A whole house water filter and softener combo is simply the combination of a whole house water filter and a water softener device. This combo effectively removes water contaminants like chlorine, lead and arsenic, as well as calcium and magnesium hard water minerals.
In this article, we’ll go through the best options when it comes to whole filtration and softener systems combo.
From our research & evaluation, the three best companies offering a water filter and softener combo are Springwell, Kind Water SystemsWaterSystems, and US Water Systems.
- Flow Rate: 17 GPM
- Filtration Process: Sediment pre-filter, KDF media, catalytic carbon media, and TAC softening
- Flow Rate: 17 GPM
- Filtration Process: Sediment pre-filter, KDF media, catalytic carbon media, and ion exchange softening
- Flow Rate: 15 GPM
- Filtration Process: Sediment filter, carbon filter, and TAC softening
- Flow Rate: 15 GPM
- Filtration Process: Sediment filter, carbon filter, TAC softening, and a UV filter
- Flow Rate: 20 GPM
- Filtration Process: Sediment pre-filter, activated carbon filter, catalytic carbon filter, and ion exchange softening
Springwell Water Filter & Softener Combo Systems:
Springwell is a well-known brand in the water treatment niche that specializes in large whole-house filtration units. You’ll find both ion exchange water softener units and salt-free water softeners in their product catalog, as well as a wide range of combinations of both filtration and softening units.
1. Springwell CSF1 Water Filter & Salt-free Softener Combo
- Flow Rate: 17 GPM
- Filtration Process: Sediment pre-filter, KDF media, catalytic carbon media, and TAC softening
The Springwell CSF1 combines three different filtration methods to ensure a highly effective water purification process. The pre-filter has a 5-micron mesh that removes most sediment, soil, and clay particles to prevent them from clogging the main filter tanks. The water filtration tank uses a KDF media to remove chlorine and a catalytic carbon media to eliminate organic contaminants, pesticides, and herbicides.
Finally, when the water goes into the salt-free tank, it passes through TAC (Template Assisted Crystallization), which prevents hard minerals from sticking to the pipes and causing limescale.
This system is suitable for houses with 1-7 bathrooms and has an output of up to 17 GPM. You’ll also get a lifetime warranty on tanks and parts and a 6-month money-back guarantee which gives you the option to return the device if you’re unsatisfied.
2. Springwell CSS1 Water Filter & Salt-based Water Softener
- Flow Rate: 17 GPM
- Filtration Process: Sediment pre-filter, KDF media, catalytic carbon media, and ion exchange softening
The Springwell CSS1 has the same pre-filter and primary water filtration tank as the CSF1, except for the water softener tank.
Instead of a salt-free tank, the CSS1 uses an ion-exchange system that replaces the hard calcium and magnesium ions with sodium ions. Unlike the TAC method, which coats hard minerals with crystals without removing them, the ion exchange process completely removes hard minerals from the water. However, this feature makes the device bulkier and harder to maintain.
The filtration process is pretty thorough, eliminating numerous water contaminants. These contaminants include chlorine, chloramine, herbicides, pesticides, unpleasant tastes, unpleasant odors, PFOA, PFAS, PFOS, and many more.
This CSS1 model also has a flow rate of up to 17 GPM, ideal for homes with 1-7 bathrooms.
Like the previous model, it comes with a lifetime warranty on tanks and parts and a 6-month money-back guarantee.
Kind Water Filter & Softener Combo:
Kind Water SystemsWaterSystems provides exceptional customer service while protecting the environment by offering high-quality water filter and softener systems. Their products are smaller than the Springwell and US Water Systems models, which makes them a better fit for smaller homes and apartments.
Additionally, while the filters and softeners are smaller, they still have a high water flow rate with which they are able to purify the water throughout the whole house.
The brand has two offers for combo systems – the Kind Water Systems E-3000 and the Kind Water Systems E-3000UV models.
1. Kind Water Systems E-3000
- Flow Rate: 15 GPM
- Filtration Process: Sediment filter, carbon filter, and TAC softening
While the Kind Water Systems E-3000 is smaller than other units we evaluated, it has the highest flow rate. The 15 GPM provides high water pressure for houses with up to 6 bathrooms.
This unit also comes with a 120-day money-back guarantee, allowing customers to return it at any point during the first six months if it doesn’t perform to their expectation.
The Kind Water Systems E-3000 has a three-stage filtration process that purifies the water through three chambers. The sediment filter in the first chamber removes dirt or soil from the water. The second chamber’s activated carbon removes chlorine, chloramine, pesticides, herbicides, and other contaminants.
As for the third chamber, that’s where the salt-free softening process occurs and where the TAC process ensures the hard minerals in the water won’t stick to the inside of your pipes and cause limescale buildup.
