Best Water Softeners
As the only top rated reverse osmosis system on the market to earn the Water Quality Association Gold Seal Certification, and backed by iSpring’s industry-leading customer support, the RCC7 is unequaled in quality, performance, and durability. The system consists of a 5-stage, layered filtration built around precision reverse osmosis (RO) technology that removes over 1000+ different kinds of contaminants in order to provide the best home drinking water filtration available. High Capacity Reverse Osmosis water filtration for safer, healthier water. This under sink mounted water filter and water softener removes up to 99% of over 1,000 contaminants, including lead (removes up to 98% of lead), chlorine, fluoride, arsenic, hormones, asbestos, calcium, sodium, bacteria, giardia, viruses and more.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I used some plumber's putty ($2 from Home Depot) to make a little ring and filled it with water, and let the weight of the drill do the work. I bought a diamond tipped 1/2" drill bit from Amazon for $8 including Prime shipping (it was actually a 5 pack of different sized drill bits, but I only used the 1/2" for the granite and the 1/4" for the drain pipe). It took less than 10 minutes to drill through the granite. You just have to screw the T-shaped adapter into the cold water line between the valve and the faucet, plug in 5 or 6 quick connect hoses (the instructions make it very clear which ones go where, plus they're color coded), drill a hole in the drain pipe, screw the saddle over said hole, and tighten the faucet to the counter."
"I admit that I was skeptical at first about it and didn’t think there was going to be much of a difference, but since installing, we are 100% happy with it."
"It would be nice if instructions were more clear on the need for support under filter canisters since pics etc appear to imply that hanging is ok. Since I designed a custom cabinet I would have built it differently if I hadn't missed the one sentence in the instruction book that talks about support for the canisters."
"I almost decided not to go with a RO system, not because they are not effective but because of their bulkiness and tendency to waste water. But, I couldn't stand the thoughts of spending nearly 75% more for something that doesn't remove all the contaminants a RO system is capable of doing. They even throw in a few extra items, like valves and O-rings, not to mention the water detection alarm. I needed a washer plate to go under my faucet since the existing hole (for a soap dispenser) was a tad too large."
"Every little piece needed for complete regular or irregular installation included, truly a kit, extra parts too. If I want to polish down to 5tds or so I can just replace the filters, but to the filters I choose, and within a year all filters except the membrane will be changed anyway, some twice."
Complete system includes tank, control head, resin, and brine tank. 10 inch x 54 inch tank, 15” x 34” brine tank with safety float system, (Color may vary).
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Since this review ran quite a bit longer than I intended, I'm going to run through some highlights for people who don't feel like reading the whole thing: 1) We had a salt-free Pelican softener before and I promise that salt free doesn't really work. I almost bought into the more expensive Kinetico or Culligan systems, but opted to try this Fleck unit out because of the massive price difference. It's seriously hard to justify the additional cost when the actual capabilities are identical; and, who cares if this lasts 5 years less since I can buy 10 of them for the same price. I did have one issue with the programming - but I called the seller (ABC Water Equipment) and they were extremely helpful and only took a couple of minutes to get everything ironed out over the phone. It also tastes better in my opinion - although that may be in my head since I hate the thought of drinking 'sodium-enriched' water... At the end of the day, I would definitely recommend this softener to just about anybody. [*** Update 4/27/2015 ***]. This softener is still working flawlessly; but, I learned the hard way that it's not smart to completely fill the brine tank with potassium. Anyway, to resolve the issue I had to break up the caked-up potassium with a garden transplanting tool and then recharge a couple of times until it was fully dissolved."
"Likewise with the brine tank - the control unit was packed inside the brine tank and it was well cushioned and protected. Do yourself a favor, though, and make adequate preparations before you begin - your home's water supply will be OFF while you're installing the unit, so you must minimize the time your household can't use the toilet. Put a few gallons of water in the bathtub for flushing toilets and have some drinking water set aside. The decision to also install the whole-house water filter was a last-minute decision; it caused my layout to change, and thus, the hardware I needed also changed (reading between the lines = 'Another trip to the store'). The drain tubing also doesn't come with the unit, so you'll need to purchase enough to run both the backwash and the brine tank overflow to the drain. The brine tank is a gravity-feed hose, so it has to run down and flat to the drain area. Be sure it isn't obstructed or blocked - should an overflow condition occur you want to be sure the brine will flow to the drain, and not all over the floor where you have the unit installed. Oh, one other thing to consider - your water heater may be filled with hard water, and it'll take a bit of time to replenish the hard water already in the tank with soft water, so be patient - it'll take a couple of days under normal usage - more or less, depending on how many people live in your home that take baths/showers, or how often you run the dishwasher or do laundry. The brine tank is essentially a big garbage bin filled with salt pellets and water, so it's really heavy. So are the bags of salt you'll pour in, so make it a bit easier on your back and place the brine tank in a location with clear, open access so you aren't trying to reach into an uncomfortable position to pour the salt. I recall watching one of those YouTube installation videos - the tech was talking about the very fine mesh filter that fits into the brine hose connecting the brine tank to the control head. I installed the filter with my installation, but if I hadn't installed the whole house unit, I'd certainly be experiencing clogging issues. It adds another layer of protection in front of my water softener, and makes me feel a lot more confident with the quality of water we're drinking. If you're getting ready to install a water softener, I VERY HIGHLY recommend you consider adding a whole house filter in front of your water softener, with 5 - 10 micron filters.You won't ever regret the few extra dollars when you see with your own eyes what it's keeping out of your drinking water."
