by Curtis Grossi |
Last Updated: March 19, 2024 Our editors independently research, select, and recommend the best products. Some of these may be affiliate based, meaning we earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you) if items are purchased.
Intro
The WaterBoss® Model 900 Whole House 36,400 Grain Water Softener is an attractive programmable water softener designed for large family homes.
It has a 36,400-grain capacity that can soften up to 90 grains per gallon while reducing up to 10 parts per million (ppm) of ferrous iron and sediment.
The all-in-one water softener runs on a high efficiency default mode that is designed to use less water than other home water softeners, and features a built-in, whole-house, self-cleaning dirt and sediment filter.
It’s enclosed design and integrated controls are all packaged in a stylish compact casing that would not look out of place anywhere in your home.
It has a digital control panel with LCD screen that allows you to see the exact status of the softener at the press of a button, and has a wide range of settings that can be used to suit your household situation.
The regeneration timing is based on the amount of water processed, rather than a fixed time period (although you can select the latter if it suits you best), and a delay setting allows you to ensure that regeneration takes place when you’re not using household water.
The WaterBoss 900 also features a powerCleanTM option that can be run every six months for areas where the water has a high iron content, to ensure a long service life for the water softener.
This USA-made unit offers whole house water softening, as well as iron filtering and a degree of sediment filtering. It is best suited for well water, but for city water with high chlorine content, the 950 model would be more appropriate.
Who is Water Boss
WaterBoss is an American-owned company based in Groveport, Ohio, that has been manufacturing a wide range commercial and household water treatment systems for over 20 years.
Important Features
1. Digital Programmable Control Unit
The WaterBoss 900 Water Softener has an easily programmable digital control panel with four buttons and an LCD display. Detailed instructions allow you to tailor the program to suit your needs, or a simple one-button push to activate the default settings.
The system default activates a six-step regeneration process when the softening capacity is exhausted, but a delay can be programmed in to regenerate at a specific time of day when no water is being used. The display shows the amount of water softening that remains, and can also confirm whether water is flowing through the unit.
2. High-Efficiency Mode
The WaterBoss 900 Water Softener has a High Efficiency default setting that uses up to 50% less salt and up to 80% less water than other softeners when regenerating. Regeneration time can be as little as 15 minutes, although it averages 38 minutes, in comparison to 2 hours for other water softeners.
3. Safety Shut-Off
The safety shut-off helps prevent the possibility of brine tank overflow, while the controller determines the brine refill capacity.
4. Packed Resin Bed
The WaterBoss Water Softener has a packed resin bed that allows for reserve capacity. The reserve also allows the unit to regenerate with clean, soft water.
5. powerClean®
The WaterBoss 900 Water Softener has a service maintenance setting for water supplies that have high iron content. With this setting activated, the unit will regenerate every other day using 5 lbs (2.3kg) of salt.
This should be allowed to run for a minimum of two weeks every six months to eliminate iron build-up in the resin bed, in order to prolong the service life of the water softener.
6. Built-in Self-Cleaning Dirt and Sediment Filter
The WaterBoss 900 Water Filter features a built-in self-cleaning whole-house water filter that does not require cartridge changes.
If you notice a ‘rotten egg’ sulfur odor in the water, or if the iron levels are excessive, you can install a Model 900IF Iron filter.
In addition, a Model 900NF Acid Neutralizing Filter is available for water with a low pH level.
Water Capacity, Pressure, and Temperature Range
The WaterBoss 900 Water Softener will condition water for up to 90 grains of hardness per gallon (1,539mg/l), and has a capacity of 32 gallons (121l) of water. It requires a minimum flow rate of 2.4 gallons (9l) per minute in order to operate, and the pressure range is 20psi through 120psi (1.4 – 8.4 bar).
A pressure regulator is recommended if water pressure exceeds 70psi (4.8 bar). The peak flow rate is 10 GPM (37.9 l/min).
The temperature range for the unit is 40°F through 120°F (6°–49°C).
Water and Salt Consumption
The WaterBoss 900 Water Softener takes 38 minutes on average to regenerate and uses approximately 27 gallons (102l) for the process, consuming 6 lbs (2.7kg) of salt.
The salt level should be checked every month. Pellet or Solar salt should be added whenever the water level shows above the salt.
Potassium chloride can be used as a substitute for salt but is not recommended where iron or manganese is present in the water supply. In this case, pellet salt with a rust remover is recommended. The use of rock salt is not recommended as it contains impurities.
Power Rating Consumption
The transformer supplied is for a standard 115 volt, 60-cycle AC outlet for locations in North America or 220 volt, 50-cycle AC outlet for locations outside North America, with an output voltage of 12VAC 50/60Hz, and a rated power consumption 0.015kWh (15W).
Size, Dimensions and Shipping Weight
The WaterBoss 900 Water Softener has dimensions of 32” (80cm) height, 15.8” (40cm) width and 19.8” (50cm) depth. Its shipping weight (including resin media) is 105 lbs (47.7kg).
Pros
- Compact, attractive design
- Comprehensive instructions for installation, setting and maintenance
- Digital Controller with a variety of optional settings
- powerCleanTM feature for use when high levels of iron are present in the water
- Demand led regeneration based on water flow, timed regeneration as an option
- High Efficiency or High Capacity regeneration options
- Remaining water indication
- Built-in self-cleaning sediment filter
Cons
- May not be suitable for chlorinated water supply
- Screws are exposed to salt and tend to corrode, causing leaks
- Reports of poor customer service
- Reports of quality issues with magnetic wheel design
Price Range
The WaterBoss 900 36,400 Grain Water Softener is available in the price range US$550 – US$900 including shipping in the USA.
WaterBoss Water Softener Installation Video
Warranty
The WaterBoss 900 Water Softener is backed by a 3-year limited warranty on the entire appliance and a 10-year limited warranty on the brine cabinet and resin tank.
Reviews
The WaterBoss 900 Water Softener has mixed reviews on Amazon, with a large 50% of one-star reviews on Amazon. To be fair, many of the reviews relate to other models such as the 950, but what is clear is that there are a few things to be aware of when looking at the WaterBoss 900.
Firstly, although it is made in the USA and has great technology, the placing of the control system in the same container as the brine tank is bound to lead to corrosion problems. Several buyers indicated that the securing screws in the control unit had corroded and caused leaks.
This can be resolved by coating the screws with silicone or lithium-based gel, or by replacing the screws with stainless steel ones. Nevertheless, this design flaw deserves the manufacturer’s attention. The flimsiness of the magnetic wheel design appears to have been a regular cause of complaint.
There were also too many complaints about poor customer service for this to be an anomaly.
Waterboss 900 Manual
Although the manual is comprehensive and the technical diagrams and part notations are very informative and useful, the service that backs the product needs to match the claims of the product’s quality and reliability.
Nevertheless, if space is a constraint and the water softener has to be in a visible position, then the WaterBoss water softener line of products is the way to go.
Conclusion
The WaterBoss 900 36,400 Grain Whole House Water Softener is a versatile appliance that is compact and attractive, with a number of useful features including iron filtration, programmable high efficiency regeneration and a self-cleaning sediment filter.
As such, it should be a winner, but its customer review rating is not that great. Some minor design improvements and a revamp of the WaterBoss customer review department would go a long way to putting this water softener at the top of the range.
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