Reviews about Water Softeners

k00kie says "Compact & easy to install" about Kenmore Ultra High-Efficiency Water Softener

k00kie — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:27:11 GMT

We ordered this online and received an Email that very same day that it was ready to be picked up at the store. Pickup was exceptionally well organized (much better than ********** in-store pickup arrangement), and less than 3 minutes passed from the moment we arrived until the package was securely resting in our van. After unpacking it we discovered that we would need adaptors to connect our 3/4" pipes to the 1" male fittings that came out of the bypass valve. Another reviewer on this site had recommended Falcon Stainless (www.falconstainless.com), so we called them (1-800-814-8444) and they shipped the parts out that same day. They arrived 2 days later and the installation only took an hour. The plastic bypass valve looked flimsy and cheap (The one on the old water softener that we were replacing was twice the size and made of metal.), but connecting it up was a snap (literally - there are snap connectors on all 4 ports.) and it was tight and drip-free from the first, which was a pleasant......

RuthannC says "Super efficient Softner is outstanding" about Kenmore High-Efficiency Water Softener

RuthannC — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 18:31:48 GMT

We had a contractor friend install it after removing a rental tank and have been enjoying soft water from day one. He was impressed with the price because he pays over $50 a month for his rental tank. The controls are straight forward and simple to operate and the water quality is excellent. This unit is rated highly, which influenced our decision and we're not disappointed.

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JSmucketelli says "Nice unit" about Kenmore Ultra High-Efficiency Water Softener

JSmucketelli — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 22:50:14 GMT

Initially I has very concerned about the flimsy connections that are supplied with the softener. O-rings on HDP fittings. I installed a seperate bypass and isolation valves because I was sure the provided softener connections would not hold up. To my surprise, no leaks and they seem to be handling the temp and pressure swings well. Overall, a good unit that has been online for over a month now with no issues. I would have rather had simple pipe thead stub outs on the rear of the softener.

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diyguy1981 says "DIYers - Get the right connectors!" about Kenmore Extra High-Efficiency Water Softener

diyguy1981 — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 19:42:05 GMT

All in all, this unit is just fine for the average single-family home. If you're a Do-it-Yourself kind of homeowner (such as myself), make sure you analyze all your pipe sizings before you jump in. Sears usually sells a kit with the proper connectors to make your hook-up super easy (only in-store however), but my Sears didn't have any kits, so I did a little research....

What I found was the maker of the connectors - Falcon Stainless. For most installs, they make an absolutely PERFECT solution. It's a corrugated stainless steel tube with a 3/4" female nut on one end (for typical house piping) and a 1" female nut on the other (for the softener hookup). It was almost too easy. They also make a 1" x 1" connector as well if your house piping requires it.

So if you can't find that kit in your Sears, I highly recommend calling up Falcon and ordering their connectors. Really, even a total novice could easily plumb their own installation using them. Here's their web address - www.softenerconnectors.com...

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TEKNUT says "The Series 350 is a best buy" about Kenmore 350 Series Water Softener

TEKNUT — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 19:04:44 GMT

We replaced our old Sears unit and installation and setup was very easy- only had to raise the height of the water valve couplers. The water is very soft and since this unit senses when to recharge it recycles much less often and uses much less salt and water than our older unit. Only wish the display had an indication that it ran because being so much quieter than our old unit we rarely hear it run at 2AM !...

MAP1979 says "Kenmore Extra High-Efficiency Water Softener is a great unit!" about Kenmore Extra High-Efficiency Water Softener

MAP1979 — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 18:53:57 GMT

This unit is more efficient and quiet in comparision to our prior Kenmore Softener. Our old unit was good but this unit is great and a good value. Uses less salt than our older Kenmore softener. Glad we decided to go back to a salt system vs. the salt free unit from another manufacturer....

FredBlue says "Kenmore Extra High-Efficiency Water Softner" about Kenmore Extra High-Efficiency Water Softener

FredBlue — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 01:06:08 GMT

The product seems to be very adequate but with the short time it has been in service, and the location, no determination of it's quietness and efficiency of operation has been made. There has been a leak in the CVC adapters since installation. The power cord should be longer.