2. Kind Water E-3000UV Water Filter, Softener & UV Light Filter
- Flow Rate: 15 GPM
- Filtration Process: Sediment filter, carbon filter, TAC softening, and a UV filter
The Kind Water Systems-3000UV comes with all the features of the Kind Water Systems-3000, but goes a step beyond, as it utilizes an additional UV filter on top of the other three filtration methods.
The UV filter is a great way to remove organic contaminants and viruses from the water. The activated carbon filter typically does this job, however, UV filters are much more effective at stopping even the smallest viruses, bacteria, and organic pollutants.
Aside from the UV filter, everything else is the same. This also applies to the 120-day money-back guarantee, the 15 GPM flow rate, and the lifetime warranty.
US Water Systems:
US Water Systems is a company with a long history and list of water filtration units. The company was founded in 2003, meaning that they have 20 years of experience and customer service in the water treatment industry.
Today, they sell everything from reverse osmosis systems to sediment filters, and water softeners and whole-house filtration units.
The unit we’re focusing on today comes in different sizes, isn’t too expensive, and has a few useful extras like the UV filter and the installation kit.
1. US Water Systems 198-WHFBSS
- Flow Rate: 20 GPM
- Filtration Process: Sediment pre-filter, activated carbon filter, catalytic carbon filter, and ion exchange softening
The base version of this model costs $2,456.46. You’ll get a 10 GPM flow rate, a sediment pre-filter, an activated carbon filter, an ion exchange water softener, and a brine tank for that price.
This base unit alone is enough to get rid of most contaminants and hard minerals, while the 10 GPM flow rate makes it suitable for up to 3 bathrooms.
You have the option to upgrade to the 15 GPM or 20 GPM models, but they cost several hundred dollars more, and most standard-sized houses don’t need that much power. Still, it’s a nice option to have for large houses and apartment buildings.
You can also get the flex connector install kit to attach the unit to your water pipes for just $80, saving you hundreds, as you don’t need to hire plumbers to do the job for you.
Additionally, you can get a UV filter that’ll cost you around $700. This attachment is expensive but much more effective at removing organic contaminants and viruses than the carbon filter.
How Much Does a Water Filter & Softener Combo System Cost to Buy?
| Whole-house Filter-Softener Combo | Price |
|---|---|
| Springwell CSF1 | $2,542.52 |
| Springwell CSS1 | $2,416.33 |
| Kind Water Systems E-3000 | $1,598.24 |
| Kind Water Systems E-3000UV | $2,642.12 |
| US Water Systems 198-WHFBSS | $2,456.46 |
Whole House Water Filter and Softener Combo Installation Cost
A whole house water filter and softener cost $100 – $500 to install, which is the general price that plumbers would charge for the hour it would take to install them.
| Whole-house Filter-Softener Combo | Installation Cost |
|---|---|
| Springwell CSF1 | $197.99 |
| Springwell CSS1 | $197.99 |
| Kind Water Systems E-3000 | No Cost |
| Kind Water Systems E-3000UV | No Cost |
| US Water Systems 198-WHFBSS | $100-$300 |
Water Filter Softener Combo Maintenance Cost
Large whole-house filtration systems generally have a lifetime of around 10-15 years. The resin and the filtration media in the tanks don’t need to be replaced, and they can’t be rejuvenated once a decade has passed. This means that the general maintenance cost of these devices boils down to the price of the salt for the brine tanks.
The only exception is the cartridges in the pre-filters and the Kind Water Systems systems. Depending on the filter life, these cartridges usually need to be replaced once or twice a year.
| Whole-house Filter-Softener Combo | Maintenance Cost |
|---|---|
| Springwell CSF1 | $40.18 per year on pre-sediment filters |
| Springwell CSS1 | $40.18 per year on pre-sediment filters and ~$100 on salt for the brine tank |
| Kind Water Systems E-3000 | $144.90 per year on replacement filters |
| Kind Water Systems E-3000UV | $144.90 per year on replacement filters |
| US Water Systems 198-WHFBSS | $54.95 per year on pre-sediment filters and ~$100 on salt for the brine tank |
What Are the Key Metrics to Look Out For?
- Flow Rate – Depending on the size of your home, you’ll want either a unit with a large GPM that can cover multiple bathrooms or a smaller system that doesn’t need to be as powerful or take as much space.
- GPG – If you have very hard water in your home, then a softener with a low GPG rating isn’t going to cut it. In this case, you’ll need a model with a high grain capacity.
- Contaminants Removed – Depending on the contaminants in your water, you’ll need to find a water filter that can neutralize them, so picking the right filter media is very important.
