Our Top 3 Whirlpool Water Softeners – WHES Series Reviews
Written by: Gene Fitzgerald // Expert Fact-Checking: Buddhini Dolapihilla, MBSS // Last Updated: Aug 4, 2023
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As the world’s leading major home appliance company, the Whirlpool Corporation employs about 92,000 people at 70 different locations for manufacturing and research worldwide (2017).
The headquarter of the Fortune 500 enterprise is based in Benton Charter Township, Michigan. Some of the popular brands that Whirlpool has under its wings include Whirlpool (of course!), KitchenAid, JennAir, Maytag and Bauknecht.
Annual sales: Approximately $21 billion.
As for home water softening systems, Whirlpool offers the WHES and the Pro Series. The latter is a tad more expensive, which is why we will stick to WHES models for this guide, namely:
- The WHES30 30,000-grain water softener
- The WHES33 33,000-grain water softener
- And the WHES44 44,000-grain water softener
Whirlpool Water Softener Overview
| Model | Details | |
|---|---|---|
 Best for Small Homes: Whirlpool WHES30 Water Softener |
|
Price: $ Type: Salt-Based Ion Exchange Water For: 1-3 People (7.6 gpm) Capacity: 30,000 Grains Read Review: Click |
 Best for Medium-Sized Homes: Whirlpool WHES33 Water Softener |
|
Price: $ Type: Salt-Based Ion Exchange Water For: Up to 4 People (8 gpm) Capacity: 33,000 Grains Read Review: Click |
Best for Large Homes: Whirlpool WHES44 Water Softener |
|
Price: $$ Type: Salt-Based Ion Exchange Water For: Up to 4-5 People (9 gpm) Capacity: 44,000 Grains Read Review: Click |
Reviews of Whirlpool Water Softeners
Review Order
- Whirlpool WHES30 – Best Whirlpool Water Softener for Small Households
- Whirlpool WHES33 – Best for Average-Sized Households
- Whirlpool WHES44 – Best for Large Households
1. Best for Small Homes: Whirlpool WHES30 30,000-Grain Water Softener
Our first is also the most popular Whirlpool water softener, the WHES30. It has a single-tank design that saves you a lot of spaces, but is limited in regards to flow rate (7.6 gpm) and shouldn’t be used in households with more than 3 people.
Up to 95 hardness grains per gallon can be treated, which is considered extremely hard water. NSF certifications for hardness reduction – check!
Also, up to 8 ppm of ferrous should be no problem. The minimum required pressure is 20 psi.
Grain capacity: 30,000
|
Whirlpool WHES30 |
|
| Price: | $ |
| Type: | Salt-Based Ion Exchange |
| Ideal For: | 1-3 People (7.6 gpm) |
| Capacity: | 30,000 Grains |
| NSF: | Standard 44 |
|
Our Rating
|
|
Pros
- Built in the USA
- Space-saving single-tank design
- Nice looks
- Uses metered, salt saving technology for most efficient regeneration with reduced water wastage
- Full 1-year warranty
- One of the easiest softeners to install and set up
- All parts + detailed instructions included
- Whirlpool provides helpline
- Retains memory after power outage
- Low salt light
Cons
- Some issues with split tanks, broken displays and leaky bypass valves
Best for
The Whirlpool WHES30 water softener is best for people living in small homes with a high hardness level.
→ Read Our Full Whirlpool WHES30 Review Here
2. Best for Mid-Sized Homes: Whirlpool WHES33 33,000-Grain Water Softener
There is not much of a difference between the Whirlpool WHES33 and the WHES30 water softener.
While the WHES30 supplies about 7.6 gallons of soft water per minute, the WHES33 has a service flow rate of 8 gpm. It also features a single-tank design and is ideal for households of up to 4 people.
Instead of 95 grains per gallon as the maximum water hardness level, the WHES33 can handle up to 105 gpg, which should be more than enough even if you are on highly stubborn well water.
This unit, too, is tested and certified against NSF/ANSI standards for softening effectiveness and efficiency.
And lastly, in case you struggle with high clear-water iron content, you should be able to eliminate up to 9 ppm without issues.
The minimum required water pressure is 20 psi.
