Aquasana 1,000,000 Gallon Whole House Water Filter Review – With Salt-Free Softener and Professional Installation Kit

by Curtis Grossi | Last Updated: March 13, 2024

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Intro

The Aquasana 1,000,000 Gallon Whole House Water Filter with Salt-Free Softener, also known as the ‘Pro Rhino + Softener’ system, or the EQ-1000 with SimplySoft, is a combined point of entry water conditioning and filter system with a massive one million gallon treatment capacity.

The system uses a 5-micron fabric pre-filter to catch silt, sediment, and rust, and a combination of an activated carbon filter and a copper-zinc and crushed mineral stone filter to reduce chlorine, water-soluble heavy metals, herbicides, pesticides, smells and odors, and to inhibit bacterial and algal growth in the water.

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It has a separate Nucleation Assisted Crystallization (NAC) water conditioner (in place of a salt-based softener) to reduce lime-scale formation, and, in addition, it has a .35 micron post-filter to further reduce any remaining sediment and organic particles in your household water.


The Pro Rhino + Softener Whole House system is designed for homes up to 3,500 sq. ft. (325m²) in size with 3½ bathrooms or less. It is intended for use with city water, where the filter is able to remove up to 97% of chlorine in the water supply.

As an optional extra, a UV filter can be added after the system, but this is usually recommended only for rural well water supplies.


The NAC treatment (also known as Template Assisted Crystallization – TAC) has been shown in a research study carried out by Arizona State University on behalf of the WateReuse Foundation to reduce scale formation by over 88% and also gradually remove existing scale from water pipes, water fixtures, appliances, and heaters. It requires no salt so the inconvenience of carrying salt bags and the mess of pouring the salt into a brine tank are avoided.

The technology doesn’t demineralize your water while it protects your home’s plumbing and appliances from scale build-up, and it won’t add sodium to your water either. There is no need to waste water through regeneration cycles, no electricity is required, and it only requires occasional replacement of the smaller filters.

Who is Aquasana?

Aquasana, Inc. was founded in 1997 and its corporate headquarters is located in Austin, Texas. One of its founders, Wes Russel, had served as an electronics and hydraulics engineer in the USMC. The company specializes in domestic water filters and accessories.
Aquasana was acquired in 2016 by international corporation A.O. Smith Corp., one of the world’s leading manufacturers of commercial and domestic water heaters and boilers.

Important Features

1. Combined Water Filter and Conditioner

The Aquasana 1,000,000 Gallon Whole House Water Filter with Salt-Free Softener system offers the convenience of a combined whole house water filtering system and a salt-free water conditioner all in one. The system is preceded by a 5-micron pre-filter that protects the main filters from larger silt, rust, and sediment particles that could clog the system.

Replacing the pre-filter cartridge every few months will cost a fraction of that of the main filters, which should last up to 10 years.
The combined system has a rated capacity of one million gallons at a water hardness of 25gpg, which adds up to a lot of hassle-free use.

2. Multi-Flow Technology

Aquasana uses a 3-stage multiple tank flow process, including an inverted tank, to optimize the amount of time that water is in contact with the individual filtering media, and prevents mixing, clumping and channeling for superior contaminant reduction.

3. Kinetic Degradation Fluxion (KDF)

Kinetic Degradation Fluxion uses a unique combination of zinc and copper to create an electrochemical reaction, during which electrons are transferred between molecules to create new, harmless compounds and molecules.
The upper filter tank of the Pro Rhino system contains a mixture of 45% zinc and 55% copper mineral alloy, known as a KDF-55 medium, to inhibit the passage of chlorine and certain heavy metals, as well as a crushed mineral filter stone that will moderate the water’s pH in order to reduce scale formation on the inside of household plumbing.

Both media are bacteriostatic, prohibiting the growth and development of bacteria and algae in the plumbing system.
The lower filter tank contains a carbonized coconut shell medium that acts to reduce the passage of VOC’s and synthetic chemicals.

4. Simplysoft Salt-Free Water Conditioner

At the heart of the Aquasana 1,000,000 Gallon Whole House Water Filter with Salt-Free Softener system is a proprietary product called SimplySoft that uses proven salt-free NAC / TAC technology to prevent lime-scale buildup in your home’s water pipes, fittings, and appliances, without demineralizing your water or adding sodium to your water or the environment.

Check our other whole house water filter reviews.

