Do NOT Buy! Here is Why Eco Water Might NOT Be Worth It
Why Eco Water Might NOT Be Worth It
The biggest problem is that their prices are hidden. 
Although some people claim to have been able to purchase it at Costco, you will typically need to go through a sales call or an in person visit before getting a customised offer. However, many people report ridiculous price inflation e.g. offered $8,000 for a system that you can easily find for $3,000 (look at the comments at the bottom of this article to see so many examples of this).
EcoWater does NOT filter your water unlike other combination systems like a whole house salt-FREE softener and filter combo or salt-BASED softener and filter combo that will both filter and soften at the same time. EcoWater will sell you an extra reverse osmosis device to install under your kitchen sink for filtration. This is inefficient, more expensive, will take more work to maintain and will take up more space.
The EcoWater Systems wi-fi manager SUCKS. A big selling point of EcoWater is their app-enabled systems manager. However, you just have to take a look at the reviews to see how much people hate this application.
Do You Even Need An EcoWater Softener?
EcoWater softeners are whole house water systems that are designed to treat hard water.
Do you have hard water?
If you’re not sure, the first step is to get a water test to see.
If you live in a hard water area or find that you have hard water in your home then you definitely need a water softener as this is the only proven way to produce soft water.
Don’t believe the hype on “salt free”, “magnetic descalers” or “water conditioners” because none of them can produce soft water. It is not possible to convert hard water to soft water without using salt.
EcoWater Softeners Come In All Shapes and Sizes
Like all water softener brands EcoWater don’t just produce 1 type of water softener, they have a line and range of water softeners.
The EcoWater softener ECS range is listed below. Remember that the higher the number associated with the series, the higher capacity model it will be (this is usually the case but not always so double check).
These models are not necessarily the easiest to buy from places like Amazon.
This means you may have to contact the manufacturer direct to buy or get the details of one of their authorized dealers.
The EcoWater softener price is not listed anywhere but high quality water softeners typically start upwards of $2000.
List of EcoWater Softener Series
- COMPACT SERIES
- ECR3700 SERIES
- ECR3702 SERIES
- EEC 1502 SERIES
- ESS1152 SERIES
- ESD2752 SERIES
- ESD2750 SERIES
EcoWater Compact Series
The EcoWater Compact Series water softening system is a compact single tank “cabinet” style softener. As the name suggests the priority with this machine is that it’s a reliable and convenient system for places that don’t have a lot of space.
The biggest selling point is that it can fit in the average cabinet which is far smaller then most water softeners.
Features of the compact series water softener:
- Hydrolink Plus® Wi-Fi, which means that it comes with a monitoring app that you can use with your smartphone.
- Water Meter: This allows chemicals to automate the feed dosing, the switch operating information flow and water consumption. All you need to do is set all of this up and it run by itself.
- Hydrolink Plus®: Uses Wi-Fi to connect with your smartphone to send continuous and excessive water consumption alerts, system errors, salt and service reminders. This also includes detection alarm drainage water, which warns you when it drains a lot of excess water.
- Uses electronic equipment capture use future demands so that it can accurately predict regenerations.
- The models 100 and 200 come with transparent covers.
- The multi-layered fiberglass resin tank reinforces the lining durable tank. This means that it does not degrade, rust or corrode.
- Automatic detection of salinity level. The integrated sensor detects the level of salt and warns you if the salt content is low.
ECOWater ECR3700 Series
This water softener system is available in a single-tank “cabinet” design. It is the EcoWater model that I recommend for either well water or municipal water supplies. 
This softener model has a lot of the best features of the compact series. But this model is good if you’re looking for something to deal with much harder water.
Here are the best features and specifications of the ECR3700 series:
- Comes with HydroLink Plus®, this is a Wi-Fi enabled app to monitor your device.
- It has a very efficient counterflow regeneration.
- The multi-fiber reinforced resin tank means that the lining of the tank wont be damaged, suffer from rust or corrosion.
- The ECR3700 water meter keeps track of flow monitor operation and water usage information.
- Pressure build-up helps to eliminate the use of solvents that can contaminate your water.
- The HydroLink® patented bidirectional remote monitoring is also an optional extra.
Best Eco Water Softener Alternatives
Aquasana Salt Free Softener and Filter System(Conditioner & Filter) | SpringWell Whole House Filter & Salt Softener(Traditional Salt Water Softener & Filter) |
 |  |
| - Powerful salt-FREE water softener. - 1,000,000 one million gallon capacity. - Aquasana Rhino exceeds NSF standards. - Treats hard water WITHOUT salt. - Removes chlorine, bacteria, iron, sulfide, manganese, mercury, lead etc. - Includes pre-filter, copper-zinc and carbon filtration stages with standard fittings. - Treats hard water up to 25 ppm WITHOUT needing salt. - 90-Day Pure Satisfaction Guarantee. | - Powerful salt-BASED water softener. - Also includes a multi-stage filter. - Easy installation (inside or outside) - 6 month satisfaction guarantee and limited lifetime warranty. - Sufficient for 1-3 bathrooms (options for more bathrooms available). |
| Does NOT require electricity or back-flushing. | Requires electricity if using the electronic head monitor. |
| N/A | Effectively treats: calcium and magnesium. |
| Control Your System With An App:? NO | Control Your System With An App:? YES |
| Treats hard water UP TO 25 ppm (low to medium low hard water). | Treats hard water OVER 25 ppm (medium to extremely hard water). |
| Sale prices automatically applied by clicking this link. | |
| If there is *no* sale try coupon code: AQGEEK50 | Coupon Code: GEEK5 |
 |  |
| $$$ Ships to US and CA. | $$$ Ships to US, CA and Puerto Rico. |
 | |
Eco Water Softener Troubleshooting
Problem: By far the biggest issue with Eco water softeners is the injector sometimes getting clogged with sediment caused by dirty salt.
