If you’re dealing with high levels of calcium in your water, that’s a sign of water hardness. Now, here’s the deal: a regular filter won’t cut it when it comes to tackling this mineral. You’ll need an ion-exchange unit or a water conditioner to effectively reduce the calcium in your water. Trust me, that’s the way to go!
Finding the best filter is hard, especially with dozens of brands claiming to be the best.
I’ve done all the hard work for you and put together a comprehensive ranking of the top-notch calcium water filters in terms of filtration technology, flow rate, filtering capacity, durability, cost, and certifications.
Here’s what I found.
1. SpringWell Salt Based Water Softener System: 9.70/10
- Best filter and softener combo
- $2,416.33
The SpringWell CSS1 offers a mighty combination of salt-based water softener and whole-house water filter that effectively remove commonly found pollutants in city water as well as hard minerals. This filter’s long life and lifetime warranty make it the best on the market.
Pros
SpringWell uses a proprietary active-flow technology that increases the contact time between your water and the filtration system, allowing for deep cleansing.
This whole-house filter features KDF media, catalytic carbon filter media, and a sediment filter that takes out silt, dirt, chlorine, chlorine by-products, PFOS, pesticides, herbicides, and many pollutants commonly occurring in municipal water.
As a result of this effective filtration, you’ll notice a significant difference in the taste and texture of your water after installing this unit.
The next stage features SpringWell’s salt-based ion exchange water softener that exchanges calcium and magnesium in water with sodium ions. Once the resin reaches its saturation point, it is automatically backwashed with fresh brine solution.
If you’re on well water and want to treat hardness along with iron and manganese that are commonly found in private wells, you can go with SpringWell’s WS1 filter and combine it with SpringWell’s salt-based water softener.
What I like about SpringWell is you can also control the cleaning cycle by connecting the electronic head to your smartphone using an app. You can view your filter’s settings, including the valves and water usage information, and start and schedule the backwashing and regeneration cycles. How cool is that?
This powerful ion exchange unit removes all the scale buildup in your plumbing and appliances. Softening your water with this system is also a game-changer for your personal care routine. Your skin and hair will feel smoother and more moisturized.
Unlike typical water softening systems that offer no more than 7 GPM flow rate, SpringWell gives you three models with varying flow rates — 9 GPM, 12 GPM, and 20 GPM — to suit your household needs. As you move up to the higher models, you’ll find that the prices also increase accordingly. All models are equipped with a whopping 1,000,000 gallons of filtration capacity.
If you’re handy, you can install the system yourself. Otherwise, you may need to call a professional plumber. Either way, your warranty will stay intact.
SpringWell offers a limited lifetime warranty and a six-month money-back guarantee, which is longer than any other unit on this list. And lastly, you can rest easy knowing that it’s made right here in the USA using certified components.
Cons
Some users may find SpringWell more expensive than other units. But considering this brand offers a lifetime warranty and the longest money-back guarantee, it’s worth the investment.
Overall
The SpringWell CSS1 is not only a strong water softener but also a whole-house water filtration system that takes out all the pesky pollutants in city water. This combined with the fact that SpirngWell offers the best flow rate, highest filtration capacity, longest life, and minimal maintenance, makes it stand out.
If you want to soften your water while stripping it off of stubborn pollutants, then go with Springwell CSS1.
2. Crystal Quest Water Softener: 8.60/10
- Cost-effective
- $1,531
Crystal Quest uses a robust ion exchange system sandwiched between pre- and post-filters to tackle pollutants like dirt and chlorine, along with hard minerals. What makes this unit unique is its affordability and great performance, even at high flow rates.
Pros
When water passes through the Crystal Quest filter, it goes through three stages of filtration.
The first stage captures solid particles, sediment, dirt, and silt. This is followed by Crystal Quest’s ion exchange system that replaces calcium and magnesium particles with sodium in the water. The softened water is again filtered through a carbon filter to remove volatile organic compounds (VOCs), inorganic and organic pollutants in water.
