Best Fleck Water Softeners for 2021
Hard water can make your home feel less than homey.
You see less than shiny dishes, stained showerheads, and ashy skin, all pointing to the hard water running through your pipes.
Fleck water softeners are some of the best rated on the market thanks to their simplicity and longevity. But what exactly is a Fleck water softener?
Fleck is a brand owned by US Water Systems dealers. Their digital metered control heads and valves are found on top performing water softeners. As a brand, they also have their line of long-lasting water softeners with extended warranties that guarantee durability and quality in their brands.
Fortunately some of these products are available at wholesale prices direct from the manufacture such as the fleck based Pelican's water softener systems.
Best Fleck Water Softeners for 2021
You will find various types of Fleck models from city water to well water, sulfur, potassium, salt-free, and even manganese models.
Let’s look at our top choices.
Save yourself from expensive repairs on clogged pipes and appliances with the Fleck 5600SXT. It is a super-efficient water softener that will rid your water of the hardness so you won’t deal with high energy bills.
Capabilities
With 48,000 salt pellets and resin beads, Fleck 5600SXT is capable of providing clean, soft water for large households. It gets rids of excess calcium and magnesium which are the culprits to your stained sinks and precious chinaware.
This water softener can meet the water needs of four to six family members thanks to a flow rate of 12gpm. You can say goodbye to waiting five minutes for your glass to fill owing to reduced water pressure experienced when you install less than ideal water softeners.
It allows you to run several machines at the same time including two sinks, three showers, a dishwasher and you can even the washer while at it. Everything about it spells conveniences as it has an 8% crosslink resin. It will last a considerable period while dealing with highly chlorinated city water.
Installation
As a whole house water softener, you would think it is hard to install it. The system comes with a brine tank capable of holding up to 250 pounds of salt. You don’t need extensive plumbing skills to install since it is very straightforward. In fact, it should take you up to two hours by yourself to do the installation.
You’ll get an email with a video link on how to perform the installation if you have never done it before. Or, just request installation service when you buy your Fleck 5600SXT. It can even be installed outside since the control head is waterproof. All you need is a cover for the electrical connection.
Ease of Use
Like you would expect from Fleck products, this one comes with a meter-based regeneration system and Fleck 5600SXT digital control. It allows you to see when it’s time to recharge the softener. The digital meter also eliminates too many parts so you won’t keep on maintaining and repairing components.
You can customize the settings for regeneration for specific times, conditions, and day. It is that convenient to have your water softener do all the work without worries on your side.
Warranty and Customer Support
As always, we are pleased with Fleck’s professionalism in offering great after service and continuous support. Apart from the installation video link, Fleck is always on the line to answer your questions.
What’s more, the control head has a 5-year warranty, and the tanks get a 10-year warranty. Remember that the control head can last up to 27 years which gives you overall value for money.
Pros
Cons
Most people take a step back when buying combination water treatments systems. Especially for those on well water, you will want first to test what’s in your water before getting a filter and water softener in one.
Iron Pro 2 is a combination, water treatment system ideal for demanding water needs including treating well water.
Capabilities
Apart from ridding your water of calcium and magnesium, this system will also deal with manganese, sediment, sand, and also filter out iron. You will no longer see dry patches on the skin or a feeling of an extra layer even after rinsing with lots of water.
We particularly like that it keeps up a high flow rate at 16gpm. It is above average on our top choices since it is not as low as ABCwaters and Fleck 48,000 grain at 12gpm and not as high as Pentair 80k standing at a whopping 25gpm.
The filter uses fine mesh resin to remove high levels of iron through the ion-exchange process. It removes iron up to 6-8ppm range, hardness up to 75gpg, and manganese up to 6ppm. It is credited for removing red stains and the presence of orange water commonly found in iron-filled water systems.
Installation and Ease of Use
Iron Pro 2 comes complete with a brine tank and a set of instructions for the installation process. It is not the most straightforward instruction sheet that’s why it is advisable to get more help. It, however, offers prompt phone and email support which guarantees that you will successfully install the system.