Fix: The simple fix is to regularly clean the resin tank injector.
I know it sounds very simple but by doing this on a regular basis, you will avoid one of the most common troubleshooting issues with water softeners.
To clean the injector, first engage the softener’s bypass valve to shut off the water.
Next, relieve the water pressure by running the softener through a manual regeneration.
EcoWater WORTH It?
The short answer is no.
I say this because of the poor value for money.
Many customers report ridiculous rip off prices that are in the thousands of dollars.
However, it’s possible to get a decent water softener for a couple hundred bucks.
Read the comments below to see a sample of experiences that people have had with EcoWater.
EcoWater Vs SpringWell
When it comes to popularity and number of sales, SpringWell is by far the better model. It is a top rated water softener.
Although EcoWater generally provide good quality water softeners, they are hard to find and buy online.
You will probably need to go through a lengthy online search or contact the brand directly.
Meanwhile you can pick up any SpringWell softener online today with guaranteed free shipping.
You can have your softener up and running before the end of tomorrow.
Why is SpringWell Better?
You should consider buying a SpringWell water softener for the following reasons:
The standard dual tank model effectively softens AND filters your water too.
Can deal with very hard water issues and provide enough soft water for an average household. If you have a larger household then go for a higher spec high capacity dual tank model.
Their water softeners are very easy to install. A person with basic plumbing skills can do it with all the free information available online.
They are also very easy to configure and set up.
These are low to no maintenance machines and they typically take care of themselves.
These models consume less water which also means lower operating costs.
You can automate the regeneration cycle through its easy to use interface.
The high tech valve that lets you track and monitor the system.
Aquasana Salt Free Softener and Filter System(Conditioner & Filter) | SpringWell Whole House Filter & Salt Softener(Traditional Salt Water Softener & Filter) |
| |
| - Powerful salt-FREE water softener. - 1,000,000 one million gallon capacity. - Aquasana Rhino exceeds NSF standards. - Treats hard water WITHOUT salt. - Removes chlorine, bacteria, iron, sulfide, manganese, mercury, lead etc. - Includes pre-filter, copper-zinc and carbon filtration stages with standard fittings. - Treats hard water up to 25 ppm WITHOUT needing salt. - 90-Day Pure Satisfaction Guarantee. | - Powerful salt-BASED water softener. - Also includes a multi-stage filter. - Easy installation (inside or outside) - 6 month satisfaction guarantee and limited lifetime warranty. - Sufficient for 1-3 bathrooms (options for more bathrooms available). |
| Does NOT require electricity or back-flushing. | Requires electricity if using the electronic head monitor. |
| N/A | Effectively treats: calcium and magnesium. |
| Control Your System With An App:? NO | Control Your System With An App:? YES |
| Treats hard water UP TO 25 ppm (low to medium low hard water). | Treats hard water OVER 25 ppm (medium to extremely hard water). |
| Sale prices automatically applied by clicking this link. | |
| If there is *no* sale try coupon code: AQGEEK50 | Coupon Code: GEEK5 |
| | |
| $$$ Ships to US and CA. | $$$ Ships to US, CA and Puerto Rico. |
| | |
Thank you for this post!
My mom was looking for a water system and got SUCKED into this EcoWater scam. She showed me a picture of the “cabinet” and it looked just like any other off-the-shelf pellet water softener. Then she said the price for just the softener was $6k, then with RO alkaline water filter, it was about $7.5k total. This is predatory sales, if the product cannot be purchased wholesale and instead requires a sales rep, you should run for the hills!
The SpringWell or Pentair whole home water filters are ~$2.5k at most ~$3k, how could the EcoWater be twice that??? Just insane! I’ve had 2 Pelican (now Pentair) whole home filters over the years and they are great. Now getting the SpringWell for my mom’s place.
I honestly cannot believe that these systems are sold through Costco, normally they don’t deal in products this horrible.
PS – The alkaline water BS is just a marketing ploy by big-soda to push their RO tap water to consumers. Your stomach acid is ~2pH, and the 9pH alkaline water does not change that!
I purchased an EcoWater ERR3700, whole house filtration, and paid appx. $8,500 (which included one RO system). One week later after installation, my family and I started to develop skin irritations (my wife’s skin looked like it had chemical burns). After further research and testing it turned out that the potassium chloride we opted for as the conditioning substrate was causing these issues. We decided to bypass the system and immediately our issues subsided.
We contacted EcoWater and it took them weeks to send out a technician. The technician eventually came out and performed two tests: 1. Chlorine presence with the system on/off 2. Hardness test with the system on/off. With this information, he said the system was functioning properly and his managers used this as the basis for refusing my request for a refund. (They also suggested switching to sodium chloride but this wasn’t feasible because the increased NaCl could lead to further issues with a septic tank because it kills microbial activity).
