Kinetico

[hot2trot]

Hi from Las Vegas !

My husband and I need a new water softener. We've been looking at the Kinetico softeners that don't use salt. How do they work, does anyone here have any experience with them ?

Thanks guys

Barb.

[whitneyswater]

Konnetico water softeners like all water softeners use either sodium chloride or potassium chloride (sodium or potassium based salt). The salt or potassium are used to clean the water softening resin in the mineral tank. Don't let them mislead you by saying it is salt free when it is using potassium. Potassium is less efficient (uses more lbs. per thousand gallon of water used) and the cost is about double. I recommend potassium for certain installations but not for general use.
Konnetico is a good system but not the best in my opinion. Computer operated systems can be adjusted for changes in water quality with the push of a button where others require a service technician to make the adjustments.
Our company has been in the water business for 20 years. We would be happy to help answer your questions.

[hot2trot]

I called the Kinetico salesman and he said that Potassium is not salt - I'm very confused...

Kinetico is telling me that I shouldn't buy any electronic softener because the salt will eat the electronics and thats why his system is the very best out there because it doesn't have electronics that need reset when theres a power outage.

Help me make a right decision please !
Barb.

[whitneyswater]

Salt is sodium chloride and potasisum is potasium chloride. When a water softener regenerates or goes thrugh the cleaning cycle it uses either salt or potassium to clean the softening media. Which you use is actually a personal preference. All water softeners will function properly on either. The major difference being the cost difference between them, potassium being about twice the cost. Potassium is also less efficient so you have to use more lbs. per regeneration or use a lower capacity which means you will regenerate more often thus using more potassium, the difference being about 15%. If the system is set up for potassium it will automatically use more.
As for the statement "I shouldn't buy any electronic softener because the salt will eat the electronics" that is Konnetico's sales pitch against electronics. I personally have installed and serviced water softeners with electronic control valves since they came out over 18 years ago. I have seen little to no evidence that salt damages the controls. The major advantage you as the customer have is the ability make adjustments for water quality changes without having to pay a serviceman to come and remove about 12 screws to change the disk to change the settings.
Konettico also uses smaller tank sizes which will allow hard water to bleed by when using higher volumes of water. They say they use less water per regeneration (cleaning cycle) but infact they regenerate more often so the difference per month or week does not work out.
Our systems are sized for your family size and water chemistry to give you soft, conditioned or filtration water with the least amount of salt or potassium and waste water possible. We use a computer type control which computes salt dosing based on water usage, this is called fractional brining. All electronic systems will have either a chip or battery backup for power outages.
Feel free to call or email me if you'd like more info.