Aquios AQFS220 Salt Free Water Softener and Filter System Review (2023)

🧾 Overview

The Aquios AQFS220 Full House Salt Free Water Softener and Filter System is a 2-in-1 water descaler and filter for whole home use. The system offers yet another take on the salt-free softening trend that has seen a huge boost in popularity in recent years. The AQFS220 uses a special technology to condition water, rather than directly removing hardness causing minerals.

Offering conditioning, filtering and scale elimination, the Aquios AQFS220 is certainly one of the more tempting offerings on the market, promising to do more for your money (and at a fairly decent price, too). As well as its salt free conditioner, it uses a 5 micron coconut carbon filter to remove chlorine, helping improve odor and taste of your drinking water.

The AQFS220system uses a natural technology to soften water, and doesn’t rely on salt top-ups or regeneration to work. It’s also capable of providing corrosion protection against acidity, alkalinity, and other mineral salts that often lead to the formation of rust in plumbing and appliances.

With a slim, compact design, the AQFS220 is fairly easy to install and incredibly simple to use. You’ll just need to remember to replace your filters regularly to ensure decent water flow.

Note that if your water is on the harder side of the scale, the Aquios AQFS220 probably isn’t the softener for you.

💡 Features

• Single tank for filtration and conditioning.
• 1 carbon block filter cartridge included with purchase – additional cartridges can be purchased online.
• Instructions for installation.
• 20 year warranty and a 60 day “no questions asked” returns policy.

🚦 Performance

The Aquios AQFS220 does what the manufacturer claims, but isn’t one of the most effective water softeners out there. For a start, it doesn’t actually soften water – it just conditions it, by altering the composition of the hardness causing minerals and preventing them from depositing limescale.

It’s impressive that the AQFS220 offers water conditioning and filtration in one, but the filtration aspect of the system may end up costing quite a lot to run if you have a lot of sediment in your water. The higher your water’s sediment content, the more frequently you’ll need to change your filters – which could end up proving quite costly in the long run.

As a conditioner and not a softener, the Aquios AQFS220 also isn’t appropriate for use on water with high hardness levels. It’ll only process up to 20 grains of hardness, when some homes have much higher hardness levels. Salt-based softeners are always the preferable option for particularly hard water.

That said, the AQFS220 system has several performance advantages over a salt based system. It doesn’t need to regenerate, so you’ll be able to save energy and avoid water waste. You also won’t need to purchase salt top-ups for your conditioning system, as it’s completely sodium free.

🔧 Installation & Maintenance

Installing the Aquios AQFS220 will take a bit of work, but it’s easier to set up than traditional systems. It’s compact in design, so it won’t take up much room at your water pipe. Many customers have reported installing the AQFS220 themselves, but you might prefer to have a plumber do the job for you. For a person with limited plumbing experience, installation will take roughly 2 to 3 hours.

When it comes to maintenance, the biggest thing you’ll have to remember is your filter changes. The filters generally need replacing every 3 months, but if your water contains a high content of sediment, it’ll probably be more like every 1 to 2 months. You’ll need to be happy to commit to changing the filters as regularly as is necessary if you want to maintain a good water flow.

Aside from filter changes, with the AQFS220 being a saltless system, you won’t need to factor in for anything else. Cleaning and salt changes aren’t necessary in the Aquios AQFS220. The filters are replaceable, so you’ll just throw the old one out and install a new one in its place.

📝 System Info

The Aquios AQFS220 uses salt-free softening to reduce limescale issues.The technology in the system is a polyphosphate additive called Siliphos, which is designed to inhibit scale deposits and reduce scale buildup on your pipes and appliances over time. It does so by isolating the hardness causing calcium and magnesium minerals, causing them to pass through plumbing and appliances without sticking to them.

Don’t expect the AQFS220 to work overnight, but many customers report seeing a gradual improvement in their homes. You should notice a reduction in limescale, but keep in mind that the AQFS220 doesn’t provide all the benefits of a salt-based softener, like better lathering and healthier skin and hair. You’ll also notice a difference in the way your water feels, but it won’t take on a slippery texture as you commonly get with a salt-based water softener.

As an added bonus, the Aquios AQFS220 filters water with a carbon block filtration cartridge, which is stored inside the tank and will need replacing when necessary. This reduces sediment and undesirable impurities, like chlorine, from your drinking water, giving it a better taste and odor. This is something a standard water softener alone can’t do, and you’d usually have to buy the filter separately.

Finally, the AQFS220 offers some protection against corrosion. It forms a coating on metal surfaces which protects against acidity, alkalinity, and other mineral salts that can cause water pipes and equipment to rust out after periods of use.

🔔 Pros & Cons

Pros

• 2-in-1 conditioner and filter with anti-corrosion benefits.
• Saltless system retains healthy minerals in water, and is suitable for low sodium diets.
• Doesn’t require salt top-ups for use & doesn’t waste water or regenerate.
• Easy to use, with no programming required. Simply change the filter cartridges when necessary.
• Compact design for easy installation at preferred location.
• 20-year warranty and 60-day money-back guarantee for peace of mind when purchasing.

Cons

• Filter cartridges need replacing after around 40,000 gallons of use – and they’re not cheap (around $60 per filter).
• Not appropriate for very hard water, which will require a salt-based alternative.
• Water with higher sediment will clog up filter cartridges more frequently, which could quickly become costly.

Check out our other Aquios water softener reviews

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