No. It does not remove hardness, so the water still tests hard and will not feel slippery. It keeps the hardness from sticking: Aidan's words are that it converts it "to a microscopic crystal, so it can't attach itself to the plumbing and the water-using appliances." If you want soft water, choose a salt softener.

For most homes, Aidan recommends the softener: it removes the hardness and costs less to run (our Fleck 5600SXT 48,000 grain water softener is $1,995). Choose this salt-free conditioner when you cannot run a drain or an electrical outlet to the spot, do not want to carry salt, are on a diet that limits sodium or potassium, or only need to stop scale. Not sure? Text Aidan at 443-277-2204.

Pick by the household: the Small 1.5 (9 L) for 2 to 4 people and 1 to 2 bathrooms, $2,495; the Medium 2.0 (10 L) for 3 to 5 people and 2 to 3 bathrooms, $2,695; the Large 2.5 (14 L) for 4 to 7 people and 3 to 4 bathrooms, $2,895. Every size keeps up with a whole house's flow; the bigger ones hold more media for more people. If people and bathrooms point to different sizes, go by people; at the top of a band, go one size up.

Aidan sizes it for up to about 25 grains per gallon. Watch Water rates its media higher, but above 25 grains Aidan recommends a salt softener. Your water report may list hardness in mg/L; divide by 17.1 to get grains per gallon.

Aidan tells customers to plan on about 3 years; Watch Water rates Filtersorb SP3 5 to 7. Aidan quotes about $1,200 to $1,500 for the 14 liters in the Large; for the 9 liters here, text him for today's price. A refill is media only: the tank and head stay.

We recommend one. There is no drain line and no electricity, just an inlet and an outlet, about an hour or two of a plumber's time, and Aidan supports your plumber by phone at 800-460-5810. If you'd rather do it yourself, you can; text Aidan at 443-277-2204 with any questions.

No. The tank ships empty. The Filtersorb SP3 ships separately and is poured in through the included funnel at install. A filled tank is too heavy to ship safely and could be damaged in freight.

Aidan recommends a regular salt softener ahead of a tankless heater. A conditioner leaves the hardness in the water, and a softener removes it.

No. It only keeps hardness from forming scale. On city water, if you also want the chlorine taste and smell out, the filter + salt-free conditioner in the same size ($3,895) puts a catalytic carbon tank ahead of this one. Iron, sulfur, lead and PFAS need their own treatment.

Only after the well's iron, manganese and sulfur are fully removed. Watch Water limits iron to 0.5 ppm and manganese to 0.05 ppm, and Aidan will not put a salt-free conditioner on water with any iron. If the well has iron or sulfur, it needs an iron filter first. Text Aidan your well test.

Filtersorb SP3 is certified by IAPMO R&T to NSF/ANSI/CAN 61 and 372, which cover materials safety in drinking water. Those standards do not test scale reduction, and we do not claim a scale reduction percentage.