With Crystal Quest, you customize your water filter according to the contamination in the water. Just contact customer service, and they will walk you through all the options suitable for you. For instance, if you want stronger filtration, you can opt for SMART or Eagle multimedia.
You can regenerate Crystal Quest water softener media with either sodium or potassium ions, depending on your preferences. This is a great feature for consumers who worry the sodium won’t be suitable for their health needs.
Like SpringWell, you can program Crystal Quest’s electronic head for backwashing and regenerating the ion exchange media. However, you cannot connect it to your smartphone. That level of convenience is exclusive to SpringWell.
Crystal Quest offers two models with different sizes and flow rates to small to medium households. You can choose between 9–11 GPM or 10–13 GPM. All Crystal Quest filters typically last a year before needing a replacement.
Cons
Crystal Quest offers only a one-year warranty from the date of purchase, which is valid if a licensed plumber installs your unit. In comparison, SpringWell’s lifetime warranty blows this out of the water, making Crystal Quest’s warranty quite underwhelming in comparison.
Another downside is you cannot control the electronic head through an app on your phone.
Overall
With the Crystal Quest water softener, you can bid farewell to the troubles caused by hard water. This system employs pre- and post-filters to effectively remove common pollutants, ensuring your water is pristine.
While the warranty may not be as impressive, there’s no denying this unit excels at softening and purifying your water, delivering excellent results you can rely on.
3. US Water Systems Matrixx Smart Metered Water softener: 7.80/10
- 70% reduced salt consumption
- $1,400.35
US Water Systems Matrixx softener stands out due to its high-tech Vortech technology that improves the efficiency of both its filtration and softening capabilities. This combined with its 10-year limited warranty makes it a decent choice for removing calcium in water.
Pros
US Water Systems uses high-quality ion exchange resin, proprietary Vortech technology, and smart valves to enhance its efficiency. The biggest benefit you’ll get out of this system is its high efficiency. It consumes 70% less salt annually compared to typical softeners. This impressive feat is made possible by the innovative Vortech distribution system, which creates a swirling effect within the tank. This, in turn, significantly amps up the efficiency of the softening process.
Plus, you won’t experience any water pressure drops.
You can get this system in four models with different flow rates ranging between 7 GPM and 20 GPM. Like SpringWell, this system also features a high-quality electronic head that lets you control the backwashing cycles from your smartphone. You can monitor your water hardness, valve settings, and salt usage, as well as scheduling backwashes and regeneration cycles.
Depending on your needs, you have the option to use either sodium or potassium for regenerating the softener media.
Another awesome feature is that it comes with a battery, which is super helpful during unexpected power outages.
Lastly, you’ll get a 10-year warranty on electronics and a lifetime warranty on the tank and resin.
Cons
If you’re thinking of getting it installed, just keep in mind that you might need to hire a plumber, which could add an extra cost of around $200 to $500.
Another downside of this unit compared to SpringWell and Crystal Quest is that it will not treat any other pollutant other than hard minerals because it is a standalone water softener. So, if you’re also looking for a filtration system, you might want to explore my first two recommendations.
Overall
US Water Systems water softener is a strong and effective softener owing to its Vortech technology that saves 70% of salt consumption annually. You’ll get to control and monitor the system using the smartphone app. It requires minimum maintenance, but you’ll need to hire a professional plumber for its installation. Learn more here.
4. Aquasana Salt-free Water Conditioner
Aquasana’s salt-free water conditioner is another decent option if you want to reduce the scale buildup in your pipes, plumbing, and home appliances. The system works by converting calcium and magnesium into crystals that won’t stick to surfaces. Just like any water conditioner, this system will not soften the water but neutralize calcium and magnesium minerals.
It comes with a sediment pre-filter and post-filter, which removes silt, dirt, and solid particles in the water.
One thing I particularly like about Aquasana is it features an Upflow technology — a dual tank design that increases the contact time of water with scale control media for higher effectiveness.
Priced at $799, this salt-free water conditioner can last up to 10 years or 1,000,000 gallons of water. Despite having a high flow rate of 15.3 GPM, the water pressure does not remain steady when multiple faucets are turned on. I tried turning on more than two taps at the same time, and the water pressure just dropped.
