Best Water Softeners for Well Water – Reviews for 2021

Water is a necessity for life. However, not all water is created or treated equally. Clean and pure water is a necessity for drinking, bathing and other everyday tasks. Not only is the cleanliness of water necessary, but its nature, due to dissolved minerals, is crucial too. The amount of minerals in the water determines whether it is soft or hard water.

Water obtained from a well is usually considering quite hard water. Often times, this water contains a high amount of salt and minerals, making it unsuitable and harmful for daily use. If your main source of water is a well, you should strongly consider investing in a suitable water softener.

An investment of this kind, although usually quite large, is well worth it in the long run, as it’s beneficial to your family as well as your home. Without a water softener, well water, owning to its hardness, can wreak havoc on your pipes and faucets.

We’ve selected seven of the top units on the market so that you don’t have to. These softeners have been compared on the basis of their price, performance, and ease of use. Without further ado, the chart below offers an overview of the best water softeners for well water; individual reviews are listed thereafter.

 

 

Best Water Softener for Well Water

 

1. SpringWell Well Water Filter and Salt Based Water Softener

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SpringWell Water is among the leading manufacturers of water softener systems. They have over 20 years of experience in manufacturing high quality water softeners and other water filtering systems. SpringWell’s water softeners use incredibly efficient technology to remove salts and other dissolved materials. This model from SpringWell is our top pick of well water softener for 2021.

This SpringWell Well Water system is specialized to remove iron, manganese, and hydrogen sulfide. This particular unit uses an ion exchange method to remove hard water minerals and can remove up to 7 PPM iron, 8 PPM hydrogen sulfide, and 1 PPM manganese. The filter bed accumulates all the minerals and salts, but regular washing removes the accumulated particles and keeps the filter clean. The filter also has a regeneration process that brings fresh air pockets to the system.

Another feature we appreciate about this softener is the sleek body. The design is non-bulky which means you can install it anywhere, even on your porch or garden. Adding to this, the black neoprene provides a nice and sturdy construction of this filter.

With a flow rate of up to 20 GPM, this water softener has the fastest flow rate of any product on this list. The operating range of 36-120F is pretty standard, but its other features are more advanced than many of the other units reviewed. The sophisticated design, high performance, and quick working make this water softener wholly worth its price. Adding to this, there is a six-month money-back guarantee for all of SpringWell Water’s products.

If you end up not requiring a salt-based water softener, you might find our best salt-free water softener article of interest.

 

2. Pelican Advantage Series Salt Water Softener

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Pelican Water offers several premium quality water softeners. Aside from the incredible softeners and filters they produce, their customer satisfaction rate is very high; users hardly have any complaints about their water softeners. There are two similar water softener models, PS48 and PS80. Both models share the same features, except for the grain capacity, which means you have two options to choose from depending upon the hardness level of your water.

One quality that makes these water softeners stand apart is that they are eco-friendly. Unlike most water softeners, there is no addition of any chemical for salt removal. Whats more, these units comes with a whole-house protection kit, which we found the kit to be very helpful for elimination odor, chlorine, and harmful bugs from the house.

The kit is also very simple and easy to install and is compatible with basements and hard to reach counters. As many high-end units are difficult to install if there isn’t much space at the installation location, we found this feature to be useful and convenient for installation.

This model’s features and filter quality make it a steal for its price. If you like the thought of an eco-friendly and highly advanced water softener system, strongly consider this unit from Pelican Water.

 

3. Iron Pro 2 Fleck 5600SXT Combination Water Softener and Iron Filter 

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The new AFW Iron and Sulfur Filter is an improvement on the Iron Pro series. With a 64,000 grain capacity, it is effective in removing the egg-like sulfur smell that water has after treatment. It also contains a Fleck 5600 SXT control head and valve for fast performance.

This product is ideal for  homes facing multiple water issues; homes that have hard water with sediments like iron and rust will greatly benefit from this particular softening system.

The Flex SVT valves automatically carry the regeneration cycle; the regeneration cycle is automated and metered, meaning it can be easily regulated. That being said, the whole system is great for tracking the record of performance. AFW has designed this unit with a fine mesh resin that filters iron particles, but be sure to wash the filter mesh regularly to keep it clean. In addition, the layer of KDF-85 on the filter mesh further removes sulfur and manganese from the water.

What sets this softener apart from others is the presence of a digital valve. The advanced digital valve measures the amount of water and the presence of salt, minerals, and impurities it contains. It also helps you keep track of when you would need maintenance. The unit even has DIY instructions to reduce the installation cost. That being said, this unit only includes a four-month warranty with purchase.

 

4. Whirlpool WHESFC Pro Series Water Softener and Whole House Filter

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Whirlpool is a household brand that needs no introduction; they’ve been producing cleaning machinery, including water softeners, for decades. Whirlpool provides some amazing water-related products, with this softener being a great option for most homes. The most appreciable thing about Whirlpool water softeners (we list another unit a bit further down) is that they provide high performance at an affordable price range.

