RainSoft has been in the water purification & treatment industry for more than seven decades now, so we can safely say they know what they’re doing. This is readily apparent from the large variety of water products they have available – from massive carbon filtration systems to smaller but still incredibly efficient water purification systems.
On their site, you will also find laundry systems, air purifiers, and plenty of other appliances. However, today, we’re only interested in their water softeners and what they can provide for your household.
- Type: Ion Exchange
- Grain Capacity: 32,000 – 80,000 grains
- Flow Rate: 11 – 20 GPM
- Warranty: Lifetime
- Type: Template Assisted Crystallization
- Grain Capacity: N/A
- Flow Rate: 15 GPM
- Warranty: Lifetime
Who Makes RainSoft Water Softeners?
RainSoft makes its own water softeners. The company was founded by Jahn Graystone in the basement of his house in Illinois all the way back in 1953. It managed to produce its first cabinet softener, the Apollo, in the span of a single year.
The company started to grow steadily soon after, and by 1974, it had already managed to open 5 facilities where it produced cabinet softeners. Then in 1983, it created the very first computerized control valve, and it rolled out its first reverse osmosis drinking water system shortly afterward, in 1985.
Throughout the next few decades, the company would release its next generation of reverse osmosis systems, composite valves, and plenty of other rKind Water Systemslutionary products.
The primary facility that RainSoft uses today is located in Roselle, Illinois, and the fact it has largely stayed in the same state mirrors how its values haven’t changed since the inception of its brand.
Those values centered around the production of cutting-edge water purification technology, and in the seven decades of its existence, the company has more than accomplished this feat.
List of RainSoft Water Softener Systems
RainSoft has 4 water softeners that you can get for your home. The water softeners in question are from the EC4, the EC5, the EC5-CAB, and the TC-M series. There are several dozen models in each series, which allows you to pick an appliance that perfectly fits your home and your particular needs.
We don’t want to go in with too much detail about the specifications of all these products, like their tank or the brine tank capacity, because the numbers will vary slightly across the board. What we want to do, instead of listing all the specs for hundreds of different water softeners, is just tell you what each series excels at and what it’s best for.
The TC-M Series features the standard RainSoft water softener models. These softeners don’t offer anything that stands out in particular, but they do come with a self-cleaning feature, high-flow rates, and a fail-safe brine valve float system that ensures that tank leakages won’t happen.
The EC4 Series is the most adaptable series that RainSoft has to offer. The models in this series come with all of the features that the TC-M series offers, but since there are a lot more EC4 models, you’ll be able to find something that’s exactly right for your household more easily if the standard models don’t do it for you.
The EC5 Series is the more advanced series that comes with wifi connectivity and an app that allows you to monitor all of the essential information on your water softener. With the app, you’ll be able to check the tank capacity, see what the water usage has been like over the past several days, and get notifications if the salt levels have dropped and need to be replenished.
The EC5-CAB Series has all of the features that we just mentioned, and even a few that we didn’t, like the automatic power outage recovery feature that doesn’t interrupt the regeneration process even in the event of a blackout. In essence, the EC5-CAB is an upgraded version of the EC5.
RainSoft Water Softener Reviews: Users Feedback
ConsumerAffairs rated RainSoft at 4.7/5 stars, so people seem to really like the water softeners that this company is producing. Most of the positive reviews rave about the app that comes along with the water softeners that allows you to check on the state of your tank and even program it when you’re not at home.
Additionally, the self-cleaning feature, the large and easy-to-read displays, and the shorter cycles that save on both sodium and water consumption also seem to be appreciated by consumers.
However, many have criticized the fact that you can’t see the price of the devices on the site, and you need to manually enter all of your information in order to get a quote for your household.
In defense of RainSoft, this is true for most other water softener companies, and consumers at least know the exact quote that they’ll get if they decide to buy a product from this brand.
RainSoft Water Softener Prices
Speaking of quotes, a lot of people seem to get quotes of between $5,000 and $8,000, and many feel that that’s quite steep for a water-softening unit. In fairness, this cost does cover both the water softener itself and the price of the installation, but that still makes RainSoft products several thousand dollars more expensive than most other models on the market.
