Water Softeners

A softener is sized by the grains it has to remove between regenerations, not by the number on the box. Multiply people, gallons and hardness, then look for a unit whose resin covers about a week of that load at an efficient salt setting. The size calculator does the arithmetic and lists the units that keep up.

The control valve decides how well the unit uses salt and whether parts are easy to find. Metered valves (Fleck 5600SXT, Clack WS1) regenerate on actual water use; timer valves regenerate on a schedule whether you used the water or not. Cabinet units from GE, Whirlpool and Rheem use their own maker's electronics and parts.

Service flow matters as much as capacity in a house with several bathrooms: a small valve or a narrow tank can drop shower pressure when the dishwasher and a second shower run at once.

What is your water doing?

Check before you order

• Size it to your water first. Test your hardness, then use the sizing calculator: the grain rating on the box is a full-salt figure, not what the unit delivers at an efficient setting.
• Check the valve. The control valve decides how the unit regenerates and which parts fit later. Units built on Fleck or Clack heads have the widest parts supply.

Every water softener on one grid

Figures are the makers' own, quoted with their conditions on each product page. Prices change; each product page links to the current price.