But the best filter/softener combo is really going to be the filter that best aligns with the contaminants present in your water.

Yes, you absolutely can have both and it’s recommended if you have hard water and also want to remove the many potential contaminants present in your water supply.

If you don’t want the added salt, or you can’t have it because you live in certain parts of the country where salt-based softeners are banned, check out my salt-free system recommendation below.

If you have scale buildup on your pipes, notice soap doesn’t lather, think your water feels like sandpaper, or keep finding spots and streaks on glassware and plates, you should get the SpringWell WSSS1 to soften your water and reduce or eliminate these effects.

With so many whole-house water filters and softener combos on the market, it’s essential to apply a systematic approach to figuring out which ones are good and worth the money and which are not.

This is a tricky question. The softener unit appears to be a standard, well-performing design. The reticulated KDF material is interesting. The company that sells it offers a test report but the test report appears to be from the owner of the company that manufactures the reticulated KDF. I also saw online that one of the sellers of filtration systems using the KDF foam says it is no longer available. I have no information on why this is and if it is true. I suggest going with a regular water softener system like we review on this site. I won’t go into all the KDF info in this response. You can reserach it here on this site if you like. I have not been able to find any independent research on how well the reticulated-style KDF worksand what happens to the foam over a long period of time. Does it last for years? I don’t know. That is why it is my opinion to go with a softener design that has proven effective for decades. If you choose the Genesis, let us know how it works!

In short, salt-free softeners, aka water conditioners, are a solution if you have only slightly hard water, are on a ZERO sodium diet, live in an area where traditional softeners are banned, or want to avoid the slippery/slimy feeling truly soft water can leave on your skin.

My name is Jake Gallagher, and I'm the founder and owner of Drinking Water.Having worked as a volunteer for a nonprofit organization that brought clean drinking water to those in need, I realized the importance of safe, clean water and its impact on people's quality of life.Join me in my mission to spread knowledge about clean and safe drinking water.

Because of this, perhaps the biggest selling point for me on the SpringWell WSSS1 is its lifetime warranty. Tanks, valves, housings, in/out heads, etc. are all covered for life. I’ve looked into SpringWell’s supply chain, and they use some of the best suppliers out there. You shouldn’t need to use the warranty, but if something goes wrong, the company has your back.

Most softeners refresh themselves every few days or once a week, regardless of how much softening they’ve done. However, the MMV-1 measures the actual amount of water flowing through the filter to determine how clogged your resin beads are and cleans itself only when absolutely necessary. This allows it to use less water and salt than other filters on the market, saving you money and maintenance time.

It says the company is ready to stand by what it makes and sells. This is why we dive deep into every warranty manual to get all the details.

This means that if you want to ensure your water is safe and great-tasting but also doesn’t stink like a swimming pool, you should get the SpringWell MMV-1.

Many water treatment companies sell “salt-free softeners.” These are not softeners. Instead, they use a filter medium that turns calcium bicarbonate (what’s in your water) into crystals of calcium carbonate, which don’t dissolve in water.

To make sure we’re recommending truly top-notch products, we run installation tests on all the products that make it past the first few levels of our review process.

Most companies don’t go out of their way to discuss this, but Kind Water Systems seems to not want you to know it. It sort of claims this system is better without really explaining the difference. Good thing I’m here!

The SpringWell WSSS1 is the best filter/softener combo for well water because it removes high levels of the most common well water contaminants, softens even very hard water, and has an industry-best lifetime warranty.

One nice thing is that Aquasana offers a number of different configurations that make it easy to get the system you want. Just want the filter and conditioner? No problem. Want to add a full bypass system? No problem there either. Want two filter tanks to handle more volume? Yep, can do. Of course, each addition will cost you more money, but it’s nice having this level of choice.

It’s true that it does not filter microbes, herbicides, pesticides, or salt, but few combo units do. But it does have an industry-leading lifetime warranty that provides tremendous peace of mind.

If you’re on city water, check out the CSS1 here, or if you use well water, you can get the WSSS1 here. If you’re looking for the same filtration capacity but with a salt-free softening system, then get the CSF1 here.

The vast majority of private wells do not have these contaminants. They are much more likely to have natural contaminants, such as iron, sulfur, or manganese.

Expansion tanks are pre-charged with a 38 PSI air charge. If the inlet water pressure is higher than 38 PSI,the expansion tank's air pressure must be adjusted ...

The first reason the CSF1 earned the #2 spot is that the filter uses four-stage filtration to remove 99% of chlorine, chloramine, VOCs, PFAS, and many other chemicals found in city water.

With over 30 years in water treatment, James Layton is an expert in private and government environmental sectors. Holding degrees in plant science and biology, he has developed industry-standard water filtration devices, published articles on water-related topics, and assists homeowners with water quality concerns. James operates his own laboratory for water analysis and product evaluation projects.

Also, this is a unit specifically designed for city water, yet Aquasana doesn’t make that super clear. If you’re using a private well and have sulfur in your water (it smells like rotten eggs), then this unit won’t do much for you.

It’s not uncommon for filter manufacturers to use statistics to try and demonstrate why their products are better than the competition. We don’t just take this data at face value but rather put in the work to verify it and even collect our own when it’s needed.

To get more information, check out my full review of the SpringWell CSF1. In this review, I provide more details on the salt-free conditioning process and the unit’s smart features, and I also dive deeper into some test results.

Perhaps the biggest selling point for me on the CSF1 was SpringWell’s lifetime warranty. After spending so much of your valuable time choosing and installing a filter/softener combo, the last thing you want is to have this thing break on you in just a few years.

The SpringWell WSSS1 is the best filter/softener combo for well water thanks to its effective and chemical-free removal of iron, sulfur, and manganese as well as its ability to soften water of any hardness level.

Whole house reverse osmosis systems take up a lot of space. As we’ve discussed, you will need substantial prefiltration and post-treatment of the water to ensure the reverse osmosis membrane operates effectively. You will need a spacious room to install water softeners and their brine tanks, a mineral tank for your pH adjuster, and the large RO system itself. Water storage tanks capable of holding 250-500 gallons of water are going to be six feet tall or greater.

