SpringWellCSS1 Whole House Filter and Salt Based Softener Combo
CF carbon filter paired with the SS ion exchange softener, covering chlorine, PFAS and true hardness removal.
$2,125
We may earn a commission if you buy through this link. It never affects our scores. How this works
Usability
Usability
The difference between this and the salt-free combo is real: ion exchange removes hardness, so soap lathers and skin feels different, where FutureSoft only stops scale forming. It also tolerates iron, which FutureSoft does not at any level. You pay for that with salt, a drain line and sodium in the water. It is also $85 cheaper than the salt-free pairing, which makes the choice easier than it looks.
- Genuinely removes hardness rather than conditioning it
- Tolerates iron, unlike FutureSoft which requires zero
- Bluetooth-controlled metered softener head
- 1,000,000 gallon carbon media capacity on the filter stage
- 32,000 grain softening in the entry configuration
- Cheaper than the salt-free combo and more compact than buying both separately
- Lifetime warranty on tanks and valves
- Real service flow is the filter's 9 GPM, not the softener's 11
- Requires ongoing salt purchases and a drain line
- Adds sodium to the water
- Two tanks plus a brine tank is a large footprint
- Regeneration sends water to drain
- No published NSF/ANSI certification listing
- The 6-month guarantee carries a 25% restocking fee plus return shipping
The CSS1 pairs the CF whole house carbon filter with the SS salt-based ion exchange softener. The CF stage handles chlorine, chloramine, PFAS and organics; the SS stage genuinely removes hardness rather than conditioning it, so water feels soft and soap lathers properly.
The entry configuration pairs CF1 with SS1: 9 GPM on the filter, 11 on the softener, 32,000 grain capacity and a brine tank measuring 18 by 33 inches. Real service flow is 9 GPM, set by the filter.
Choose this over the salt-free CSF1 if you want genuinely soft water, if your hardness is high, or if your supply carries any iron at all, since FutureSoft media requires zero iron. The tradeoff is ongoing salt, a drain line and added sodium.
Additional information
Specification: SpringWell CSS1 Whole House Filter and Salt Based Softener Combo
| Water Filtration Specifications | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
||||||||||||||
| General Specifications | ||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
Questions answered from our data
How much does a water softener cost?The 35 water softeners we list run from $160 to $3,294, with a median of $1,531.
How long do water softener filters last?Of the 35 water softeners we list, 28 state a filter life; the most common is 6-12 months (14).
Does a water softener remove chlorine?Nine of the 35 water softeners we list claim to reduce chlorine.
Do water filters remove PFAS?84 of the 296 systems we list claim to reduce PFAS.