Additionally, the RO system they installed leaks on a regular but sporadic basis. Ecowater has yet to send out a technician to resolve the issue.
I’m rating a 1 star for horrible service and lack of value for the extreme cost. Save your money and go with something like Aquasana. It’s half the cost and there are no contracts. Plus you have 90 days to try out the system.
Thank God I did some research from the time of the demo to scheduled installation! THEY WERE GOING TO CHARGE ME $8,000!!!!!!! obviously I canceled!!!!!! Found a local company, same type of system setup…. only $3,000
I had a rep come out this past Saturday, he was very knowledgeable and offered both systems for $7400, I am glad I found this forum, I will not be paying arm and a leg for this, there are way cheaper options, this is a rip-off, considering this system does not offer much more than what I can buy from Home Depot
Thank you for the information!
I had an EcoWater rep come out today and quoted me $8,400 for a water softener system and a reverse osmosis system under the kitchen sink. The system they quoted was for the ERR3700 softener and the ERO0385/alkaline water reverse osmosis system. We have a 4 bathroom 3500sf home that we just purchased and I have no idea what a good price would be for that size of a house (new home owner, have no idea what I’ve gotten myself into).
My questions are: Is this steep for what we’re getting? And is there a big difference in quality between EcoWater and other systems? I’m happy to pay for quality if it’s going to last 30 years vs 15 years. Thanks!
Hi Emily
$8,400 sounds pretty steep to me especially if it’s just a whole house softener (without an integrated filter) because whole house softener / filter combo systems for 4-6 bathrooms currently cost under $3,000 like this one.
Also, you might not need to install an extra RO system if the water is already getting filtered at source by the softener/filter. But a standard RO unit typically cost under $600 and is an easy upgrade option to the softener/filter combo if you do want one.
The higher cost doesn’t always mean it will last longer and almost all modern water systems come with a money back guarantee along with some sort of lifetime warranty.
Stay hydrated,
Luke
The price seems steep if it’s USD but it is a high quality system. Are you sure you’re not paying for extras like extra lines/taps for the RO or stone counter drilling fee or extra piping work? The ERR3700 series is designed for municipal water and the bed is guaranteed be able to remove chlorine with a lifetime warranty. If you ever start smelling chlorine call for your free re-bed.
According to Pennsylvania State University, the resin is a sand-like material that is coated with sodium positively charged ions, atoms with more electrons than protons.
Electrons have a negative charge, so if there are more, it would be negatively charged. wikipedia .org/wiki/Ion A cation is a positively charged ion with fewer electrons than protons[2] while an anion is a negatively charged ion with more electrons than protons.[3]
Hello George,
Can you please if I can choose the below filter.
Ion exchange unit
WS1 clak
Prolan plus
WS1 clack value
Thanks,
John
Hello Geek,
Need some advise on below filter.
Local company quoting 2500$. Is this good filter.
Ion exchange unit
WS1 clak
Prolan plus
WS1 clack valve
Cleaner is gng to clean by itself
Every 15-18 days
Or every 3000 gallons
Reverse osmosis
2.5 gallons tank under kitchen sink
Minerals
Need to change
18 months
When to add salt to cleaner
When salt is below the water
Hi John
I don’t really understand the question but yes, 2500$ seems like a reasonable price for all of that as a package.
Stay hydrated,
Luke
Hi Luke,
I currently have a Ecowater softener and acid neutralizer in my home (we have a well on the property). The local Ecowater company came out for annual service (first experience for us since we moved in last summer). They replaced the UV bulb which was overdue. The softener and acid neutralizer are both ~20 years old. Surprise, surprise, the rep told me both weren’t functioning properly based on water hardness and pH levels. The recommendation was to get new systems rather than fix old systems (which makes sense to me). They recommended Water Conditioner, EcoWater Model ECR3700R30 WiFi ($3,850) or Water Softener, EcoWater Model ESD2750R25 ($2,875) for softener options and Acid Neutralizer, EcoWater Model ETF2300PF12 WiFi ($2,575). All in cost for the softener/acid neutralizer combo ranges from $5,450 to $6,425. This price includes materials/labor (required plumb work…etc.). I have a separate RO system installed for drinking water. If I moved forward I would do cheaper softener option so we are looking at the $5400 price range. What are your thoughts on the pricing if that includes labor/installation? Is there a better/cheaper alternative. Just want to double check to make sure I’m not getting hosed vs. alternatives. If pricing is close, I would stick with these guys. Would appreciate your insight….thanks!
Hi Bill
No, that price doesn’t seem too crazy to me.
It is possible to get a cheaper combo well water conditioner + whole house filter + UV online with a professional grade installation kit like this.
However, if you trust your local Ecowater company and they have a good solution for you then that’s probably the more convenient way to go.
Stay hydrated,
Luke
Just had the ecowater rep at my house a couple of hours ago and he gave an excellent presentation. I am looking to buy a water softener and reverse osmosis for drinking water. He quoted me $9,200 dollars for the ERO 385 reverse osmosis and the ERR 3700 water refining system. Wondering if the equipment is good quality and if the price is worth it. From reading the comments on your page, it seems extremely steep. I know nothing about these systems and have never had one, so any insight is greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Hi Lee
Yes, $9,200 does seem pretty steep.
