This review compiles all the information you need to know about the GE Water Softener and Filter In One.
Table of Contents
🧾 Overview
The GE Water Softener and Filter In One is a combined single-unit water softener and filtration system manufactured by GE Appliances. The system offers scale reduction and advanced filtration, with a self-cleaning sediment filter, a carbon filter, and an ion exchange resin.
This GE unit comes in a single grain capacity:
- GE 31,100-Grain Water Softener and Filter In One
This softener is essentially the same as the GE Water Softener, with all the same features of this system. The big difference is that the GE Water Softener and Filter In One also includes carbon filter media – and costs $400 more than the standard GE Water Softener.
📝 GE GXMH31H System Specifications
| Capacity | 31,100 grains |
| Dimensions (WxHxD) | 14.4 x 47.6 x 22.4 inches |
| Unit color | Clear blue |
| Control type | Electronic |
| Salt storage capacity | 230 pounds |
| Max. hardness removal | 120 GPG |
| Max. clear water iron reduction | 3 PPM |
| Plumbing connection | Up to 1 1/4 |
| Regeneration time | 105-152 mins |
| Service flow rate | 8 GPM |
| Electronic rating | 24V; 60Hz |
| Warranty | Limited 1-year (entire appliance) Limited 10-year (resin/brine tank) Limited 3-year (electronic monitor) |
💡 Features
All-In-One Design
The GE Water Softener and Filter In One combines the brine tank, resin tank, and carbon media in a single, space-saving feature unit.
Ion Exchange Salt Softening
This salt softener uses produces soft water using the ion exchange process, swapping calcium and magnesium minerals with sodium ions.
Salt Level Indicator
The system’s status light indicator lets you know how many days of salt are left before the tank is empty. The Salt Saver feature helps to minimize your salt consumption.
Custom Select Blending Valve
You can use the custom select blending valve to choose how soft you want your water based on your water hardness in GPG.
1-Year Entire Appliance Warranty
This water softener comes is backed by a limited 1-year warranty for entire the appliance, a limited 10-year warranty for the tank, and a limited 3-year warranty for the electronic monitor. There’s no warranty for the filter media.
🚦 Performance
We determine the performance capabilities of all water softeners we test by their softening efficiency and effectiveness, their regeneration time, their flow rate, and any standout features that have performance benefits.
The GE Water Softener and Filter In One offers a good performance for a $900 water softener. The system has an impressive maximum hardness removal of 120 grains per gallon – much more hardness than your water is likely to contain. The unit also offers up to 3 PPM of clear water iron removal, and is NSF certified for its softening performance.
We noticed that our water-using appliances and fixtures had significantly less limescale within a week of installing the GE Water Softener and Filter In One. Flow rate remained steady after installing the unit, and we didn’t notice a drop in pressure in our showers or faucets. This GE 31,100-grain water softener has a service flow of 8 GPM, which should be fine for most households (if you have a family of four or more, you may notice a small pressure drop during peak usage times).
As for efficiency, the GE Water Softener and Filter In One ticks the boxes. The system tackles 4,230 grains of hardness per pound of salt, helping you to get more out of every salt top-up. The Salt Saver feature helps to further reduce salt consumption.
You pay extra for the additional performance feature of this system: the carbon filtration media. This media is designed to reduce chlorine odor and taste, using adsorption to grab onto chlorine particles and pull them out of water.
Do we think this media alone is worth the extra $400 compared to the standard GE Water Softener? Perhaps not – especially as the standard GE Softener has a faster flow rate and greater iron reduction capabilities. However, if you just want to remove chlorine taste and odor from your softened water, the extra cost may seem fair to you.
The GE Water Softener and Filter In One takes between 105 and 152 minutes to regenerate: about 30 minutes longer than the average water softener regeneration time. You can program the system to regenerate overnight to prevent an interruption to your water supply.
