Softeners, Water Softener Savings. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.

32 Responses to “Which Saltless Water Softener Is Best?”

Which water softener should I buy? « Stuck in Hard Water Hell on February 10th, 2011 at 18:43

[...] lines out there, actually a whole range of models so you can suit most situations. (read more) [...]
Actually gonna get the water softener!! « Jeni Baker's Wordpress on February 12th, 2011 at 13:37

[...] variety than I realized when it comes to these things. This has been my go to sight for info on saltless water softeners so far, but do you guys have any where else I can [...]
Which water softener should I buy? | John Able's Wordpress on February 12th, 2011 at 13:50

[...] it’s down to the actual model… any suggestions? I’m found some info on which saltless water softener to buy on that site but could definitely use more. Anyone installed anything like this before? [...]
Which water softener should I buy? | John_Able on February 12th, 2011 at 18:48

[...] Now it's down to the actual model… any suggestions? I'm found some info on which saltless water softener to buy on that site but could definitely use more. Anyone installed anything like this before? [...]
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What Water Softener Should I Buy? | Why Twitter on February 13th, 2011 at 23:52

[...] Read more about saltless water softeners [...]
Alright, who can handle the truth? « Jeni Baker's Wordpress on February 15th, 2011 at 20:42

[...] need to find out what the best saltless water softeners are, does anybody out there have any personal experiences they can share? They all sound like the [...]
Steve Charle on February 15th, 2011 at 21:40

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Mike L on February 23rd, 2011 at 14:19

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Alright, what’s the best saltless water softener? Kinetico? Who owns one? | John Able's Stable on February 24th, 2011 at 00:33

[...] owns one? Posted on February 24, 2011 by John Able Alright these are supposed to be the best saltless water softeners out there – does anyone actually own [...]
Bryan Peterkin on February 24th, 2011 at 04:39

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youblr.com on February 24th, 2011 at 22:09

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youblr.com on February 24th, 2011 at 22:12

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Dready Dude on February 25th, 2011 at 04:01

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Okay target shooting is a ton of fun! | Jeni Baker's Blogigo on February 26th, 2011 at 17:23

[...] expensive though, just what I need another money pit! Oh well! On another positive note those saltless water softeners are clearly workable – the one we got installed is working like a charm!! And no salt necessary, [...]
Okay target shooting is a ton of fun! « Jeni Baker's Wordpress on February 26th, 2011 at 17:40

[...] Well! On another positive note those saltless water softeners are clearly workable – the one we got installed is working like a charm!! And no salt [...]
What saltless water softener should I purchase? | Steve_Charles on February 26th, 2011 at 23:26

[...] i ruled the worldHi everyone, I'm wondering if anyone knows what it actually costs to install saltless water softeners ? I'm wondering if the cost savings would add up with the salt you're not buying. I guess [...]
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Chase Gordon on March 7th, 2011 at 16:11

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Chester on April 5th, 2011 at 16:16

Okay… so saltless water softeners are the shiznizzle huh?
Niomi on April 8th, 2011 at 23:45

These systems are finally getting the attention a truly saltless water conditioner should! This article lays out some of the best saltless water softeners out there.

Saltless Water Softeners