Would you be willing to post a list the other brands you have tested? Did you look at Home Master or Cascadian conditioning systems?

This is a refreshing change of pace in today’s world, where most products are intentionally designed to break after just a few years.

The SpringWell MMV-1 is the best whole-house filter and softener combo thanks to effective multistage filtration, efficient softening, and its industry-leading lifetime warranty.

The best whole-house water softener and filtration system is the SpringWell CSS1, which is a whole-house filter combined with a salt-based conditioner.

I do have two concerns with the Aquasana Rhino WH-1000. The first is that although you can purchase this as a combo product with a salt-free softener, it doesn’t come as a pre-packaged deal. You kind of have to know exactly what you want and make sure to select the appropriate add-ons.

The top selling point of the SpringWell WSSS1 is that it is a highly effective filter against the most common well water contaminants: iron, sulfur, and manganese.

However, including two sediment filters is a bit unnecessary for city water. SpringWell only uses one and the other stage is its flex-bed, which distributes water throughout the filter and enhances its effectiveness. This is missing from the Rhino and limits what it can do.

If the water test reveals your well has concentrations of nitrates, nitrites, arsenic, chromium, or TDS far above what the EPA has established as safe, you then need to contact a water specialist. While an under-sink reverse osmosis system can be used to restore your drinking water’s taste and safety, there are some applications where you will need a system to service the entirety of your home.

Most whole house reverse osmosis systems are also followed by a UV purification system. If you are on well water dire enough to require whole house reverse osmosis, it’s very likely there is potentially harmful bacteria or microorganisms present in your water supply. UV systems neutralize the DNA of pathogenic bacteria by dosing them with germicidal UV-C light. While reverse osmosis is adept at eliminating a host of dissolved contaminants, it should never be used for microbiological disinfection. Living organisms and viruses should always be removed by UV. Furthermore, there is always the possibility for bacteria to grow within the membrane or in the storage tank. Living organisms and viruses should always be removed by UV. This is why ultraviolet purification is always recommended as the final stage in a whole house filtration system.

This is why we run extensive checks on a company’s customer service operation before we even think about recommending one of the products.

Few combos exist for contaminants other than iron, sulfur, and manganese, but you can always buy the filter you need and then add a softener separately to build your system.

It combines the two most effective filter technologies for well water. The first is air injection oxidation (AIO) and the second is greensand. Both convert dissolved, difficult-to-remove iron, sulfur, and manganese molecules into solids that can actually be filtered. Other well filters, such as Aquasana and SoftPro, use either greensand or AIO. As a result, they can only filter 3–5 ppm of these contaminants as a result. SpringWell uses both and can remove up to 8 ppm of iron, 7 ppm of sulfur, and 2 ppm of manganese.

What this means is that if your water smells like rotten eggs, or leaves reddish-brown or black stains everywhere, you should get the SpringWell WSSS1.

Almost all RO systems require both sediment and carbon prefilters. Sediment filters act as a mechanical screen, sieving grit, sand, and debris out of the water. The membrane is capable of eliminating sediment on its own, but large quantities of sediment would quickly clog the membrane. More importantly, though the membrane is capable of rejecting any particulate matter in your water, all the wastewater generated by the reverse osmosis unit drains through a tiny flow restrictor. This flow restrictor would quickly become clogged if dirt and debris were flushed through it along with the rejected dissolved inorganic contaminants. Since the flow restrictor pressurizes the reverse osmosis membrane as well as balances the recovery ratio of the system, it is important to keep it clear and free from sediment.

One really nice thing about the Kind EVO is that it’s super simple to install. All three stages of the system come as one already-connected unit, so all you need to do is connect supply lines to either end and voilà! You’re ready to go!

Scale buildup happens because calcium and magnesium react with the metals in your pipes and form crystals. The CSF1 uses a technology called template-assisted crystallization (TAC). In this process, calcium and magnesium are turned into crystals inside your softener. They’re then released into the water, but because they are already crystals, they don’t bond to your pipes and clog them. They simply flow right by. As they do, they will also chip away at the existing scale until it’s gone.

Our reviews are comprehensive in that we take into account every aspect of the buying process, which includes what happens after you make a purchase.

To pick the best whole-house water filter and softener combo, I reviewed 19 products from top brands such as SpringWell, Fleck, SoftPro, Culligan, and Aquasana. I then ranked them using a seven-step review process.

In the end, the SpringWell CSS1 and WSSS1 are the cream of the crop when it comes to whole-house water filters and softener combos.

The cost of whole house reverse osmosis also heavily depends on the size and output of the system. The greater the gallons per day produced by the system, the more expensive the initial cost will be. A higher output system demands a larger storage tank, which is another expense to factor in to the overall cost. Though you can install the system yourself, it is wise to consult a professional plumber or water treatment expert. Whole house RO is complex and it is vital that all the components are installed properly. Otherwise, you could see diminished household pressure and flow rates and risk reduced performance from your system. Whole house reverse osmosis is an expensive investment with ongoing costs and regular maintenance. However, in situations where it is the only option to purify your water, it can be a welcome relief from hazardous water quality.

The RO unit is point-of-use, meaning it is only available at one tap. This part of the system filters water and stores it in a separate tank that is accessed from a dedicated faucet, which you usually install in your sink by drilling a hole. This is a nice extra benefit you don’t get with most combo packages.

The SpringWell MMV-1 is the best filter/softener combo thanks to its effective filtration, limitless softening capacity, and lifetime warranty.

Hard water is not necessarily a health concern, but it can cause scale buildup, streaks on your glassware, poorly lathering soap, skin irritation, and damaged hair.

For example, a house of four would want to have access to at least a 250 gallon storage tank. Part of the key to running a successful whole house reverse osmosis system is ensuring that you have a system with a great enough output to keep the tank full. The reverse osmosis process works very slowly, with many residential under-sink units only producing around 50 gallons per day. To plumb a whole house, you want a system that will be able to replenish your storage tank without you ever running out of water. So, for a family of four using a 250 gallon storage tank, something like a 1,000 GPD RO system may be ideal. A 1,000 GPD system operating at peak capacity would take a little over 6 hours to fill up a 250 gallon tank. (As a 1,000 GPD system would be producing between 41-42 gallons of water an hour.) If the RO’s output is too low, the tank will never become full, and the RO unit will be running constantly to barely meet the household water demands. If you were ever to host family or friends for an overnight stay or large dinner party, the tank would empty out rapidly and be unable to catch up to demands exerted on it by the guests. This is why you would need a system capable of producing something like a 1,000 gallons per day, even if you plan on using less than half that. Whenever you are sizing a whole house reverse osmosis system, you should call a water specialist and have them help you correctly size the system and tank to support you and your home.

