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Having to re-wash your clean dishes and clothes because of water stains is frustrating. I know, I’ve been where you are. Do you also have problems with malfunctioning appliances? Or maybe your skin and hair feel dry all the time? It’s time you take action to tackle these problems. All these inconveniences are caused by one thing – hard water. Your best bet when dealing with hard water is installing a water softener. It improves the quality, removing unwanted materials from the water. Ge vs Whirlpool Water Softener Review (+ Fleck & Kenmore), we’ve chosen a few of the best water softeners on the market to present to you and aid you in selecting the one for you.

Introducing the products

I’ve put together a small introduction and shortlist for each of the products so you can get better informed, after which I will show you the best features all of them have to offer.

GE Water Softener

Ge VS Whirlpool Water Softener: GE Water Softener Design

Features: Easy to install, efficient, variety of models.

Price: $$

Produced by GE’s Appliances, a reputable company that’s been around for many years, Ge water softeners come in three models which vary mainly incapacity. They are easy to install and work with great efficiency.

Pros:

  • Affordable
  • Efficient
  • Easy to set up
  • Doesn’t take up space

           Cons:

  • Possible leaking
  • Problems with customer service

 

 

Whirlpool Water Softener

Ge VS Whirlpool Water Softener: Whirlpool Water Softener Design

Features: High performance, great design, variety of models

Price: $$$

Whirlpool is one of the largest manufacturers of water softeners and they offer a variety of models so everyone can find their perfect fit. This is a high-performing water softener with an elegant and compact design, making it a great addition to your home.

Pros:

  • Affordable
  • Warranty
  • Easy to install
  • Compact design

Cons:

  • Issues with leaking
  • Needs regeneration often

 

Fleck Water Softener

Ge VS Whirlpool Water Softener: Fleck Water Softener Design

Features: prorietary valves, high performance.

Price: $$

The Fleck technology uses special fleck valves produced by Pentair, making this water softener stand out in comparison with the others. This system is known for its endurance and speed.

Pros:

  • Wide range of options
  • Warranty
  • Easy to set up
  • Simple design

Cons:

  • Expensive
  • Poor quality control

 

Kenmore Water Softener

Ge VS Whirlpool Water Softener: Kenmore Water Softener

Features: great design, easy to install, high quality.

Price: $$$

Kenmore softeners are the most budget-friendly amongst the competitors. They come with a compact design and are easy to install, and nothing speaks about quality more than the fact that its manufacturer has been on the market for more than a century!

Pros:

  • Affordable
  • Efficient
  • Reduced water wastage
  • Warranty

Cons:

  • Problems with customer support
  • Pieces missing

 

Features face to face

Why are water softeners a good investment? What do you get from purchasing one? This review will answer all your questions so you can make an informed choice. Let’s take a look at the key features these products have to offer.

Design and Display

A great feature that all of these water softeners have in common is the compact and stylish design. They don’t take up a lot of space, so you don’t need to worry about low storage in your home with whichever one of these you choose.

Another thing they all share is an LCD display which comes in handy for checking the parameters and settings and gives you complete control over the water softener at all times.

Capacity

When it comes to capacity, the Ge takes the lead with a capacity of 110 grains per gallon as opposed to the 95 of the Whirlpool, 48 of the Fleck, and 35 of the Kenmore. It’s a clear winner amongst its competitors.

The Ge and the Whirlpool can serve a family of 4 or more individuals. The Fleck, on the other hand, is limited to a household of up to 6 people. The Kenmore is the smallest, with a capacity to serve up to 4 individuals.

Ge water softeners come in different models with 30, 40, and 45 000 grain capacity. Whirlpool offers models with 18, 30, 33, 40, 44, and 48 000 grain capacity.

Warranty

Sometimes, a part can malfunction and it needs to be replaced. This can bring extra costs to your household and nobody wants that. With these water softeners, you won’t have to worry about replacing parts for at least a couple of years.

Ge and Whirlpool water softeners both come with a full 3-year warranty and a 10-years warranty for the tank. The Fleck comes with a 5-year warranty for the tanks and  a 10-years warranty for the valve. As for the Kenmore, it has a full 1-year warranty and a 10-years warranty on the tank.

Regeneration System

Because you will be using your water softener daily, it needs to regenerate from time to time. The regeneration process is mostly similar in all water softeners, but there are still some minor differences.

The Ge water softener regenerates once a week, which is the recommended amount. The regeneration process is programmed to happen at 2 am, so you will most likely be sleeping. This is planned to ensure you don’t get left without soft water even for a second.

The Whirlpool models have a special salt-saving technology, which means that it will regenerate only when it needs to. This saves you quite a bit of money on salt and water. It also ensures that you will not be left without water frequently because, during the regeneration process which lasts about 2 hours, you will not be able to access soft water.

The Fleck softener has to regenerate every 3-15 days, but it will determine the exact time on its own using a special meter that keeps track of the gallons. The regeneration process lasts for 75 minutes.

The Kenmore regenerates every 2-3 days and the process takes about 2 hours to complete. When you compare it to the other softeners, this one wastes a lot more water, which is not very good for your monthly water bills.

Maintenance

All water softeners need low maintenance. All you have to do is add the needed amount of salt and let the water softener do its job. 

They are all self-cleaning products and have excellent warranties in case something goes wrong, so when you think about it, an insignificant amount of time and money is wasted on maintaining these products. This is great because they are quite an investment, to begin with.

Stand Out Features

In addition to the features they all share, some of the products have unique features that set them apart from the rest.

One feature that I especially like is the Wi-Fi that is available in the Ge and Whirlpool models. This is a much-needed tool if you want to shut off your water remotely or even if you just want to get notified of low salt levels without having to check all the time.

They use SaltSoft technology which keeps track of salt usage and the overall effectiveness of the softener.

Another extra feature that Whirlpool has is retaining memory. What is that, you ask? Well, if your home experiences a power outage, you will never have to worry about reprogramming your water softener because it remembers the settings from before and it will continue functioning the same as soon as the power comes back.

Conclusion

These four products we compared today are more or less similar in the way they operate and the features they offer. Still, some of them have some extra functions that may suit your needs better. If you live in a large household, it’s better to use Ge or Whirlpool because they have the biggest capacity amongst the competitors.

On the other hand, if you want the best water softening technology, the Fleck is a great fit because of its special valves with the most versatile control head. If none of these fit your needs, you can find more options by clicking here.

Before deciding, it’s essential to know your water hardness, the exact capacity you need, and most of all, you need to decide what kind of system you want – salt-based or saltless, because this can gravely impact your budget.