I would urge you to use all the free information you got from the sales presentation and find better value products online for a fraction of the cost and get a plumber to install it for you. A good under-sink reverse osmosis is only a few hundred bucks (e.g like this) and a good stand-a-lone whole house water softener can be less than $2,000 (e.g. this).
The links I provided are from companies I work with but you can definitely save thousands of dollars by spending a little time looking for other alternatives online.
However, if time is more valuable then you may want to invest in the EcoWater offer as everything will be done for you and my understanding is that EcoWater products are generally pretty decent.
Stay hydrated,
Luke
Hi, Im not sure where you are located…Im sure it does depend on the local dealer but my experience from EcoWater has been anything but good. In fact I feel like Im being hosed and re-hosed. Now Im being held hostage replacing the UV light for $195.00 I mean its plug and play and Id do it myself if I could find any info on the bulb anywhere plus they wont do it without including another $189.00 service fee. They won’t split it up. And their Tech made a mistake which flooded my basement and they never cleaned it up. So basically Im using dirty maybe dangerous water at present while still making payment on the system 5 years later. Granted I paid on it for a year as a credit card before I switched it over to a 0% for 18 months but still. The whole situation has literally left a bad taste in my mouth and now I can get them to change a simple bulb to make my water safe without forking up $384.00 which I just cant do right now because of a? series of things breaking and one of my dogs becoming seriously ill. Definitely do your research. I wish I would have!!
Hi Luke and all, I just had the initial in-home meeting with the (Costco) Eco Water systems guy. I live in Tampa, FL. Water is much harder than CT where I grew up. Test results were: 10 grains hard, 3ppm chlorine, TDS 254. I live by myself. I drink a good amount of water and am really just trying to make sure I’m drinking the healthiest water possible as well as eliminate buying bottled water, which he also tested btw and Publix Spring Water came back at TDS 176. The sales presentation seemed great, but the price quoted, ~$5,900 is outrageous, esp for a single guy living alone. I want the cleanest drinking water possible but also want to treat the entire house’s hard water turning it into soft for the life of the appliances as well as not absorbing chlorine into my skin with every shower. What would you recommend for my situation, Luke? Please and thank you. 🙏😊
Hi Brad
I agree that ~$5,900 is outrageous!
Also, I wouldn’t worry too much about the level of TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) because dissolved solids can often times be healthy things like minerals and nutrients, which is probably why your Publix Spring Water came back at TDS 176 (and not 0).
It sounds like you need a combination whole house filter and softener like this one that offers general filtration but is effective at treating both chlorine and hard water.
Stay hydrated,
Luke
Excellent! Thank you very much for the explanation & recommendation! The one remaining worry/concern I have is the other pollutants in the water that this system you provided does not mention on their website, such as arsenic, lead, cysts, MTBE, etc.
Hi Brad
The product I linked to is a carbon water filter so ideal for the low levels of contaminants commonly found in tap water.
However, things like arsenic, lead, cysts, MTBE etc will require something like a reverse osmosis filter. This one comes with a list of things it can remove if you scroll to the bottom of the page, MTBE is not listed but something that is effectively treated by RO.
So you may simply need a standard softener for the hard water and an under sink RO to make the water drinkable.
Stay hydrated,
Luke
Ok, excellent. Thank you again for the recommendation and further explanation! I most likely speak for all of us when I say you are greatly appreciated. Love what you’re doing here!
Hello team, sorry i am showing up late in the party, but i was wondering how to decide bw a whole house filtration system with a water softener vs water softener and RO? The difference in $$ spent can be close to 1k. I am located in CA, high clorine water content and hardness of around 4.5.much appreciated
Hi Pinelopi
The main difference I can see is that the RO (assuming it’s installed under the kitchen sink) will only filter your kitchen water but you will still experience all the chlorine and hard water issues in the rest of the house.
Also, RO can treat hard water but it wears out the filter much faster.
The whole house water filter and softener combo is the ideal solution for the entire home but as you mentioned it also costs more.
Stay hydrated,
Luke
I was recently quoted $3300 for the EcoWater ERR3700 through Costco. I have received 3 other estimates with different companies/plumbers all in the $2500-4000 range for a water refiner installation for a townhouse. With the added warranty with Costco, it doesn’t seem that estimate is too bad comparatively? To buy a product myself and have a plumber install, that labor estimate alone was $700-1000….
I live in outskirts of Tampa in Valrico. Got the system from Ecowater. Poorly installed to say the least. When they came out to fix it, I asked them to bring a new reverse osmosis for under kitchen sink. The unit flooded 5 rooms in our house while we were sleeping. This was last year in 2021, they never came to help clean up causing over $67,000 in damage and, we are still waiting for them to help over a year later. The estimates are now over $75,000 and climbing. If you want to read the story got to Yelp and other sites to see what they did to us.
I was quoted 8000 for the whole house eco water system. Glad I found this website.
No thanks Costco !!!!!
We love our eco water system! But we were told by the salesman and the papers we have that we get free soap, cleaning and laundry products for 7 years. We love that so we save $$ that way but we are paying for it $100 a month. We’ve had it for 2 years. Had to have our filters changed and they charged us for a service they said up front would not cost $$ because it was a lifetime warranty meaning all services and parts needed to fix it and to move it were included in the 7,600 we are paying for. However, a franchise of eco water does the billing for services and parts… and they charge for them. That is pretty shady. They show up in an eco water van and then call after the services were given to charge you. They cannot include it in your monthly payment why?? We refuse to pay because our contract is with eco water and not Moore water. That is the rip off.
