Don’t Buy Until You Understand The FULL Water Softener Costs
Water Softener System Costs
I’ll look at the 3 levels of softeners, give an indication of their price range and explain what they are.
Budget and Low Cost Water Softeners (from $500)
A poor quality cheap budget softener model can have the annual operating costs (salt and electricity) of more than $120 per year. This does not even cover possible regular maintenance service and repairs.
Some customers who buy very cheap softeners equipment say that they need to upgrade after a few years to a better quality water softener.
If you have a limited budget don’t automatically opt for the cheapest model because cheaper isn’t always better.
Branded Mid-Range Water Softeners (from $1495)
I find that this is by far the most popular choice for customers as they offer the best option for soft water. Best build quality, best warranties and lower operating costs, which can be as low as $30 per year.
While the softener cost may seem like a lot of money, the life of a branded water softener is usually about 15 years.
Large Water Softener Systems (From $3650)
These tend to be necessary for larger homes, factories, commercial premises and industrial needs.
It might even be necessary to build a fully customized system.
Larger water softening systems are needed for extremely hard water, for very high water flows or for a water consumption of more than 2000 liters per day. Examples are this or this
Aquasana Salt Free Softener and Filter System(Conditioner & Filter) | SpringWell Whole House Filter & Salt Softener(Traditional Salt Water Softener & Filter) |
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| - Powerful salt-FREE water softener. - 1,000,000 one million gallon capacity. - Aquasana Rhino exceeds NSF standards. - Treats hard water WITHOUT salt. - Removes chlorine, bacteria, iron, sulfide, manganese, mercury, lead etc. - Includes pre-filter, copper-zinc and carbon filtration stages with standard fittings. - Treats hard water up to 25 ppm WITHOUT needing salt. - 90-Day Pure Satisfaction Guarantee. | - Powerful salt-BASED water softener. - Also includes a multi-stage filter. - Easy installation (inside or outside) - 6 month satisfaction guarantee and limited lifetime warranty. - Sufficient for 1-3 bathrooms (options for more bathrooms available). |
| Does NOT require electricity or back-flushing. | Requires electricity if using the electronic head monitor. |
| N/A | Effectively treats: calcium and magnesium. |
| Control Your System With An App:? NO | Control Your System With An App:? YES |
| Treats hard water UP TO 25 ppm (low to medium low hard water). | Treats hard water OVER 25 ppm (medium to extremely hard water). |
| Sale prices automatically applied by clicking this link. | |
| If there is *no* sale try coupon code: AQGEEK50 | Coupon Code: GEEK5 |
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| $$$ Ships to US and CA. | $$$ Ships to US, CA and Puerto Rico. |
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What About Softener Installation Costs?
How much is the installation of a water softener? A member of Angie’s List who installed a water softener in 2013 said they paid about $1,690 to install their device.
This does not however take in to consideration any possible discounts that many service providers give to new customers.
Nor does it take into account the complexity of their set up etc.
The labor costs typically associated with the installation of a water softener include the removal or disposal of a previous system, the preparation of piping for the new system to be installed, and the materials required to secure the unit.
The labor and material costs can therefore be between $250 and $400 dollars extra.
Amazon is currently offering professional plumbing installation for a fraction of these prices. You also benefit from their reliable and world-famous customer service if anything goes wrong.
What Determines the Water Softener System Cost?
How much does a water softener system cost? There are several factors that affect the final cost, including the type of system you choose. A small and simple water filter for a single faucet in a house does not cost much.
The most common culprits for hard water are calcium and magnesium. For water softening, therefore, the removal of these minerals from the incoming water supply, so that the water is better usable for daily activities.
The amount that you ultimately pay to install a water softener depends on these factors.
- Homeowners can pay as little as $450 for a basic softener while paying over to $2,500 for a powerful softener for large households or industrial level softeners.
- The costs may vary depending on the contractor, the type of water softener used and the water softening machine itself.
- At the other extreme are the water purification systems for the entire house, which cleanse and soften all the water that enters your home. The better a water treatment system, the more expensive it gets.
- The condition and accessibility of the installation location of your home are additional factors.
System and Unit Size
The specific size of the water softener determines how much an owner pays for a softener machine.
Larger houses, houses with more inhabitants and properties with a large amount of hard water will need larger and more effective units to remove minerals that cause hardness. 
Water softeners are characterized by their capacity, and their capacity is measured in grains per gallon (GPG).
For a home that requires less than 3,500 g / l water softener, the capacity needed to install it is about 24,000 g. For a house with 6,000 grains, the required capacity of the water softener is 48,000 grains.
To get an idea of the price of each unit, a 75,000-level water softener costs about $1,250.
Consider Your Water Supply
If your water intake is quite hard, you need a more effective softening process to achieve the desired results. In short, the harder the water, the higher the softening costs.
How Much Does it Cost to Maintain?
The biggest difference between the types of water softeners is the use of sodium or potassium.
Sodium-based water softener salt cost approximately $5 for a 40-pound bag, while potassium softener costs around $27 per 40-pound bag.
Sodium is much cheaper than potassium, but if you need to be able to drink the softened water (without salt), you may have to bear the extra cost.
What Is The Best Water Softener For You?
When it comes to popularity and number of sales, Fleck SXT is by far the most popular water softener model with the best customer reviews.
It is the best selling water softener online and has lots of raving fans.
The best part is that you can pick up any Fleck online today with free shipping.
Fleck is hands down the best selling water softener that is available. A big part of this because of its affordable price and great performance.
What is a Better Option?
The original version of this article recommended Fleck because it is generally good at treating hard water.
However, I no longer recommend Fleck for the following reasons:
Fleck does NOT filter your water. This means you can’t drink it direct from the faucet. However, a combination filter softener will both soften and make your water drinkable at the same time.
This water treatment model offers the best value for money with prices starting at around $2550, which is very affordable when you Flecks start at around of $1250 and then you’ll need to pay over $2500 for a dedicated whole house filter.
Very easy to configure and set up.
They are designed to consume less water which also means lower operating costs.
These are low to no maintenance machines and they typically take care of themselves.
