Aquios® AQFS220 Whole House Salt Free Water Softener and Filter System - New Model - for Homes Under 2000 Square Feet

I live in Indianapolis, Indiana. Our city is known for having VERY HARD WATER that kills water heaters, dishwashers, faucets, etc. fast. I had doubts about purchasing the Aquios FS-220 Water Filter rather than simply getting a traditional salt-water softener. However, I'm EXTREMELY GLAD that I bought the Aquios. Here's why:1. GREAT TASTE: My water tastes better than bottled water. That's right, better. There are no odors, no after-tastes, nothing but pure, clean water.2. NO SCALE: The Aquios has removed all traces of scale on our dishes and appliances.3. NO LEAD: The Aquios removes heavy metals (salt water conditioners do not remove lead).4. NO SALT: The Aquios doesn't add any salt to my diet (salt water conditioners do).5. LOW MAINTENANCE: I simply change a filter once every 6 months or so.6. NO MORE HEAVY BAGS OF SALT.7. NO WASTED WATER FOR REGENERATION CYCLES (Aquios doesn't need to regenerate).8. BETTER WATER PRESSURE: Aquios filters remove scale build up in existing plumbing, so your pipes getting cleaner over time. We have had it only a few weeks and are already noticing some minor improvement in pressure.I had a salt conditioner a few years ago, and I hated having to load heavy bags of salt into it every week, and then listen to it regenerate at night (noisy). All that is gone forever.The best thing I can say is, how happy I am with my purchase. I highly recommend the Aquios FS-220 to anyone using HARD to VERY HARD municipal water. If you have well-water, then you probably need a pre-filter to remove sediment, etc. but it you're on city (municipal) water, then all you need is the Aquios.Thanks for reading,Stevizard

Just a little over 2 months and the filter has brought our pressure slowly down to nothing. It seamed nice at first but I saw little improvement in the condition of our water. I still get build up on my faucets. And now I need to change the filter 2 months later. Not happy. I would not recommend this to anyone.

It's been almost 6 months ... it is working OK. It reduces particles in the water but does not remove them completely.

I purchased the Aquios unit from Amazon right before Christmas and had it professionally installed a little over a week ago. For anyone concerned about the installation costs, I hired a local plumber and he was able to install the unit for $150 including parts, and it took him less than an hour. I'm sure someone with good plumbing skills and basic tools could easily install the softener themselves; I simply know my limitations and elected to have it installed properly.I couldn't be happier with the results. My wife and I started noticing a difference in our water quality immediately, and it keeps getting better every day. True, this unit may not match the classic definition of a water softener since it does not use salt, but if crystal-clear water, no chemical taste, elimination of scale buildup and essentially maintenance-free operation is what you are looking for in a whole-house conditioning system, then the heck with "classic" definitions.We've both noticed a better "feel" from our water in the shower, and the amount of soap and shampoo we use in order to feel clean has been drastically reduced. The first time I used my espresso machine with our "new" water, it was like night and day. The coffee carafe did not show any signs of lime or scale buildup, whereas previously I would have to wash the container out with soap and hot water after each use. Our water was so hard, we had to scrub the toilet bowls daily to keep them clean, and now all of those water stains and "gunk" have simply disappeared. The shower mirror stays crystal clear with no signs of haze, and our water tastes great right from the tap.It puzzles me how someone could write a review for a product they've never used. So, even though this unit does not use salt, who cares??? If its results you're looking for, I would recommend you take a close look at the Aquios system as a viable alternative to salt-based conditioners.

Easy to install, have had in use for just over a month, can already see difference in quality of water, so far has eliminated the calcium and lime deposits.

Received Aquios in no time and was surprised how small it is...23 inches long and about 5 inches around. Spent significant time figuring out the plumbing connections so the whole unit can be removed/replaced without resoldering...I think this head scratching time was worth it, and should be considered if hiring a plumber. It took me about 4 hours of pipe cutting, soldering and thinking through installation into existing plumbing infrastructure so that house water is filtered, lawn is not filtered, and each have separate valves. After installation, my soldering skills are greatly improved, and water quality noticeably better. Softer feeling water (at least I think so), fewer water stains after almost a month...but will have to wait some time to really confirm the improvement. High quality product, relatively easy to install, and seems to work well. No huge tanks, salt or power needed.

The media could not be loaded. By-Pass / Off / Softener knob leaks. Please see attached photos. For the cost of this filter it is very disappointing that better quality checks are not in-place before shipping it and was a waste of time installing it only to have to remove it and put a by-pass pipe in so I could get water restored to the house. I did request a replacement instead of a refund only because I have all the plumbing in for this model.Also this filter does NOT include a wrench to remove the filter body. That was another $7.00 from Aquios.I will post a review of the replacement filter when I get and install it.Update: Received replacement. Installed it and leaks at the same place.Junk quality and over priced.Order again: NOOrdered a Hensing brand. Installed it 4 days ago and no issues at all. Great product.