Hi Luke, I am ND and I am looking at eco water or a kinetico system. After reading many reviews I am unsure about the eco water system. They are offering a bit more extras for a lower price and say the iron will be take out and I’ll have clear water. If you leave our sinks on a drip in a few day you can see the orange residue from the iron. We have an old r/o that works but I can’t even fill a coffee pot in the morning. It’s a dated culligan system we have right now. Any suggestions, options are more limited here in Fargo ND
Hi Derek
If you already have an r/o system that works perhaps you might consider just getting a single water system that treats extremely high levels of iron like this one?
Stay hydrated,
Luke
Bought our EchoWater softer 16 years ago from a dealer, not through Costco. Only need to add salt once yearly. We are now a family of two in a 2500 sq ft home. Families come to visit several times yearly of anywhere from two to six people. I can water my plants with the water (BUT, one will need to fertilize their inside plants).
We have only had to call for maintenance a few times over the years. Our hardness level in San Antonio was 32 at last test.
Unfortunately our unit is now ‘old’ thus parts will be hard to non existence to find we were told so start thing about replacement. It’s been two years since that advice and all has been good until last week.
Lots of improvements in systems have been made over the years. We need the soft water so only a salt based system is going to do that for us. It’s really sad to read so many negative reviews on EcoWater. We would have gone directly back to a EcoWater system, but now we think we should do some homework and find out about other options.
$5000 and above is outrageous. Plumbing has already been done, thank goodness.
Thanks to everyone for posting helpful and informative reviews.
I, too, have had a good experience with my regional EcoWater dealer in DeKalb, IL. My EcoWater mid-price range unit (EC2500) was purchased 14 years ago and is now not working. I’ve been advised by the service person that it is likely not worth fixing as repairs would get you halfway to a new unit and 15 years is a unit’s life span. A replacement unit (ESD2750) was quoted at approx $1,600. So, I have NO idea where you people are getting $5,000 and up. And, I just “googled” a Pelican Softener and Filter and they seem to range from $3,000+ to $1,800.
My experience with EcoWater has been good and I appreciate the salt delivery/add service which happens quarterly and costs less than $20 per delivery. Yes, $1,600 is a lot of money compared to a highly-rated GE GXSH40V, 40,000 Grain, unit at $500+ from a “big box” store. (But, as a single woman I would need to pay for delivery and set-up.)
This thread of discussion has been enlightening. Still considering EcoWater and other options. Just offering my experience with EcoWater.
We made the mistake of trusting Costco on our EcoWater System (through Carroll Water). We have the 3700 softener and the Hero385+ drinking water tap. Tot cost was $7845 – 7100 charge from costco and 745 charge from Carroll directly. We received a $746 costco card back – basically Carroll charged us for the card.
Our TDS was around 220. Tap is now 156-182 TDS – still pretty high. The drinking water tap that is next to our kitchen faucet is at 12 TDS from the Hero385+ – that’s good. Our water pressure is noticeably weaker.
In short- learn from us. Do not agree to anything until you get multiple bids. Not only did we really get taken to the cleaners on cost – we now will have to deal with an ecowater rep for future service issues, and we still don’t have soft water.
We just received a quote for an ESD2750 for $3,995 in Tampa through Costco. That’s a huge difference from your $1,600! I think we’re going to pass.
If your water is only 32 TDS I wouldn’t worry about a softener. Ours is around 260 so definitely need it; my daughter in Magna, UT has over 420!!! That needs softening. My RO water is only 10 TDS so if I had your water, I wouldn’t need a softener.
Hello, we bought the Ecowater System the past year. Now my 4 years old son complains of stomach pains. We all drink the water and we have miriced some problems with the stomach but not as bad as him. Could it be because the water system?
We just installed Ecowater 3700 and RO….(had iron issues with other system). Now, no iron issues, clean clear water, but diesel, chemical like odor from all faucets (not on hot or RO) narrowed the problem to softener container…still not sure if resin or other components in the softener producing this odor….anyone else have this issue? change out softener….still has odor not as strong…frustrated. What is it and is it health safe?
it could be sulfur in the water. The 3700 does not remove sulfur but the Ro should.
Mara,
A water softener won’t do anything negative to drinking water. It may remove some of the flavoring from iron in the water along with magnesium and calcium. You may have other impurities in the water that a softener doesn’t remove. Carbon filters and Reverse Osmosis systems, used in conjunction with a softener, will remove other harmful organic materials. I would suggest having him drinking bottled water for a couple of weeks and seeing if that changes how his stomach feels.
I’m completely lost! I just agreed to buy the Ecowater system and now I’m reading this and I have no idea what to do or think. The contract says I have a week to back out. It’s very expensive but I thought I was helping my family and home. Am I being scammed? My life is obviously focused elsewhere I don’t know anything about this topic! can someone help me decide if I’m just a complete mark for a scam. I assume I’m already screwed if I try to stop the install will they still charge me? Is the system a complete scam or do some work well? It’s over 5k!!! Is there better system? I’ve read a ton of reviews some from websites of other water companies that may just be competitive slam jobs.. this is very confusing. I’d like to trust someone. Of course the sales person sounded like the expert and a caring guy but again, am I just a easy mark?
