Clack vs Fleck Water Softener: Which Is Better for Your Home?
Number copied. Text it from your phone: 443-277-2204.
Clack or Fleck? We've sold both, I've had both in my house, and we always seem to choose the Fleck. The Clack WS1 is still a good valve, and on paper it beats the Fleck 5600SXT on flow and tank size. Below are the two valves side by side from each maker's own papers, what each one costs to buy and repair, and the homes where I'd tell you to buy the Clack.
Caller "I'm looking for one with like a Clack WS1 head."
Aidan "We use Fleck anyway. Fleck and Clack are number 1 and number 2 in the industry."
A Texas caller wanted a filter tank with a Clack WS1 on top in August. This page is the long version of my answer. Left, Clack's own photo of the WS1. Right, the Fleck 5600SXT valve we ship.
Quick Answer
Both Clack and Fleck make excellent water softener valves. They've been the top two brands in the industry for years, and either one will serve most homes well.
- Flow and tank size. The Clack WS1 moves more water, 27 gallons a minute to the Fleck's 20. It also fits bigger tanks, up to 21 inches across. See Clack WS1 vs Fleck 5600SXT specs.
- What's inside. Both use a piston, not a ceramic disc. It moves through a stack of seals and spacers. See what's inside each valve.
- How you buy one. A Clack softener comes from a local dealer. People who call me have been quoted $2,000 to $2,200. A Fleck can ship to your home, and ours start at $1,495. See what each valve costs.
- The one I pick. The Fleck 5600SXT. Its backwash is quieter, and its parts and tech support are easier to get. See why I pick the Fleck.
- When the Clack is better. Buy the Clack if your plumbing is bigger than 1 inch, your tank is very large, or you trust a local Clack dealer. See when to buy the Clack.
What's in This Guide
Clack WS1 vs Fleck 5600SXT specs
The Clack WS1 moves more water than the Fleck 5600SXT: 27 gallons a minute to 20, measured the same way on both. Every number below is from Clack's or Pentair's own spec sheets and manuals, not from a seller's listing. Pentair is the company that owns Fleck.
| Clack WS1 | Fleck 5600SXT | |
|---|---|---|
| Flow in normal use | 27 gallons per minute | 20 gallons per minute |
| Most flow during backwash | 27 gallons per minute | 7 gallons per minute |
| Softener tank size | 6 to 21 inches across | Ours are 9 to 13 inches across. Pentair's US sheet lists no range. |
| Pipe size | 3/4 to 1-1/2 inch, with fittings sold separately | 3/4 or 1 inch. Ours ship with a 1 inch bypass. |
| Buttons and screen | 5 buttons. Press NEXT to switch what the screen shows. | 3 buttons. The screen switches by itself. |
| How the salt amount is set | Pounds of salt per regeneration, set by whoever built the system | Set by how long the salt tank refills |
| Most days between regenerations | 1 to 28 days, or off | Off to 99 days. Ours are set to 14. |
| In a power outage | Settings are kept. A coin battery keeps the clock for 8 hours. | Settings are kept. The clock keeps time for at least 8 hours. |
| Salt water sent up through the resin (upflow) | Available, with Clack's upflow piston | Available, in Pentair's upflow version |
| Valve warranty | 5 years from Clack, to the company that built the system, not to you | 5 years from Pentair |
| The company | Clack, a Wisconsin company since 1944. The WS1 came out in 2000. | Fleck, since 1950. Part of Pentair since 1995. |
| Where you buy one | From a local dealer who installs it | It can ship to your home |
They're both digital, and they both regenerate based on how much water you use. As far as performance, they're pretty close. Where they differ for a homeowner is noise, parts and how you buy one, and that's the rest of this page.
What's inside each valve
Both valves use a piston, not a ceramic disc. The piston moves through a stack of seals and spacers to send the water through each step. Clack's spec sheet calls it a "linearly reciprocating piston" in a "one piece expanding seal spacer stack". Pentair's parts list puts 5 seals and 4 spacers around the 5600's piston. An earlier version of this page said the WS1 used a ceramic disc. That was wrong.
Those are the parts that wear, and both of these valves are made to be rebuilt rather than thrown away. Clack's caps only need to be hand-tight, and its manual turns the drive cap with Clack's plastic wrench or a flat screwdriver. On the Fleck, the piston comes out after you lift off the timer and remove the end plug plate. Neither one is tool-free. I find the Fleck definitely easier to work on, and its parts are more readily available.
