Waterboss water softener system

by John Hyde
(Berryville, VA)

This Waterboss water softener system requires a lot of salt and work in lugging the 40 pound bags to the basement. It is a simple unit, but the system requires maintenance once a year or so.

I have had to replace O rings, valves and other parts in the softner on a regular basis. They are not cheap, which is how Waterboss stays in business. I spoke to a very helpful and friendly person the last time I called for parts, but in the past they seemed very brusque and at times rude.

There is a large cost to an O ring, as well as the exhorbitant cost of simple plastic parts the softner requires. At least I can get the O rings at the hardware store. The factory is the only place to get the parts, and you will be charged a marked up shipping and "handling" cost.

The heart of the Waterboss water softener system is a circuit board which needs to be fastened accurately in place, for it uses Hall effect sensors mounted to the sensor wheel and turbine.

I found out the hard way that dislodging this board slightly will cause the motor to spin continuously, making the thing go through cycle after cycle. Located in the basement, it is not heard and quickly wears out several major components.

The resulting cost almost equaled the purchase price of the unit. Of course, parts have to be ordered from Ohio and take a while to arrive, resulting in no soft water for several days. To add insult, the shipping and handling cost was excessive.

I would not recommend the Waterboss water softener due to the work in lugging bags of salt and the effort I have had to spend every once in a while to repair it. In fact, if you are not handy with tools, you will spend a fortune in labor costs, as well as paying for the expensive parts. My average parts purchase has been in the $100.00 range each time..