The Whirlpool WHESFC Pro water softener offers excellent value for money, which partially explains why it is our editor’s top pick. This hybrid water softener and filter effortlessly serves the entire household and has a rating of 31,000 grains per cycle. Adding to this, its average hardness-removing capacity is 120 grains per gallon.

We found that its built-in carbon filter has a reasonable quality at such a price. It reduces the accumulation of chlorine, sediments, and odors from your home’s plumbing. Additionally, one of the more impressive features of this unit is the auto-flushing of the filter cartridge, which cleans the carbon bed, which results in an extended life of the filter. What this also means is you don’t have to clean the filter manually very often.

This softener and filter come with a thorough instruction manual, which might help you save on additional plumbing costs if you’re somewhat of a do-it-yourselfer. One thing to note is that this model has been designed to run on electricity; this is a less-advanced feature when you compare it to some of the top-of-the-line non-electric softeners.

All in all, this softener is hardworking, reliable and has advanced adjustable settings and monitoring capabilities.

 

5. AFWFilters AIS10-25SXT Air Injection Iron Water Filter

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The AIS10-25SXT is the second unit from AFWFilters on this list and one of the top selling iron removal filters. Its flow rate is stronger than most water softeners, at about 15 gallons per minute. The grain capacity is as high as 80,000 per gallon, which you won’t find in any other domestic water softener. If your water is severely hard, this model should be your pick.

The softener uses an advanced Silver 10 air injection to remove iron, sulfur, and other salts and for normal filtering. The whole unit works automatically without relying on any chemicals. The water softener is very easy to set up, but we would prefer it if the instruction manual was clearer.

The softener can generally remove 8PPM of iron from well water. However, it can help you treat well water with an iron level of 10PPM as well. Another thing we like about this softener is that it comes with a free large bottle of drinking water. Considering the performance, grain capacity, and automation, it’s truly a great water softener for well water. This particular model is ideal for households that have high levels of iron, manganese, and sulfur in the water supply.

While great, the price for this unit is a little high considering its simpler design. Also, the instruction manual is not very clear. However, this softener is still a good option if you want a chemical-free water softener system. That being said, this softener is recommend if your well contains water with a higher level of hardness and you don’t mind paying a bit more.

 

6. Whirlpool WHES40E Water Softener

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The second Whirlpool unit on this post, the Whirlpool WHSES40E is similar to the WHESFC model list above, but has a few key differences. For starters, the flow rate and grain capacity of this unit are a bit higher. Newer Whirlpool models such as this one have Advanced 6th Sense and Regeneration Technologies. Through this feature, you can measure and predict water consumption and calibrate the softener accordingly. This particular softener is ideal for families of more than six people, meaning it won’t be for most households.

Whirlpool WHSES40E costs slightly more than the WHESFC model, but is still relatively affordable, all things considered. Furthermore, while our editor’s choice unit can remove iron up to 3 PPM, this model can remove 10 PPM of iron and up to 125 of hardness per gallon of water. While this will be overkill for most households, it’s a great option for those with large families or in situations where multiple generations are residing under one roof.

Even when using the most efficient water softeners, a significant amount of water goes to waste. That being said, once installed, this water softener doesn’t waste water through the process of regeneration, which means you won’t run out of water if you happen to use more than usual on any given day.

Although there are a few Whirlpool water softeners more advanced than this one, this unit offers better value for the money. It’s ideal for larger households with well water that contains a high level of iron and hardness.

 

7. Aquasana EQ-WELL-UV-PRO-AST Whole House Well Water Filter System

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Aquasana Inc. has been providing residential water treatments for 21 years. The range of products from Aquasana features shower systems, water filters, water softeners, water drinking systems, and much more.

Rounding out our best water softener for well water article, the Aquasana EQ is a high-quality whole house well water system. Aquasana’s filters are simple, easy to clean, and reusable. Adding to this, we like how the filter mesh, casing, and other important components are made out of compostable materials.

As a side note, if reading about this particular unit has you interested in a whole house unit, our whole house water filter article lists the top units on the market.

This unit specializes in removing chlorine and it can remove 95% of chlorine from water. Adding to this, it’s also efficient at removing all sorts of other contaminants like heavy metals, pesticides, and organic compounds.

Aquasana has designed this unit to feature salt-free regeneration and it doesn’t require any salt or chemical to remove the hardness of the water. You can also use it to filter soft water for cleaner and purer drinking water.

Aquasana provides a 10-year warranty on this water softener model. Keep in mind, however, the 10-year warranty is only available if you have the system installed by a professional plumber; otherwise, it comes with a 5-year warranty. The company also provides cleaning and conditioning services for the water softener. Furthermore, there’s a 90-day money-back guarantee in the event that the unit is defective.

The EQ-WELL-UV-PRO-AST comes with a professional installation kit, which consists of filters, brass fittings, valves, and other necessary equipment for the system. This system is not recommended for city water supplies but will work well with private wells for residential and commercial properties.