Aquasana gives 10 years limited warranty and 30 days money-back guarantee, which is commendable.
It won’t be useful for maintaining the quality of your hair, skin, and clothing, but it will protect your pipes from scale buildup. Read more about it here.
5. SoftPro Elite Water Softener
SoftPro Elite water softener comes in two models for city water and well water. You can buy it in different sizes according to the needs of your household. Priced at $1,322, this softener uses high-quality 10% cross-link ion exchange resin for high efficiency.
Like the SpringWell, this unit also features an electronic control valve to monitor backwashing and regeneration cycles. But you can’t connect it to your smartphone.
One benefit you can get out of this system is its Smart Precision+ brining, which reduces salt consumption by 30%. You’ll get a neoprene jacket for the system tank to protect it from mold formation or any other damage.
If you’re dealing with extremely hard water, you might have to opt for a model with a higher grain capacity. The thing is, these models are quite big and will need space. So, if your basement or garage is already crowded, this could pose a bit of an issue. Just something to keep in mind while choosing the right water softener for your place.
What really grabbed my attention was the lifetime warranty and the six-month money-back guarantee, which is equivalent to what SpringWell offers. It’s pretty impressive to have that kind of confidence in its product.
6. Crystal Quest Whole House Reverse Osmosis System
If you want to deal with calcium along with other trickly pollutants in water, like lead, bacteria, and VOCs, you might want to check out a whole-house reverse osmosis system. But keep in mind that if you have extreme water hardness, you should get yourself a water softener like the SpringWell rather than a reverse osmosis system.
Crystal Quest’s reverse osmosis system can reduce calcium levels in your water and take care of a boatload of other contaminants. You can choose from 11 models with differing flow rates and sizes to suit your water needs. Plus, this brand allows you to pair up your RO filter with Crystal Quest’s SMART filter, a remineralization tank, or a UV sterilizer.
Although it has great filtration power, I couldn’t find any test results or performance sheets for this filter on its website. Another big letdown is its one-year warranty, which is too short compared to the rest of the whole-house filters on the market.
Also, keep in mind that this filter might not last long if your main goal is to tackle water hardness. It can reduce calcium levels in the water, but unfortunately, it can’t do that without reducing the life of the RO membrane. So, if water hardness is your primary concern, you might want to explore other options that won’t compromise the RO membrane’s longevity.
7. Aquasure Harmony Series
Priced at $579, the Aquasure water softener is designed for homes with as many as three to four bathrooms and is rated to treat 48,000 grains of hardness.
The unit you select is based on the size of your household. All are equipped with a flow rate of 12 GPM, which is a decent bargain at this price point. However, keep in mind that you’ll need to purchase a pre-filter separately, which will involve an additional cost.
You can use its electronic control head to monitor and adjust the backwashing and regeneration cycles through the digital display.
Aquasure might seem affordable, but it requires high maintenance, and you’ll only get a one-year warranty if you don’t register yourself after purchasing the unit. Some customers have also reported that the valves are unreliable and might need changing after some time.
8. AO Smith Whole House Water Softener Alternative
AO Smith’s whole-house water conditioner, priced at $399, has a shorter life compared to the rest of the filters. It will last six years, or 600,000 gallons. The best thing about this water conditioner is that you can totally install it yourself. No need to call in a pro and waste your bucks when you can handle it DIY style.
Another nice thing about the AO Smith water conditioner is that you get a six-year warranty at such an affordable price. Plus, since it’s a salt-free water conditioner, it doesn’t require backwashing or regeneration.
This AO Smith unit is great for dealing with mildly contaminated water, but it might not be as effective at descaling if you’re dealing with medium or extreme water hardness.
The Bottom Line
Out of all the options I explored, SpringWell’s CSS1 water softener and whole-house water filter stood out as the best choice by far.
Its impressive performance, exceptional build quality, and outstanding customer reviews have convinced me it’s the ideal solution for effectively removing calcium from the water, especially considering most people need water softening as well as effective filtration of contaminants.
