Our Top 3 Pelican Water Softeners – Salt-Free System Reviews
Written by: Gene Fitzgerald // Last Updated:
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Pelican Water is an Enviro Water Solutions, Inc. company that was founded in 2007 with its headquarter based in Deland, Florida.
The business offers different water treatment solutions, from whole house filters and UV light disinfection units to softeners and shower filters.
One topic that Pelican seems to be focusing on is eco-friendliness. For example, the company strives to reduce the total amount of water that salt-based softeners waste by increases the effectiveness and popularity of salt-free models. Certainly a noble goal. The only question that remains is, why does Pelican still sell regular salt-based softeners on their website?
Be that as it may, for this Pelican review series we are going to examine:
- The NaturSoft NS3 and NS6 saltless water conditioners
- The PSE1800 which combines the NS3 with a whole house carbon filter
- And the PSE2000 which combines the NS6 with a whole house carbon filter
Why Pelican?
There are so many different water softeners that you can choose from. Why opt for Pelican and not go with a competitor model?
- Single-Tank Design – This one we really like: The single-tank design that is nice to look at and that saves you a lot of space in your garage or basement.
- DIY Ready – Salt-free or salt-based, installing a water softener yourself is no easy feat, unless you are an experienced plumber. But it’s also not impossible. In our opinion, if you are handy around the house and have the required time and patience, there is no reason why you shouldn’t be able to do this.
- NSF Certifications – The NS3 and NS6 as well as the PSE1800/2000 have earned NSF certifications for Standard 61 (material safety) and 42 (structural integrity).
- Maintenance Free – Pelican’s salt-free softeners are 100% maintenance free. It’s set and forget.
- No Regeneration Required – They also don’t have to regeneration their resin. In fact, there is no resin. Thus no water goes down the drain wasted.
- Satisfaction Guarantee – Pelican offers a no-hassle return policy, lifetime warranties and free shipping (although we heard from a handful of customers that they don’t always stick to their own rules).
Reviews of Pelican Water Softeners
 Highest Flow Rate: Pelican NaturSoft NS6 | |
| Price: | $$$ |
| Flow Rate: | 15 gpm |
| Capacity: | Unlimited |
| # of People: | Up to 7 |
| Tech: | Salt-Free Conditioner |
Our Rating
| |
 Best Softener-Filter Combo: Pelican PSE1800 | |
| Price: | $$$ |
| Flow Rate: | 8 gpm |
| Capacity: | Unlimited |
| # of People: | 1-4 |
| Tech: | Salt-Free Conditioner |
Our Rating
| |
 Softener-Filter Combo for Large Homes: Pelican PSE2000 | |
| Price: | $$$ |
| Flow Rate: | 12 gpm |
| Capacity: | Unlimited |
| # of People: | Up to 6 |
| Tech: | Salt-Free Conditioner |
Our Rating
| |
1. Pelican’s NaturSoft NS3 & NS6
Best For:
- Light to medium hardness levels
- NS3 for small to medium-sized homes with 1-5 people
- NS6 for medium to large homes with up to 7 (8) people
In a Nutshell:
The NaturSoft NS3 and the larger NS6 are Pelican’s most popular water softeners – but not in the traditional sense. They are salt-free conditioners that use a special type of catalytic media rather than sodium or potassium to reduce the scaling effects of hard water.
Nothing is added and nothing is removed from your water, just some of its characteristics are altered.
By the way, the only difference between the NS3 and the NS6 are the provided flow rates: 10 gallons per minute for the former vs. 15 gallons per minute for the latter.
Minimum required water pressure: 25 psi. Softening capacity: Unlimited.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Certified to be 99.6% effective
- Space-saving single-tank design
- Nice looks
- No need to hire professional to do the install for you
- Detailed instructions included
- Great for people on a low-sodium diet
- Very low in maintenance
- Does not require electricity
Cons
- Comparatively expensive
- Single-tank installation kit not included
- Some users saw no reduction in hardness at all
- Difficult to pre-soak the tank
- The following water requirements must be met: No hydrogen sulfide content; no hydrocarbons, oils and lubricants; phosphate < 1 ppm; copper < 1.3 ppm
Read our full review here or
2. Pelican’s PSE1800
Best For:
- Light to medium hardness levels
- For small to medium-sized homes with 1-5 people
In a Nutshell:
The Pelican PSE1800 combines the NS3 water conditioner (see above) with a whole house carbon filter to deliver clean and salt-free softened water that tastes great.
Again, the conditioner reduces scaling without adding or removing anything from your water.
Softening capacity: Unlimited.
As for the whole house filter, it makes use of catalytic granular activated carbon and copper/zinc oxidation media (KDF-55) to eliminate up to 96% chlorine and possibly reduce some chemicals and even water-soluble heavy metals. In addition, it prevents bacteria and algae from growing.
Rated capacity: 662,400 gallons.
The minimum required pressure for this setup is 25 psi.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Certified to be 99.6% effective
- Space-saving design
- Nice looks
- DIY install feasible
- Detailed instructions included
- Great for people on a low-sodium diet
- Very low in maintenance
- Does not require electricity
Cons
- Comparatively expensive
- Additional costs for installation material
- Some users saw no reduction in hardness at all
- Others had issues with low water pressure
- Difficult to pre-soak the tank
- The following water requirements must be met: No hydrogen sulfide content; no hydrocarbons, oils and lubricants; phosphate < 1 ppm; copper < 1.3 ppm
Read our full review here or
3. Pelican’s PSE2000
Best For:
- Light to medium hardness levels
- For medium to large households with up to 6 people
In a Nutshell:
There is not much of a difference between the Pelican PSE1800 and the 2000, only that the latter provides a higher flow rate of 12 gpm. It combines the NS6 water conditioner (see above) with the Pelican PC1000, a whole house filter that works with catalytic carbon.
What you get out of this build is healthier, great-tasting and chlorine-free H2O with reduced scaling that does not contain any added salts and has the initial mineral content.
The softening capacity is literally unlimited, the carbon filter is rated at more than 1 million gallons, and the minimum required water pressure is 25 psi.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Certified to be 99.6% effective
- Space-saving design
- Nice looks
- DIY install feasible
- Detailed instructions included
- Great for people on a low-sodium diet
- Very low in maintenance
- Does not require electricity
Cons
- Comparatively expensive
- Additional costs for installation material
- Some users saw no reduction in hardness at all
- Others had issues with low water pressure
- Difficult to pre-soak the tank
- The following water requirements must be met: No hydrogen sulfide content; no hydrocarbons, oils and lubricants; phosphate < 1 ppm; copper < 1.3 ppm
Read our full review here or
Looking for More Reviews?
You can find more water softener reviews here.
If you have any questions about the Pelican NS3 or NS6, the PSE1800 or the Pelican PSE2000, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment below!
And remember to revisit this page from time to time, as we are going to add new reviews of Pelican water softeners every once in a while.
About the Author Gene Fitzgerald
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