Water Softeners

Kinetico Water Softeners - Reliable & Efficient

Advanced Water Softening System
Kinetico

Why a Kinetico Water Softener System?

If you’re considering purchasing a water softening system, but are unsure which is best for you, the answer is always Kinetico. We install and service home water softeners that are both salt-based water softeners and salt-free water softeners.

Before recommending a water softener to you we use a water testing kit to determine the best water treatment for your home. This test will help determine if your water contains chlorine, calcium, magnesium, and other contaminants and minerals in the water. We will review how adding a water softener system will help reduce water usage, protect your water-using appliances, make your laundry softer, and your hair and skin feel better.

Schedule a water test with our water specialist to discuss the best options and learn about the components including resin beds, resin beads, brine tanks, dual tanks, and the process called ion exchange in a reverse osmosis water softener, etc. before installing a water softener.

Benefits of Water Softener System

Save Money

You’ll use fewer detergents and cleaners and still have better cleaning results. Scale, soap scum and hard water stains are a thing of the past.

Protect Your Plumbing

With soft water flowing throughout your home's plumbing pipes and fixtures, you’ll eliminate scale build-up and save money on costly repairs and replacement.

Eliminate Water Spots

Hard water spots are gone when dishes, glasses, and silverware are washed in soft water.

Water Softener System ensures water is safe for drinking, Common Water Softener System

Smoother Skin & Hair

Bathing with soft water is like bathing in a luxurious spa. No more itchy, dry skin or hair. You will feel the difference the very first time you experience it!

Protect Appliances

Clean, soft water extends the life of your washer, dishwasher, water heater, coffee pot, refrigerator and any appliance that uses water and prevents scale buildup.

Whiter, Brighter CLothes

Detergents work better in soft water. Not only will you use less detergent, your laundry will be brighter and whiter than ever before.

Water Softeners

Get the clean, soft water you deserve.
Kinetico is the industry standard in water softening.
Powerline_Softener_Family

POWERLINE SERIES

Efficient & Durable
High Capacity
Good Water Flow Rate
Best for City Water
5 Year Warranty

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KINETICO PREMIER SERIES

Efficient & Durable
Highest Capacity
Max Water Flow Rate
City or Well Water
10 Year Warranty

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Water Softener Buyer's Guide

Purchasing a water softener is a critical—and sometimes confusing—process for homeowners. This guide will help answer the most pressing questions people have when starting on their water softener journey. Let’s start with the biggest questions:

What is hard water, and how do I know if I need a water softener?

Your water may look clear. But all water contains at least some dissolved minerals, including calcium and magnesium. “Hard” water has high concentrations of these minerals. They leave a residue on your skin after bathing, create cloudiness on glassware and shower doors, and require more soap and detergent when washing skin, dishes and laundry. 

Our water system professionals can test your water to understand your water’s hardness. As a general rule, water with zero to 60 milligrams of calcium carbonate per liter is considered soft. Water with 61 to 120 mg/L is moderately hard, water with 121 to 180 mg/L is hard, and anything above 180 mg/L is very hard.

Are water softeners the same as water purification systems?

Water softening strictly applies to the dissolved minerals found in your water. Water purification focuses on impurities, including bacteria, chemicals and sediment. Many homeowners rely on both types of systems, working in tandem, for optimal water quality.

How does a standard water softener work?

A water softener system makes hard water soft by lowering concentrations of dissolved minerals, addressing the problems noted above. Water enters a home from a municipality or a well system. It travels first to a water softener tank containing resin beads that pull out the hard minerals. The system employs a second tank with a mix of water and salt that is used to clean the resin beads on a regular (often daily) basis when the system cycles through a regeneration process, described below. 

What are the most important features of a water softener?

Water softeners are not complex, so features typically come down to mechanical processes:

  1. On-demand regeneration: The water softener regenerates through an ion exchange that cleanses the resin beads. On some systems, this is done on a timed schedule. In more advanced systems, the regeneration occurs when a sensor detects when the soft water reservoir is depleted. This helps reduce the water used in the regeneration process as well as energy consumption.
  2. Alternating tanks: Larger systems will often use multiple tanks for softening and regeneration, helping ensure the supply of soft water, particularly at peak-use times. 
  3. Non-electric operation: Many budget softeners run on household electricity. Higher-quality systems, such as Kinetico, are non-electric and operate via the kinetic energy of the water flowing through the system. 

Are all water softening systems created equal?