SpringWell takes the lead among the calcium removal water filters for a compelling reason: it goes beyond just reducing water hardness. This outstanding whole-house filtration system tackles calcium ions and works wonders in clearing harmful pollutants commonly found in city water.
SpringWell comes fully equipped with a high flow rate and an impressive 1,000,000-gallon filtration capacity. The best part is it requires zero maintenance from your side.
Simply connect it to your smartphone and effortlessly monitor or adjust the backwashing cycles with ease. Moreover, SpringWell proudly boasts a lifetime warranty and a fantastic six-month money-back guarantee, making it a risk-free investment.
Research Methodology
Wondering how I picked the best calcium removal systems? Here, I’ll walk you through the steps to choose the top eight options.
Step 1: A big list of calcium-removal systems
I kicked off my research by putting together this big list of whole-house water filters that claim to tackle the pesky calcium in water. I surfed online marketplaces like Amazon, Walmart, and Target.
I also reached out to my buddies, family, and even some local plumbers to get their two cents on the matter. They had some great suggestions that I hadn’t even thought of. By the end of the day, I had a solid list of 15 whole-house water filters to determine which ones really do the trick with calcium removal.
Step 2: Online reviews
With my list of 15 potential candidates in hand, I dived into online reviews from trusted sources like Amazon reviews, Trustpilot, Consumer Reports, and Angie’s List. This helped me eliminate water filters with poor reviews and ratings, leaving me with the most promising options for further evaluation.
Step 3: Product analysis
Before diving into the process of ranking the water filters, I knew it was essential to equip myself with knowledge about calcium whole-house water filters. I took some time to research the best technologies available for effectively removing calcium from water.
I learned that ion exchange filters are the best way to treat calcium. Additionally, I wanted to understand other crucial factors to consider when evaluating a filter’s overall performance.
For example, even though salt-based ion exchange is the most effective, it’s not practical for some people. So I made sure to include a salt-free option among the best calcium removal systems available.
To understand which products consumers were looking for, I needed to hear from the customers themselves.
Step 4: Interviews with real customers
So, to really get the lowdown on these water filters, I decided to chat directly with customers and hear all about their experiences. Some of them were so excited that they invited me over to try out the filters in their homes.
Talk about hands-on testing. These candid conversations and real-life experiments gave me a whole new level of insight into the filters’ performance. It was like having an insider’s guide to finding the best water filters for kicking calcium to the curb.
Step 5: Interviews with companies
To get a complete picture, I reached out to the companies on my list and asked about their warranties and test reports. This allowed me to assess not only the product quality but also their customer service.
Understanding the level of support and assurance provided by each company played a vital role in determining the best calcium removal systems. I gained a clearer perspective on which filters performed well and prioritized their customers’ satisfaction.
Step 6: Test drives
The next phase involved putting the water filters to the test myself. I purchased some filters, rented others, and even got my hands on a water testing kit. Setting up a testing rig in my basement, I carefully examined the filtered water samples. But that’s not all — I also closely analyzed each filter’s build quality, maintenance requirements, and ease of installation.
With all this firsthand knowledge, I felt totally ready to pick out the best whole-house water filter for calcium.
Step 7: Ratings
As the final step, I organized all the gathered information into a spreadsheet, bringing everything together in one place. I ran a few formulas to analyze the data, and voilà! I had a comprehensive list of filters, ranked from #1 to #8.
Final Thoughts: The Best Calcium Water Filter Whole House
The SpringWell CSS1 is the best choice if you want to remove calcium, other hard minerals, and dangerous contaminants all with one system.
Here are a few characteristics that make it stand out:
- Active flow technology
- Long-lasting ion exchange resin
- Removes common pollutants in city water
- Electronic control head with Bluetooth
- High flow rate
- 1,000,000-gallon filtration capacity
- Made in the USA
- Lifetime warranty
Get your hands on the SpringWell CSS1 today if you need soft and clean water from every tap in your home without compromising water pressure.
If you’re interested in exploring various kinds of whole-house water filters, these additional resources can offer you detailed insights:
