If you’re on the hunt for a top-notch water softener, let me spill the beans on the SoftPro Elite High-Efficiency Water Softener.
I’ve done the legwork, chatting with folks who’ve used it, consulting the experts, and even giving it a spin myself. So, picture me as your friendly water guru, here to help you navigate the SoftPro water softener maze. I’ve got the inside scoop on how well it tackles hard water and whether it’s the upgrade you’ve been dreaming of.
Stick around. This review is your shortcut to softer, smoother water.
Quick Verdict
The SoftPro Elite High-Efficiency Water Softener from Quality Water Treatment is a premier high-efficiency, high-flow softener that provides superior engineering and build quality. I recommend it for any homeowners looking for an eco-friendly solution to hard water that still applies ion exchange technology for reliable hard water solutions.
Pros:
- Eco-friendly features limit water and salt waste
- Safety features that prevent bacteria and flooding
- LCD touchscreen controls
- Widely variable grain capacities
Cons:
- Too large for those with limited space
- No internet functionality
- Expensive
If you’re looking for an eco-friendly water softener that doesn’t fuss about with added bells and whistles, the SoftPro Elite Water Softener is a great choice.
Who Is the SoftPro Elite Water Softener For?
The SoftPro Elite Water Softener is great for people in larger homes who want an eco-friendly alternative to water softeners that add your household overhead by wasting water and salt.
The SoftPro is for you if…
- You’re tired of scrubbing stubborn mineral deposits off faucets and fixtures, the SoftPro Elite is your time-saving ally. Its high efficiency means less time battling hard water stains and more time for family moments.
- You’re the type who loves home projects but hates wrestling with complicated systems? The SoftPro Elite’s user-friendly design and straightforward installation make it a dream for DIY enthusiasts — no advanced plumbing degree required!
- You’re not fussed with advanced features like internet connectivity and mobile alerts.
- You are concerned about your carbon footprint and want a water softener that uses advanced technology to reduce water and salt usage as much as possible.
The SoftPro is not your cup of tea if…
- You live in a cozy apartment. The SoftPro Elite’s larger size might be a bit much for tight spaces. Consider smaller, compact water softeners or a whole-house water filter if space is at a premium in your home.
- You like techy features and want to interact with your water softener on your phone.
- You’re looking for a more budget-friendly option for your water softening needs.
SoftPro Elite Water Softener: Features Breakdown
With the SoftPro Elite Water Softener you can choose between a well system water softener and a city water system water softener. Each comes in various grain capacities, starting at 24,000 all the way up to 80,000. Here is a detailed breakdown of the key features of the SoftPro Elite Water Softener:
Variable grain capacity
The grain capacity of a water softener refers to the amount of hardness it can remove from your water before requiring regeneration. The higher the grain capacity, the more water the softener can treat before needing to regenerate. The SoftPro Elite Water Softener’s various grain capacities make it a versatile solution for households with different water usage needs.
For example, a household with one to two people and a hardness level of 5–10 gpg (grains per gallon) would require a 32,000 grain capacity water softener, while a household with five to six people and a hardness level of 31–40 gpg would require a 64,000–96,000 grain capacity water softener.
Having different grain capacities available ensures households can choose the right size water softener for their specific needs, which can help save money on salt and water usage.
Fine mesh resin
The SoftPro Elite water softener for well water resin tank features fine mesh resin as opposed to standard resin. Fine mesh does a better job of removing iron up to 3 ppm (parts per million), which can lessen the effectiveness of your resin over time.
However, if you’re in a part of the country with very high iron, you need the SoftPro package that comes with an iron filter or other water treatment system.
Other benefits of fine mesh resin include overall better filtration and easier regeneration. But smaller beads of resin aren’t without their drawbacks. For example, they’re more susceptible to plugging and fouling. They’re also not suitable for high flow rates or turbidity.
Large brine tank
The SoftPro Elite High-Efficiency Water Softener comes with a large brine tank, where the salt is stored. The logic is that this large brine tank conserves salt by minimizing frequent refills.
However, it’s not practical for small apartments or townhouses where space is limited.
Upflow technology
The SoftPro Elite city water salt-based water softener uses its upflow regeneration technology that reduces salt waste by as much as 75% and water waste by 64%. This technology uses reverse flow regeneration to drive hardness minerals up through the depleted resin, which saves both salt and any unused portion of the resin.
Traditional “downflow” regeneration systems can leave unused resin at the bottom of the tank, which can lead to inefficiencies and wasted salt. This technology also ensures that the water softener is always working at peak efficiency, providing you with soft water that is free of hard minerals.
Automatic backwash override
Usually, water softeners will backwash after each regeneration to clean the resin and prepare the system for the next cycle. However, that’s not necessary for everyone, for example, those with treated city water may need fewer backwashes.
With automatic backwash override, homeowners can skip up to 10 backwashes and save water and money.