This model is also built around the Fleck Digital SXT metered control head. It has a backlit LCD display on a user-friendly interface which includes touchpad controls. The timer clock works much like the 48,000 Fleck model as it allows you to schedule regeneration.
The best thing about Iron Pro 2 is that it keeps up with your water needs such that it can keep up with increasing needs or conserve water when it’s not needed.
Warranty
What better way to enjoy soft water than with a tank system guaranteed for ten years while the control valve has a 5-year warranty. With a brand that is NSF International and Water Quality Association (WQA) certified, you can rest easy knowing Iron Pro 2 is a quality product.
Pros
Cons
The Fleck SXT control head is no doubt the one to pick for any long-lasting water softener. For small and medium-sized homes, we recommend going with ABCwaters. It is a 48,000, grain water softener that has 10% crosslink resin for durable use.
Capabilities
With an automatic regeneration process, this system will soften hard water. It deals with the usual culprits; calcium and magnesium but will not remove iron. It uses salt pellets and resin beads which need cleaning using the regeneration process.
This system will not let you go without soft water. It reserves water and will automatically regenerate after every 14 days or when you reach 0 gallons. It offers a flow rate of 12gpm at a minimum but can hit a maximum of 16gpm.
Installation and Ease of Use
This water softener comes with a brine tank and a mineral tank. You will get an instructions manual, a hardness test strip, sanitizer packet, a brine line, silicone lube, a small parts kit, and other accessories. If you have never done a plumbing job before, no worries because ABCwaters has 7 am to 4 pm live customer support on business days.
It has a 250-pound salt capacity which is slightly higher than models in its class. It also includes a safety float and an overflow drain to maintain a clean system without overflows.
ABCwaters allows you to set and almost forget maintaining this system. Its meter-based system can also be programmed in four modes including immediate meter regeneration, delayed meter regeneration, delayed time clock regeneration, and day of week regeneration.
This means you have to know when it reaches capacity so that you can set it to regenerate in time. It is not a complicated process because you will have a good idea after using it for a few weeks.
An LCD display complements the digital monitor. It is straightforward to operate using the three buttons and the user interface. It has different modes that include the soft water volume, time remaining for regeneration steps and cycle time, self-diagnostics indicator, how to set up the regeneration time and capacity, and six adjustable cycles.
Warranty
ABCwaters follows through with a 5-year control head warranty and ten years on the two tanks.
Pros
Cons
If your demand for water is higher than the average household or you have a light commercial setting, the Fleck 7000SXT 48,000 grain is for you. Designed with a high flow rate, this water softener works at a significantly higher water pressure to meet your needs.
Capabilities
You can forget about micro switches as you will now be dealing with optical positioning and a flexibly programmable water softener. It comes with the oh similar SXT control valve which automatically regenerates according to your water needs.
This water softener uses a double backwashing system which rinses the resin twice. It will not affect your water flow rate as it gives you a minimum 16gpm and up to 18.5gpm.
With two separate tanks and a digital control valve, it can treat high hardness levels thanks to its 48,000-grain capacity. It can provide high amounts of soft water without the need to shut it down for long hours to allow regeneration. It will remove calcium and magnesium but not Sulphur and iron.
Installation and Ease of Use
Fleck 7000SXT (94FL-7000S) Meter 48,000 Grain is simple to install and use. It requires the most straightforward plumbing connections to have it up and running. It comes pre-loaded, so you don’t need to add anything when installing it. Though it weighs 155 pounds, it is not as heavy as some systems that weigh over 200 pounds.
Fleck is always keen to send you an email with a link to the how-to video since most of us are DIYers and it becomes even more effortless to install it. You also get 24/7 customer support which is impressive since you don’t need to schedule when to install your system.
The water softener comes with one bypass valve and control head in brass or plastic, a pipe connecting unit, a media funnel, a box of resin among the other main components of this system.
Since this model offers flexible programming, its smart technology uses a microprocessor to regenerate only as required. The bypass valve allows you to switch off the softener just by turning the knob.
Warranty
Fleck 7000SXT has a 10-year warranty on the brine and resin tanks while the controller gets a 5-year warranty.