A whole house reverse osmosis system is only necessary for very specific water problems. There are very few water quality issues that are so severe they can only be addressed by whole house reverse osmosis. Whole house reverse osmosis will most commonly be found in rural homes on wells, where the groundwater is compromised by numerous difficult contaminants. Water with high levels of naturally occurring compounds like arsenic and nitrates can only be treated by reverse osmosis.  Homes built near manufacturing plants may see elevated levels of microplastics, volatile organic compounds like benzene, chemicals like PFAS, or high concentrations of dissolved salts. Removing these contaminants poses a unique challenge that few water filtration systems are equipped to tackle. When these contaminants emerge in unison they can be especially troublesome, and reverse osmosis is sometimes the most viable way to eliminate them from the water. If you live with water with exceptionally elevated levels of TDS, you may decide you want to protect your entire home from these contaminants by installing a whole house RO system.

Iron, sulfur, and manganese can be removed in a number of ways, but most of these methods involve nasty chemicals. For example, you can inject chlorine into your water. This initiates a reaction similar to AIO and is very effective. But then you have chlorine in your water, which makes it taste and smell weird and could require another filter. The WSSS1 is just as effective without the chemicals.

It has two main downsides. First, it does add a little bit of sodium to your water. How much gets added depends on how hard your water is, but even then it’s an extremely small amount.

Katherine, It appears that the brand “Leaf Home Systems” is a franchise business. Each local franchise will have a review based on that shop’s performance. I took a look at reviews on line. I don’t always have a lot of faith in online reviews. Some are fake and some are created by unreasonable people. But my take is that the negative reviews were mostly about service. A local rep failed to show up, or a customer wanted a filter cartridge to last longer than they expected. I did not see any reports of equipment failure. The brand’s website indicates they also do gutter protection and stair-lift installs. I suggest contacting your local dealer and asking for a quote. If they give you a hard sell or can’t answer your questions, you know what to do. If they are helpful and provide a written contract with all the answers you need, then that should be a good experience. If you can, ask neighbors what company they used for comparison.

Traditional softeners, like the one used in the SpringWell MMV-1, rely on salt. But the CSF1 uses template-assisted crystallization (TAC), which does not require any additional inputs. This translates to absolutely no maintenance and no waste.

The third major pro of the SpringWell MMV-1 is that the filter and the softener are combined in a compact, single-tank unit that takes up less space than other combination systems.

Perhaps the most important thing when selecting a whole-house RO system is making sure you find one that can support your daily water usage. Generally speaking, each member of the household will use between 60-75 gallons of water per day. However, this number varies. A household with young children will tend to use more water, while a home with working adults may use less. Regardless, you need to make sure you select a system with an output high enough to support each individual’s water use and choose a tank that can store enough water to service every member of the family throughout the day.

This means that if your hard water is plagued with unhealthy chemicals that make it taste bad, you should get the SpringWell CSF1.

Determining which combo product is right for you is an important first step. If you haven’t already, you should consider testing your water to see what’s in it and what needs to be filtered out.

Hard water is water with high levels of calcium and magnesium, aka hardness minerals. To remove them you need a water softener. A water softener is filled with a bed of tiny plastic beads that attract and hold calcium and magnesium. These resin beads eventually can’t hold any more minerals, so the water softener will wash them with salty water, which removes the calcium and magnesium and resets the resin bed so it can continue working. This process is repeated over and over again without degrading the beads, which allows the MMV-1 to effectively soften even very hard water.

This means that if you want to remove iron, sulfur, and manganese from your well water without adding or handling other nasty chemicals, you should get the SpringWell WSSS1.

All filters are designed to do something specific, and while manufacturers often like to position their products as being able to “do it all,” this is often not the case.

Upon completion of the full wash cycle when the washer shuts off, the device will sense the lack of current and close the water valves. Such automatic operation ...

A whole house reverse osmosis system is a water filtration system that filters the entirety of your home’s water through a reverse osmosis membrane. A whole house reverse osmosis system is installed at the point where water enters your home. Every drop of water entering your household plumbing is treated by the reverse osmosis membrane, from your drinking water at your kitchen sink to the water you use to shave, shower, and flush your toilets. Whole house reverse osmosis (RO) systems ensure that your entire home is free from any traces of water hardness, salts, chemicals, and TDS. The microscopic pores on the semipermeable membrane of the RO system can eliminate over 98% of dissolved organic and inorganic matter. The water produced by reverse osmosis is almost unparalleled in its purity, and it is a more cost-effective method of purification compared to deionization or distillation. While reverse osmosis is commonly used for residential point-of-use drinking water, those with extremely challenging water conditions install a whole house RO system to provide them exceptional water quality throughout their home.

Ashley, The WSSS1 is an excellent well filtration system. It will handle many of the issues well water can throw at us. You can add a UV disinfection system to this or any other filter system. You mention pesticides. If you want every faucet in the home to be filtered, than a whole home activated carbon unit can be added to the filter system like the CF-1. If you are only concerned with water for drinking and cooking at the sink, a reverse osmosis filter system, placed under the sink, will provide really pure water for people and pets. The Waterdrop G3P300 actually has a UV disinfection feature built in. This filter can be placed on the counter if you like. Take a look.

It’s true it does not actually soften water, but this is a trade-off with salt-free solutions. It does, however, have an industry-leading lifetime warranty.

As our waterways become more contaminated with chemicals and micro plastics, ensuring you and your family can access clean and safe drinking water has never been more important. We’re committed to making sure that you get the very best advice so that every drop that is consumed in your life is as pure and as clean as possible.

