# Kinetico water softeners



## plumbfire (Feb 2, 2012)

Hi guys, I have to replace my water softener at home, and I am looking at the Kinetico 2040s. I have been installing softeners for years, but never had any dealings with Kinetico. I like the specs, the fact that it is water driven, and only uses 7 gallons of water, 1 lb of salt, and takes 11 minutes to regenerate one side of the system. Makes sense to me. Any input would be welcome,

Thanks, Dave


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## Mississippiplum (Sep 30, 2011)

Don't Do it man, dont, please don't. 

Get a clack softener- clack mineral tank with a clack head- pack it with resin and a little bit of carbon at the top, you will have the best water around.

sent from the jobsite porta-potty


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

Proprietary Shiot!


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## Mississippiplum (Sep 30, 2011)

And when it comes time to repack that kinetico softener your looking at around 400 dollars If you do it yourself- a regular water softener- about 100 dollars.

sent from the jobsite porta-potty


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## nhmaster3015 (Aug 5, 2008)

Kinetico is expensive no doubt about it however, the equipment is very high quality and performs very well indeed. As you said, they don't need electricity so no timers and they are very efficient indeed but as Redwood said, the parts are proprietary and Kinetico will not sell them to you so you get roped into service agreements etc. I saw Clack tossed out and I sell a crap load of Clack WS units however, if you are not set up as a Clack dealer you can not get them or parts for them online anymore. My recommendation would be a Fleck 7000SXT or the new Fleck 5800SXT which I am thus far pretty impressed with and you can get online.


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## Mississippiplum (Sep 30, 2011)

One good thing about clack, is hacks can't order the parts offline. Clack is a very good head- it's all we install. Also clack mineral tanks and brine tanks are very good.

sent from the jobsite porta-potty


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## deerslayer (Mar 29, 2012)

I have very good luck with northstar? I recently rebuilt one that was 15 years old and all the parts were available and it came apart and went back together easily with no probs and that says alot about the construction to me. Also made in USA.


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## rocksteady (Oct 8, 2008)

Kinetico makes good quality water softeners but what everybody said is true. Proprietary parts and limited availability are high on the list of negatives. I've had VERY good luck with Fleck heads and in my area they last a very long time. Clack units are few and far between. Most around here are either Fleck or Northstar. I find that the Northstar units (G.E., Kenmore, Northstar brands) are so-so and don't last that long before needing to be rebuilt and most of the time I try to sell a new Fleck as a long term, economic solution.






Paul


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## wookie (Dec 16, 2008)

Fleck 5600 econominder here. Old Reliable, parts available all over.

wookie


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## Epox (Sep 19, 2010)

Typical repair on a Northstar is a diaphram which nowadays comes with venturi kit as well. Bout as easy as it gets. I've heard good about Fleck and have installed a good many when I was still at the other shop.
Never got into the repair end of them but our softener repairman had a good share of Fleck as well as Northstar repair experience under his belt.
I have a customer complaining of tasting salt with his Fleck and said it overflowed in the brine bin. I might get a thread started on this issue so I don't derail this one.


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## MarkToo (Dec 17, 2011)

Flecks here (Myers out of Kitchener). We've used those almost exclusively over the years. I'm replacing ones installed in the 80's now - still technically working.


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## user2090 (Sep 26, 2009)

My preference is Clack. 

In the end they all make soft water, with basically the same process, just different parts, and different engineering. I've never seen the wisdom in spending quite a bit more money for a water driven device, with already mentioned proprietary parts. 

The payback off the saving on electrical and water would take a long time. 

Clack is the newest and best head out there on the market at this time.


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## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

Water Right user here..


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## JCTX (Nov 22, 2013)

I am looking to install a new water softener and found Mississippiplum response

" Don't Do it man, dont, please don't. 

Get a clack softener- clack mineral tank with a clack head- pack it with resin and a little bit of carbon at the top, you will have the best water around."

Mississippiplum could you explain what Clack softener you recommend for a 2 person household 3 bathrooms one bathroom with 2 body sprays a shower head and shower want output 5 gpm. The municipality reports total grains per gallon 11-12. 

I don't understand exactly how much resin, what kind of resin and how much carbon as I have never had a softener before. I was considering a fleck 7000sxt but also know a clack ws1 is a good unit. New house looped with a drain for a softener and I thought I could install it myself. 

Hoping you guys might tell me exactly what I need so not to be over or undersized. Thanks!!


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## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

Sorry, you came thru the wrong door here... private club .. diy's site is couple doors away.. bye..


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## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

*they will have you by the short hairs*

I probably have installed 300 clack units over the past 7 years and we never have actually had to repair one yet....they just keep chugging along.. i honestly dont even know how to repair one... I probably need to go on U-tube and take a tuturoial 

a customer recently called me and vented to me about his kineichito unit.. the unit was 8 years old and the INDY dealer wanted $1700 to re-bed the unit and repair the head..... they had him by the balls and he knew it, he was so pissed off that he drug the head across state lines and had a dealer 90 miles away repair the head for $115 bucks..


Stay away from them


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