“You get what you pay for” applies to water softeners. While budget-oriented basic models sell for less than $1,000, it’s important to consider a water softener’s impact on a homeowner’s quality of life. Budget systems can require extensive and expensive maintenance and parts replacement while never providing the performance to consistently deliver soft water.

Buyers should approach a purchase knowing they are making an investment of 10 to 20 years, rather than shorter durations. A home’s water quality is essential for enhanced quality of life.

What size water softener do I need?

The required size of a system varies, based on many variables—with water consumption at the top of the list. Consumption depends on the number of people in a house, the number of bathrooms, tubs and showers, the frequency of use and the capacity of the home’s plumbing. A qualified water softener professional can work with a homeowner to determine the optimal system capacity and configuration.

How much will it cost to maintain my water softener?

Softener systems are relatively inexpensive to operate. The homeowner or a service provider needs to replenish the softener salt needed for regeneration. Home centers and hardware stores sell salt by the bag. Service providers such as Aquarius also can deliver it and replenish the water softener. Since Kinetico systems do not run on household electricity, there is no cost to power the system. In addition, Aquarius Home Services offers maintenance plans to visit your home regularly to service equipment, including addressing warranty issues covered by Kinetico’s five- to 10-year warranties, with the duration based on the model purchased.

What is flow rate, and why is it important?

This is the rate at which water flows through the system. It depends on the incoming water flow, the appliances the softener feeds within the home and the type of softener used. Flow rate helps our water softener experts recommend the right softener for your home.

Does a water softener use a lot of excess water?

Water use varies, depending on a variety of factors, including: hardness of water from the source, frequency of softener maintenance (maintaining optimal salt levels for regeneration) and overall water usage. Kinetico systems are efficient and are designed to help reduce the amount of water needed for softening.

What does grains per gallon mean, and why is that important?

Grains per gallon is another level of measurement for defining water hardness. Similar to the mg/L noted earlier, grains per gallon rates water as follows: below three grains per gallon is considered soft water, between three and seven grains per gallon is moderately hard water, seven to 10 grains per gallon is hard water, and more than 10 grains per gallon is very hard water.

Can I save money by installing a water softener on my own?

We don’t recommend this. Having anyone other than a qualified water softener installation technician do this work can void product warranties, and many insurance companies may not cover damage caused by improper installation. In addition, a qualified water softener installation technician can help ensure that certain zones of a plumbing system that don’t need soft water, such as outdoor water spigots and irrigation systems, are not wasting softened water.

Protect your investment, and leave installation to a professional.

Contact Aquarius today. Our experts can answer your questions and help identify the best water softener system for your whole home.

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Water Softeners

Kinetico water softeners are completely non-electric. Saving you money and the environment simultaneously.

World's most efficient water softeners

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Frequently asked questions

A water softener provides numerous benefits, both ones you can see right away (like better tasting water, smoother skin, and softer clothes) and ones you can’t (like improved health).

But not all water softeners are created equal. That’s why Aquarius Water Conditioning is proud to be an authorized dealer of Kinetico Water Softeners — the only systems capable of making your water 99.99% pure.

We really can’t say enough about the brand. We are truly privileged to offer such high-quality water treatment options to our customers throughout the Minnesota and Wisconsin area. If you’re considering purchasing a water softening system, but are unsure which is best for you, the answer is always Kinetico.

Kinetico is different. Here’s why:

  • Non-Electric — Imagine if every time you had guests over and needed to use a little extra water, you had to let your system rest for a few hours. Pretty inconvenient, right? With a non-electric Kinetico model, that problem is a thing of the past. Because Kinetico systems are powered by the force of water or kinetic energy, you’ll never have to worry about giving your system some “downtime” between showers and laundry. There are also no electrical components to repair or replace, so you can count on Kinetico Water Softeners to solve your hard water and soluble iron problems without creating new ones.

  • Continuous Performance — Kinetico’s “smart technology” means you’ll enjoy consistent, quality performance for years. Even in a blackout, your water will remain free-flowing. With Kinetico, one tank is always in service while the other tank is either on standby or regenerating. Our systems regenerate at any time of the day or night to ensure you will always have a supply of soft water on-hand. So if you have a house full of guests or are washing multiple loads of laundry, you’ll never run out of soft water — we guarantee it!

  • AccuDial Technology — When compared to electric models, Kinetico systems are initially a bit more expensive. BUT, because electric models run on electricity, they’ll take a toll on your monthly electric bill. Kinetico’s patent-pending AccuDial feature allows more precise calibration to your home’s specific water conditions for maximum efficiency, cost savings, and waste reduction. It’s a water softener that’s a custom-fit for your home.