🧰 What’s Included (Parts)
The GE Water Softener and Filter In One comes with everything you need to set up and use the system immediately, including:
- Installation instructions
- Installation kit
- Pre-loaded salt tank
- Resin tank
- Carbon filter media
- 3/4″ quick connect fittings
- Water shutoff valve
🔧 Installation, Programming & Settings
The GE Water Softener and Filter In One is easier to install than a separate two-tank water softener and water filtration system. A quick overview of the installation instructions is:
- Turn off your water supply and open your faucets to allow water to leave your plumbing system
- Install the brine tank’s overflow adaptor
- Rinse the carbon media
- Install the water shutoff valve and bypass valve
- Turn the custom select valve to adjust the water softener’s hardness level
- Open the bypass valve
- Use Teflon tape to connect the plumbing fittings
- Plug in and switch on the softener
Check the user manual for instructions to install and program the system. This video also gives an overview of how to install the GE system – it just doesn’t explain what to do with the carbon media.
It took us less than one hour to install the GE Water Softener and Filter In One. The unit is an all-in-one system that’s designed for DIY installation, and it’s difficult to make any major errors if you follow the instructions. If you’re really DIY adverse, consider hiring a plumber to install the unit for you.
Manual
Find information on how to install and maintain this GE 31,100 grain water softener in the user manual below:
🔩 Maintenance
The GE Water Softener and Filter In One requires several basic regular maintenance tasks:
- Add salt to the brine tank (if the softener is in a humid location, use less salt than the maximum allowed to prevent a salt bridge). The low salt reminder will let you know when to add more salt.
- Clean the resin with a commercial resin cleaner and clean the unit’s nozzle and venturi valve assembly about once a month.
- For high-iron water supplies, use an iron cleaner in the resin with every 40-pound bag of salt.
The unit has a sediment filter that cleans itself, so you shouldn’t need to change it at all. The user manual doesn’t give instructions on changing the carbon media in the built-in water filtration section of the tank, which suggests the media lasts for the lifespan of the system.
🔔 Pros & Cons
👍 What We Like
- The GE Water Softener and Filter In One is both a water softener and a carbon filter that produces soft water and reduces chlorine taste and odor. If your water has a high hardness and chlorine concentration, this unit will protect your home’s plumbing and improve the taste and odor of your water.
- The system is intended for DIY installation, with a convenient, space-saving design. The resin tank size is small enough to be combined with the brine tank and carbon media within a single unit.
- Even very hard water should meet its match with the GE Water Softener and Filter In One, which treats up to 120 GPG of hardness.
- Like all GE water softeners, this model offers an efficient performance and reduces the use of salt with Salt Saver technology. If you want to minimize maintenance and reduce the frequency of topping up the salt tank, the GE Softener and Filter system is a good choice.
👎 What We Don’t Like
- The entire system only has a 1-year warranty, which makes us question its durability and expected lifespan.
- Some customers had problems with the control panel after the warranty period had ended.
❔ Frequently Asked Questions
Are GE water softeners reliable?
Yes, GE softener systems are reliable. The systems have good average customer ratings and are certified to NSF Standards for ion exchange water softeners. However, unlike other water softeners, the GE softeners don’t offer a guaranteed reliable performance in the long run due to their plastic components.
Do GE water softeners have filters?
All GE water softeners come with a built-in self-cleaning sediment filter that lasts the lifespan of the system. Only the GE Water Softener and Filter In One comes with carbon filter media that removes chlorine.
How long does GE Water Softener last?
A GE water softener unit should last about 10 years, based on the 10-year warranty for the brine and resin tanks. The electric monitor may not last this long, and may need to be replaced after 3-6 years. GE softeners aren’t as durable as other water softeners available today – some of the best systems last for 20+ years.
Should I buy the GE Water Softener and Filter In One?
You should consider buying the GE Water Softener and Filter In One if you’re looking for a compact, convenient model that offers softening and carbon filtration in one. Keep in mind that this system only offers basic filtration, so if you want to remove more than just chlorine, look at some of the more advanced softener and filter combos.
What are some good alternatives to the GE Water Softener and Filter In One?
If you’re looking for the best water softener and filter combo, GE water softeners aren’t the top choice. We recommend the Springwell 2 in 1 Filter + Salt Softener Combo System as the best-value and most capable filter/softener combo, or the SoftPro Elite Water Softener for Well Water + Iron Master AIO Water Filtration System for well water with a high iron content.
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