Hi BN
It really depends on what you’re concerned about. My understanding is that EcoWater can be a pretty good machine once installed and you will have a warranty period if anything goes wrong.
So my thinking is your issue is with the price tag.
£5K is pretty high and you feel ripped off because of this? If you’re in the UK, check places like Amazon for softeners with lots of positive customer feedback and I believe they do installation too.
Doing this comparision will help you decide if you’re getting value for money OR help you see some other options to consider.
Stay hydrated,
Luke
If you can, don’t have it installed. Get your money back. I spent $6k on eccowater water softener and I regret it. The service people lie. They make things up. They will come out, looks for leaks (anyone with eyes can see if the water system is leaking) and test the water which you can do with a water test kit. 5 minutes of work and they want $129 per visit. I installed eccowater before remodeling 2 bathrooms. I have really bad scaling on kids bathroom on new glass shower doors after 6 months. I replaced my 16 year old water heater prior to having EccoWater installed because soft water will loosen scale and will actually make scaling worse. Costco will not help you other than ping EccoWater whenever they don’t repsond. Oh and forget about getting in touch with point person. She never responds unless I call Costco who then calls EccoWater. And here the kicker, EccoWater will not issue refund and Costco will not help you either.
What do you think about magnetic softeners such as GMX?
I picked up a replacement filter to replace the old one. It didn’t look the same but I was assured that it was the right replacement. I installed it and it worked for one day. I called and they suggested that I remove the filter until they could get a Technician out to figure out the problem. They said the Technician would call to set up an appointment. About 4 or 5 days later their Technician shows up at my door. Replaces the faulty filter (that they sold me), and gave me another new filter (just in case). He was here for less than 10 minutes. A few days later, I receive a bill for the service call and the additional filter. The new filter he installed is already starting to slow the flow of water again. The system that they sold us cost ten times a normal system would. The replacement filters that they sold me only last a few days. I could have replaced the filter again myself (and they knew that); but they decided to send a Technician out instead (and then charge me for replacing the faulty filter that they sold me). Stick with a regular system. It costs thousands less, less downtime, less faulty replacement parts and less unneeded service call bills. Or better yet; choose a company that make recommendations based on saving you money and stands behind what they sell. Charging the customer more is not my idea of “making it right”.
I received a call yesterday from the Technician. He said that they probably shouldn’t have charged me for coming out. I received a call today from their office, stating that they were not happy with my review. I also stated that I wasn’t happy with the continuing problem of my filters plugging up in less than a week. She stated that they ordered new filters and that the technician would contact me before coming out this afternoon. No call… No show…
I have a very strong claim to make against the Costco Ecowater System, please let me know if you would like to add it to your post.
Hi Sabri
Sure, please post it in comments and we will review.
Thank you!
Stay hydrated,
Luke
Mr Sawant, i would love to hear more about Ecowater System ESD2752 ECOWATER 2700 WATER SOFTENERS,Which we are planning to buy for the whole home. Please advice.
Purchased a home in AZ with this water softener and RO system already installed. EcoWater equipment and parts are ONLY available and serviceable by an official EcoWater dealer/distributor. I contacted the representative listed on the manual (All About Water, Chandler AZ) they installed the units in the home.
Our RO first started leaking and then stoped working. It took over a week to get an appointment. Finally when the tech arrived it was nearly 6pm and we were eating dinner awkward!
The RO manifold needs replacing cost $577 (only 30 day warranty) OR an upgrade was recommended @$1,521.90.
We decided to take some time to think about it and do more research. We paid $95 for the service call and the tech serviced our water softener for an additional $69. He was sure to tell us our water softener unit was “high end” and cost over 5k new.
I am not sure what’s so desirable and great about EcoWater systems?? There seems to be plenty of RO systems available at affordable prices. If I could purchase the manifold part from the company, I could install it myself especially since parts only come with a 30 day warranty. Costco often offers only the best but in this case I am not sure. Could someone please enlighten me.
Hi,
Just been reading the article – good read so far. We have been considering the Ecowater Boost 300 or the Kinetico Premier Maxi. The person who recommended it is an independent who is based in the UK and out of a few different brands he mentioned, that he Ecowater was one of the best out there – especially with its functionality – but obviously it’s electric. So there might be that issue of parts going wrong – however it comes with 5 years parts & labour vs 10 years part for the Kinetico.
But after reading your article i’m confused! What do i do!?
We bought an ECO water system through Home Depot and were sold a bill of goods by the company rep from the installing company which was referred by Home Depot. The rep said the 3700 ECO refiner/softener had a lifetime warranty and that they would service and take care of it, we only had to add salt (they did do one upgrade required by ECO). We also got the 375 RO system (the 3700 runs directly to it) which we were told required replacement of two filters annually and the RO filter every 2-3 years! They lied, this year I found out that the pre and post filters are to be changed twice a year and the RO probably every other year and they also sold us the lowest version of the 375 without the warning light for replacing filters for a premium price. We still have not been placed on the schedule for filter changes even after I called the main office in Utah last year and complained!
One says it’s a good priduct, Ecco Water Systems, one says it’s NOT good….lol
How can I know? Have sulphur in water.
Hi Marilyn
Sorry to be confusing, the point this review article is trying to make is that Eco Water is good but there are better options out there.
For instance, there are high quality systems that specifically treat sulfur like this one.
