Are you interested in buying the best salt-based unit for your household?
Then this article is ideal for you!
I’ll describe 5 best models on the market that have one important feature different: system capacity. So there are 30000, 32000, 40000, 64000 and 80000-grain water softener models. Compare them and decide which one is the most suitable for your household.
Things To Know Before Buying Salt-Based Water Softeners
The Size Of The Softener
When buying salt-based softener you must consider that they’re often bigger than other alternative softener systems. Therefore, you must have space in the house for their installation to the main water supply pipe.
The Price Range
The salt-based units are priced in the range between $100 and $3000. Their cost depends on many features such as brand, softener system capacity, materials, included high-tech advanced features, longevity and much more.
Where To Buy Them?
The best marketers are online retailers because they have the widest offer, and often sell for much lower prices than anywhere else. Also, you can find great models at brands’ official websites. If you don’t like online shopping, go to the local store with a wide offer of products or to the specialized store for household appliances.
System Capacity Ranges
Like I’ve already mentioned, they’re different salt-based softeners based on their system capacities such as 30000, 32000, 40000,48000,64000 and 80000-grain water softener. Bigger household requires softener with a bigger capacity if you want to maintain high-performance.
Warranty And Certificates
The longer warranty often means that the unit is high-quality made and will last long. All models should have at least 1-year limited warranty. Also, look for the models that have materials that are tested and certified for hygiene and safety.
The Best 5 Grain Water Softener Reviews
Best Metered Control Valve Softener
Fleck 64000 Grain Water Softener
Available System Capacities
This model is Fleck 5600SXT 64000 grain softener with high capacity. 64000 grains hardness removal is ideal for a household with 1-6 people. However, this brand also produces models with lower capacity such as Fleck 48000 grain water softener and Fleck 5600SXT 32000 grain softener.
High-Capacity Resin Included
The unit has a mineral tank, brine tank, and control valve. Mineral tank contains 2.0 cubic ft of high-capacity 8% cross-linked resin that’s pre-filled and delivered inside of the tank. Hard ions are removed by ion-exchange on the resin.
On-Demand Regeneration
Brine tank has additional salt used to recharge resin during regeneration and safety float that prevents overfilling. The process is started on-demand by a microprocessor inside of the control valve. The metered valve is counting how much water is already softened.
User-Friendly Features
Based on that, the microprocessor analyzes and starts regeneration when needed. This saves a lot of energy, water, and salt. The great additional user-friendly feature is a built-in function that allows the keeping of memory within 48 hours from power loss.
Installation, Dimensions, And Weight
The package contains 1” wide male connections and plastic bypass valve for installation which is described in included user-manual. The unit is 48” high, 12” long and 12” wide. It weighs 180 pounds.
- 64000 grains system capacity
- 0 cubic ft of 8% cross-linked resin
- brine tank with safety float
- smart technology for regeneration
- memory keeping in case of power loss
Best Smart Technology Softener
Whirlpool WHES40E Model
System Capacity And Iron Removal Efficiency
This unit has a system capacity of 40000 grains. Therefore, it’s ideal for households that have 1-6 people. Like the previous model, this device also can remove ferrous iron form water with an efficiency of 10 ppm.
NSF Certified Construction
All materials used in constructing the unit are NSF certified and safe to use. This device has smart technology that allows savings in water, salt, and energy, therefore saving money on electricity and water bills.
Microprocessor-Based Regeneration
The control valve has a meter which is counts amount of water processed. This data is collected by the microprocessor that learns the usage pattern and initiates regeneration only when needed. The unit won’t be regenerated if you’re away and not using water in your home.
Hardness Removal Efficiency
The salt-based softening process is based on ion-exchange on the resin in the mineral tank. The hardness removal level is 125 grains per gallon (GPG). Besides removing iron, this unit reduces other contaminants such as calcium, manganese, and magnesium.
Included Extendable Warranties
The unit is covered with a 1-year limited warranty. If you buy and use 3 bottles of Whirlpool WHEWSC water softener cleanser, which is sold separately, you can extend the warranty to 2-years. Electronics are covered with 3-years, and tanks have a 10-years limited warranty.
- 40000 grains system capacity
- 125 GPG hardness removal
- 10-year warranty on tanks
Best High-Capacity Softening System
Genesis Water Softener
System Capacity
This unit has a system capacity of 80000 grains. Unlike previous models, this is one of the highest capacities and it’s suitable for very big households. This model is also available in other smaller capacities.
