Advice on new water softeners

[slammer]

Looking to purchase a new softener. Have never had one so just wondering what to look for. Are the ones at the box stores just as good as any others?

Thanks

[Walleye Guy]

I installed a Water Boss 900 at both my house and our lake home in WI. They are easy to install, easy to program, use very little salt and they work great. I had a pretty bad rust problem at my cabin. I installed a GE cartridge filter in front of the Water Boss and the results have been amazing. Water tastes better, is softer and doesn't leave orange stains in the toilets.

I decided on a Water Boss based on recommendations on this site. They didn't steer me wrong.

[CigarGuy]

I have the same unit, works great and easy on the salt. Very simple to install.

[BobT]

I have a water boss 900 series and it has worked great so far (two years). Our water is very hard and it handles it just fine. I installed a slightly smaller capacity model for my mother-in-law. She has moderately hard water but a lot of iron. The Water Boss can handle up to 10ppm iron and hers has been handling it just fine.

Another plus is the low profile design (only about 3 feet tall). You don't have to lift the salt half way to the ceiling to load your softener, which is a great plus for someone in their 70's.

[jwhjr]

Another Water Boss 900 here. Keeps a household of 6 full of soft water and goes easy on the salt.

[bucketmouth64]

I bought a water boss too when they were on sale last spring. Nice and compact and easy to program. Put it on the big card and paid it off w/in six months. Used the flexible hose installation kit. I too have a main water filter b4 the water softener.

[slammer]

Where do you buy the Water Boss? Is it a DIY project or do you need a plumber? Whats the price range?

[clownshack]

I'll say from experience, any brand will work. Some are more expensive and a lot of bells and whistles you more then likely don't need . More importantly,look at getting your water tested. This will help you size the unit properly. Do yourself a favor and don't use flexible connectors, the reduced flow is not worth the small amount of time saved.

[Craigums]

Slammer how many people in your home, and have you had your water tested yet? Im not going to knock products that everyone here seems to recommend but i will mention that a shorter tank and compact model isn't the best choice for every application.

[Walleye Guy]

I bought both of my Water Boss units from Menards. Usually they are $469. They frequently go on sale for $399. If you have a Happenings Book there is a 15% off coupon for any single regularly priced item at Menards.

Water Boss has a HSOforum that has some useful information. The softener comes with a DVD that shows how to do the installation. I think its a pretty easy installation when it is a replacement situation.

[Whoaru99]

FWIW, my Sears/Kenmore softener has worked fine so far (put it in 5 - 6 years ago, I think). It's a demand-type unit (perhaps most are these days??) so it only regenerates based on water usage and the water harness you program in.

[Craigums]

FWIW, my Sears/Kenmore softener has worked fine so far (put it in 5 - 6 years ago, I think). It's a demand-type unit (perhaps most are these days??) so it only regenerates based on water usage and the water harness you program in.

Those are good systems. They are even backed with a labor warrenty unlike WaterBoss.

[slammer]

Its just the wife and myself. Had the water tested a couple years ago and I dont know the exact number but I remember they said it was moderatly hard. Its city water and no troubles with iron. Seems like a lot of chlorine in it though.

[Whoaru99]

If you're on city water then call the municipal/water department and they can tell you the typical hardness.

[crothmeier]

I have a sears/kenmore on demand system. very easy to use, have never had a problem. its only 2 years old though. Good warranty.

[nytelyter]

most sellers of water softeners that are worth what they sell, will test for free your water samples for hardness and iron. my family sold the magic water brand of softners for some 30 years or better. they are made locally in luverne minnesota. and there are many dealers in the state that retail them. the water boss is another nice unit but SOME water conditions impare the longevity of the units. depending on your water conditions there are a few things that can be done yearly to greatly extend the life of your unit. 1 dont buy cheap salt. 2 dont waste money on the red out types of salt. you get way more effectiveness in useing a capfull of iron out on top of each bag of salt you drop into the brine tank. 3 preform a yearly flush of your softner. the mineral in your softner that removes the hardness and iron(zeallite) i think is the correct spelling. gets refreshed each time the unit regenerates. but if you have a high iron count in your water it maynot always get all the iron removed from the mineral. so over time it will build up. we always recomennded to our customers that once or twice a year. depending on water conditions. you take a full bottle 16oz. of iron out and dissolve it into a 5qt icecream pail of warm water.DO NOT HAVE YOUR NOSE OVER THE PAIL WHEN MIXING!!! you wont have to remove any nose hairs for a while if you do plus a few other things. and pour it into your near empty brine tank. and if you are able to,, manually run your softner thru a regeneration cycle. this will refresh the mineral in your unit and greatly extend its life. and another thing is to occasionally clean out the brine tank. but note if you disconnect the brine tank you NEED to be sure that that line gets back on very tightly and that you purge it backinto the brine tank as well. or you will loose the syphion and your brine tank will overflow and that can get a bit messy. there is a very good company in st michael that does high quality work. and can get you pointed in the right direction and help you. i hope i have done the same. ... paul

[pHorgan]

Though someone has already shared the benefits of Waterboss and its products, I would still like to give my two cents. I purchased the Model 700 a few months back and absolutely love how it works. My water is softer and it even tastes better. The model is lightweight and easy to use. Plus you don't have to change the cartridge so there is little to no maintenance.

I would highly recommend this product and their other product lines.