Eliminate hard water scale build up and reduced soap efficiency with our complete whole house water softening unit with high efficiency Fleck 5600SXT Digital On-Demand control valve. 1.5 ft.³ High Capacity Resin - Removes Hard Water - Using the ion exchange process this system removes the calcium and magnesium ions that cause hard water. Fleck 5600SXT Digital Control - The SXT controller is the newest controller from Fleck and is built on the tried and true 5600 valve. Ft. Upgraded 10 percent crosslink resin, 48, 000 grain capacity.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"A couple of minor notes: I had already installed a 3 valve bypass using ball valves, I didn't need the bypass that came with the unit -- It's modular, so you can leave the bypass off if you have a similar situation. The unit comes with 1" Male pipe thread connections - but if you need something else check with the seller to see if they can substitute. ABCWater seems to be accommodating.That piece is modular as well, so they can swap out that part pretty easily."
"I had the Culligan Man replace the gaskets/seals a couple years ago, which cost a couple hundred bucks for a couple 25 cent gaskets! Well worth the time spent researching."
"The install was very straightforward but not simple as my install required I cut and sweat some copper pipes."
"Fantastic softener!"
"Really hard water where we live, definitely need a good water softener."
"It was easy to install and they provided nice emailed instructions on how to hook it up."
"We used Cash Acme U3086FLEX24LF SharkBite Lead-Free 3/4-Inch x 1-Inch x 24-Inch Stainless Steel Braided Connectors to make it a snap."
"Sooooo easy to install and setup."
Best Replacement Water Filters
Healthy Living water filtraton reduces microbial cysts, chlorine taste & odor, sand, soil, rust, and sediment.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Immediately after installing a new filter the flow rate is 1.2 gpm, which is quite tolerable, but it falls down to 0.7 gpm over the following two months, at which point it levels off."
"If you know how to shut off your cold water line (usually as simple as using a lever found under your sink) and you can use a screwdriver and wrench (a pliers would probably suffice, to be honest), you will have no problem installing this filter. It slows down the flow of water just slightly, but it is so nice not having to buy treated water or install a separate faucet."
"Luckily there was a vegetable sink in our kitchen that was easily accessible and would be a great place to fill up our water glasses. What with being a brand new house, the last thing I wanted to do was flood the place the day we moved in!"
"Water sprays out of a side hose when you disconnect the filter so be prepared to have something at the end of that white hanging hose if you need to disconnect the filter for any reason. No matter how hard you think you've pushed the hose in....push harder."
"Was initially worried about the plastic connections but after following all the steps and keeping a close eye on it for a few weeks things worked perfectly. Water flowed slightly slower but we've always had weak water pressure and there wasn't that much of a difference after installing. Ended up going with another brand after this "expired" as the price per gallon isn't the best, but it worked fine while it lasted!"
"When we originally installed the full kit we replaced the faucet with one the had an integral sprayer, and used the fourth hole in the sink to mount the little faucet in the lit."
"I have now had this system for three years."
"I just installed this filter under my kitchen sink to filter the cold water going to my newly installed instant hot water system."
Best Faucet Mount Water Filters
filter water over natural minerals for great taste Removes 99% of lead and 96% of Mercury Reduces Chlorine. Enter your model number to make sure this fits.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I live in an apartment on the 4th floor so buying bottled water and carrying it upstairs is not fun."
"You see I gave them filters as a gift last December 2016 and now I have to see to it that my mom and dad are drinking safe and clean water."
"I was going to buy them locally but couldn't afford it cause they wanted anywhere from $22.00 - $28.00 for just one filter."
"I just installed this ard 3 weeks back and it is already in red."
"By the way we not only drink and use filtered water for cooking, we keep the filtered water in small bottles and run them through the microwave oven before we use it."
"The 3 Stage Pur Faucet Mount Filters 7-Pack is a 3rd reorder."
"I've been using PUR filters for several years now."
"There's always at least one dud filter in each box I order that filters as slow as syrup.. literally EVERY time."