This means that if scale buildup is making your sinks and faucets look ugly or endangering appliances, such as your dishwasher or water heater, you should get the SpringWell CSF1.

I like that other companies put logical combos together for you rather than making the customer do the work. If you’re an expert yourself, however, this could be a great way to customize your system.

I also chose a salt-free softener as a zero-maintenance solution and a well water combo system that targets iron, sulfur, and manganese i.e. for those on well water.

The second is activated carbon, which traps hundreds of other chemicals, including VOCs, PFAS and other “forever chemicals,” herbicides, pesticides, and pharmaceuticals. It does this through a chemical process called adsorption. In simple terms, these chemicals are electrically attracted to the carbon and stick to its surface as the water passes through and over it. “Activated” means it’s been heat-treated to increase its surface area so it can catch a higher number of contaminants.

Probably the biggest downside to the SpringWell CSF1 is that it does not actually soften water. It conditions it instead.

Thank-you Tiffany! If you have any questions, please ask. We’re here to help you find the most effective water quality solutions.

It uses four-stage filtration that includes a pre-filter, advanced KDF media, activated carbon, and a post-filter, which delivers water that is 97% free of chlorine and other chemicals commonly found in city water.

Also, consider that household water supplies will demand pressurized water. Not only are you running water to your tap and your refrigerator, but you’ll need enough water pressure to run baths and flush toilets. To achieve this, you will need to install a water booster pump as well. Grundfos pumps are high performance, energy-efficient pumps that can boost the water pressure of your water storage tank and are commonly used in both commercial and residential applications, like whole house reverse osmosis. When choosing a pump, consider how far the water needs to be transported from the tank. The further the water needs to travel, the greater the likelihood flow rates will decrease. For example, if you are running plumbing to an upstairs bathroom, you will need to choose a pump capable of generating enough pressure to keep the shower from running at a slow trickle. The booster pump will also need to be installed in-line with your plumbing, after the RO system and post-treatment and before the water enters your home.

The SpringWell CSF1 is the best salt-free softener and filter combo on the market thanks to its effective filtration of tons of chemical contaminants and its ability to eliminate and repair scale buildup on pipes, appliances, and fixtures.

As far as its filtration and softening abilities go, it does pretty well. But it is a “salt-free conditioner,” not a true softener, so keep that in mind. It will remove chlorine, chloramine, trihalomethanes, lead, mercury, and herbicides from tap water just like any other product, which makes it a great city water system.

The only way to truly know if your water needs to be treated by whole house reverse osmosis is to perform a detailed water test. Many contaminants that pose the biggest threat to your health and your home are tasteless, odorless, and colorless. Your well water may be discolored, taste like metal, and bear a harsh odor, but many of these problems are solvable by much simpler filtration systems. A rigorous water test kit will reveal your water’s organic, chemical, and metallic composition, identifying the levels of everything from pesticides and ammonia to arsenic and cyanide. Without a thorough understanding of what is in your water, it is impossible to know how to best go about eliminating the contaminants. A water test will help illuminate what pretreatment your water needs to undergo before it reaches the reverse osmosis system. Without a water test, you will also be unable to gauge the success of your whole house reverse osmosis system.

The Crystal Quest SMART whole-house filtration system is effective against many harmful contaminants, but the cost is enormous. You will likely come across this product in your search, so I wanted to elaborate.

If you want the filtration capacity of the WSSS1 but prefer or require a salt-free softener, you should get the SpringWell WSSF1.

In ion exchange, water passes over a resin that attracts calcium and magnesium, then a brine solution rinse exchanges them for sodium.

1.25SF X 1.25SF Air Separator at Geo-Hydro Supply in Ohio.

The CSF1 is much more effective than salt-free conditioner and filter combos from Kind Water, Pentair, or King Water, which all use only two stages. Aquasana uses four, but two of them are sediment filters, which is overkill and doesn’t change its effectiveness. The CSF1 uses the “flex-bed” first stage to actually enhance performance.

This is because the system is designed to continuously refresh these beads after they become saturated with calcium and magnesium. Very hard water supplies will cause this to happen extremely quickly, usually in just a few days. But this will not impact the effectiveness of the softener.

The last thing you want to do is spend two grand on a filter/softener combo and have it break on you in just a few years. These things are meant to be an investment, and they are worth the money only when they last you as long as you own your home.

If you have very hard water, the water hardness minerals will wreak havoc on the membrane. Calcium and magnesium, the minerals that make water hard, are notorious for creating scale build-ups on appliances, water heaters, and inside of plumbing. These minerals will have a similar destructive impact on the RO membrane. The minerals will collect within the membrane, binding, hardening, and calcifying into a scaly blockage. This causes both the output of the membrane to decrease and the quality of the membrane’s output to decline. Ultimately, the membrane will fail. Membranes treating hard water will require frequent replacements, far sooner than the manufacturer’s recommendation. If you are going to install a whole-house RO system and you are on hard water, it is wise to install a water softener before the system. Water softeners will eliminate calcium and magnesium from the water, preserving your RO’s efficiency and the longevity of your membrane.

Overall, the Aquasana Rhino WH-1000 is a more-than-capable whole-house filter and salt-free water conditioner, but the SpringWell MMV-1 is more effective. Still, you can check out the Aquasana Rhino WH-1000 here and see if it’s the right system for you.

The reason for this goes back to the complex chemical process that makes all water softeners work: ion exchange. You don’t need to know exactly how this works, but you do need to know that it requires a softener to add something back into your water. This maintains water’s electrical balance and keeps Mother Nature happy. What this means to you is that your softened water will get to your tap with a little bit of added sodium, thanks to the necessary salt.

The clear winner was the SpringWell MMV-1. It effectively filters and softens city water supplies and comes with a lifetime warranty.

Feel free to check out all the details about how we review water filters, but here are some of the more important factors we consider:

Reverse osmosis systems employ carbon filters to eliminate chlorine from the water before it reaches the membrane. Thin film composite and thin film material (TFC and TFM) membranes are unable to tolerate any degree of chlorine, so carbon filtration is employed to protect the membrane from contact with chlorine. Carbon eliminates chlorine through a process called adsorption. Chlorine and organic compounds (like VOCs) adhere to the carbon’s expansive, porous surface area.

