Because we have a “Very High” level of hardness in tap water in Fallbrook and the surrounding areas of Bonsall, Vista, Oceanside and Temecula and Rainbow, we recommend and install the best whole-house water softener system available.
We’ve found the best to be an ION exchange water softener and filtration treatment system that meets the highest standards for quality and efficiency.
Water Softener and Filtration System Best for Fallbrook, Bonsall, Vista, Oceanside and Temecula is Also One of the Highest-Quality ION Exchange System on the Market
The Penguin Hybrid hybrid water treatment system is one of the best at treating the very hard water in our area.
Unlike any salt-free system, this advanced ION exchange system actually REMOVES the substances that make water hard. In addition, it combines a water filtration system
It has the most cutting-edge technology to deliver the highest efficiency and highest capacity currently available.
Of all the water treatment systems we’ve serviced and installed, we’ve found this ION exchange system to be one of the best for our area’s extremely hard water.
Penguin water products have been made in the USA by a family-owned company for over 20 years.
Penguin Whole-House ION Exchange Water Softener combines with advanced carbon filtration system. The result: soft, clean water on your skin, inside your body and throughout all your water appliances.
We Recommend the Best Whole-House ION Exchange Water Softener and Filtration System Because Our Reputation Depends On it
Word gets around quickly in this area. And often it’s difficult for customers to separate products from services. So we recommend and routinely install the products that have proven to have the highest level of customer satisfaction. Our five-star rating depends on it.
Also, “water heater” is part of our name. We install and service more water heaters than any plumber in the area. And water heaters — both conventional tank-style and tankless — are especially vulnerable to mineral deposits in hard water. So we want the best water softener proven to help customers protect their investment in their water heater and all water appliances.
We Can Protect Your Water Heater and Other Water Appliances With a Whole-House Penguin Hybrid Water Softener and Filtration System
Hard water minerals accumulate inside your water heater forming an insulating barrier between your water heater’s heating element and the water. This can result in 30-40% higher energy costs.
In addition, the mineral build up can eventually corrode the water heater causing it to leak. Water damage can be costly. Plus the water heater needs to be replaced. This water heater could have lasted years longer if the home had a water softener system.
Why Water Quality on Your Skin as Well as Inside Your Body is Important
Our skin is our largest organ. It can absorb more chlorine and chemicals than we can drink in a day. So removing the hardness as well as chemicals like chlorine, chloramine and VOC’s is important for our physical health. (Of course, it’s also important for the health of all our water appliances as you can see in the photo of the inside of the water heater above.) The Penguin Hybrid whole house water treatment system ensures all water that touches your skin and goes inside your body is free of pesticides, chemicals, and mineral residue.
Hardest Tap Water Has Highest Calcium, Magnesium & Other Minerals
Tap water in Fallbrook, Oceanside, Temecula, Rainbow and Vista is exceptionally hard. That means it has very high levels of calcium, magnesium and other minerals. The higher the number, the more minerals in the water.
- Less than 60 mg/L = Soft water
- 61 – 120 mg/L = Moderately hard water
- 121 – 180 mg/L = Hard
- 180+ mg/L = Very Hard
Southern California has some of the highest levels of minerals that damage water appliances in the U.S.
Fallbrook, Oceanside, Temecula and Vista have VERY High Hardness Levels
Here are the “hardness” numbers for Fallbrook and surrounding areas are. These numbers appear to have increased during the past few years. Currently, ALL hardness levels in the area exceed 200 mg/L. Specifically:
Fallbrook = 238 mg/L or 13.8 gpg
Oceanside = 240 mg/L or 14 gpg
Temecula & Rainbow = 228 or 13.2 gpg
Vista = 217 mg/L or 12.6 gpg
Penguin Hybrid Water Softener Filtration System’s Best Warranty in the Industry
We give you a ten-year warranty on our workmanship — the best warranty of any area plumber.
Penguin gives you the best warranty in the industry too: a lifetime warranty on tanks and seven-year warranty on smart technology. And we handle the warranty registration and process for you.
Unsurpassed Reliability
The Penguin Hybrid water softener/filtration system is one of the most trouble-free water treatment systems available. It includes a control valve made of rugged, indestructible NorylTM.
This rugged control valve enables high flow rates so water pressure is consistent.
The control valve enables the system to handle high flow rates without dropping household water pressures. Great feature to ensure showers, toilets and faucets can keep flowing at optimum levels simultaneously.
Smart Electronics Save Salt and Water
The advanced smart technology electronics records all operations. That includes gallons per day, total gallons, peak flow rates, and total regenerations. It holds time and history in memory, protected by a built-in battery backup. When the system is in regeneration and if the power goes out, the battery puts it back to service. That feature saves water and salt.
You do NOT Need to Program the Electronics
The system is fully programmable so when we install it WE will tailor it to your specific water condition and projected usage. Once we set it up for you, the smart electronics will make adjustments as your usage changes.
Uses Less than $2 Year of Electricity
This system uses a 12-volt electrical system and pulls so little current you’ll not notice an increase to your electrical bill.
Penguin Hybrid System Uses 75% Less Salt
The Penguin Hybrid system is optimized to use far less salt than most other whole house water softeners — 75% less in fact! For most folks, the small amount of salt remaining in the Penguin Hybrid is not a health concern. It’s estimated to add less than one quarter teaspoon for eight glasses of drinking water.
