I just would like to know the different benefits of having a OhioPureCo Vs EcoWater System.

I'm not sure which provider to choose. I read one of your post where you said that OhioPureCo water softener will last a decade longer than EcoWater, but EcoWater offers a lifetime warranty on all their parts except the electronics. So if anything were to go wrong, there would only be a service charge for them to come out and the replacement parts are free.

I understood that the activated carbon in most systems has to be replace about 3-5 years because of chlorine damage, which would become pricey (not costy) down the road. With this in mind, can you clarify what you mean by OhioPure Parts would last a decade longer than EcoWater?

Are OhioPureCo parts are free replacements if they break down or degrades, like the activated carbon?

EcoWater cost is may be a little bit more of an expensive investment upfront, but it has a lifetime warranty for free replacment parts. But wouldn't that justify for OhioPure System the low price but frequent replacment parts every few years down the road?

What are the benefits of choosing Ohio over EcoWater and vice versa?

I just want to make the right decision getting the right system.

 

Ecowater softeners are a proprietary design. Parts and tech info is only available to Ecowater dealers and around here the Ecowater dealer gouges their customer something fierce.

As far as "lifetime warranty" on parts I'd read the fine print REAL carefully. I think that warranty covers parts that fail due to a manufacturing defect. Just plain "wearing out" isn't covered.

Check the prices on those "not covered under warranty" electronics, but sit down before you do.

Also, check the labor rate and service call costs with your Ecowater dealer. Free parts ain't free when their cost is added into the labor charges.

"Most" softener systems don't have carbon in the resin tanks. That said, it's be more of a pain in the a$$ to service the carbon in an Ecowater softener because it is an all-in-one cabinet design. An industry standard softener with a seperate media tank standing alone would be much easier to service if necessary. With routine maintenance, depending on water conditions, you might have to replace that resin in the industry standard softener in about 15 to 20 years.

And what is is about your water that requires carbon in the softener resin or is that just an Ecowater selling point?

Industry standard water softeners, as offered by Ohio Pure Water Co and other independent water treatment dealers, are assembled from the best of the best components. Control valves from Fleck or Autorol manufactured from Noryl that have proved themselves over decades. The resin tanks are from Structural and the resin from Purolite or Ionac or Sybron.

Parts are available locally or all over the internet and all the assembly, installation, and service info is a mouse click away. There always seems to be somebody everywhere who can service a Fleck or Autotrol control valve.

Simply put, a Fleck based softener is made from better materials, is easier to service, and has proved it's design and reliability for 30 to 40 years. Oh yea, and they cost BUNCHES less money than an Ecowater.

Of all the proprietary designs I'd be more inclined to buy a Kinetico or a Culligan rather than an Ecowater.

But, I have an industry standard softener in my garage.

I'm just tellin' it like it is and tryin' to help

 

Very informative...

My understanding was that activated carbon is the resin in the system tank. Here is what it says directly in there err 3000 brochure. "Municipal water supplies use chlorine for disinfection. Once in the home, chlorine can shorten the life of a water
softener causing resin degradation and loss of softening capacity.1 EcoWater’s Water Refiner with its patented Resin
resists the effects of chlorine, thus lengthening the life of the softener and ensuring operation efficiency."


So I asked EcoWater more about it and they told me the resin in most systems have to be replaced every 3-5 years, but theirs should last you a lifetime and they guaranteed it. So, that must be a selling point.

Could you elborate on this information? I may have understood it wrong.

 

Yes, the carbon is IN the system (resin) tank along WITH the resin. Carbon doesn't do ion exchange, resin does.

Replace resin in 3-5 years? Sure if you're pouring a gallon of bleach into the brine tank every month ... just kidding.

Even a Sears water softener, not the king of long life softeners, lasts 3-5 years on city water systems. Obviously you're talking to an Ecowater salesman and not an Ecowater employee that has any technical knowledge of water softeners. Is that Ecowater guy's nose getting longer as you ask him more questions?

The most commonly used resins in better quality softeners are Purolite C100 and Ionac C-249. Both are "cross-linked" resins and tolerate the normal amount of chlorine found in municipal water systems just fine. Chlorine isn't all bad. Chlorine makes your water safe.

My previous softener to the one I have now was 10 years old with no resin problems whatever. I dumped it when I finally had enough of problems with proprietary designs and being forced to rely on an incompetent franchised dealer. So, I bought an industry standard softener from an internet softener huckster who doesn't work and play well with others and learned that lesson. My industry standard softener works perfectly despite that internet huckster, not because of him.

If I had a dollar for every industry standard water softener that has gone 10 years plus, let alone 5 years without a resin problem I could afford to buy me some Google stock.

Rather than believe me just search this forum and you'll find many posts asking about rebuilding softeners that are 15 and 20 years old.

I've had the opportunity(?) to experience the best and worst of proprietary softener designs and the best and worst of both local and internet softener sellers.

Here's what I've learned ... it makes more sense, especially if you are mechanically inclined, to buy an industry standard design water softener with readily available tech info and parts than have to rely on one franchised dealer being competent, in a good mood, and not greedy. If your local franchised dealer is a jerk then you are STUCK.

If you buy an industry standard softener locally, and the dealer is a disappointment, you can get parts and tech info from many other sources. At least you have options.

If you're a DIYer make note that there are softener sellers on the internet that can be as bad to deal with as a bad local water treatment pro but there are some real honest and considerate softener sellers on the internet and locally also.

For some people a total solution provided by a long term reliable company like Kinetico or Culligan is the way to go. One company who designs and manufactures the hardware, installs the hardware, stocks parts and provides service during and AFTER the sale and you get a warranty that's worth something. You pay a premium for that kind of service but for people who have other things to do than learn about water treatement as they go and just want treatment that treats with one phone number to call for questions or problems it a great value add. Both Kinetico and Culligan have been around for a long time and neither company seems likely to go anywhere.