/>Hi, I'm mike m.. I live in Ohio. Craig "The Water Guy" Phillips asked me to share my homeowner experience with local tap water from the city and the SoftPro® Elite HE Water Softener for City Water (Industry's Best Softener & Filter Combo) I purchased. This is how my adventures played out. I hope this helps you in your decision.
Did you know that even "soft" city water can wreak havoc on your home's plumbing and your family's daily comfort?
I certainly didn't realize this until I started noticing the telltale signs throughout my Ohio home. White spots on glassware that wouldn't budge no matter how much I scrubbed, a strange metallic taste in our drinking water, and my wife constantly complaining about her hair feeling dry and brittle after showers.
What really opened my eyes was when our three-year-old dishwasher started leaving a chalky film on everything, and our morning coffee began tasting like it was brewed with pennies. I knew something had to change, but I had no idea how complex the world of water treatment would turn out to be.
After eight months of living with the SoftPro Elite HE Water Softener, I can honestly say it's transformed our daily life in ways I never expected. But the journey to get here wasn't without its learning curve, and there are definitely some things I wish I'd known before making the investment.
The Water Problems That Drove Me to Take Action
Living in Ohio, we're fortunate to have municipal water that meets all safety standards, but "safe" doesn't necessarily mean "pleasant" or "optimal." Our city water tested at 12 grains per gallon of hardness – not the worst I'd heard of, but definitely enough to cause problems.
The first thing I noticed was the constant battle with soap scum in our master bathroom shower. No matter what cleaning products I tried, there was always this stubborn white residue that required serious elbow grease to remove. My wife started buying more expensive shampoos thinking they'd help with her hair issues, not realizing the water itself was the culprit.
But the real wake-up call came when I had to replace the heating elements in our water heater after just four years. The technician pulled out these elements completely encrusted with mineral deposits and explained how hard water was essentially destroying our appliances from the inside out.
That's when I started researching water softeners seriously. The calcium and magnesium minerals causing our "hard water" weren't just cosmetic annoyances – they were costing us real money in appliance repairs, excessive cleaning product purchases, and utility bills from inefficient water heating.
I also discovered our water had chlorine levels around 2.5 parts per million, which explained the occasional swimming pool smell and that metallic taste I'd grown accustomed to. Plus, we were dealing with trace amounts of iron that occasionally left rust-colored stains in our toilets and bathtub.
Why I Chose the SoftPro Elite HE After Extensive Research
>I'll be honest – I initially planned to just grab whatever water softener was on sale at the big box store. Thank goodness I decided to do some research first, because I quickly learned that not all water softeners are created equal, especially when you're dealing with city water that has multiple contamination issues.
The SoftPro Elite HE caught my attention because it's actually a combination system – it handles water softening through ion exchange resin while simultaneously filtering out chlorine, sediment, and other contaminants through its integrated carbon filtration. This meant I wouldn't need separate systems for different water issues.
What really sold me was the high-efficiency design. The SoftPro Valve uses demand-initiated regeneration, which means it only regenerates based on actual water usage rather than a preset timer. Living in a household of four with varying water usage patterns, this seemed much more logical than systems that regenerate every three days regardless of need.
The capacity was another deciding factor. With a 48,000 grain capacity, the system could handle our family's needs while providing the flow rate we needed for simultaneous water usage – like someone showering while the dishwasher runs. I'd read horror stories about undersized systems causing pressure drops, and that was definitely something I wanted to avoid.
I also appreciated that SoftPro manufactures their own valve rather than using third-party components. After reading about reliability issues with some other brands, having a system where one company stands behind all the components gave me more confidence in long-term support and warranty coverage.
Installation Experience: Easier Than Expected
I'll admit I was nervous about the installation process. The SoftPro Elite HE is not a small system – it's about the size of a large garbage can – and I wasn't sure if our utility room could accommodate it along with all the necessary plumbing connections.
SoftPro's customer service was incredibly helpful during the pre-purchase phase. I sent them photos of our utility room and our existing plumbing setup, and they provided detailed guidance on placement and what modifications might be needed. They even sent me a digital copy of the installation manual before I purchased, which let me see exactly what I was getting into.
The system arrived in excellent packaging with every component clearly labeled and protected. The build quality was immediately apparent – the resin tank feels solid and substantial, and the SoftPro Valve has a premium feel compared to the plastic-heavy valves I'd seen on some other systems.
I decided to hire a local plumber for the installation, mainly because I wanted the bypass valve installed correctly and wasn't comfortable working with the main water line myself. The plumber was impressed with the quality of the components and mentioned that the SoftPro systems are much easier to work with than some other brands he's installed.
The entire installation took about three hours, including setting up the drain line for regeneration cycles and programming the SoftPro Valve with our water hardness levels and household size. The valve's digital display made the initial setup straightforward, and the manual provided clear step-by-step instructions.
Performance Results: The Difference Is Real and Measurable
> I'm the type of person who likes to measure things, so I tested our water quality before and after installation using both test strips and a TDS (total dissolved solids) meter. The results were pretty dramatic.
Before the SoftPro Elite HE, our water tested at 12 grains per gallon hardness and around 340 TDS. After installation and the first regeneration cycle, hardness dropped to less than 1 grain per gallon, and https://www.trustpilot.com/review/softprowatersystems.com TDS came down to around 180. The chlorine smell disappeared completely, and the water taste improved significantly.
But the real-world results were even more impressive than the numbers. Within a week, I noticed that soap actually lathered properly in the shower instead of creating that sticky, filmy feeling. My wife commented that her hair felt softer and more manageable, and she was able to reduce the amount of conditioner she was using.
The difference in cleaning was remarkable. That stubborn soap scum in our shower became much easier to remove, and new buildup formed much more slowly. Our glassware started coming out of the dishwasher actually clean, without those white spots that had driven me crazy for years.
I also noticed we were using less detergent for everything – laundry, dishes, general cleaning. Soft water allows soaps and detergents to work more effectively, so we were able to cut our usage by about 30% while getting better results.
The iron filtration capability also proved valuable. We occasionally get small amounts of iron in our city water supply, especially during heavy rain periods when the treatment plant is stressed. The SoftPro Elite HE handles these occasional spikes without any issues, preventing the rust stains we used to see in toilets and the bathtub.
Daily Life Impact: Small Changes That Add Up
> Eight months in, the benefits have become part of our normal routine, but I still appreciate them daily. Coffee tastes significantly better – clean and crisp without that metallic undertone. We've actually started making coffee at home more often instead of stopping at cafes, which is saving money.
Laundry comes out softer and colors seem brighter. We were able to eliminate fabric softener completely, which my wife loves since she has sensitive skin and always worried about chemical residues. Clothes also seem to last longer without the mineral buildup that was gradually making fabrics feel stiff and look dingy.
Shower time has become more enjoyable for everyone. The kids don't complain about shampoo stinging their eyes anymore, and my wife's skin doesn't require as much moisturizer after bathing. I've even noticed that razors seem to last longer, probably because there's less mineral buildup interfering with the blades.
Our water-using appliances are definitely running more efficiently. The dishwasher doesn't require rinse aid anymore, and I've noticed the water heater seems to cycle less frequently. Our plumber mentioned during a recent service call that the water lines looked much cleaner than he'd expect for a house our age.
Guests have actually commented on the water quality when they visit, asking if we have a filtration system because the water "tastes different" – in a good way. It's nice to be able to offer people drinking water straight from the tap without feeling embarrassed about the taste or smell.