Municipal water supplies are disinfected by chlorination and quite unlikely to contain levels of contaminants that could only be addressed by reverse osmosis. Contaminants you may find in city water like water hardness, chlorine, chloramines, and lead can all be treated effectively by other whole house water filtration systems. However, some people on municipal water simply prefer RO water and want the entirety of their home to use reverse osmosis water. People are also increasingly concerned about the presence of fluoride in municipal water. Fluoride, a naturally occurring mineral, is synthetically added to city water supplies to reduce the risk of tooth decay in children. Fluoride is extremely tough to remove from water. The industry standard for removing it is by using a filtration media called activated alumina, a process that is impractical for most applications. Activated alumina requires very lengthy contact time with the water to reduce fluoride, and produces water at a rate of about 0.25 GPM. Plumbing a whole house with such low water pressure is ultimately unfeasible, so those wanting to remove fluoride from their home entirely usually turn to reverse osmosis.

This valve has revolutionized sewer protection across North America with its patented 'normally open' gate design.

Since it’s necessary to install a reverse osmosis system indoors and in a room where temperatures won’t cause the water or equipment to freeze, you may need to renovate your basement or a spare room of the house to comfortably hold all of this equipment. You also want to make sure you have plenty of space for filter changes, system maintenance, and installation. You don’t want to climb through a jungle gym of plumbing and filtration equipment to refill the resin in your softener or flush out your spin-down sediment filter. You also need to choose a room in your home where you can easily plumb your water main from your well. Since reverse osmosis systems do drain wastewater (as do water softeners), you’ll also want to select a location where the systems can drain without risking backflow.

Every well is different, and testing it regularly is the only way to know what you actually need to remove. The vast majority of contaminated wells have sulfur, iron, and manganese, which is why the WSSS1 is likely to be your solution. But if you have microbes, saltwater intrusion, herbicides, pesticides, etc. in your water, you will need an additional filter, and in the case of microbes, you may even need to do some repairs to your well.

Costs for whole-house water softener and filtration systems range between $500 and $3,000. It depends heavily on the type of filter and softening system you use.

How much water waste in gallons does the regen process create for the Springwell WWS and Salt Softener and can I tap into the 3/4″ drain pipe for my HVAC air handler.

The amount of salt added depends directly on the hardness of your water. But if you have 15 gpg (very hard water), expect around 30 mg of salt added to every 8 oz. glass of water. This is less than half an unseasoned egg, so you’ll barely notice it, but it’s important to know it’s there.

Unmatched filtration combined with efficient salt-based softening makes for an excellent product, and SpringWell’s industry-leading money-back guarantee and lifetime warranty are just icing on the cake.

Anything you buy for your home should last at least a decade or more. Unless you’re some real-estate mogul, you probably bought your house so you can live in it for the rest of your life, or close to it. This is why when it comes to a whole-house filter/softener combo, one of the worst things that could happen is that it breaks down in just a few years.

Very few “whole-house” solutions are designed for private wells. If you own one, make sure to check twice that any system is compatible with your well before you buy, and always test your water. In 95% of cases, you will need to get a filter for your well water before a softener because contaminants found in wells, such as sulfur, can interfere with the softener.

It’s true that it adds a small amount of sodium to your water, but it also comes in a unique single-tank design that saves space and is the only filter that comes with a lifetime warranty.

Titan Flow Control has the experience to design and build the straining element you need! Specialty perforations and meshes, dutchweave meshes, magnetic screen ...

The SpringWell CSF1 is the best salt-free water softener and filter combo because it wipes out scale buildup, filters nasty city water contaminants, and is backed by an industry-best lifetime warranty.

The best way to test your well water is to collect a water sample from your well and send it to a state or nationally certified laboratory to be tested. Your water samples will then be subjected to the same water quality tests used to ensure the safety of bottled water and municipal water supplies. Water test labs use the EPA standards for safe drinking water to check your well, measuring the presence of contaminants in the parts-per-million. Within two weeks, they will return your report to you, flagging every instance where your water exceeds the EPA’s regulatory standards for safe drinking water.

The fourth reason the SpringWell CSF1 did so well in our tests is that it has a very low total cost of ownership driven by two key aspects of its design.

Now that you know a bit more about the details of filter/softener combos, you can click the link below to go back to my recommendations to find one that works for you.

A whole house reverse osmosis system will cost around $12,000 to $20,000. While the price of a commercial-grade reverse osmosis system is around $3,000-$5,000, the pretreatment of the water, the pressure booster pumps, and the installation will all increase the cost. The RO’s filters and membranes require regular replacements, as will the components of your other filtration systems. Water softeners require resin beads and periodic replenishment of salt in the brine tank. UV lamps need to be changed every year, and the quartz sleeves every two years. Carbon and sediment filters usually need to be changed every six months, and your acid neutralizer will dissolve its calcite media over time.

My results were independently reviewed and verified by James Layton, an EPA consultant with 25 years of experience working in the water filtration industry.

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If you’re interested in learning a bit more about water filters and water softeners before you make a purchase, here are some resources you can check out:

The Evo E-3000 is priced competitively compared to other options I’ve reviewed, and it comes with a limited lifetime warranty, which is great to see. However, the money-back guarantee period is only 120 days, which is better than some but not as good as the six months SpringWell gives you. You can check out the Evo E-3000 here.

First, the filter media has a one-million-gallon capacity, which should last most homes 10 years or more. That’s a filter change every decade versus every six months, which is required by cartridge-based systems, such as those from Kind Water and Home Master. These cost less up front, but the frequent replacement filters make them more expensive in the long run.

Second, the salt-free system is “set it and forget it.” The TAC media will crystallize calcium and magnesium forever, and since there’s no salt, you don’t need to buy 40 lb. bags every month. Overall, there are virtually zero upkeep costs over the lifetime of the product.

To give you an idea, a water softener working on a very hard water supply (15 grains per gallon) will only add about 3.5 mg of sodium to each ounce of water.

Considering this is an important investment in your home, beware of products that seem too good to be true. But if you really want all the bells and whistles at a discounted price, the Aquasure system is worth looking at further.

This means that if you’re worried about scale buildup on fixtures or appliances, your soap doesn’t lather, your water feels rough on your skin, or it leaves a residue on your glassware, the SpringWell MMV-1 will fix all these problems.

This dual-filter process is far more effective than traditional filters that use only one kind of filter media, such as the Kind Water, Pentair, and King Water whole-house filters.

Designed for city water, the Evo E-3000 Whole House Water Filter and Salt-Free Softener Combo from Kind Water Systems is probably the easiest to install of all the units we’ve reviewed, but that’s all there really is to say about it.

Philip, The amount of water used ranges from 35-60 gallons depending on how much brine is needed to regenerate the softener. harder water will require more brine. I am not able to say if taping into the HVAC drain will work. In a worst-case situation you could have brine back-flowing into the HVAC system. Water softeners typically require a dedicated line to the drain or wherever you want to send it.

These crystals then pass right over your pipes, fixtures, and appliances and do not cause scale buildup. But all the other side effects of hard water will remain.

However, what is interesting is the inclusion of these tourmaline and ceramic balls as part of the filtration process. While they certainly can’t hurt, there is no science out there that proves these do anything to help with filtration, making them mainly a gimmick the manufacturer uses to get you to buy its product over someone else’s.

In addition to the up-front cost of buying the filter, there are often ongoing costs associated with water filters, mainly maintenance and filter replacements, but also energy bills and installation costs.

Kind also has an autoship program that lets you schedule replacement filter orders in advance so you don’t forget and let your system fall out of maintenance.

Also, some of this brine solution gets flushed down the drain, which can raise environmental concerns in some areas, both about water waste and salt added to the ecosystem.

The Aquasana Rhino WH-1000 is a decent option for those who want a whole-house water filter for city water and a salt-free conditioner instead of a traditional salt-based softener. Performance-wise, the Rhino is right up there with similar options, but Aquasana has a much more limited money-back guarantee and product warranty than SpringWell.

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After some digging, I found that SpringWell goes way beyond its competitors to source parts from high-rated suppliers, which has resulted in a product that is simply built better. This is why SpringWell is able to offer a lifetime warranty on tanks, housings, fittings, valves, and in/out connections, whereas SoftPro, Fleck, and Pentair offer only 10 years, and GE and Aquasana offer only one.

Removing these and any other contaminants from well water, such as salt water, tannins, or microbes, requires special filters specifically designed for these contaminants. For example, to remove iron, sulfur, or manganese, the filter must turn them into solids (oxidation) that can be trapped and removed from the water.

First, the SpringWell MMV-1 uses four-stage filtration to remove 99% of the more than 100 chemical contaminants often found in city water.

If your water is hard enough to affect soap, skin, and glassware, and it’s something you want to address, then you should go with a salt-based solution, such as the SpringWell MMV-1.

So, for every eight ounces you drink, you’re consuming about 30 mg of sodium. Very few food products have less sodium, including many fruits and vegetables. For example, a boiled egg has around 80 mg of sodium.

The fourth distinguishing feature of the MMV-1 is that it uses modern tech to reduce the unavoidable waste of a water softener.

You need a water softener in addition to a whole-house filtration system if you have hard water. The two systems do not do the same thing.

What’s more, and this is both a pro and a con, is that this whole system costs about one-third of what you will pay for other comparable setups.

The second downside of the SpringWell WSSS1 is the same one you’ll find for every salt-based softener: It adds a small amount of salt to your water.

If you want to get rid of the rotten egg smell or stains caused by iron, sulfur, and manganese, and also enjoy truly soft water, you should get the SpringWell WSSS1.

Reverse osmosis produces water of remarkable purity by separating chemicals, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and dissolved solids from the water. While rarely used as a whole house water filtration system, some groundwater is so severely contaminated reverse osmosis is the only viable option for providing the home with clean water. A whole house reverse osmosis system requires careful planning, diligent maintenance, and a researched understanding of your water’s chemistry. Whole house reverse osmosis systems can be complex endeavors, but they can also restore water quality to homes affected by astronomical levels of TDS or dangerous quantities of contaminants like hexavalent chromium.

This is why the biggest selling point of the SpringWell MMV-1 is its lifetime warranty. SpringWell will repair or replace tanks, valves, housings, bypasses, fittings, and in/out heads that break due to manufacturer defect for as long as you own the product. No other filter company offers this kind of guarantee.

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If you want even more information, check out my in-depth review of the SpringWell MMV-1. In that review, I go into more detail about the softening process, the installation, the smart monitoring system, and more.

Since private wells are unregulated, it is incumbent upon the well owner to test their water and ensure their home’s drinking water is safe. If you are on a well, performing detailed water tests should be an annual part of your diligent well maintenance. Furthermore, if you are considering a whole house reverse osmosis system, it’s necessary to understand exactly what is present in your water so you can craft an effective strategy for achieving the high-purity water you desire. If you are on municipal water, you have the option of performing a lab test. However, cities are mandated by the EPA to release an annual water quality report. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) maintains an online database of these reports, which are searchable by zip code.

Similarly, if your well water is very high in iron, you will need to use an ion exchange water softener or iron filter to eliminate the metal from your water. Iron can cause the RO membrane to foul, impeding its ability to reject dissolved solids and diminishing the amount of pure water it can produce in a day.

This is because the filter media inside the MMV-1 is specifically designed to remove common city water contaminants, mainly chemicals such as chlorine, chloramine, and VOCs.

This is due to the salt-free design. To truly soften water, magnesium and calcium must be removed, and this can only happen using a salt-based ion exchange system. Salt-free systems use a different method to target scale buildup, and they do this effectively. But the other unpleasant effects of hard water will remain. Some of these include poorly lathering soap, a scratchy feeling on your skin and hair, and streaks on plates, glassware, and fixtures.

We calculate all of these to project how much you can expect to spend both at the moment of purchase and throughout the product’s lifetime.

Second, the SpringWell WSSS1 is a highly effective water softener that can soften even very hard water, even if hardness ratings exceed 20 grains per gallon.

Like I said, as far as its filtration and conditioning abilities go, there is nothing wrong with this product. If you get a special deal or something, then by all means go for it. But there are other products out there that do the same if not better and don’t include these gimmicky extras to try and get you to spend more money.

