Latest reviews about Kenmore Elite 420 Series Water Softener

Enneagram says "Great features and reliabe" about Kenmore Elite 420 Series Water Softener

Enneagram — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 16:57:56 GMT

I have been using this water softener for over a year and a half with no problems. The water output is geat; my hair is soft, the laundry requires very little detergent, there is no scum buildup in the showers. My favorite features are the "time to fill" indicator, the notice that it will be charging that night, and the data about our average daily water usage. I really appreciate the light on the inside when I fill it with salt.

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jwileyrr says "3 years later I still love this thing! It's awesome." about Kenmore Elite 420 Series Water Softener

jwileyrr — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 18:33:46 GMT

I bought this softener in 2008 and it just works like a top. I never have any volume problems because it has great capacity and it is super efficient with the salt. For two adults and one small child plus frequent guests It does a great job. Water feels great in the shower, the dishes sparkle, and water spots on anything that gets wet are few and far between. What else can you ask for? I opted to buy the best model because I don't like to have the unit recharging all the time - and this unit can go a long while between recharges for the amount of water we use - this also helps with overall salt consumption. Please the thing is small enough to fit where you need it to in most cases and it has a lower lip than the other models so dumping the salt in is easy.

I also like the gauges that tell me my average water use, that is a neat feature that comes in handy. Also the digital display is easy enough for me to use without having to read the manual - which is a huge plus.

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BillBuchholz says "SHOULD BE CALLED "NEVER LAST"" about Kenmore Elite 420 Series Water Softener

BillBuchholz — Mon, 30 May 2011 02:52:05 GMT

This is the 2nd "Elite series we have purchased, they are goog for about 3 yrs, then you waist money trying to fix them, KLike the saying goes, screw me once shame on you, screw me twice shame on me, we will NEVER purchase another softner from Sears

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BC-Sage says "Kenmore Elite high capacity water softener" about Kenmore Elite 420 Series Water Softener

BC-Sage — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 15:52:46 GMT

Great choice if you have a high volume need: swimming pool, hot tub, whirlpool bath, multiple showers/baths used at same time. Great choice for people who would find lifting the salt a shorter distance, to be a plus. Great choice for a private well....

SearsCustomer1970 says "Not For Well Water or High Iron" about Kenmore Elite 420 Series Water Softener

SearsCustomer1970 — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 17:46:39 GMT

Purchased brand new from Sears. Explained everything we needed to the "sales" person. Unfortunately, the "sales" person was not knowledgeable enough to let us know that this brand would die out if installed on a well. The installation "professional" did not even say anything when isntalling it. Of course, it died after the warranty ended. This is why I give it a 1 star rating.

However, I do have a Kenmore softener installed in a home I own that is on city water. That unit has worked perfectly from the start. Soft water, no issues, easy on the salt, etc. They are easy to load. They are easy to program as well. A very user-friendly softener.

All in all, if you are on city water and have no iron or other deposits in your water, this will probably work fine for you. If you are on a well or have high iron in your water DO NOT buy this brand of softener. You need a higher quality brand such as Culligan or Kinetico.

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bravochrly says "Sear Model 420 Water Softener: excellent so far!" about Kenmore Elite 420 Series Water Softener

bravochrly — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 20:40:28 GMT

Our softener has been doing its job flawlessly now for about a month. Clothes are coming out of the washer noticeably cleaner and it's hard to describe the improvement in the dishes, silver and glassware after washing in the dishwasher. Pretty amazing. We should have put one in years ago. I would certainly recommend the Series 420 to anyone who wanted to improve their water.

We live in the country and drink bottled water for the most part, so we were not concerned about added salt in the water. I can taste it though when I brush my teeth!

I did the installation myself. I thought the instructions were clear and followed them pretty much to the letter. If you have PVC plumbing, it would be simple to install the water lines. We have copper plumbing, so some soldering was required, and the two drains required that we make some modifications to the existing sewer lines. If you are not handy with tools, I'd recommend getting a plumber to do the work!

If there is a downside to this whole affair...

