The WaterBoss 700 is a water softener/filter combo that can look after itself. Compact, quiet, and efficient, is it the right water softener for you? Find out in our detailed review below!
Just to eliminate the confusion from the start, the WaterBoss 700 water softener is almost the same thing as the WaterBoss 220, with minor differences in looks, not in performance.
What Is the WaterBoss 700/220 Water Softener?
The Water Boss water softener is a low maintenance solution for hard water and also water contamination.
It is able to look after itself due to the cutting-edge technologies it comes with and is so quiet, you will forget it is even there. Its small size makes it a good addition to even small and medium homes – unlike the more massive water softening systems available on the market.
Moreover, it is an efficient water softener as the price/value/maintenance ratio goes. One of the best parts about it is that it comes with an incorporated filter to keep your family and appliances safe.
WaterBoss 700 (or WaterBoss 220) Review and Buying Guide
Before we begin this review and buying guide, we should present you with the WaterBoss 700/220 Water Softener tech specs and key features. So let’s see what this water softener is all about!
- Cost: $$$
- Material: Plastic with textured finish
- Capacity: 22,000 grains
- Suitable Size Home: 4 people
- Suitable Water: Medium to very hard
- Temperature range: 40-120 degrees Fahrenheit
- Water Flow Rate: 12-15 gallons per minute
- Water Consumption: 12 Gallons per Hour
- Volts: 12 Volts
- Power: Corded electric with US style plug format
- Regeneration: Meter based
- Water Filter: Yes, 20 microns
- Warranty: Yes, 3 years with 10-years on tanks and valve assemblies
- Size: 18.8×14.8×25.8 inches
- Shape: Rectangular
- Weight: 73.2 pounds
Introduction: A Few Words on the WaterBoss 700/220 water softener
The WaterBoss 700 (also known as the WaterBoss 220) is a salt-based water softener. It’s suitable for a medium-sized household or family of four. If you are new to water softeners and the salts they use to eliminate hard water, we recommend you read our guide on water softener salts so you can start on the right foot.
This model has the added extra of actually being a water filter too. Considering this, you can understand why this fact makes the price quite appealing if you consider the cost of buying a separate whole house water filter and a water softener system for your home.
The WaterBoss 700/220 will soften up to 70 grains per gallon and can also reduce up to 10 ppm( parts per million) of iron, sediment, and dirt. The filter is effective to 20 microns (read more about how water filters work in this guide here). This feature puts it on a par with an average whole house water filter but means it is not as effective as a reverse osmosis system.
The filter is actually self-cleaning too, which means there are no messy filter changes to be made. The water softener is able to regenerate (cleanse itself) in just 18 minutes, which means it is rarely offline and it uses less water too.
Let’s take a look at what it does in a bit more detail.
The WaterBoss 700/220 Performance
The WaterBoss 700 can soften water of up to 70 GPG (grains per gallon) of hardness. To put that into perspective, the Water Quality Association regards soft water to be 0-3.5 GPG and very hard water as anything over 10.5 GPG.
This fact suggests that this water softener can handle even the hardest of water. In fact, WaterBoss state on their website that it “is the solution for over 95% of all hard water conditions”. For those of you needing more softening ability, WaterBoss has the bigger WaterBoss 900 Big Boss model.
The 12-15 gallon flow rate should function at around 15 psi and has been designed to provide as little pressure drop to appliances as possible. Of course, installing a water softener or filter with no pressure drop would be next to impossible so WaterBoss has done well here.
It has a single-canister design which means it is quite compact and less bulky than some systems. The softener resin and brine tank come as one unit and can easily squeeze into the corner of most rooms. The brine tank holds up to 120 pounds of salt. Most likely, you should refill it every 2 months on average, according to the average water usage of a family of four. However, a lot would depend on your settings and water hardness.
If you are not sure what water hardness you need to deal with in your home, we recommend you check out our guide on the best water test kits for water hardness. They will give you a good idea on the problem you need to manage and the type of water softener you should get.
How Does the Water Filter Work with this WaterBoss Water Softener?
This model is especially useful for water that has a high content of ferrous iron, dirt, or sediment. The unit includes a 20 micron filter which serves to protect you, and also the softener. This will help to prolong the life of the water softener and also your household appliances . The filter will reduce iron content down to 10 parts per million (ppm).
It is not the most refined of filters, and if you were seeking a remedy to other water contaminants like pesticides and lead, then a further filter might be necessary. We strongly recommend you take a look at our guide on iron water filters for well water in case you need to solve the excess iron concentrations in your drinking water once and for all.
