The Water Softener Blog

What is a Water Softener? A water softening or, water conditioing system, is an essential appliance for homes dealing with hard water. These systems remove hardness minerals—mainly calcium, magnesium, and some iron—from your water through a process called ion exchange, delivering softened water that helps protect plumbing fixtures and water-using appliances from hard water scale and iron staining. In short, a water softener enhances your home’s efficiency, extends plumbing fixtures and appliance life, extends water heater life and makes water heaters much more efficient, and considerably reduces soap and detergent usage for dishwashing, clothes washing and washing anything, including you! 

When it comes to residential water softeners, the control valve is the heart of the system. It determines how efficiently your water softener system regenerates, it helps determine how long a water softener system lasts, and how easy it is to maintain and service. In 2025, several major brands continue to dominate the residential market. Including Clack, Fleck, Autotrol, EcoWater, Culligan, Kinetico, Whirlpool/GE, and Water Boss. "The Water Softener Blog" is diving in-depth for you looking at the leading water softener systems and companies. What makes each one stand out in today’s market, which models have proven reliable over time. We have a ranking chart for water softener systems for you. We delve into water softener models and the best water softener systems that are user and service friendly for  DIY homeowners. 1. Clack Water Softeners Models: WS1, WS1.25, WS1.5  Reputation: Highly reliable, easy to service, water treatment dealer sales and plumbing supply sto...