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DoctorJay says "Using too much salt? Check your units!" about Kenmore Elite 420 Series Water Softener

DoctorJay — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 14:14:09 GMT

The default hardness setting is in grains. In Texas, the city reports the water hardness in PPM. In the last 2 towns we lived in, it was about 225 PPM. That's about 13 grains. When you first set up the hardness setting, the softener doesn't tell you the units. If you attempt to set it to 225 grains, it will be the equivalent of a hardness of about 3850 PPM! This is 17 times the actual hardness. You would then be using 17 times more salt than required. Fortunately, the maximum grains hardness won't go that high, but you will still use an enormous amount of salt. Set the "units" to PPM and then set the proper hardness level and you will use a very small amount of salt and the water will have a much less slimy feelling when bathing.

Additional recommendations:

1) Purchase a small UPS (uninterruptible power supply) to protect the electronics and settings.

2) If using well water, assume multiple contaminants that may contaminate the resin. You may need both particle and activated...

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OldSearsGuy says "Good while it lasted" about Kenmore Elite 420 Series Water Softener

OldSearsGuy — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 22:55:18 GMT

Bought this unit in 2005. Worked beautifully until 2009 when it started leaking salt residue onto the floor into the drain. The leakage, when dried out, turned into crusty layer of what looks like fine white sand. Finally removed the unit and saw a crack approx thumb-size at the bottom of the outer tank. Email and even spoke to Sears and both time were directed to set up appointment with technician. Cost to come out would be $120 just to tell me if the unit is repairable. Trying to find way to fix the crack myself and then place it in some container to watch for leakage before reconnecting. For an elite model, sure expect to use it for more than 5 yrs. Rather disappointed.

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LivingEasy says "The Kenmore Elite 420 Water softner has made my wife happy" about Kenmore Elite 420 Series Water Softener

LivingEasy — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 16:10:44 GMT

Our old softner had died and rings were forming in the toilet bowls and crust on the shower heads. I had two independent plumbers give me estimates for products that were overkill for the hardness and iron in my water. i was looking at new dishwashers at Sears and the salesperson said I should consider their softner too. Fit the bill perfectly. Had a great installer, saved us a bundle on what I had been quoted by others, and I'm pleased with its appearance and operation. One unit replaced a tall tank and brine tank, so less space is used, the flip up lid makes it easy to add salt, and updating the program is a snap, and the conditioned water is great. Feeling silky smooth skin in the shower. So treat yourself well too with a new Kenmore Elite water softner. Don't waste as much time as I did on making a decision - as, in my case, my wife was getting impatient. Now she's happy.

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whathappened says "Kenmore water softener motor died after 1 1/2 years." about Kenmore Elite 420 Series Water Softener

whathappened — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 00:00:37 GMT

Very disappointed that it only lasted 1 1/2 years. We have ours in the garage and came home one evening to water pouring under the garage door, down the driveway and down the street. It just kept filling and running out the over flow valve. We have extrememly hard water in Arizona and really need a water softener. Now we need to spend even more money to see if it can be fixed and if not, get a new one. Sure will not get this brand.

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Kurt78023 says "Failed After Two Years" about Kenmore Elite 420 Series Water Softener

Kurt78023 — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 16:28:49 GMT

Sears Service technician said the repair cost would be $450 to replace the depleated resin. Product Quality is questionable.

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notintrested says "i am satisfied" about Kenmore Elite 420 Series Water Softener

notintrested — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 15:59:49 GMT

i have had this unit for 3 years now and has worked well.

i am on a well with high iron so i have to run it at 37 so it regenerates more often.

do to the iron i have to. once and a wile i put iron out in the tank to get rid of iron buildup.

would recommend this. i am a maint. eng. with a metro hospital that has a very large softener so i can test my water frequently, and it has been fine the 3 years i have had it.