Water Capacity, Pressure, and Temperature Range

The Aquasana 1,000,000 Gallon Whole House Water Filter with Salt-Free Softener system has an operational flow rate of 7GPM (26.5l/min) and a pressure range of 20psi to 100 psi (1.38bar to 6.9bar).
The main filters have a capacity of 1,000,000 gallons (3,785kl) at a maximum of 25gpg, with an estimated service lifespan of 8 to 10 years for a 4-person family. The 20” 5-micron pre-filter has an expected lifespan of 2 to 3 months.
The unit must be installed on the cold water line only (40°F – 90°F / 4°C – 32°C), and must be protected from freezing temperatures.

Water and Salt Consumption

The Aquasana 1,000,000 Gallon Whole House Water Filter with Salt-Free Softener does not use a salt-based ion-replacement process to remove calcium and magnesium hardness-causing minerals from the water.

Therefore there is no need to use regeneration cycles and the accompanying addition of salt to the system. As such, the Aquasana system consumes no salt and wastes no water.

Power Rating Consumption

The Aquasana 1,000,000 Gallon Whole House Water Filter with Salt-Free Softener does not contain any electrical or electronic parts and thus does not require an electrical connection. It therefore has no applicable power rating.

If, however, the system is being used to treat well water, it is recommended that an electrically powered UV filter is added to the system. This has a power rating of 35 watts, which is less than a standard incandescent light bulb.

Size, Dimensions and Shipping Weight

The Aquasana 1,000,000 Gallon Whole House Water Filter with Salt-Free Softener has an overall length, when fitted, of 54” (137cm), a height of 46” (116cm) and a the cartridge holders have a maximum diameter of 9” (23cm).

It requires a minimum clearance of 50” (127cm) for the height of the tank and a minimum depth of 30” (76cm) for floor space.
The system has a shipping weight of 83.2 lbs (37.7kg).

Pros

  • Low maintenance
  • High capacity, long lasting
  • No electricity or salt required, or wasted water
  • Filters out chlorine and a number of other heavy metals, VOC’s and synthetic chemicals
  • Has a 5-micron pre-filter to protect the main system

Cons

  • Not for water hardness over 25gpg
  • Must be installed by a licensed plumber to validate warranty
  • Not an actual water softener, but a conditioner
  • Does not contain built-in shut off valve
  • Lack of technical specs and information

Price Range

The Aquasana 1,000,000 Gallon Whole House Water Filter with Salt-Free Softener is obtainable in the price range US$1,000 through US$2,000.

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Warranty

The Aquasana System has a 10-year limited Warranty on defects in material and workmanship, which excludes filter cartridges and any systems not installed by or ‘in compliance with the instructions’ of a licensed plumber.
It is necessary to register the product purchase online if it was not purchased directly from Aquasana.

In addition, Aquasana offers a 90-day from date of receipt ‘pure satisfaction’ money-back guarantee, with whole-house systems exempt from shipping and handling costs. Before returning the system, a Return Authorization Code must be obtained from the company in order to obtain a refund.

Reviews

There were more positive customer reviews than negative for this system on Amazon. The main concerns raised in negative reviews related to the expense of installation (plumber fees), difficulty in preventing leaks at joints at installation, and the apparently poor quality of the supplied 1” to ¾” reducers.

The latter two issues may be linked to insufficient bracing of components, but it would be expected that with a system of this size and cost, the manufacturers would provide high quality and secure connectors.
The majority of customer reviews, however, indicated that they were very satisfied with the results of the system.

How To Install A Whole House Water Softener (video)

Conclusion

The Aquasana Gallon Whole House Water Filter with Salt Free Softener looks very impressive but the manufacturer’s claims are hard to verify.

There is a distinct lack of technical information and instructions available, and there are errors in the installation instructions (parts are mis-labelled).

Nevertheless, once installed in a home on a city water supply with limited hardness, this system will provide the peace of mind that almost all the possible contaminants will have been filtered out your household water and that your home’s plumbing system, fittings, and appliances will be protected from damaging scale buildup for a very long time.

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Curtis is the founder and owner of softeningwater.com. He is the lead guy concerning all the water-softening accessories in this site's guides and reviews. If he is not writing a reviews, guides or any other useful tips, you will find him testing them to find out their suitability. He is passionate about softening water. You will find him extremely helpful and always willing to educate the general populace all there is concerning water and its effects on their health and appliances.