LCD touchscreen meter
This system comes with an electronic touchscreen meter that lets you set the system to run to your own preferences or check the system’s status. The LCD touchscreen meter is easy to operate and provides users with a simple way to monitor and control their water softener.
It displays important information, such as the system’s status, the amount of salt remaining, and the amount of water used. This information can help users optimize their water softener’s performance and ensure it is operating at maximum efficiency.
Safety features
The SoftPro Elite comes with several safety features that ensure the system is operating safely and efficiently. One of these features is the safety float, which is similar to the type in your toilet that turns the water off if the level gets too high.
The safety float prevents water damage by shutting off the water supply if the water level in the brine tank gets too high. This prevents any potential water damage to your home.
Additionally, the SoftPro Elite Water Softener features an automatic refresh feature that prevents bacteria growth. If the system is dormant for seven days, it will automatically refresh itself.
Easy installation and maintenance
Most water softeners are pretty straightforward, but you do get the occasional fussy one. The SoftPro is certainly not fussy.
The system comes with multiple quick-connect features on the bypass valve, drain line, and power cord, which makes installation a breeze.
Additionally, the system’s precision brining feature minimizes salt usage by pre-making only 70% of the brine just before regeneration, which means the system requires fewer salt refills than traditional water softeners.
Warranty
Warranties and guarantees aren’t rare in the home appliance industry, but it’s important to know what you’re getting from them.
First off, you can return the device within six months if you’re unsatisfied. However, you’ll have to pay for the return shipping cost as well as the original shipping cost, and a 25% restocking fee. Whatever you have leftover may not be worth returning it. This is not uncommon.
The SoftPro Elite Water Softener comes with a limited lifetime warranty on the control valve, which includes all parts except those prone to wear, such as the piston, spacers, seals, and brine valve assembly.
The resin and salt tanks also carry a lifetime warranty. The warranty coverage ensures that the system is protected against defects and malfunctions, giving users peace of mind. There’s also a seven-year warranty on the circuit board, so if anything goes wrong with it electrically, you’re covered.
What I Like About the SoftPro Elite Water Softener
Having extensively tested the SoftPro Elite Water Softener, I’m impressed with its overall performance and user-friendly design. The standout feature, undoubtedly, is the eco-friendliness. Water softeners are notorious for wasting water and requiring constant salt refills. The SoftPro applies innovation features to avoid these pitfalls.
I also like the fine mesh resin, which ensures a thorough removal of hard water minerals and better filtering of iron. Standard resin is fine, but fine mesh just gives your water softener that extra oomph.
The system’s high capacity is another standout, catering seamlessly to the demands of a household with multiple members, and the spacious brine tank extends the time between refills, minimizing the maintenance hassle.
The LCD touchscreen meter provides real-time insights into water usage and regeneration cycles, empowering users to optimize the system for efficiency.
As someone who demands not just soft water but overall enhanced water quality with minimal fuss and expense, I’m pretty confident the SoftPro Elite stands out as a reliable, efficient, and user-centric solution.
What You Might Not Like About the SoftPro Elite Water Softener
One major drawback, at least among techy people, is that you can’t control this device from your phone. Some modern water softeners connect to your home’s Wi-Fi, send alerts to your phone, and let you manage your settings from anywhere. You can’t do this with the SoftPro.
The system’s physical footprint is larger than some compact models, which might pose a challenge for those with limited space. However, this is a trade-off for the system’s impressive capacity, catering to larger households.
Additionally, the initial cost might be a consideration for budget-conscious consumers, although the long-term savings on salt and water can perhaps offset this.
Still, these are minor inconveniences compared to the overall benefits the SoftPro Elite brings to the table. It’s a matter of weighing the system’s robust performance, advanced features, and eco-friendly approach against these slight quirks.
In the grand scheme of things, the SoftPro Elite Water Softener has proven to be a valuable addition to my home, enhancing water quality and simplifying the battle against hard water issues.
SoftPro Elite Water Softener Review Methodology
This section explains the process I applied to review the SoftPro Elite salt-based water softeners.
Step 1: A list of SoftPro water softeners
To start with, I needed to know which water softening solutions are available under the SoftPro brand. Apart from salt-based water softeners, there are salt-free alternatives also sold under this brand name. But these are just water conditioners, they don’t actually soften water.
I had to settle for the salt-based options. What’s nice about SoftPro is that it doesn’t claim one water softener can apply to both city water and well water and instead has a different water softener for each type of water system. So, I decided to review both SoftPro Elite systems.
Step 2: Product analysis
Now that I had determined which models I wanted to review, it was time to ask myself a list of questions about the features I needed to look out for in these two SoftPro water systems. These would function as a guide during my research process:
- Are these water softeners sold as combination systems that include a whole-house water filter or reverse osmosis system?
- Do they have an automatic backwash override or auto system refresh setting?
- Are there any safety features that limit the growth of bacteria in the salt tank?
- What is the cost of renting a new water softener system as opposed to buying one?