User-Friendly Features
A unique feature of this GE 80000 grain water softener is the 7-year warranty on the control valve. Another great user-friendly feature is the upflow regeneration for accurate resin recharge because of the regeneration of the only depleted resin. Wastewater is washed away into the drain, so it doesn’t downflow through the recharged clean resin.
Adjustable Programs
Also, it has green technology that reduces salt discharge by 75%. The control valve has an LCD interface and control panel that allows adjustments of the programs such as electronic sensors, regeneration cycles and much more.
Saving Salt By Recharging Only Depleted Resin
The backwash rate is 4 GPM (gallons per minute) while the reverse flow regeneration rate is 19 GPM (gallons per minute) that preserves unused resin and saves up to 30% more salt in comparison to other models.
Resin, Dimensions And Brine Tank Capacity
The mineral tank has 2.5 cubic ft of 8% cross-linked resin. The resin tank is 13” long and 54” high, while the brine tank is 18” long and 40” high. The brine tank holds more than 400 pounds of salt and has safety overflow float. Both tanks have a lifetime warranty.
- 80000 grains system capacity
- 7-year warranty on control valve
- lifetime warranty on tanks
- resource-saving system technology
Best Softener With Filtration System
GE 30000 Grain Water Softener
Exterior Construction And Capacity
This GE 30000 water softener is ideal for a household with 1-3 people. The system of this unit has a brine tank, mineral tank and control valve inside of the exterior cabinet made from high-density ABS cabinet.
Iron Removal Efficiency
According to other GE 30000 grain water softener reviews, this unit is great for processing well water because it has efficient filtration media that reduces ferrous iron from the water with an efficiency of up to 7 ppm.
Installation And Weight
GE 30000 grain water softener install instructions are described in the GE 30000 grain water softener manual. All tools needed are included in the package, as well as parts. The unit isn’t so lightweight, because it weighs 80 pounds.
Dimensions And Hardness Removal Level
The softener is 43.2” high, 14.4” wide and 22.5” long. The hardness removal capacity is 96 GPG (grains per gallon). The unit’s brine tank has replacement salt that recharges the resin in the mineral tank.
User-Friendly Feature
The unit has unique user-friendly features such as microprocessor initiated regeneration, programmable operation, and permanent memory. Besides this capacity, the brand also offers GE 40000 grain water softener with slightly higher capacity for a household with 1-4 people.
- 30000 grains system capacity
- includes a permanent memory function
Best Whole House Water Softener
Discount Water Softeners Model
System Capacity And Resin
This is a salt-based unit with a system capacity of 32 000 grains. The package delivers a brine tank, mineral tank, and control valve. The mineral tank has pre-loaded resin for the softening process. Brine tank has replacement salt for regeneration, while the control valve is metered.
Microprocessor Initiated Regeneration
The microprocessor in the control valve is collecting data on the amount of water processed, which is counted by the meter. So regeneration is started only when needed, which leads to energy, water, and salt savings.
Weight And Dimensions
The unit is slightly more lightweight than the previous model. It weighs 65 pounds, but it also has less resin. The mineral tank has 1.0 cubic ft of commercial resin. The whole unit is more compact. It’s 48” high, 9” wide and 9” long.
Adjustable Programs
The control valve has a very informative LCD that shows you all current settings which you can change according to your needs. The touchpad control panel allows you to adjust all programs of the system.
Maintenance And Installation
The brine tank comes with the safety float that prevents overfilling during salt replacements. Softener doesn’t require any maintenance, except salt additions to the brine tank. The installation process is described step by step in the included user manual.
- 0 cubic feet resin
- weighs 65 pounds
- 48” high, 9” wide and 9” long
- system capacity of 32 000 grains
- The LCD with touchpad controls
Conclusion: Which Two Grain Water Softener Models Are The Best For Your Household?
In my opinion, the two best models are Fleck 64000 grain water softener and Genesis 80000 grain water softener. Both have the highest capacities, but also the longest warranties which are a guarantee for longevity and durability. Also, they have great user-friendly features such as resource-saving technology and included the highest-quality resin.
You can read this article about top-rated water softeners for more valuable information and buying guides on all kinds of water softeners. In case you want to be eco-friendly, read this review on saltless water softener models. If you’re searching models ideal for home, you should check out this article about home water conditioner models.