What each valve costs
A Clack softener is sold through a local dealer, and a Fleck can ship to your door. These are the numbers I have, and where each one came from:
| What you're buying | Clack WS1 | Fleck 5600SXT |
|---|---|---|
| A complete softener | Quotes callers read me this year: $2,000 for a 32,000 grain, and about $2,200 installed for a 48,000 grain | From us, equipment only: $1,495 for a 32,000 grain to $2,495 for an 80,000 grain |
| The valve alone | About $600 to $700, my estimate for a caller in September | $545 from us |
| Seal and spacer kit | Not sold by us | $55 |
| Piston | Not sold by us | $75 |
You might pay more for a Clack than a Fleck, because Fleck is a very large company. Before you compare a quote to our prices, check the size on it; my Clack water softener review has the quotes callers read me and what each one was missing. Like every tank we sell, ours ships empty: the resin comes in separate bags and is loaded at install, and drain tubing isn't included. We recommend a licensed plumber, who typically finishes in 2 to 3 hours for about $700 to $1,000, and I support your plumber by phone.
Text me a photo of the quote
Send the quote and your hardness number. I'll tell you if the size is right and what the same softener costs with a Fleck.
Call 800-460-5810 or text Aidan at 443-277-2204.Why I pick the Fleck
I pick the Fleck 5600SXT for the softeners we ship because its backwash is quieter and its parts and tech support are easier to get. We used to sell Clack softeners too, and a lot of people complained the backwash was too loud. With the Fleck, parts are readily available and the tech support is good. It's the most reliable valve we've ever used.
The Clack is a good, solid valve. We still use Clack's non-electric head on our non-backwashing acid neutralizers and carbon filters, like the Clack 2.5 acid neutralizer. Clack doesn't let its electronic softener valves ship to homeowners, so we don't sell a Clack softener.
In the video I show the Fleck 5600SXT I have at home. Once yours is in, my Fleck 5600SXT owner's guide covers the settings, and every size we ship is on the water softeners page.
When to buy the Clack
Buy the Clack when your plumbing is bigger than 1 inch, your tank is very large, or a local Clack dealer you trust will install and service it. In the video I said I don't think the Clack is ever the better choice. For most homes I still think that, but Clack's own numbers put it ahead in these cases:
| Your home | The valve I'd pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 3/4 or 1 inch plumbing, like most homes | Fleck 5600SXT | Quieter backwash, and parts any plumber can get |
| 1-1/4 inch plumbing | Clack WS1 | Clack's spec sheet lists WS1 fittings from 3/4 to 1-1/2 inch, and it moves 27 gallons a minute to the Fleck's 20. All of our softener valves come in 1 inch. |
| A softener tank bigger than 13 inches across | Clack WS1 | Made for tanks up to 21 inches across. Backwashes at up to 27 gallons a minute. |
| A local dealer you trust who services Clack | Clack WS1 | He has the parts and knows the valve |
Can a Clack replace a Fleck valve?
Yes. Both valves screw onto the same 2-1/2 inch tank thread and fit the same 1.05 inch center tube, so a tank that had one can take the other. We use the same tanks under four different valves: Fleck 5600, Fleck 2510, Clack heads and Clack non-backwashing heads. They're all universal. What doesn't carry over is the valve's own parts, its bypass and its settings, so the new valve has to be set up for the resin and the tank under it.
Frequently asked questions
Is Fleck owned by Pentair?
Yes. Fleck started in 1950 and has been part of Pentair since 1995, and the 5-year warranty on a Fleck valve comes from Pentair. If a quote says Pentair, read what Pentair means on a softener quote.
How long does a Fleck water softener last?
There's no rated life for the valve. It's made to be serviced: 10 or 15 years down the road it may need a piston and seals or a circuit board, and those parts are easy to get.
How long does a Clack water softener last?
I had a Clack in my own house for about 16 years. Clack's service manual covers cleaning or replacing the piston and the seal stack, so the valve can be rebuilt instead of replaced.
What is the most reliable brand of water softener?
Fleck and Clack are number 1 and number 2 in the industry, and they're the two valves I'd want on any softener. I put Fleck first because the parts and tech support are easier to get. Many local brands put their own label on one of these two valves; my water softener brands compared page shows which.
Aidan Walsh
Co-owner & Residential Water Treatment Specialist, Mid Atlantic WaterAidan Walsh has spent 32 years in residential water treatment, the first stretch of it installing and servicing well systems before Mid Atlantic Water became an online supplier. Mid Atlantic Water is a family company; every recommendation on this site is based on what actually failed in the field and what fixed it. If you have a question this page did not answer, call 800-460-5810 or text him at 443-277-2204.
Aidan answers calls and texts 8 AM to 5 PM Eastern, every day.Number copied. Text it from your phone: 443-277-2204.