Worthy Alternatives:
Here are 2 high-quality rainsoft water softener alternatives you can get instead:
- Springwell SS1 Salt-Based Water Softener (also see Springwell Salt-free Softener)
- Kind Water Systems E-2000 Water Softener
- Type: Ion Exchange
- Grain Capacity: 32,000 – 80,000 grains
- Flow Rate: 11 – 20 GPM
- Warranty: Lifetime
- Type: Template Assisted Crystallization
- Grain Capacity: N/A
- Flow Rate: 15 GPM
- Warranty: Lifetime
Pros & Cons of RainSoft Softener Systems
There are quite a few reasons why people like RainSoft water softening systems, but there are also a few issues that they have with them. Here are some of the most notable pros and cons that will hopefully tell you exactly what to expect if you’re looking to get a RainSoft water softener.
- Features: RainSoft water softeners come with quite a list of useful features like the self-cleaning systems that rinse out the hard water and ensure that there’s no mineral buildup around the valves, the automatic power outage recovery feature that ensures the regeneration process doesn’t stop even if there’s no electricity, and so on.
- Wifi Capabilities: The EC5 Series comes with an app that allows you to monitor all of the most important stats on your device while also allowing you to adjust certain settings and even sending you a notification if there’s an issue with the system.
- Good Overall Stats: RainSoft appliances have decent tank capacities and good flow rates, so they’re a solid and reliable investment, even if you don’t take into account the other extra features.
- Warranty: RainSoft water softeners come with a limited lifetime warranty for the treatment tank, value, and electrical parts
- Price: The biggest issue that consumers have with the RainSoft systems is that they cost an arm and a leg.
- No Upfront Cost Listed: The website doesn’t tell consumers how the products are priced, and they’ll need to request a quote and input quite a bit of information just to see if they can afford one of these devices.
RainSoft vs Kinetico
Comparing different manufacturers is always tough, as although the companies might be in the same field, they can offer products that have completely different strengths and weaknesses, as is the case with RainSoft and Kinetico water softener devices.
Kinetico is a very large name in the industry, and while the models that it produces aren’t as adjustable as the ones from RainSoft, it more than makes up for that by having a wider range.
Kinetico also gets extra points for how easy it is to check out and compare their available models with all their different specifications on the site. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have upfront costs on any of them either – you can only get an accurate price tag for the device if you request a quote.
The ConsumerAffairs page on Kinetico also puts it at a 4.5/5, which means that most consumers rate these products slightly lower than the ones from RainSoft.
Kinetico has a wide range of different water softener models to pick from, and while they’re expensive, the RainSoft models are even more so. RainSoft products, on the other hand, generally come with more features, so which one you decide to go for will depend on whether you prefer more affordable prices or a more robust unit.
RainSoft vs Culligan
Culligan is another Illinois-based company that makes water softeners and water purifiers. Users rate Culligan at a 3.8/5, and the largest reason for this is probably the lack of variety in their water softener models.
However, while the number of Culligan water softener units you can choose from is limited, Culligan is significantly cheaper than both Kinetico and RainSoft, so if you’re looking for something affordable, it might be the option for you.
Are RainSoft Water Softeners Worth the Money?
As we’ve already mentioned, RainSoft water softeners are some of the most costly models on the market. Yes, the high price does include the installation fee, but the units themselves are still a very big investment.
On the other hand, the top-of-the-line features they offer and their impeccable reputation do make up for the price. What we’re trying to say is that if you’re ready to make an investment to ensure you’re getting a quality product, they’re definitely worth it.
Conclusion
Rainsoft has been in the water business since the 1950s, and it’s brought out some of the most rKind Water Systemslutionary devices in the field. The water softeners that it sells come in 4 series, with tons of models in each series with different tank dimensions, regeneration times, and so on, which gives you, as a consumer, a lot of options.
The TC-M Series models might not have as many features as some of the other models, but they’re a lot more affordable and a great middle-of-the-road option for just about any home.
The EC4 Series has the largest number of different models to choose from, which makes a model from this series ideal for anyone that knows exactly what they’re looking for since they can almost certainly find the perfect match for their home.
The EC5 Series is generally a bit pricier than the previous two, but only because it comes with a lot more features. The same applies to the EC5-CAB Series, which are upgraded versions of the EC5 model water softeners.
If you can pay the lofty price that these appliances come with, you’re definitely going to get a softener that has a lot of advantages over other models on the market.
Water softener isn’t working. Is there a list of contacts who can come do a water test and check our system? Repairman?
Hi Nora, thanks for reading and sorry to hear about that. We have a tool to find a pro in your area, give it a try here: https://waterdefense.org/local-plumber-search/