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JohnZ06 says "We've only had the unit for 5 days and it works perfectly." about Kenmore Elite Hybrid Water Softener

JohnZ06 — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 14:41:21 GMT

We previously had a Culligan unit in another house and the Elite seems to soften the water better than the Culligan unit. We only had one part go bad with the Culligan softener after 6 years so time will tell with the Elite system. Considering it's less then a quarter of the price of a Culligan I can live with a minor problem if it should occur. We've only had it 5 days but so far I'm 100% pleased.

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Iowaguy2131 says "Kenmore water softener is a great buy" about Kenmore High-Efficiency Water Softener

Iowaguy2131 — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 16:15:46 GMT

Very much needed here in Des Moines. Paired with a whole house sediment filter and a drinking water filter, took samples of before and after and was amazed at the diffenence. Cant believe I was drinking that water! Great softener, very easy to install and maintain. Been in for 3 weeks and havent had to add salt yet (two people in house) Great Product.

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LarryT101 says "Very satisified - Easy to Install and Program" about Kenmore Ultra High-Efficiency Water Softener

LarryT101 — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 16:38:27 GMT

I own a home in an area that has very hard water (30+). I had purchased a salt free softner for my home and while satisifed with the quality of water I continued to have poor performance from my washing machine and dishwasher. I installed the unit 3 days ago and it is hooked up only to my hot water supply line. I did this because I don't need the sodium in my drinking water but still want the beneficial minerals in the water system...... (yep, I had do so some fancy plumbing). I am very pleased to say the system works great and the performance of my dishwasher is fantastic now....

nmd123 says "nice!" about Kenmore 350 Series Water Softener

nmd123 — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 03:49:21 GMT

I like the fact that it is digital instead of the old pin version. Has different functions depending on how often you want/need to regenerate. It is a very nice and quiet unit.

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Ngw says "Kenmore 350 water softener has been a very good purchase.this" about Kenmore 350 Series Water Softener

Ngw — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 22:17:56 GMT

This was the first water softener we have ever purchased. It works perfectly....

scs075 says "Does exactly what it claims, plus installation was super easy" about Kenmore Extra High-Efficiency Water Softener

scs075 — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 20:17:26 GMT

I was replacing my old Kenmore unit with this one. Super compatible, I didn't have to do any plumbing work. It just snapped right into the old connectors. Softening is working fine. I really like the salt level indicator and brine tank light feature, no more fishing in the dark.

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Scrutator says "Hybrid softener does what it says. So far, so good." about Kenmore Elite Hybrid Water Softener

Scrutator — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 20:04:38 GMT

I installed this unit in my mountain vacation home about a month ago and so far I'm pleased.

My water is provided by the water district but is sourced from local wells. I have never experienced such hard water in my life: The shower heads and faucets clogged regularly and the water would form crystals in the toilets and leave hard-water spots everywhere.

I installed the unit myself and found the installation "simple" in concept but labor-intensive as I had to separate the filtered drinking-water, refrigerator and hose-bib lines from the soft-water lines. This required running about 70 feet of new copper pipe under the house--definitely a job for a plumber unless you're a major do-it-yourselfer.

Setup was easy and the unit is much more advanced than a Sears softener I had about 15 years ago in another house. There was no noticeable pressure drop. As is recommended in the manual, I installed a sediment filter ahead of the input though the softener is supposed to block the "big...

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PeterNYC says "Saved me at least $500 on a replacement water softener!" about Kenmore 24 oz. Water Softener Cleaner

PeterNYC — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 18:30:59 GMT

I have a MacClean water softener that was professionally installed about 20 years ago in my weekend home in the Catskills. About a year ago it stopped producing that soft water that felt almost slimy. The water began to stain my toilet bowl and I had to use more soap to create a good lather. There was even a metallic odor to the water. I upped the amount of salt the softener uses when recycling in hopes that would help. But, no results at all.

I scoured the net for info on how to clean the MacClean unit I had, but did not come up with any results. I was afraid I'd have to purchase a new softener. The least expensive one for my small house was just under $500. But, it didn't receive very good reviews. So then I checked Sears to see what they had to offer. In my search on the Sears site, this product came up. I decided to try it out in hopes that I'd be able to save a few bucks by not having to replace my water softener.

I was skeptical at first and couldn't quite...

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