But if that tiny amount is still a concern, we can install a Penuin reverse osmosis system under the sink which will remove salt from drinking and cooking water.
Why We Do NOT Believe “Salt-Free” Softener is Best for Most Customers
The primary reason we do not recommend a salt-free system is that none of them actually “soften” water. If you test the tap water before installing a salt-free system and then after installation, you’ll find that the hardness level remains the same.
Also, we keep up on how customers REALLY rate their water treatment systems. Most customer satisfaction ratings from big box home improvement stores are solicited right after receiving a product, before actually putting the product into use. So we don’t believe they are a true reflection of how a product stands up to actual usage. Instead, we look at comments on sites such as Angie’s List.
Here’s a synopsis of the top-rated answers on Angie’s List:
#1 Top Rated Answer in Angie’s List to “Would you recommend a salt-free water softener system?”:
I actually just replaced my Pelican Natursoft “water softener” with a more-traditional ion exchange model. I used the natursoft for a little over 4 years … One thing needs to be made clear – the natursoft system is NOT a water softener! It contains a media which nucleates some dissolved metallic salts out of solution. These crystals, once formed, remain in the water, and still react with oils, detergents, etc. in the same manner as the dissolved salts. They also continue to form scale wherever water is allowed to evaporate, such as faucet nozels and shower heads. In fact, it’s possible that evaporative scaling was even worse than before we installed the system. …. If, like my wife and I today, you want soft water, that feels soft on your skin, creates less soap scum, rinses cleaner in the dishwasher, etc., then the natursoft probably isn’t for you.
Other Top Answer in Angie’s List to “Would you recommend a salt-free water softener system?”:
We installed the combo Pelican salt free system in our house. I have never seen such poor water. My washing machine and dishwasher are full of cloudy white spots which don’t clean up well. My toilets have calcium deposits that I can only remove with pumice stone. We moved in our home In March 2014 and this started happening right away. I am extremely disappointed! I don’t wash my dishes by hand and let them drip dry or I have cloudy spots all over them.
NO, the natursoft salt free water softener does NOT work well at all! I too got a Pelican – and I’m seeing more scaling on faucets – right now we are hand washing everything because our kitchen is being remodeled – and the glasses look worse than they did before! I am so unhappy and angry about this…. we got the PSE2000 whole house filter – and salt free softener. stay away ….
This Angie’s List response to a salt-free system especially caught our attention.
We finished building our new home last year. We bought the salt free system with two tanks…over $3000.00 from a local plumber. Never did we imagine that the Pelican NO SALT system would NOT work with our water. My toilet has black streaks which do not wash off; my washing machine is cloudy unless I use extra powder for softening and my clothes are rough and dingy; my dishwasher is super cloudy unless I put a cup of vinegar with the dishes and use the heavy duty button. All my stainless steel faucets are always cloudy. My wood floors do not clean well. This sytem is a complete joke. The plumbing co. is out of business and Pelican will not listen to us since we did not buy it direct from them. We are getting our water tested (should have before hand) and getting a new salt system. Please don’t do our mistakes.
For the full review answers on Angie’s List click here.
ION Exchange Actually REMOVES Hardness
An ION exchange water softening system is the only practical technology that actually REMOVES hardness for your whole house. (Reverse osmosis also reduces hardness but it would be too costly and waste too much water for a whole house reverse osmosis system.)
For those who were not science majors, an ION is a positive or negative electrical charge (as a result of having gained or lost one or more electrons). An ION exchange water softener uses resin beads charged with sodium ION with a negative charge. Calcium and magnesium have positive charges. Since opposites attract, these resin beads attract the hard minerals and removes them from water.
Salt-Free Systems Merely TRANSFORM Hardness into Crystals
Salt-free systems merely transform the hardness minerals into crystalized form – a process known as “template assisted crystallization” (TAC). Since hardness numbers remain the same, salt-free systems are not really water softeners.
That means a salt-free system will not give you all of the truly “soft water” benefits of an ION exchange system such as:
- no soap scum residue in showers, tubs and fixtures
- softer, brighter laundry
- soft shower water for your skin
- spotless dishes, silverware and glasses
ION Exchange Water Softening System Delivers ALL those Benefits Above Plus:
- softer skin
- more manageable hair
- protects water appliances
- eliminating build-up scum hardness in pipes
- less detergent needed for laundry and dishes
In short, those who’ve experienced the FULL benefits of an ION exchange water softener will most likely not be content to settle for the limitations of a salt-free water conditioner.
Who May Still Opt for a Salt-Free Water Conditioner?
Although most people prefer the smooth feeling of skin from soft water, some people find it ‘slick’ so they might want to try salt-free water conditioner. For those customers who still prefer a salt-free water system, we offer a Penguin water conditioning system.
Before you buy one, however, be aware that you will not receive the full benefits of an ION exchange water softener system. You’ll still have hard water, but in a crystalized form.
More importantly, do your research. Ask neighbors who also have very hard water if they have a salt-free conditioner they’ve used for a number of years.
Remember, we have truly HARD water here.
A water treatment system is an investment. You’ll want to know you’ve made a wise investment in one that will do the job on very hard water.
Read a few reviews here