Pros
Cons
Standing at an 80,000-grain capacity, it’s clear that not just any family can go for the Pentair 80k 9100SXT. It is a commercial water softener ideal for businesses like restaurants with a high demand for soft water.
Capabilities
The two-tank system means that it will never need to be shut down when it’s time for regeneration. It deals with high hardness levels and faster processing power to ensure you will never run out of soft water in busy applications.
Each regeneration eliminates 80,000 grains of hardness. It is not only long-lasting, but it will not require refilling of salt as often as you would with a smaller capacity water softener. Better still, it has a high flow rate of up to 25 gallons per minute.
It will keep up with several open appliances in large homes as well as in business premises. It switches between the tanks which in turn keeps the resin cleaner by reducing salt build up. This process will ensure that you won’t be changing salt every few days but months.
Installation and Ease of Use
It may be a dual-tank system, but installing it is no different than single tank systems. It will set up using the usual connectors, and Pentair is keen to include all the connections needed. The system comes with the resin and gravel bags, and all you to do is pour in the contents to the resin tank and you are done.
Pentair 9100SXT has an on-demand system. It can regenerate as often as it should even after 90 minutes if that’s what it requires. With six-cycle control, it is also possible to schedule regenerating so you can keep the system running cleanly.
We like that it will never lose your settings owing to the backup capacitor. And unlike others, it produces soft water right away without the initial cloudy water.
Warranty
Pentair like all other Fleck water softeners on our list has a 10-year warranty on the tanks and five years on the control valve.
Pros
Cons
Fleck Water Softeners: Buying Guide
One of the major reasons to get a fleck water softener is their simplicity. From the installation to the repairs, and maintenance, it is often a straightforward system. But is simplicity the only thing that matters?
Affordability
The quality of the Fleck water systems remains unbeaten. But even then, we can’t say they are the most expensive water softeners on the market. You will find other brands that offer more sophisticated systems like an osmosis filtration model that provides both softening and filtering capabilities.
Such systems are usually more expensive than Fleck water softeners.
Highly Efficient
As soon as you start to use a Fleck water softener, you will notice immediate results in the way your water feels and interacts with your appliances and utensils. You will find that they can cut energy and detergents costs by half.
Deliver on Longevity
The long warranty-period offered by each of the brands here is indicative of what you are getting from the product. 5-10 years is significant, and it shows the commitment of the manufacturer to the system.
Excellent Customer Support
Each of the Fleck brands represented here has proven that they care about how you interact with their product. That’s why they offer direct approaches using phone calls and emails for prompt responses.
Eco-Friendly
Fleck water softeners do not need salt replacements every four weeks. The energy, detergent, and fabric savings are all good for the environment.
Features to Consider in a Fleck Water Softener
Capacity Needs
Fleck water softeners come in various sizes including 32,000, 48,000, 64,000, 80,000, 88,000, etc. You will consider the size of your family or business, the number of appliances that will need to run, and different other factors that will affect the capacity.
Instead of all that, it’s easy to fill out the different aspects and get a correct estimate of your capacity needs.
Size of the Water Softener
Some systems are larger and heavier than others. Unless you have lots of available space not to need bothering with the size of the softener, it’s reasonable to figure out the area size that you have available for a water treatment system.
Regenerating Settings
You will find systems that have automatic regeneration while others require the setting of a timer. Those that have manual timers usually are cheaper than their electronic counterparts. Also, a timed water softener uses a lot of water than is required, as opposed to systems that regenerate according to the current needs.
A Bypass Valve
Sometimes you don’t need soft water like when watering a garden. The bypass valve comes in handy to help you use water without it passing through the softener. It should always be easy to reach and operate the bypass valve.
Ease of Finding Parts
Like any other water softener, breaking down after years of using a particular model is inevitable. Although Fleck systems tend to have near-similar configurations, it is good to confirm that you can find parts near your home.
Conclusion
These water softeners may all use Fleck control heads, but they are all distinct to each other. You will find small and large capacity models as well as high and low flow rate models. Meeting your needs and budget is critical before picking the Best Fleck Water Softener.