As lead in water goes, the best chance you have to remove lead in your water and thus avoid another Flint water crisis is a reverse osmosis filter, be it a whole house system or an under-sink RO filter for drinking water. Nevertheless, take a look at our guide on best water filters against lead to make an educated purchase decision.
The filter comes with a bypass that helps to extend its life. This is a water softener first and foremost and not a specialist water filter. As we said, for specialized water filters, check out our guides, reviews, and buying guides!
A Few Words on the WaterBoss Water Softener’s Regeneration Process
The WaterBoss 700 regenerates (the self-cleaning process) after a set number of gallons have passed through it. It monitors the amount of water that it has softened and will automatically regenerate when this threshold has been reached. It is also smart enough to know exactly how much salt and water it needs to complete the task.
This means that no resources will be wasted during the process. Regeneration can also be set according to time and day. I think this method is probably the most convenient. Once you have had the machine installed for a few weeks and know how long it takes to reach capacity in your household, then an optimum time can be chosen. The middle of the night would be most convenient for many as the water softener cannot be used while it regenerates, and this means no soft water! Regenerating based on water usage is great for the environment, but there is no way to predict when it will regenerate.
If your WaterBoss 700 reaches the threshold at 7 pm just as you return home from work and decide to have a relaxing bath, then you will have to wait. However, the process can take as little as 18 minutes and on average probably lasts about 30 minutes so it’s not that huge of an inconvenience really.
The regeneration process is designed to be as efficient as possible. Besides not taking much time, it may also use only 2.5lbs of salt and use only 12 gallons of water each time (depending on settings).
The system is controlled digitally with the aid of four buttons and an LCD screen. You have control over when the system regenerates and when the water filter cleans itself. You are able to do an immediate regeneration or filter cleaning cycle too. The display shows important information such as how much soft water remains, the regeneration status, and the water flow status. The interface is very simple and looks a bit dated really, but there really aren’t that many options for you to navigate through so it doesn’t need a touchscreen or any fancy gimmicks.
WaterBoss 700/220 Water Softener Installation & Maintenance
Installation is relatively straightforward and you can do it without paying for the help of a plumber. The bypass valve (which is often overlooked by water filter and softener companies) allows you to easily “switch off” the unit and easily service it. It is important to allow the water and salt to mix first and form the brine before using it.
The unit comes with an instructional DVD to guide you through the process, but we’ve included an installation video below in case you’re curious.
This model really is a low maintenance solution to hard, contaminated water. With the softener able to regenerate automatically and the filter capable of cleaning itself too, really the only work you need to do is fill it with salt every few months.
The installation manual is available here.
WaterBoss 700/220 Water Softener Pros & Cons
It is time to see the pros and cons of this unit. You now have the opportunity to check out this water softener against other similar ones – the Morton M30 System comes to mind – and make the best choice.
As customer reviews go, you will find some that are not praising this water softener. The main issue with it is its plastic building that, in some cases, led to leaks or malfunctions. In other cases, it was the poor customer support that led to peoples’ disappointment. Nevertheless, WaterBoss 700/220 is a good product that does its job well. One inconvenience we found was that it was hard to find on the market.
It seems that customers show an increased interest in the superior WaterBoss 900 model than in this one, so the offers on that one are more visible and more accessible. However, back to our WaterBoss 700/220 review, here are its main pros and cons!
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Built in water filter | The 3-year warranty is too short by water softener standards |
| Fast & efficient regeneration | Customer support leaves a lot to be desired |
| Low maintenance |
WaterBoss 700/220 Water Softener Verdict
Despite some of its shortcomings, this is a good water softener for small homes and apartments if you want to remove hard water and limescale in an efficient manner. Overall, you will get your money’s worth by cutting down its installation and maintenance costs over the years. Obviously, you will find other water softening systems on the market that work even better, although not many of them come with incorporated filters.
Bottom Line
See how this model compares to its competitors in our guide to water softeners. We also have comprehensive guides to water filter systems. Let us know in the comment section below what your experience with this WaterBoss 700 water softener is in case you have one. Should you need more information on the product or other softening/descaling systems, feel free to ask us!
Although your product seems to work well for the most part, your Customer Service is non existent. The condescending answers and tone from your employees makes this product not worth purchasing. What happens if something should go bad, i’ll have to purchase a different brand because your people are terrible. That’s such a shame that your company would allow that.