- Is there a feature that minimizes salt usage?
- What contaminants do they remove from tap water?
- How effective are they at reducing scale buildup in bathroom fixtures and appliances like a water heater?
- What differences are there between the city water softener and the well water softener?
Step 3: Online reviews
Next, it was time to check on the user reviews, which are important but must always be viewed through a skeptical lens. I spent hours going through user sentiment on websites like Amazon, Quality Water Treatment, Lowe’s, and Walmart trying to figure out what customers were saying about both models of these systems.
I took note of every positive and negative review and compared them against what I discovered later.
Step 4: Interviews with real customers
For this step, I needed to contact actual customers with firsthand knowledge of SoftPro water softeners. The only certain method was to conduct a questionnaire. So, I gathered a few friends and camped outside major retail stores in my local town, handing out cookies and lemonade to anyone who was willing to share their experience with these systems.
This method has worked for me in the past. It’s amazing what people will tell you if you give them enough cookies.
I also conducted an online poll on Facebook and Twitter to widen my scope. After a week, I had all the data I needed.
Step 5: Interview with SoftPro
Armed with the information I collected while analyzing user sentiment, it was time to contact the manufacturer and press its reps for responses to the negative reviews they received from customers.
I was very impressed by how the customer service handled themselves calmly as I bombarded them with questions. I had the feeling that SoftPro really cares about its customers’ feedback.
Step 6: Test drives
This was the most important part of the research process. If I wanted to truly be authoritative on this issue, I had to find a way to test these systems. So I contacted a few water treatment dealers in my area and asked if I could rent both systems for a few test runs.
One dealer agreed to my request, and after sealing the deal, I took both systems home and commenced the testing phase. I operated each one for two weeks so I could observe regeneration, during which I tested my water for hardness, played with the settings, and monitored the cycles and brine tank, as well as my water flow.
Step 7: Final rankings
Eventually, I had all the information I needed to sit down and write this review. But first, I needed to collate this data on a spreadsheet based on the following parameters:
- Grain capacity
- Brine tank size
- Resin beads
- Regeneration technology
- Intuitive or convenience features
- Safety features
- Eco-friendliness
- Ease of installation and maintenance
- Warranty
SoftPro Elite Water Softener Review: Conclusion
After an immersive journey with the SoftPro Elite Water Softener, my verdict is clear: This system is a standout choice for those seeking not just a water softener but a comprehensive solution to hard water woes.
The system’s eco-friendless, variable grain capacities, user-friendly LCD touchscreen, and spacious brine tank add layers of convenience, making it ideal for larger households. While minor considerations like space and cost may arise, the long-term benefits outweigh these concerns.
For anyone committed to a seamless softening experience, the SoftPro Elite earns my wholehearted recommendation. It’s a game-changer in terms of efficiency, eco-friendliness, and overall water quality. Don’t just settle for softened water; elevate your entire water experience with the SoftPro Elite Water Softener.
Alternatives
The SoftPro Elite Water Softener isn’t for everyone, but there is a water softener out there for you, even if it’s not the SoftPro Elite.
SpringWell Salt-Based Water Softener
The SpringWell Salt-Based Water Softener presents a compelling alternative, especially for those prioritizing mobile technology capability. You can control this water softener with the SpringWell app.
Unlike the SoftPro Elite’s fine mesh resin, the SpringWell model employs a robust cross-linked resin that is known for its longer life expectancy. This makes it an excellent choice for users seeking a reliable, long-lasting water softener with minimal upkeep.
The SpringWell system is particularly well suited for homeowners in areas with extremely hard water, where durability is paramount. However, it may fall short for those who prioritize eco-friendliness, as it lacks some of the cutting-edge elements found in the SoftPro Elite.
US Water Systems Matrixx Smart Metered Water Softener
For users who crave smart home integration and real-time data, the US Water Systems Matrixx Smart Metered Water Softener offers a distinct advantage. With its smart meter technology, this system provides detailed insights into water usage and regeneration cycles, all accessible via a user-friendly app.
This is a superb option for tech-savvy individuals who want to monitor and control their water softener remotely. However, it may be less appealing for those who prefer a simpler, non-digital interface and don’t prioritize smart home integration.
The SoftPro Elite, in contrast, focuses on a blend of efficiency and user-friendliness without the added complexity of many smart features.
Aquasure Harmony Series Water Softener
The Aquasure Harmony Series Water Softener stands out for its compact design and low price. It’s an excellent choice for individuals with limited space or a tight budget. However, its smaller size may not be optimal for larger households with higher water usage.
The SoftPro Elite, with its emphasis on capacity and advanced fine mesh resin technology, caters to those seeking a comprehensive solution for larger homes. While the Aquasure Harmony Series excels in simplicity and space efficiency, the SoftPro Elite Water Softener shines in terms of overall performance and features.
Below, you’ll find some insightful reviews we’ve carefully curated for your review.