Grain capacity: 33,000
|
Whirlpool WHES33 |
|
| Price: | $ |
| Type: | Salt-Based Ion Exchange |
| Ideal For: | 1-4 People (8 gpm) |
| Capacity: | 33,000 Grains |
| NSF: | Standard 44 |
|
Our Rating
|
|
Pros
- Built in the USA
- Space-saving single-tank design
- Nice looks
- Uses metered, salt saving technology for most efficient regeneration with reduced water wastage
- Full 1-year warranty
- One of the easiest softeners to install and set up
- All parts + detailed instructions included
- Whirlpool provides helpline
- Retains memory after power outage
- Low salt light
Cons
- Some issues with split tanks, broken displays and leaky bypass valves
Best for
The Whirlpool WHES33 softener is best for people living in mid-sized homes with very high hardness levels.
→ Read Our Full Whirlpool WHES33 Review Here
3. Best for Large Homes: Whirlpool WHES44 44,000-Grain Water Softener
Our last Whirlpool review features the WHES44.
It has the largest capacity (44,000 grains) and the highest flow rate (9 gpm) of all 3 and can serve families of up to 5 members. Larger than that and you might experience a drop in pressure or receive water that is not 100% softened.
The 44,000 grain resin can handle a maximum water hardness of 140 gpg.
Also, you get the beautiful single-tank design with everything built in the USA. Plus certifications awarded by the Water Quality Association guarantee water safety and optimum softening performance.
As always, the minimum required water pressure is 20 psi.
|
Whirlpool WHES44 |
|
| Price: | $$ |
| Type: | Salt-Based Ion Exchange |
| Ideal For: | Up to 4-5 People (9 gpm) |
| Capacity: | 44,000 Grains |
| NSF: | Standard 44 |
|
Our Rating
|
|
Pros
- Built in the USA
- Space-saving single-tank design
- Nice looks
- Uses metered, salt saving technology for most efficient regeneration with reduced water wastage
- Full 1-year warranty
- One of the easiest softeners to install and set up
- All parts + detailed instructions included
- Whirlpool provides helpline
- Retains memory after power outage
- Low salt light
Cons
- Some issues with split tanks, broken displays and leaky bypass valves
Best for
The Whirlpool WHES44 is best for people living in large homes facing extremely hard water.
→ Read Our Full Whirlpool WHES44 Review Here
Why Whirlpool?
There are so many options for water softeners out there. Why should you invest in a Whirlpool system?
- Price – Every company says that, but this time it’s actually true: Whirlpool water softener prices are affordable. The Whirlpool WHES Series is up to a few hundred dollars cheaper than what most of the competition has to offer.
- Single-Tank Design – What’s special about Whirlpool softeners is that they feature a space-saving single-tank design.
- Nice to Look at – And it gets even better. They are also nice to look at. No reason to hide them in the farthest corner of your basement.
- DIY Ready – Thanks to detailed instruction manuals, Whirlpool softeners are relatively easy to install and configure. Even if you are not a DIY guy, you should be able to pull this off as long as you own the necessary tools.
- NSF Certifications – All softeners have earned NSF certifications (e.g. Standard 44) for structural integrity as well as grain capacity and efficiency.
- Iron Removal – WHES softeners excel at iron removal. The WHES30 can eliminate clear-water (ferrous) iron of up to 8 ppm. For the WHES33, it’s 9 ppm. And the WHES44 can remove up to 12 ppm of ferrous, believe it or not.
- Built in USA – Whirlpool softeners are built in Ripley, Mississippi.
- Efficient Metered Regeneration – Units only recharge when necessary saving salt and water, and contributing to a better environment. This is achieved by relying on demand initiated regeneration. With the help of a predictive algorithm, the softener anticipates when is the best time to start the next regen cycle.
- Warranty – You get a full 1-year warranty on all parts, 3 years (limited) on electronics and 10 years (limited) on the tank.
If you have any questions about the Whirlpool WHES30, WHES33 or WHES44, or any other Whirlpool water softener really, 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 Whirlpool system reviews occasionally.
About the Author Gene Fitzgerald
Information provided on BOS is for educational purposes only. The products and services we review may not be right for your individual circumstances.
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