Compare WHES40 vs GXSH45W
Whirlpool WHES40 vs GE GXSH45W Two Certified Big-Box Softeners
Both publish full salt-dose tables and certified efficiency. The GE has more resin, more flow and a listed price. The Whirlpool handles more iron and has an NSF listing you can look up directly.
Where to buy · WHES40: price not yet verified; sold through retailers. No retailer link yet.
Where to buy · GXSH45W: $799.00 on the seller's site, checked Oct 22, 2026. No retailer link yet.
Short answer: For a larger household on city water, the GE GXSH45W: 19,904 grains at its low dose and 9.5 gpm. For well water with clear-water iron, the WHES40, rated to 10 ppm against the GE’s 3 ppm.
Capacity by Salt Dose
WHES40
Capacity per regeneration at each salt dose the maker publishes (Whirlpool manual (2023), source). We don't fill in doses between these points. The efficiency rating (5,094 grains per lb) applies only at the 3.4 lb dose.
GXSH45W
Capacity per regeneration at each salt dose the maker publishes (GE manual (49-6000319), source). We don't fill in doses between these points. The efficiency rating (5,120 grains per lb) applies only at the 3.89 lb dose.
Certification Side by Side
| WHES40 | GXSH45W | |
|---|---|---|
| Status | NSF listed | IAPMO R&T listed |
| Certifier and standard | NSF NSF/ANSI 44 | IAPMO R&T NSF/ANSI 44, 372; CSA B483.1 |
| Certified flow | 7.6 gpm | 9.5 gpm |
| Salt efficiency | 5,094 gr/lb at 3.4 lb | 5,120 gr/lb at 3.89 lb |
| Sold as | 40,000 grains | 45,000 grains |
| At lowest published dose | 17,300 grains at 3.4 lb | 19,904 grains at 3.89 lb |
Specs Side by Side
| WHES40 | GXSH45W | |
|---|---|---|
| Service flow (maker) | 7.6 gpm source | 9.5 gpm source |
| Resin | 1.14 cu ft source | 1.5 cu ft (75.81 lb Indion 225) source |
| Max hardness | 125 gpg source | 165 gpg source |
| Iron | 10 ppm clear-water iron source | 3 ppm clear-water iron source |
| Pressure | 20–125 psi source | 20–125 psi source |
| Price | not yet verified | $799.00 source |
Where They Differ
Capacity. The GE carries 1.5 cu ft of resin against 1.14, so it removes more at every comparable dose.
Flow. 9.5 gpm (GE) vs 7.6 gpm (Whirlpool), both certified figures. For two showers and a washer at once, the extra flow helps.
Who certifies. NSF lists the Whirlpool. GE’s manual cites IAPMO R&T, which certifies only its lowest and highest doses. We haven’t yet matched the GE entry in IAPMO’s directory.
Iron. Whirlpool rates the WHES40 to 10 ppm clear-water iron. GE says 3 ppm.
Common Questions
Which one uses less salt?
At their efficient settings they’re nearly tied: 5,094 grains per lb for the Whirlpool, 5,120 for the GE. The GE removes more per regeneration (19,904 vs 17,300 grains), so it regenerates a little less often. Run your numbers in the calculator.
Why is the GE sold as 45,000 grains when its table goes to 55,424?
GE’s manual lists 55,424 grains at 25.42 lb as its certified maximum. GE doesn’t tie the 45,000 name to a salt dose anywhere we could find.
Full sheets: WHES40 · GXSH45W. Or size your own in the calculator.