Is Culligan High Energy (HE) Model Water Softening Sytem a good choice?

by Robin

I am considering purchasing a Culligan High Energy (HE) Model Water Softening Sytem (Culligan's latest top model) for an estimated amount of $3648 (includes installation and tax).

I would like your honest professional evaluation regarding the integrity, reliability, cost, efficiency,and quality of this product and the particular model.

I live in the Sacramento area (Antelope, California) and the water is extremely hard and has damaged my plumbing (toilets, sinks, shower doors, etc.)

I am also interested in the opinions and experiences of other consumers who have purchased this specific model before I make a purchase.

Thank you Mr. Ulrich in advance for your assistance.

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Is Culligan High Energy (HE) Model Water Softening Sytem a good choice?

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Jan 07, 2011
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starstarstarstarstar 		RJ, H2O Services
by: Culligan High Energy (HE)

Robin, I would have to agree with Matt that a
WS-1 Clack valve would be a very good option for you at about 1/2 the cost. $1500-$1800 installed depending on capacity.
Another very good option is a Fleck 9100 SE twin tank. This is a twin tank system that uses soft water to regenerate, uses very little salt and you are quaranteed never to be out of soft water.
Very little service required $1800-$2400 installed.
Comparable to the Kinetico.
Also look at a "Water Right" Sanitizer this system produces chlorine every time it regenerates to sanitize itself and converts the chlorine back to harmless chloride. Excellent water quality, higher salt usage. $2700-$3600 installed.
With the Culligan you are paying for all the bells and whistles and the franchise fees. I serviced and sold Culligan equipment for 15 years and the big problem now is the availability of parts 5-10 years after the sale. I had a Culligan Gold series and had to rebuild it 3 times in ten years! Also their models change so frequently now that parts become obsolete rather quickly.
If you want a system alarm for your salt this can be added as a separate feature.
You can contact Nelsen Company or Water Right for distributors in your area.
Good luck and enjoy your soft water.
PS. you may want to consider a reverse osmosis system for your drinking water also!
Dec 25, 2010
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Kinetico
by: MG man

My parents have had a Kinetico for 28 years and had only one service call on it...switched out the media. So far it is working great. I bought one (which was way more expensive than they paid) but we are very pleased with it. it reppaced a Culligan Mark 89, which left iron stains and occasional hard water.
Dec 01, 2010
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		No Culligan for me
by: Anonymous

My experience with Culligan has been very negative. Once I paid for the system, the service and customer care disappeared. In addition, as the expert suggested, Culligan products are extremely expensive. Even more alarming, many of their products are now made in China and the quality was not what they used to be. My Culligan water softener required part replacement in less than two years. To get the technician to repair the system was another headache. Over all, I will never buy anything from Culligan again.
Nov 24, 2010
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starstarstarstarstar 		Culligan HE Water Softener
by: Matt Ulrich - Clear Water Concepts

Robin, Culligan water softening has been around for a long time. They manufacturer high quality water treatment systems, and have an extensive dealer network throughout the country. I have looked at the features and specifications of this water softener, and it seems to have all the latest technology available. However, I personally feel that $3600 for a quality built water softener or whole house filtration system is just too much. You can purchase a system with virtually the same features and benefits for significantly less. Take a look at any water softener that uses the Clack WS-1 valve. It is a fully programmable 6 - cycle valve and controller that uses electronic on-demand regeneration, non-volatile memory, performs flawlessly,and is very well built. It also uses a 12 volt transformer, which is the lowest power usage in the industry.You should be able to purchase a 32,000 - 64,000 grain model between $900-$1500 plus installation. The Clack valve/controller is sold through independent water treatment dealers. The valve and controller are the most important component to any water softener, as it controls all functions, and stores data such as past usage,history, and other information. The Culligan HE water softener is a very good product. However,most of your money is going to franchise costs, commissions, national ad campaigns, etc. Good Luck!

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