Genesis 2 Premier 96,000 Grain Water Softener, 1.25" Digital Metered, On Demand, High Efficiency Up Flow

This works really well. Water where I live is super hard. No more hard water stains. Was quoted upwards of 7k for a system from installers and vendors. If you know some basics of plumbing and water this is not hard to put together. Its pretty much following instructions that come with it and setting up the the hardness and time on the controller along with a few other things like topping off the media.

If you read nothing else in this review, be sure to read the red sheet that Discount Water Softeners included with the owner's manual. Despite Discount Water Softeners (DWS's) claim of a very good warranty (5 years on the head and 10 years on the brine tank, if I remember correctly), the red sheet makes it clear that there is virtually no warranty at all. If it's too small to read because of how Amazon sizes it, take a screen shot and enlarge it. It's important. Be sure to read the last paragraph where it says:"No soft water- If your water softener does not produce soft water this is not a warranty issue."Discount Water Softener apparently doesn't know about the Implied Warranty of Merchantability. It's federal law. In fact, since they advertise that the water softener has a good warranty but then, when you receive the softener, a red sheet is included in the documentation that clearly tells you it doesn't have a warranty, this is an issue of false advertising and I suspect states' attorney generals might be interested in this. (I plan to forward this information to the Illinois Attorney General.)That said, here's my review of the water softener itself:I couldn't be more disappointed in Discount Water Softeners or this water softener. I ordered it on Amazon and received it on 8/7/2018. Installation was easy because I was replacing and old water softener so I had the piping setup in place. It worked fine for some time (which probably explains some of the positive reviews) but has been a nightmare since then. I simply can't depend on it.It had several minor failures that I was able to fix but I'm 73 and have a lifetime of experience working on things. In fact, at one time, I was a service technician who worked on literally hundreds of types of commercial and domestic equipment and I've always fixed just about everything I own and still do. However, some people may not have the skills or experience to fix those minor problems and that could get to be very expensive.Then the softener completely failed. None of the cycles worked. It didn't brine, backflush, rinse or refill. I checked all the normal things including the injector, injector screen, brine line, float assembly, float valve, and an orifice in the rinse connection. All those things checked out OK so I completely disassembled the head to inspect the spacers/seals stack. There was no apparent damage so I reassembled the head but it still didn't work. I called Discount Water Softeners and was told that I would have to ship the head in but they couldn't get to it for a while because the only service technician they had was on vacation. I was told to send a picture of my "setup" to DWS which seemed strange because a picture can't show that the water softener simply doesn't work. I fail to see how sending a picture would help but I sent the picture as requested anyway. In any case, my well water is very hard so I couldn't go for what would probably be at least a month before they could fix it so I took a chance and ordered a new spacer/seal stack even though the one in the softener appeared OK. It cost $39 and change plus shipping and tax. To Discount Water Softener's credit, they shipped it very quickly and I received it in only a couple days. Obviously, the warranty didn't cover the part that I ordered.I disassembled the head again and replaced the spacer/seal stack and, to my surprise, the softener worked again. It appears that the seals in the spacer/seal stack leak badly for some reason even when they are in good condition. But that's just a guess.Five months later, the softener failed again. I went through the same procedures, checking all the things mentioned above but found nothing wrong. I called DWS since they offer to provide technical support if you have problems with your water softener but they actually don't provide technical support. I provided them with the results of my inspection which should have instantly told their technician what the problem was but they insisted I ship the head to them. I explained that I was very experienced at fixing things but they insisted that I ship the head in anyway which would mean I'd be out of soft water for a month or so. (I was told not to even send it in for two weeks because they were so backed up again.) That would mean not only expensive shipping costs but I would also have no soft water for probably a month or so. Since I had eliminated all the usual causes of the problem they should easily know what the problem was. I have no doubt that they've seen the problem many times but they would offer no advice on what the fix was or what to check. It's a process of elimination and I had eliminated all the usual causes of the problem. (DWS has YouTube videos showing you what to check and I checked all those things and more and provided them with the results.)So, again, I completely disassembled the head and inspected the (virtually new) spacer/seal stack. It looked like new because it was virtually new. I reassembled the head and the water softener worked again.To summarize. Discount Water Softener claims this water softener has a very good warranty in their ads but, when its delivered, you find a sheet that tells you that it doesn't have a warranty. Even more outrageous, the red sheet that comes with it comes right out and tells you that if your water softener doesn't produce soft water, that's not covered under the warranty. I'm not making that up. Again, read the last paragraph in attached red sheet that comes with the water softener.This water softener is not reliable and it fails. Even worse, you often don't know it's not working for a couple weeks when the resin is saturated and your water heater is filled with hot water so I'll have to frequently check the cycles manually which should not be necessary. Then, despite Discount Water Softener's claim that they provide technical support if you have a problem, they simply don't. Rather than advising you what to check, they tell you to ship the head to them but that they are backed up or the only technician is on vacation so it's going to take a long time to get it back. And, going by the red sheet, you're going to have to pay for the repair and shipping both ways. What's so aggravating is that even when you tell them that you are experienced at repairing things, they act as if repairing this water softner is rocket science or brain surgery and only they can fix it. They tell you that they have to put it on a "dyno." Water softeners are very simple devices despite what Discount Water Softeners would have you believe. I think the problem is in its design. I think the seals in the seal/stack can leak even when they are brand new making it very hard to diagnose a failure if all the other things have been checked. Many people will not know how to disassemble and reassemble the head completely so they will have to pay to ship the head to DWS or pay an independent repair person to come out to repair it and that can be very expensive and the softener may fail again soon after it's repaired. That's not acceptable.If my water softener fails again, I'm simply going to have to replace it but definitely NOT with a water softener from Discount Water Softener. However, I am going to forward information about the warranty claims made before the softener is purchased along with the red sheet that says it isn't covered by a warranty even if it simply doesn't work (produce soft water) to the Illinois Attorney General. That's false advertising and against federal law (the Implied Warranty of Merchantability). I may also file a Better Business Bureau complaint and I suggest that anyone else who has experienced these problems do these things too.

