The former WaterBoss model 365 can soften very hard water with as much as 90 grains per gallons hardness.
It also helps to reduce iron content (less than 10 ppm) in case you are on a private well. Here, WaterBoss recommends periodic use of potassium permanganate for resin recharge.
Above that, a 20-micron pre-filter stage helps to get rid of sediment, dirt and sand to increase the system’s longevity.
The pre-filter does not require any kind of maintenance, by the way, meaning that there are no cartridges to replace.
Also, you get a 3-year limited warranty on all mechanical and electronic parts. The resin tank and outer cabinet have a 10-year limited warranty.
Minimum/maximum water pressure: 20 to 120 psi.
Some additional advice:
The WaterBoss 900 uses about 75% less salt during regeneration when performing properly. According to the manufacturer, this can be achieved if
Your water has a pH-value of 7 or higher.
The salt level in the brine tank is at least 1/3 full. If you use potassium chloride, increase your hardness setting by 12%.
You use a clean pellet, solar, or cube-type salt. WaterBoss advices against the use of rock salt.
WaterBoss 900 Pros
The WaterBoss 900 softener clearly has its drawbacks, but it also has some pros.
For one, it’s quiet during operation and won’t wake you up at night.
What’s more, the systems only regenerates when necessary. By measuring your water usage, it will use exactly as much salt and water as needed, so nothing is being wasted.
This is (A) good for the environment and (B) will reduce your operating cost.
And lastly, we have a certification against NSF Standard 44 for barium and radium 226/228 reduction, so you don’t have to worry about these contaminants lurking in your water anymore.
Thanks to the built-in bypass valve and the single-tank design which makes the unit incredibly compact, installing the WaterBoss 900 is relatively easy.
Will it be a piece of cake? No, but you also don’t have to be a licensed plumber in order to set this thing up. Required time: About one afternoon if you don’t have to make trips to your local hardware store.
Here is what you need to do:
If a softener is not equipped with a bypass valve, we recommend you provide for one for ease of maintenance. Also, make sure to comply with local plumbing codes.
1. Finding the Right Place
Before installing the model 900, make sure that there is a drain and a power outlet nearby.
Choose a location before your water heater and close to where the main water line enters your home. This way you can make sure that all the water in your house gets softened.
You should also avoid places where temperatures below zero can occur.
2. Setup
Shut off the water supply of any water heater and disconnect it from the power.
Shut off your water at the main valve.
Leave all hot/cold water taps running for a while to ensure all water is drained from the plumbing and to depressurize it.
Take off the softener’s cabinet cover to hook up the water lines.
Take the included Qest connection fittings and install them. Do not use Teflon tape or plumber’s putty, those are not necessary.
Ensure that the water flow is correct – use the arrows on the ports for guidance.
Hook up the water lines to the device. Don’t tighten the connections too much.
Connect the overflow elbow pointing downwards and use 1/2″ tubing to connect the overflow fitting to an appropriate drain.
Connect the 1/2″ drain line to the end cap of the drain.
Run the drain line through to a suitable waste receptor, leaving some free space.
Set the appliance to the Bypass position and turn on the water supply.
Open a cold faucet and leave it running to flush the system.
Set the softener to Service mode.
Shut off all faucets.
Verify there are no leaks on the lines and connections.
Connect the water softener to a power supply.
Use the LCD display to configure the system (more on that below).
Pour 2 gallons of water into the brine tank.
Start a manual regeneration cycle. Leave the appliance running so it can pull water from the brine cabinet until the air check/draw tube is set – this should take around 10 minutes.
Press Regenerate and wait for the tank to fill up.
Add salt to the brine tank.
Turn on any water heater’s water supply and power.
Keep a cold water faucet running to let the appliance flush properly – leave it for around 20 minutes.
Put the cabinet cover back in place.
3. Video
This video explains the installation of a WaterBoss softener in more detail:
The Package (Parts)
Resin/brine tank (grey), 14 3/4″ x 18 3/4″ x 30 3/4″ (W x D x H), salt storage capacity 170 lbs.
Bypass valve
36,400-grain super fine mesh resin (1 cu. ft.)
Self cleaning filter media
Water quality test strip
Installation kit
Programming, Settings & Maintenance
Configuring the unit’s digital control head according to your preferences can be done in under 5 minutes.
Simply enter your water hardness, the current time of the day, the regeneration time and you are good to go. Additionally, you can make other settings, such as choosing between regeneration modes and time between regen cycles.
As for maintaining the system, you should keep in mind that you have to inspect the brine tank as well as the air check/draw annually.
If you want, you can use resin cleaner on a monthly basis. Also, the system itself can be disinfected with 5.25% sodium hypochlorite.
Manual
Looking for a manual for the WaterBoss 700, 900 or 950? You can find one here: Manual
WaterBoss 900 Cons
What we don’t like is that there have been a couple of quality issues with this product, such as:
Damaged parts upon arrival
Flimsy connectors
Malfunctioning control heads
For a considerable proportion of users, these and other problems lead to their softening unit to just stop working after only a few months/years of use.
The overpriced replacement parts and WaterBoss’s unreliable customer service aren’t helping either.
WaterBoss 900 Review: Our Verdict + Best for
Installation might be easy and so is the programming, but taking into account the overall customer feedback, we are not sure if we can recommend the WaterBoss 900 to you guys with good conscious.
Because there definitely are mixed opinions about this softener. While some users had not have any problems in years and the unit runs perfect for them with very low salt usage, others would never buy it again. Their system was a waste of money that just stopped working for no apparent reason.
Considering the fact that the WaterBoss customer support is not the best either, you better go for a softener from a different brand.
If you want to give the WaterBoss 900 a try, it’s best for hard water levels of up to 90 gpg.
This completes our WaterBoss 900 review. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment below!
About the Author Gene Fitzgerald
Gene Fitzgerald is one of the founders of BOS and currently head of content creation. She has 8+ years of experience as a water treatment specialist under her belt making her our senior scientist. Outside of BOS, Gene loves reading books on philosophy & social issues, making music, and hiking.
Learn more about Gene and the rest of the BOS Team.
Information provided on BOS is for educational purposes only. The products and services we review may not be right for your individual circumstances.
We adhere to strict editorial guidelines. Rest assured, the opinions expressed have not been provided, reviewed, or otherwise endorsed by our partners – they are unbiased, independent, and the author’s alone. Our licensed experts fact-check all content for accuracy. It is accurate as of the date posted and to the best of our knowledge.
Leave a Comment:
Rich clemons says
April 25, 2021
Very good report. I have to agree with everything you said. I am on my second Waterboss 900 in about 12 years and it just quit. Did the same as last one….brine tank filled with water. Customer service no help after going through all the steps of cleaning. Just not sure which unit to try next. Others talk about units lasting for many years. I would like to know brand names. Anyway, thanks for your honest article.
My unit is now making very heavy noises, I’ve called the help line a few times, I can honestly say that the phone support is the worst customer service that I’ve ever had and I’ve called them a few times, so it wasn’t a once off, problem still not rectified.
