Grain capacity at the salt dose you'll actually run, certified flow and salt efficiency, next to what the box says. Every number links to its source.
13 systems in depth · 4 with a performance listing
Dark bar: grains per regeneration at the lowest published salt dose. Full bar: at the maximum dose.
From each maker's published capacity table. Systems without one aren't shown.
Salt-based softener · Certified big-box pick
The big-box 40,000-grain softener with a full NSF/ANSI 44 listing, including efficiency.
Salt-based softener · Small household
A smaller, NSF-listed big-box softener for 1–5 people, with published capacity at three salt doses.
Salt-based softener · Best big-box value
GE's Wi-Fi softener with 1.5 cu ft of resin and IAPMO-certified capacity and efficiency.
Salt-based softener · High flow, maker data only
Online-direct softener in 32K, 48K and 80K sizes with high service flow. No salt dose or certification published.
Salt-based softener · Vendor claims, check the badge
Upflow softener sold direct by Quality Water Treatment. Big efficiency claims, but no published salt dose.
Salt-based softener · Budget pick
The budget online pick at $629.99. Its big flow figure is for the valve alone.
Salt-based softener · Most repairable
A standard, repairable valve. Pentair's 5600SXT configurations are WQA-listed; retailer kits are built around it.
Salt-based softener · Most transparent online brand
A smart softener whose manual publishes three salt settings and admits the figures aren't WQA-validated.
Salt-free conditioner · Widest hardness range
TAC salt-free conditioner rated to 75 gpg. The maker's scale claim is now "up to 95%".
Salt-free conditioner · Big-brand support
Pentair's salt-free conditioner. Its manual lists NSF/ANSI 61 materials certification, not scale reduction.
Salt-free conditioner · Moderate hardness, long life
A 10-year salt-free conditioner, but only for water under 15 gpg. The tightest hardness limit we've found.
Whole-house filter · High flow
KDF and catalytic carbon for city water, 9–20 gpm. PFAS and chloramine claims with no certification named.
Whole-house filter · Best documented
Tested to NSF/ANSI 42 for chlorine. Aquasana's manual says it's not certified for contaminant reduction.
Three TAC units compared on limits, flow and what their scale claims rest on.
Picks by need, ranked on certified efficiency, published salt data and flow.
Two city-water filters, and why "tested to" isn't certified.
Why a 40,000-grain softener can be a 17,300-grain softener, and which number to size with.
What each one does to hard water, what can be certified, and who each suits.
Hardness × people × gallons, step by step, with a worked example.
The budget kit against the certified valve: $629.99 and no listing, or $876 and a WQA record.
A repairable DIY valve you program yourself against a sealed big-box unit with a published salt table.
Two TAC conditioners rated to 75 gpg. What each one's scale claim rests on.
The two online brands people ask about most. Neither has a listing or a salt-dose table on file.
The two certified big-box softeners: NSF at 7.6 gpm against IAPMO at 9.5 gpm, and near-identical salt efficiency.