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LATrace says "A good value for the money" about Kenmore Elite 420 Series Water Softener

LATrace — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 02:26:23 GMT

I've been buying Kenmore water softeners for about 25 years and this is what I know from experience. For the money, the Kenmore water softener is a good product IF YOU BUY THE 5 YEAR PROTECTION PLAN. Yes, they frequently need repairs (about every 12 -18 months). On the last unit that I owned, I replaced the LCD screen and the electronics twice. My dad had a water softener from Culligan - He paid a fortune for it, and it was no better than the Kenmore (still needed lots of repairs). The Sears repair folks are great - you can call them and rest assured the machine will be fixed at no additional cost. So, figure the cost of the 5 year protection plan into your purchase. If you can't extend the protection plan after 5 years, replace the unit.

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ReallyBigFamily says "Works great and easy on salt use" about Kenmore Elite 420 Series Water Softener

sears-feed — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 22:00:05 GMT

I previously had a Culligan softener and it went through salt like nobody's business. I've had this unit installed for almost 2 years with a family of 7 and, more often than not, several guests here. Not only has the quality of water been great, but I don't think I even average using one bag of salt a month. I have really high water pressure (about 65 psi - and I like it that way in case we have 4 showers going at once) and I have been concerned about leaks but so far that worry has been unfounded....

reviewer2222222 says "Not Meant For The Long Haul" about Kenmore Elite 420 Series Water Softener

sears-feed — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 15:30:04 GMT

My water softener worked great... up until the warranty expired. Then one electronic component went out after another. If you need a water softener for more then 2 years, then I would highly recommend getting something other then a Kenmore....

NEWHOME1 says "AWESOME!!" about Kenmore Elite 420 Series Water Softener

sears-feed — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 13:00:05 GMT

We have had our Elite Kenmore for about a year and it is great!! We installed ours in our utility room of our basement in our new construction home, I almost forget its even there its quiet and does not use much salt. Its very easy to use, and works awesome!! In our city we have very hard water, but this takes care of that problem with ease. Makes cleaning the bathrooms and sinks a breeze, no hard water buildup. Our stainless steel interior of our dishwasher used to look horrible, but with this it shines after each load. The only thing I did do was use a copper bypass and ball bearing valves instead of the plastic one it came with....

Inspector62 says "Lasted just past the warranty." about Kenmore Elite 420 Series Water Softener

sears-feed — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 20:15:07 GMT

Notice everyone that gave it a high rating has only owned one for a few months or so. Mine worked great for 1 year. Just past that it starting giving trouble. It is NOT meant for well water, just city water. I also had to pay someone to change some of the resin beads as the cheap beads installed do not remove tannins. It cost me an extra $150.00 to get the resin bed upgraded. The one tank design creates issues itself. The circuit board is just over the salt and mine went out about year 2 due to corrosion. This unit has been literally one problem after another - after the warranty expired....

Anonymous says "water softener" about Kenmore Elite 420 Series Water Softener

sears-feed — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 17:00:08 GMT

i like this water softener because it is very efficient, it works well, it is durable, and it was the cheapest! i would recommend this to all of my friends....

SteveO1975 says "More salt use than i could ever imagine." about Kenmore Elite 420 Series Water Softener

sears-feed — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 05:45:10 GMT

This is my first experience with a water softener. I've had it for almost a year and it is working good still, but it uses 4.6 lbs. of salt per recharge, and i have it set on "salt saver" and "water saver." Although we use 220-260 gallons of water with 6 people in the house per day, it still seems like it uses way too much salt. If it lasts 15 years, it may end up costing as much as another high end brand because of the salt usage. I am putting in 100 lbs of salt per month! Hardly a salt saver. It does have some good features like how many GPM's your using, the bypass valve, etc. The unit was simple to isntall, after going to a specialty plumbing store to find the 1" copper lines to hook it up. It only took about an hour. My drain hoses were long enough since i have a sink next to the softener. If only it were a salt saver, i would say this thing is a really nice softener, otherwise, it's just mediocre....

pks77 says "Great Softener" about Kenmore Elite 420 Series Water Softener

sears-feed — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 20:15:11 GMT

This softener is really straight forward...easy to understand. We haven't had any problems with it and we've had it for 3 months or so now....