I needed installation assistance three weeks ago, so I used their support web page to request help.I had two questions: 1) What is the correct height for adding the salt bin overflow, and 2) How do I reassemble the salt well in the salt bin. It had fallen to pieces during shipment, or it was tossed in the tower in pieces. No way to guess which happened.After a week and a half, I received no answer. So I called their support hotline. There wasn't anybody available (or maybe nobody there?), so I left a detailed message regarding the same two questions. As I neared the end of the request, a recorded voice broke in and told me I was too slow, and to stop recording, then press #3, which I did.Now, it's been another week, and no reply.Thanks to a Youtube video I found while searching for solutions on the web, I was able to figure out how to reassemble and deploy the water softener.Why didn't they tell me right up front that buying from Discount Water Softeners meant rear bumper support? That is, once it's off their dock, to hell with further concerns.At the same time, it deployed successfully, and we have been enjoying soft water in a system that has VERY hard water. Remains to be seen if the softener continues to perform. If it doesn't, I fully expect to have to drive to Chicago (Huntley) to confront them directly to get service. Won't I be surprised if it's just a front for a foreign manufacturer?In my book, that rates a ZERO for customer service.

While the product arrived with the carton damaged, the packing worked and protected the product. Lugged it down to the basement and installation was a breeze.ADVISE: Read the instructions before starting installation, ESPECIALLY preparation for first use.I used a couple of shark-bite hoses with NPT female to connect the machine to the water. It was a breeze...except for one laughable moment. I had removed the red locks on the valves earlier on and forgot to put them back on. When I turned on the water, I got a little bit wet....LOL! Do NOT remove the red locking tangs.Programming, after reading the instructions about three times, was a breeze. I did call Discount Water Softeners and they were great at providing information. My hard water (22 gpm) is now soft and it regenerates only when needed.The tank came with a nice neoprene jacket which looks very nice. :)I will certainly recommend this product.

Before purchasing I called them and specifically asked if an outside install was ok. Was Control Box electronics sealed against moisture. They said yes, no problem. Now, 18 months later, Control Box stopped working. Discovered moisture had built up on circuit board causing corrosion. The main circuit board is not sealed and is mounted horizontally so moisture will sit on board. Poor, poor design. This is a "Water Softener" key word is "Water". Their customer service will only communicate with you via e-mail, no phone calls. Takes overnight to get a response. They are not going to cover this under warranty. "BEWARE!" Do Not Do Business With This Vendor!