Looking for Fleck Water Softener reviews? You’ve come to the right place. In this article, we’re going to review exactly what Fleck specializes in: a replacement valve head that’s used by many local water dealers and their ion exchange unit, the Fleck 5600SXT. Is it worth buying? Or should you look for something else?
Find out what others are saying about Fleck water softeners and make the decision for yourself.
About Fleck Water Softener System
Their Most Popular Water Softener? Fleck 5600SXT
The Fleck 5600SXT is one of their most popular water softeners. It features a 48,000 grain capacity, a 12 gallon per minute flow rate (and a 28 gallon per minute maximum -- which they say is perfect for up to 6 people in the home), and it’s even fairly lightweight and easily stored at about 20.8lbs. Its big selling feature is an “On-Demand” control valve that lets you adjust the hardness of the water.
Unfortunately, though, some people report problems with the electronics of the system. Replacements for the control valve are some of the most common for the Fleck 5600SXT. So, while a neat feature, it may not be the most reliable. We’ll look at some more reviews in a second.
The system is also listed as an Amazon Prime product that goes for about $600. That’s well within the range of most people, even if it doesn’t include what you’ll have to pay for a professional installation. The price is certainly an attractive feature, but does that mean it’s worth purchasing?
What Do People Say About the Fleck 5600SXT?
On Amazon, the Fleck 5600SXT has a little over a 4 star average rating with more than 400 reviews. That’s pretty good for a water softener of its popularity.
What Can You Learn from Those Bad Reviews? (Definitely Don’t Buy It on Amazon)
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If you’re looking into buying a Fleck water softener, don’t do it on Amazon. As one reviewer pointed out when water started spitting out of every toilet and faucet rather than flowing, if the unit turns out to be defective and you file for a return request, Amazon will say it’s a manufacturer’s issue. When you try to contact the manufacturer, they’ll tell you they don’t warranty the Amazon version of the product. If one in ten people are having one-star outcomes, you don’t want to take the risk in wasting $600+ dollars on a water softener you can’t return.
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The Fleck 5600SXT appears to be a pretty decent product (as long as it’s still legal in your area -- many counties are beginning to lock down on ion exchange water softeners because of theireffects on the environment). Most people are happy with it, but keep in mind where you’re buying it from and what type of service you expect. You’ll probably have to pay a little bit more if you buy direct from a distributor, but at least you can guarantee you have a warranty.
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In fact, to add on to that disclaimer, on Fleck’s own website they tell you to “beware of water softeners sold on Amazon. We only support what we sell.”
What Else Does Fleck Offer?
Fleck also offers water softener replacement parts and valves. Their most popular replacement part is the “Fleck Hard Water Bypass Hot Water Lower Piston” and the “Fleck Hard Water Bypass Piston.”
These small parts sell for roughly $350 and $85 on their website, respectively. That’s a pretty hefty price to command, especially for the piston, which is roughly half the cost of a full system from the same company! If a Fleck water softener dealer tells you that you need to buy it, though, how can you be sure?
For one, you should consider why those parts are their most popular items. Shouldn’t the water softeners be the best sellers? Especially if the water softeners are built to last?
Think about it: there are only a few ways that a single part can sell more than the whole system: 1) if the part is used multiple times in the system (like wheels on a car -- which don’t cost half the value of the car), or 2) if the part breaks often, which brings into question the endurance of the system.
Conclusion: Fleck Water Softener Reviews
Two of Fleck’s most popular offers include the 5600SXT and a bypass hot water lower piston. There’s a pretty good deal on the 5600SXT on Amazon. Even though 1 in 10 of the reviews are one-star, it’s a fairly affordable unit that ships with Amazon Prime.
However, a good amount of the one-star reviews are pretty clear about their frustrations: There can be some issues with electronics and faulty units, and neither Amazon nor the manufacturer warranty the system -- and getting a hold of either of them can be something of a nightmare.
In conclusion, should you purchase a Fleck water softener like the Fleck 5600SXT? It’s up to you, ultimately, but we’d recommend doing a little bit more research, especially so you can figure out if you need or want a salt-based softener, which might not even be legal in your area. Furthermore, DEFINITELY don’t buy it on Amazon. There are enough poor reviews connected to that reason alone. It’s one thing for the critical reviews to recommend staying away from Amazon, and it’s another thing for the original manufacturer to have a warning on its own website saying the same thing (even though they’re ultimately still selling units!)
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