So, if you want a product that won’t end up in a landfill any time soon and is backed by an industry-leading warranty, you should get the SpringWell WSSS1.

If you have scale buildup on your pipes and also want to remove chlorine, chloramine, VOCs, and other city water contaminants in one combo unit, you should get the SpringWell CSF1.

The combo units sold by SpringWell’s major competitors, including Fleck, SoftPro, and Culligan, are all two separate units just sold together, which take up as much space as you’d imagine two separate filter systems would take. SpringWell designed an all-in-one system that combines filter media and softening resin in the same tank.

Water softeners target “hardness minerals” to eliminate the negative side effects of hard water. With a water softener, you can say goodbye to scale buildup, soap that doesn’t lather, streaks and stains on your glassware, and an itchy, dry feeling on your skin after showering.

The next downside to the SpringWell MMV-1 is that as a salt-based system it does add a small amount of salt (sodium) to your water. I should stress that it’s a negligible amount of sodium, but some people do see this as a downside, so it’s important to understand why.

Reverse osmosis systems generate wastewater as a byproduct of their water purification systems. Design and technological innovations continue to find ways to eliminate the inefficiency of reverse osmosis, but there is no way to create RO water without wasting water. The purified water (called permeate) is physically separated from the solution brimming with contaminants (called the brine) by the membrane. The brine is then flushed out of the system and down a dedicated drain. Larger, commercial systems have become especially adept at lowering the rate of rejected water, but these systems are also handling much greater volumes of water. To use the example from before, say you had a 1,000 GPD whole house RO system and a 250 gallon tank operating at 1:1 efficiency (for every gallon of permeate produced, only one gallon of brine was sent to the drain.) It would require 500 gallons of water to fill that tank to the top with purified RO water.

If you haven’t tested your well water yet, do so now. Then come back to us. If you have more than just iron, sulfur, or manganese, check out my full review of the best whole-house filter for well water.

Very few whole house reverse osmosis systems exist in isolation. If the water quality from your well is so poor that you need a whole house system, it’s likely you will need the aid of other water treatment systems to preserve the RO system and maximize performance. The reverse osmosis membrane is adept at eliminating chemicals, salts, and dissolved inorganic matter. However, to prolong the lifespan of the membrane, it needs to be protected from certain water contaminants. This is one of the many reasons why a thorough water test is necessary, as knowing the composition of your water informs how best to pre-treat it.

Along with checking the best use case for each product on our list, we also complete an analysis of the technology at play. This is different because we focus on the science behind the different filter media being used.

Have you evaluated Leaf Home Water Solutions? I’m seeing extremely mixed consumer reviews. If you haven’t evaluated, can you refer me to any independent review sources?

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No one wants to buy from a company and then never hear from them again, especially when making an investment as large as a whole-house water filter.

Robust literature exists on all the different filter technologies out there, and if something new is actually good, there’s data to support it.

Philip, That is a good question and many others have wondered the same. I checked the most up to date research and it turns out that a well-maintained water softener that discharges into a septic system will cause no harmful affects. In some cases the softener discharge enhanced the performance of the septic system. Let me share my own experience with discharge water and what I have observed in other homes in my neighborhood. My home has no basement. The softener sits in a closet on the ground floor. I had no drain for the discharge. I attempted to run a hose from the discharge to a drain on the second floor. I will skip the reasoning. The discharge water did not have enough pressure to push the water up to the second story drain. I discovered that I could run a small diameter PVC pipe behind the baseboard trim and out of the house through a hole I drilled in an outside wall. I sent the discharge water to a grassy area in a corner of my yard. Over the years I have observed no harm to the plants. A neighbor had a similar drain except it poured the water directly into a row of shrubs and trees. He experienced no harm to the plants. I have seen stand-alone sumps designed to pump water to an upstairs drain (or wherever you want to send the water). The submersible pump automatically turns on when the water level rises in the sump. Perhaps something like that will work for your situation. I have seen some homeowners send sump water to the street, provided it is not a great distance from the home.

The included filter, the CF1, is a city water filter due to its effectiveness against chemical contaminants often found in these water supplies. Private wells are much more likely to be impacted by things such as sulfur, iron, and manganese.

I have a well and am also interested in addressing the “microbes, salt, herbicides, pesticides, etc.” that could occur given farming runoff worries and increasing construction around my area. So, I would love to have an all in one system that back flushes/ regenerates and takes care of all the things. Can I get a WSSS1 with a UV light and whatever else is needed? Or is there another system out there for this?

It does this by combining two filter media. The first is KDF, a special alloy that reacts with and neutralizes chlorine and converts heavy metals into tiny particles that are easier to trap. This eliminates both of these contaminants from your water.

This means that if you own a private well, you should read the next section of this review, which discusses the best filter combo for wells.

Your water needs to be pretreated to protect the RO’s membrane and promote peak efficiency of your system. However, the water also needs to be treated after exiting the tank and before entering your house. Most whole house RO systems will be followed by a pH adjuster (also known as an acid neutralizer). RO water is mildly acidic, usually falling between 5-6 pH. Acidic water is corrosive, eroding copper plumbing and causing pinhole leaks to sprout. Many under-sink reverse osmosis systems include a remineralizer cartridge to add mineral content back into the water and buffer the pH. However, a whole house RO system is processing a much greater volume of water. A small inline cartridge would not bear much influence on the water’s pH and would significantly reduce water pressure. Passing through water through calcite, a calcium-rich crushed marble media high in alkalinity, will boost the water’s pH and protect your plumbing from damage.

Water softeners regularly flush the resin beads that trap calcium and magnesium. This gets rid of the hardness minerals and allows the beads to keep trapping more of them. Once the beads are refreshed, this salty water gets flushed down the drain, which wastes water and depletes your filter’s salt supply.

While complex, water filtration technology has been around for some time and should be built to last. While we analyze all the materials used in every product we look at, it’s also our belief that a good warranty says a lot about a product and a company.

However, every well is a bit different, and you should be sure to test it before purchasing any sort of filter. And if you want to buy something that can filter and soften your well water, you need to make sure the filter portion is adequately designed to remove the contaminants in your water.