Hard water is softened by removing the calcium and magnesium it contains. When hard water passes through the softening system’s resin bed, the calcium and magnesium (hardness) ions are removed through an ion exchange process, so only softened water passes through to your home.  Once the resin bed fills up with hardness ions, it must be regenerated (cleaned). Salt is typically used in the regeneration process to restore the resin to a “clean” state so the ion exchange process can begin again.

(Read More: How Water Softeners Work)

From multi-tank systems powered by the energy of moving water to a more traditional approach, Aquarius and Kinetico cover all your options. Our local water expert will work with you to choose the water softener that’s right for you.

High-quality softening resin and generous system capacity mean your water issues will be history. And so will any hassles or inconveniences you may have experienced with other water softeners, thanks to Kinetico’s patented non-electric valve and on-demand regeneration. You’ll have an unlimited supply of perfectly soft water. With the best water softener warranties available, you can rest easy knowing you’ve made a great decision.

You should start seeing soft water immediately on the cold water supply. Soft, hot water will be dependent on using the existing hard water in your hot water tank. Please refer to pages three and four of your owner’s manual for more information.

You should start experiencing soft water immediately after installation in the cold water supply. But soft, hot water will be dependent on using the existing hard water in your hot water tank.

Once all of the existing hard water in your water heater has been used, you should start experiencing soft hot water. Additionally, you should have a good lather in the shower and a soft, slick feeling on your skin.

If you are still in doubt, try testing the soft water supply using one of the hardness test strips provided in your Welcome Package.

This is completely dependent on your household’s water usage and water analysis. Each Kinetico water softener is set up specifically for the household water chemistry.

Your softener may regenerate several times in a day if you’re using more water or it may not regenerate for more than a day if your water usage is low.

To get information for your individual softener, we can give you an approximation of regeneration frequency based on your water softener model and the number of people in your household. 

Lift the lid of the brine tank to check the level of salt. If you can see water, it is time to add salt. You can add salt any time there is enough room to accommodate at least one bag.

However, keep in mind that keeping the brine tank completely full of salt can contribute to salt bridging, which prevents the softener from regenerating properly. For a standard size brine drum (pictured to left) it is recommended not to exceed 2/3 of its capacity.

If you have a smaller size brine drum (short and square vs. round) it is ok to fill it up to the top.

We suggest that you use a good, clean grade of high-purity salt. Kinetico salt is 99.6% pure and is the best to use for your softener. Un-pure salts, such as solar salt or rock salt, may cause a salt bridge (thick block of salt) in the brine drum or may clog up the system with debris. This will cause your system to work inefficiently or to malfunction causing you to experience hard water.

When you wash in soft water. you feel your skin the way it’s supposed to feel – clean and silk smooth. When you wash in hard water, the soap you’re using reacts with the hardness minerals in the water for form and insoluble residue that’s difficult to wash away, resulting in a “squeaky clean” sound/feeling.

This is, in fact, your skin sticking because of the soap residue. Soft water rinses your skin and hair better than hard water and doesn’t leave a soap or shampoo residue behind. The silky feeling you experience is actually the natural oils of your skin coming through when not blocked by hard water residue.

Your water softener improves the working water throughout your home. This is the water used for bathing, cleaning and laundry. Softeners are not designed to improve drinking water quality.

Drinking water systems improve the water that you use to drink and cook with by removing objectionable taste, odor and other potential contaminants. They are designed to significantly reduce to negligible levels the amount of contaminants that are commonly found in city and well water supplies.

Your water softener improves the working water throughout your home. This is the water used for bathing, cleaning and laundry. Softeners are not designed to improve drinking water quality.

Drinking water systems improve the water that you use to drink and cook with by removing objectionable taste, odor and other potential contaminants. They are designed to significantly reduce to negligible levels the amount of contaminants that are commonly found in city and well water supplies.

Yes, soft water is okay for drinking and cooking. Since your softener regenerates with sodium chloride (salt), keep in mind that there will be a small amount of sodium added to the softened water. People who are on a sodium-restricted diet should consider the added sodium as part of their overall intake. For the highest quality drinking water possible, a Kinetico Drinking Water System will remove as much as 98 percent of total dissolved solids, including sodium, from your water.

More water softener questions

Aquarius Water Conditioning can fix problem water. Contact Us

Where to Find Aquarius

Water Softeners Near You

Since 1987 Aquarius Home Services have provided thousands of people in the Minnesota and Wisconsin areas with award-winning water softeners and world-class customer service. Our offices below cover large regional territories.

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