Stay hydrated,
Luke
I purchased an Ecowater softener 10 years ago and never had it serviced. I just added salt when the water felt hard. I was not aware of any need to service (scheduled maintenance) these softeners. I woke up one morning to find water all over my basement and water flowing out of my unit! It’s a single tank version. It has an over flow tube hooked up to it and dumps into a 5 gallon bucket. In those 11 years I’ve never seen any water in the bucket, even after the overflow. What a mess. Now I don’t trust the softener even if I have it fixed if I ever do. I’m thinking an AOSmith or Whirlpool. Much cheaper and has good ratings. It’s obvious the overflow line is plugged (?) but how could that be since I’ve never seen this before. Does the unit fill full of water during a normal cycle? If not why would it fill full of water? What’s plugged? Is that part of a normal maintenance need?
ecowater systems used to make a great water softener . they also make over 150 different units for companies like whirlpool and rheem and so many other big companies the guts of the units are all the same . as a employee of ecowater in st paul for 40 years i have seen ecowater continually ship manufacturing jobs to ripley ms and iuka ms and this is the main reason quality has gone done . cheaper wages and no quality standards .
Hi Luke,
I’m a little confused. This article states that you cannot soften water without salt; but at the bottom, you have a promotion (with discount code) for Aquasana Salt Free Softener and Filter System. Doe Aquasana soften water, or was that just a glitch in the Matrix? Thanks.
Hi Maurice
That’s right, the only way to get soft water is with a traditional softener that uses salt.
Salt free conditioners like Aquasana do *not* soften water, they re-condition the water so that you don’t experience the negative impacts of hard water (e.g. limescale).
Aquasana is effective at treating hard water up to 25ppm (which is pretty hard) and I personally prefer this because it also filters the water to make it drinkable.
This is unlike regular softeners that *only* soften which means you can not drink it without extra filtration.
Stay hydrated,
Luke
Hi dear:
All the water softener units pretty much work on same principle, one that has been around since late 1800’s. All the new computerized gadgets that cost top dollars are extra fancy hi tech. that sell this systems. Now it doesn’t really matter what system you buy because they’re all about the same price range and of course in order to convince people to spend $5000 plus on a water filtration system, expert salesmen will tell you anything you like to hear and yes they will pressure you to buy. Also there’s no system out there that can soften your water without salt, salt is the necessary ingredient for this technology to work. Now let me make your life a little easier and much happier. The money that you spend to purchase a well known top of the line system and to maintain it afterward is the best investment you ever do for the health and well being of your entire family. In the US the water provided by the most major cities is classified for agricultural use only! Of course they won’t tell you that but it’s easy to find out! Think about this : we all go out of our way to put the best grade gasoline available in our cars but when it comes to our own body most of us hesitate to spend a dime more to get the right stuff! Change that attitude and you will have a long happy healthy life perhaps even in a higher altitude!
Be well.
Hi Luke, I hope you’re well and keeping safe.
I’ve had an ERR 3500 at my old house and now an ERR 3700 at my new house, and they’re easily two of the best appliances I’ve ever used. The ERR removes chlorine as well as hardness, which is something you don’t have noted above. I also never have to worry about the salt issue you mentioned – if you don’t use dirty salt, you don’t get a dirty injector. All I do is add salt when it tells me to and I’m good.
Looking at the other replies it sounds more like the problem is with the seller rather than the system, which shouldn’t need maintenance for many years.
It also doesn’t sound like you’ve ever used an EcoWater system, and I’ve read your “reviews” on other companies which don’t seem like actual reviews, none of them sound like you’ve actually used or even looked at the actual system. And then you compare to the same system every time, which makes me think you’re invested in Crystal Quest or at the very least, sponsored by them, which is against the FTC’s disclosure law.
Please make sure when you review something in the future you actually have experience with it, otherwise it’s not actually a review of the product.
Hi Peter
This site is full of disclosures.
At the very bottom, on the side (of every single article), on a separate disclosure page and you also have to accept a very lengthy and detailed pop-up disclosure the first time you visit my site.
It is very clear to any one reading my reviews that I’m talking about the product spec and comparing it to similar products that are out there. However, since starting this blog I’ve also had many more opportunities to test these products personally so I actually do know what I’m talking about.
In addition to this, I allow customers to leave actual personal reviews (good and bad) in the comments section, which is useful to anyone doing their research before making a purchase.
The objective here is to provide as much useful information to people before they make a very expensive purchase.
I work on this site full time and all the content is provided for free.
If you actually look at my entire site, you’ll see that I recommend other brands like Aquasana far more than Pelican. However, in this instance, I think that Pelican is a much better alternative and no this post is NOT sponsored by them.
And of course, no visitor is under any obligation to take any of my recomendation(s) if they don’t want to.
Stay hydrated,
Luke
Hi Peter, I am buying the ERR3702R30 system. Trying to find reviews on it, but hard to find. all these other reviews talk about having to change filters, etc but this system all you do is add salt… Am I correct, is it a good investment? It is a big cost.
Hi, I am buying the same system and the installation is scheduled in 2 days. The cost of the unit is quoted at 7200 (without the soap package) via costco. Trying to understand if this is the right price point as it looks pretty steep reading the reviews.
Stephanie & Karthick,
I’m thinking about buying this refiner as well. What has your experience been like since you’ve owned it? I’m paying $7k. It includes the 3702 R30 and the HEROPlus 385 RO.