Best Undersink Water Filtration Replacement Parts
The InSinkErator F-201R Replacement Water Filter is for use with the F-201 Filtration System, designed specifically for InSinkErator Instant Hot Water Dispensers. Sanitary Quick-Change Filter Cartridges make cartridge replacement fast and easy, without contact with used filter material. Sanitary Quick-Change Filter Cartridges make cartridge replacement fast and easy, without contact with used filter material. F-201R. Replacement Filter. At a Glance: For cleaner, fresher tasting water Simply twist to replace filter cartridge Includes 2 filter replacement cartridges for use on the F-201 Filtration System Reduces chlorine taste and odor NSF Standard 42 listed. Enjoy clean, refreshing, filtered water right from the tap. InSinkErator's under-counter filtration system enables consumers to forgo plastic water bottles and rely on tap water to be the primary source for drinking, cooking and preparing hot beverages. With an InSinkErator hot/cool water dispenser, the need for bottled water becomes obsolete, as it delivers filtered drinking water directly from the tap. A 6-12 month time span is recommended for filter cartridge replacement (it is recommended that all carbon filters be replaced within 12 months), and the filter system automatically shuts off water when the filter cartridge is being replaced. Recommended filter cartridge replacement every 6 to 12 months for optimal performance filtering water.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I was ready to replace the whole Instant hot water unit."
"Does what its suppose to do (replace a previous unit that lasted 5+ years)."
"A pair of these were priced just a tad more than the local price I found for one (and they had to get it shipped in; it wasn't in stock)."
"My girlfriend replaced the filter and said it was super easy: like 5 minutes."
"Twist on the new filter and turn on the hot water dispenser for about a minute or so to bleed out the air."
"I bought these before reading all the horrifying reviews about people's kitchens getting flooded from cracked cartridges."
"I will line up some arrows to twist it back on.-yes to arrows but putting it on needed some muscles I didn't quite have. I needed to lay under the sink like a plumber to have the right access and VOILA it was much easier and I'm done!....for 6 months when I "should" change it again!"
"Works perfectly, easy to install."
Best Under-Sink & Countertop Filtration
The roses-50 reverse osmosis system delivers high quality clean, filtered drinking water at an affordable price. WQA certified manufacturer guaranteeing trouble free, noise-free system for long lasting, dependable, pure drinking water. System comes with 100% Lead-Free chrome faucet, plus FDA Certified JG Food grade tubing to provide safe, contamination-free pure water.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Results: faucet tap= 328ppm. aquafina bottle water= 2ppm. kirkland (Sam's Club bottle water) = 20ppm. and the apec water = 25ppm."
"I was impressed upon opening it as the main filter housing unit seemed very high quality and heavy. You can push the lever down and hold it if you just need to fill a glass or you can flip it up until it locks and and it will continually dispense until you turn it off. Some of these faucets require a 1 1/2" hole, and that would concern me because I have a synthetic granite/composite sink that it tough as nails to drill into. TIP: Once you locate where you want the faucet mounted, get a thin piece of wood (such as a shim) and drill a 1/2" hole in it. In my case, it took me a good ten minutes to drill through my sink (probably a 1/4" thickness) and the bit was completely useless once I got through the surface. Once the hole is drilled to your liking, follow the illustration for assembling the hardware for the faucet and mount it. I have a 2200 square foot ranch that was built in the eighties with that nasty, defective polybutelene plumbing and, after a ruined master bath and another close call in the kitchen after owning the house for just 6 months, I had my plumber completely re-pipe to the tune of 5K. If you decide to do this, the only one you won't be able to use one on is the yellow line that goes from the RO unit to the tank (because it has a crimped-on special two-way valve). One word of caution though- if you do this be very careful and mindful that you are screwing a metal compression connector onto plastic threads on the unit. My advice, in hindsight, is to determine where you're going to want the unit and place it there prior to beginning the install. It took me longer than it probably would have taken most people, but I have a unique kitchen sink with funky plumbing (couldn't use 1/2" adapter included to feed system from faucet bottom, instead had to convert down to 3/8" and run from cold water valve)."
"We already had a separate "beverage faucet" (with simple inline carbon filter) mounted on our sink so it was pretty much plug and play. I'm using a Watts Premier 560087 as the 5th stage filter (last is the carbon filter) in our APEC ROES-50. Never had acid reflux before with our inline filtered water used to brew coffee. P.S - I know APEC makes a remineralizing/pH filter, but the Watts filter contains additional minerals such as magnesium and potassium, whereas the APEC filter is just calcium. It installs in between the tank and the tee, vs the 1-way "final filter" of the APEC (probably why it doesn't raise the pH that much - water passes through it too quickly). The tee just replaces the 1/4 x 1/4 x 1/4 existing tee on the RO system For the 3/8" final filter, I really like the Hydronix filters, I used B00D04BYIK (again, search on Amazon), but any 3/8 inline carbon filter will do."