/>Our tap water reeked of chlorine so badly that just getting a glass near your face was enough to make you wince. Sound familiar?
I'm Lucille W from South Carolina, and after eight months with the SoftPro Elite HE Water Softener for City Water, I can tell you this thing doesn't just soften water — it transforms it. The chlorine stench that used to hit you like a slap? Gone. That metallic, chemical taste that made you reach for bottled water instead? Also gone. Now our tap water tastes cleaner than most bottled brands, and I'm about to show you exactly how that happened.
The Chlorine Problem That Nearly Broke Us
Let me paint you a picture of what we were dealing with before the SoftPro system arrived. Every morning, I'd turn on the kitchen faucet and get hit with a chlorine smell so strong it reminded me of an over-treated public pool. The taste was even worse.
We're talking about water so heavily chlorinated that my husband started buying cases of bottled water just to make his morning coffee. The kids refused to drink tap water altogether, which meant our grocery bill kept climbing while we watched perfectly good water go down the drain.
The chlorine wasn't just affecting taste and smell — it was drying out our skin and making our hair feel like straw. After showers, we'd slather on lotion just to feel normal again. The worst part? You could actually smell the chlorine wafting up from a glass of water before it even reached your lips.
I tested our water with basic test strips and found chlorine levels that were technically "safe" according to municipal standards, but clearly excessive for anyone who actually had to live with it daily. The city was doing their job — keeping the water sanitized — but they weren't considering what it was like to actually consume this stuff every day.
Research Phase: Why I Chose the 64,000 Grain System
After months of complaining and buying bottled water, I finally decided to research water treatment options seriously. The SoftPro Elite HE caught my attention because it wasn't just a softener — it was a combination system.
Most water softeners only address hardness minerals like calcium and magnesium. But our primary issue was chlorine, which meant I needed something with filtration capabilities alongside the softening function. The SoftPro Elite HE promised both, which seemed almost too good to be true.
I spent weeks comparing capacity options and settled on the 64,000 grain model based on our household size and water usage patterns. With four people in the house and fairly typical water consumption, the calculations suggested this size would handle our needs without constant regeneration cycles.
The high-efficiency design was another selling point. Traditional softeners waste significant amounts of water during regeneration, but SoftPro's system claimed to use considerably less water and salt while maintaining the same level of performance. Given that we were already frustrated with water costs, efficiency mattered.
What sealed the deal was learning about SoftPro's reputation for reliability and their valve technology. Unlike some systems that use third-party components, this unit was designed and manufactured as a complete system by one company, which suggested better quality control and compatibility between parts.
Installation Day: First Impressions and Setup
The system arrived well-packaged with clear labeling on every component. The build quality was immediately obvious — this wasn't some flimsy plastic unit.
We hired a local plumber for installation since it required connecting to our main water line and setting up the drain connection for regeneration cycles. The whole process took about four hours, including the time needed to install a bypass valve and make the electrical connection for the control head.
The SoftPro Valve system was more sophisticated than I'd expected. Instead of basic timer controls, it uses actual water usage data to determine when regeneration is needed. This means it only regenerates when necessary, not on some arbitrary schedule that might waste salt and water.
During the initial setup, our plumber walked us through the programming options. The control panel lets you adjust settings based on your water hardness levels and household size. Since our main issue was chlorine rather than extreme hardness, we were able to optimize the settings for our specific situation.
The first flush cycle took about 30 minutes, during which the system cleared out any manufacturing residue and prepared the resin bed for operation. By evening, we were ready to test our first glass of treated water.
Performance Testing: The Chlorine Disappearing Act
> The difference was immediate and dramatic.
The first glass of water I poured that evening had zero chlorine odor. None. I actually called my husband over because I couldn't believe it. We both stood there sniffing glasses of water like we were wine tasting, but there was nothing — just clean, neutral-smelling water.
The taste test was equally impressive. Where we used to get that harsh, chemical bite that made you want to spit it out, now we had water that tasted... like nothing. Which is exactly what water should taste like. It was cleaner and more neutral than most bottled water brands we'd been buying.
I decided to test this more systematically over the following weeks. I filled identical glasses with our treated tap water and several premium bottled water brands, then had family members do blind taste tests. Our SoftPro-treated water consistently ranked as good as or better than bottled options costing $1-2 per bottle.
The chlorine removal was so complete that I started using our tap water for things I'd avoided before — making ice cubes that didn't taste like chemicals, brewing tea that actually tasted like tea instead of chlorinated tea, and filling our coffee maker without worrying about off-flavors.
Even more surprising was the impact on our skin and hair. Within two weeks of installation, we noticed that post-shower dryness was significantly reduced. The water felt "softer" on our skin, and our hair stopped feeling brittle and stripped.
Daily Life Impact: Beyond Just Drinking Water
The transformation went far beyond what I'd expected when we first installed the system. Every interaction with water in our house improved.
Cooking became more enjoyable because ingredients actually tasted like themselves. Pasta water didn't have that chemical undertone, soup stocks were cleaner, and even simple things like washing vegetables felt different when you weren't rinsing them in chlorinated water.
Our coffee maker, which had been producing increasingly bitter coffee despite regular cleaning, suddenly started brewing smooth, flavorful coffee again. I realized the chlorine had been interfering with extraction and flavor development in ways I hadn't considered.
The kids started drinking tap water again without complaints. In fact, they preferred it to most bottled options, which meant we could finally stop hauling cases of water home from the store every week. Our refrigerator freed up space, and our recycling bin wasn't constantly overflowing with plastic bottles.
Laundry improved too. Clothes came out softer and colors seemed brighter. We reduced our fabric softener usage because the treated water was naturally gentler on fabrics. White items stayed whiter longer, and dark colors didn't fade as quickly.
Even our houseplants seemed happier. Plants that had been struggling with what I'd assumed were watering issues started thriving once we switched to using the treated water. The chlorine had apparently been inhibiting their growth.