I have the 3700R20 and Hero385+. The hero385+ does bring TDS down to 12 ppm. My wholesome 3700 only brought my TDS down fro. 220 to between 156-182 – still very hard, just without a chlorine smell. The price point is ridiculously high – I use myself as a good warning: System is not bad, but is not the best, and the price is priced several thousand over the best out there.
when you purchased the err 3700 r200 would you mind telling me how much they charged you?
I have an EcoWater 2100PF Water Filter/Softener which has been nothing but trouble.
A year ago, the system failed and it ran non-stop, requiring a service call to replace internal workings and o-rings.
About six months ago, it went again and the motor had to be replaced (my cost) not to mention the service call fee.
Yesterday, the same symptoms occurred and the motor grinds for a while followed by an error code on the display.
This time, I am cutting my losses and going to Lowe’s to get a reliable (and less expensive) system.
I would avoid EcoWater Systems unless you are lonely and want to pay the service repr. $200 every 6 months to come out and replace your electronics.
I am dissatisfied. I have had Ecowater system for 3 years. About 6 months ago, I had my annual service. Three months later, my water turned yellow. The company told me it would cost me an additional $150 for the service tech to come back out to see why my water turned yellow. What a rip off.
We spend over 5000 dollars through Costco , we were promised moon and stars from company and sale rep. we are here for you. just let us know. We will come by and do the service. after the installations, can’t get hold of my sale rep. (been informed rep. moved on) when calls main number, everything cost money, I mean – have price attached to. my system is only 4 years old. according to sale rep. system last long time. I can test salt . you will hear from them once a year when they want your money, buy replacing under the sink drinking filters. when tech comes by and do the do the filter replacement , I do ask them to look into salt issues , he gives me stories, Oh your salt level is high i have lower it, , even I shewed them pictures of my water coolers (swamp coolers) have salt build up so much .
Tech tells me someone from office will call. (still waiting)
DO NOT Waist your money
is softened water safe for fish ponds and for watering vegetable gardens. We have a 3700 series unit and have been having difficulty with ponds and gardens.
Hi Peggy
Soft water is full of sodium (salt) so it’s not ideal for fish ponds, watering vegetables or drinking and may very well be the cause of your difficulties.
I would recommend filtering your water before you use it for any of these purposes, even if you can only afford a cheap water filter pitcher.
Stay hydrated,
Luke
My problem is not hard or soft water it’s IRON in my water stains everything clothes, pots, pans, dishes even my hair, I was a blonde but know I’m a redhead dressed in black.
HELP
Hi Linda
So sorry to hear iron is causing you these problems. Your best bet is to get something that will specifically treat iron.
This can be a softener + iron filter like the Iron Pro 2 (this will only treat iron, calcium and magnesium).
OR
a whole house salt free softener + filter that filters out many contaminants including iron like the Well Water Rhino. This is more expensive but will treat everything (iron, hard water, bacteria, lead, mercury etc etc) and make your water safe to drink.
Let me know if you need more information.
Stay hydrated,
Luke
We paid over $5,000 for our eco water system and that has been my biggest regret in the past 10 years. There are so many more affordable options that will do the same job and will not cost as much to maintain them. We were at the mall in albuquerque and put our # in a smart car giveaway. They called us and told us we had won something from their drawing and asked when they could deliver it. We made the arrangements to recieve our gift and did not know it would come with a gentleman testing our water and doing a hard pressure sale for us to make the choice right then and there. We were 1st tome homebuyers and we wanted to protect our home so we did it and later found out how much money we could have saved. We tried to get out of it, but it was too late. Please don’t let them pressure sell you. Do your research and you will save souch money and heartache. Oh, we won a $50. gift card to a restaurant here in town. What a mess. Those tricksters. We learned a big lesson.
PLEASE PLEASE ANYONE READING THIS, DO NOT BUY!
BIG RIP OFF. FILTERS MUST BE BOUGHT FROM THEM, 2-OUTER FILTERS $150 AND THE MEMBRANE N $150 and if you switch out yourself- that is reason to great the warranty. $430 for all three and have someone come out and install ( there is nothing to replacing them, twist on and off) this price does not include any service to the softener outside; which has a resin system that must be replaced after a certain time. This service was additional cost as will as the resin filter!
DO NOT BUY!
BETTER PRICES ON LINE AND OR AT YOUR LOCAL HOME DEPOT.
I purchased the Eco water softener end of 2016 and recommended and advritsed at Costco warehouses ,because the hard water in our area definitely need a water softener,
I spend bout $3000 on the system , life time warranty, unfortunately, the sales department did not explain any future expanses my accord, what I was told just add specail salt when its low, the system worthless, I tried the system the hard water still their, and its proven the produce soft water no deferent from any lower cost like $600 waterpool barnd at Home depot.
sorry Eco water this is my experience on your product,
OMG, we so got ripped on this sale! Never again, PLEASE anyone out thing considering in purchasing a water system
before paying this ridiculous price. We got taken for $6500.
DO YOUR RESEARCH!
NOT WORTH THE PRICE! I am looking at $500 to have all three filters changed out and serviced, that is not including the service on the tank outside!
WE REGRET GETTING THIS SYSTEM without doing research before buying. So much cheaper at other places and online.