This means that if you want a filter/softener combo that will last you for as long as you own your home, and that is backed by the best warranty on the market, you should get the SpringWell MMV-1.

What this means is that if you want a zero-maintenance, zero-waste, and zero-salt solution for hard water, you should get the SpringWell CSF1.

You need a sediment filter in addition to a water softener if your water supply has high levels of sediment in it. Water softeners address the “hardness minerals” calcium and magnesium, but they do not deal with other types of sediment.

To remove calcium and magnesium from your water, a water softener uses a complex chemical process called ion exchange. You don’t have to understand this process to enjoy soft water, but you should know that it involves replacing what gets removed from your water with something else. Not swapping the ions would upset the electrical balance of water and goes against the laws of nature. But what should matter most to you and your water is that trace amounts of salt end up in your water after it’s been softened.

Drinking Water uses a seven-point research methodology that combines qualitative and quantitative analysis to narrow down a large list of options to the true best of the best.

But it’s important you know the difference before you shop, especially since most companies will market salt-free conditioners as softeners, which they simply are not.

Given I’m told these systems produce between 30-125 gallons of gray water during the regen cycles, where and how are we expected to expel this water if we don’t have a drain in our basement? I would be afraid to run this water through my septic given the salt content generated by the water softener because that would likely corrode the concrete tanks. I don’t want to expel onto my property for fear it will kill all the plants and grass. Can you explain what the best method is for capturing the gray water and disposing of it is?

The addition of a UV light means the system will zap and kill all microbial contaminants, and the RO system will filter out pretty much any and all particulates before it reaches your tap thanks to its smaller-than-small membrane.

The Aquasure Signature Series whole-house filter system is about as complete of a water filter and softening system as you can get. It includes a 10” whole-house sediment pre-filter, a traditional ion exchange salt-based water softener, a UV light sterilizer, and an under-counter reverse osmosis (RO) system.

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The other main drawback is that to charge the resin with sodium, water softeners regenerate with a brine solution (water heavily concentrated with salt). You will need to periodically add salt (around once a month) to your brine tank to keep it fresh.

First, it’s not a softener but rather a conditioner, so it will neutralize some of the effects of hard water but not all of them. The site doesn’t make this abundantly clear and instead seems to claim that this is in fact a true softener.

The big thing to keep in mind with water softeners is whether salt is involved in the process. True softeners, which remove hardness minerals from your water, use a process called ion exchange.

The SpringWell WSF1 features the same filter with a salt-free conditioner. Salt-based systems require you to add salt to the system periodically and also discharge salty water into the ground around your home. In a few areas, for example, in parts of California, this is banned. It’s true a salt-free conditioner only resolves scale buildup and does not address soap lathering, stains/streaks, or dry/itchy skin and hair. But it can still help protect your fixtures and appliances.

If you have a lower efficiency system, you could potentially send up to thousands of gallons to the drain every day. Even in high-efficiency systems, waste and recovery will be influenced by your raw water chemistry. As water scarcity continues to spread across the American Midwest, having your home dependent on such a high waste system can be a cause for concern.

Whole-house filter and softener combos are not actually one product. Instead, they are two separate products sold together as an all-in-one water treatment solution.

With this type of warranty, if something goes wrong EVER, then all you have to do is call up SpringWell and they will help you find a solution. You don’t have to waste time chasing down plumbers or spend money on replacement parts. Knowing the company stands behind its product like this helps make an already superior product stand out even more.

Whole-house filters are fairly straightforward to install if you have basic plumbing knowledge, but there are lots of things companies can do to simplify or sometimes complicate the process.

If you’d like more information, you can read my full review of the SpringWell WSSS1. There I do a deep dive into how the filter media works, break open the electronic controller head, and do some more detailed calculations on the total cost of ownership.

The WSSS1 also does not require potassium permanganate, aka pot perm. This is used to wash magnesium greensand and keep it effective. But it can burn your eyes and skin and even cause respiratory problems if handled, which you will need to do monthly to maintain your filter. The WSSS1 uses a more modern version of greensand that can be cleaned with regular water.

Hello, I am planning on buying genesis ( https://www.discountwatersofteners.com/genesis-2-duo-platinum-water-softener-whole-house-filtration-kdf ) For water softener and filtration. What’s your take ? I live in Manteca, CA.

A whole house reverse osmosis system requires significant planning, dedication, and maintenance for it to produce the desired results. A point-of-use RO system in your kitchen only needs a single connection to your plumbing, a dedicated air gap faucet, and one or two storage tanks. A whole house system requires much more consideration. You will need to factor in what pretreatment is necessary to protect the RO membrane, how many gallons per day your household will use, and the space required to house the system.

The amount of salt added depends on how hard your water is, but even extremely hard water (20 grains or more) only ends up with around 30 mg of sodium in an 8 oz glass. This is less than a glass of milk, which has 50 mg.

If you do need a salt-free combo, or just prefer one, then you should get the SpringWell WSSF1, which is the same filter as the WSSS1, just with a salt-free conditioner.

Reverse osmosis removes a host of contaminants, like chromium, uranium, copper, mercury, arsenic, boron, silver, lead, sodium, and nitrates. Many of these can pose health risks in elevated quantities, and there are limited filtration methods effective at eliminating these all at once. While an under-sink RO system is ideal for providing purified water at a single faucet, sometimes water presents challenges that can affect your whole home. If your water source is compromised by toxic levels of chemicals and metals, it can be wise to eliminate these from every faucet in your home. There are some cases where water you brush your teeth with, bathe your children in, and use to cook and clean should all be purified by reverse osmosis.

These products are all over the water softening market, and they do just fine based on their design. They’re also less expensive to purchase and maintain.

This will help you determine which type of filter you can buy, and the next step is to determine which softener is best.

What this means is that if you want a filter/softener combo with the lowest overall cost of ownership, you should get the SpringWell CSF1.

This sounds great, but consider that there is only a two-year limited warranty on this system, and no money-back guarantee. Personally, I felt the build quality to be a bit “less than,” and while I didn’t have access to it for long enough to see how long it would really last, I have lots of questions and concerns.