Fleck 7000 SXT Water Softener Review

It’s time to put an end to the hard water in your home. Hard water is notorious for causing skin irritation and causing soap and detergents to perform poorly. After all, hard water doesn’t lather like soft water does.

Hard water may not be harmful to your health, but it can be detrimental to your appliances and pipework. Fortunately, overcoming the problem is as simple as investing in a water softener, and the Fleck 7000 SXT (94FL-7000S) Meter 48,000 Grain Water Softener is the go-to solution.

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Hard water presents several obstacles for our homes, but what exactly does it mean when water is termed ‘hard’? Hardness refers to a high level of dissolved minerals in the water, particularly magnesium and calcium.

If you are dealing with hard water, it’s essential to invest in a reputable whole house water softener to treat your water – you don’t want mineral build up in your water to remain unchecked and untreated. Be sure to check out our guide to learn about the best water softeners on the market, to help you identify the right water softener for your family.

Today, we’ll walk you through the functionality of the Fleck 7000 SXT 48,000-grain softener, which is capable of treating water throughout the whole house. We’ll also highlight the specs so you can see at a glance if this expensive but hard-hitting softener makes sense for your home.

The Basics: A Complete, Whole-House System You Can Trust

If you are researching water softeners for your home, you’ve likely encountered plenty of models that do not include crucial components for installation. With Fleck, you can get going straight out the box with this whole-house system’s comprehensive kit.

The Package: There’s a resin tank (10 x 54 inches) and a brine tank (18 x 33 inches) both finished in blue. 1.5 cubic feet of resin is pre-loaded. The classic Fleck bypass valve is provided so you can cease the softening process if necessary, by turning the knob.

Standard Design: The regular two-tank set-up has overall dimensions of 15 x 17 x 33 inches with a total weight of 150 pounds, which is a standard configuration for a whole-house water softener.

Durability: The tank comes poly-lined and reinforced with fiberglass so, while it’s heavy, it has a strong build, giving this water softener an outstanding lifespan of anywhere from 20 to 30 years if properly maintained.

Demand-Initiated Regeneration & Additional Functionalities

Where most regeneration programs are timed and scheduled, this system is demand-initiated, so it will only kick in when necessary. Be sure to read more about the latest in water technology’s smart home products that make treating your water that much easier.

Control Valve Measures Regeneration: Just like other Fleck models, the SXT control valve only triggers the regeneration when the tank reaches full capacity. In addition to the convenience factor, you’ll use up to 40% less salt, saving yourself both time and money.

Double Backwashing: The key differentiator between this water softener and less expensive, less capable models is the double backwashing, which means that instead of the salt water rinsing the resin just once, it does so twice. This extra burst of salt water ensures that the resin is as clean as possible.

Improved Accuracy Through Regeneration: This double backwashing packs further inbuilt benefits. With a conventional system, the salt rinse cannot remove all particles during regeneration, which leads to minerals building up over time.

For example, even if only 100 particles remained in the resin tank after an initial rinse, the capacity would dip to 47,900. The meter, however, would still show capacity as being 48,000, meaning 100 grains would enter your water supply.

In a domino effect, an increasing amount of grains would enter your water as the accuracy of the meter in relation to the resin tank’s actual capacity worsens. Your water would progressively harden again. Double backwashing, then, is a powerful weapon for a cleaner tank, a more precise meter and the softer water you crave.

Many Regeneration Modes: You can choose from four separate regeneration modes from the head module.

Day of the Week Control: As the name of this mode suggests, you can schedule weekly system regeneration.
Meter Delayed Control: With meter delayed control, water usage is measured, but a regeneration cycle is not started until after the calculated capacity is entirely depleted.
Meter Immediate Control: This mode will measure water usage then initiate a regeneration cycle the moment system capacity is determined to be depleted.
Time Clock Delayed Control: Much like a conventional system, you can lock in a time clock delayed control, meaning regeneration will take place at pre-set intervals. You might find this works best for the needs of you and your family. Think of it as an override.

Backup Power Capacitor: This nifty add-on means you never need to worry about missing a regeneration cycle or losing your settings in the event of a power outage.

Programmable Settings

The best water softener is not of many benefits if you need a Ph.D. to operate it. The Fleck 7000 SXT is a pleasure to use, and you’ll be able to program it quickly and easily without too much technical knowledge required or assumed.

Easy to Set Up: This is a set-and-forget model so, once you’re up and running, you don’t need to keep making small tweaks.

Fuss-Free Maintenance: Aside from keeping tabs on how much salt remains in the brine tank and refilling it before it runs completely dry, maintenance is blissfully minimal.

Fleck 7000 SXT’S Durability: Robust Resin Tank

The resin tank might be heavyweight, but in return, you’ll get build quality that will last the distance without letting you down.

8% cross-link resin as standard: This model comes with 1.5 cubic feet of 8% cross-link resin as standard. You can order 10% resin if that better suits your needs.

No mess loading resin: Since the media comes pre-loaded, you’ll experience none of the mess or hassle of taking care of this yourself during installation.

Fleck Digital Bypass Valve: Outstanding Performance & Reduced Energy Usage

The Fleck digital valve brings about several advantages, from the ease of use to pre-assembly, and the certification you need to buy with complete confidence.

User-Friendly: As you can see from above, programming the digital meter is straightforward and renders this unit ideal even if you’re not technically inclined.

Comes Pre-assembled for Your Convenience: Despite the complex terms of functionality and performance, the valve comes completely assembled so you won’t be tinkering around when you could be enjoying the benefits of the soft water instead.

Easy to Get Parts: In the unlikely event that anything goes amiss with the valve, all parts are readily available and reasonably priced.

Robust Warranty: The valve itself is covered for five years, which demonstrates that the manufacturer places confidence and value in this unit. Let’s face it: no company expects to lose out when providing a warranty! Beyond this, the tanks are guaranteed for ten years. Projected lifespan is anywhere from 20 to 30 years, making this water softener the soundest of investments.

Eco-Friendly: The incredible efficiency of this valve leads to reduced energy consumption throughout the house without diminishing the quality of water softening. This allows you to make significant and realistic savings while also minimizing your environmental footprint. As a bonus, you’ll use only half the amount of salt required by less capable models.

Full Certification: This Fleck valve is endorsed by WQA, the leading water industry trade association.

Technical Support You Can Rely On

Although this water softener is easy to install and requires little user input, there’s always a chance of some problem manifesting itself. If something does go wrong, though, you’re in safe hands.

Wide Range of Support Options: Phone support is based in Arizona, from 7 am to 4 pm. If you don’t fancy calling, SMS and email assistance are also both available. iOS users can use FaceTime, which is an invaluable perk if you need visual guidance through tasks.

Get Started with Straightforward Installation

Have you considered investing in a water softener but been put off by the thought of a nightmare installation? Well, getting started with the Fleck is nowhere near as complex as you might imagine.

Printed & Visual Aids to Simplify Set-Up: ABC technicians produce the instructions for these water softeners. A beginner then reworks the instructions so they can be easily understood by beginners who lack technical expertise, which is a thoughtful touch. There’s no shortage of videos either since it’s often much simpler to follow visual installation instructions than to work through a printed list.

Everything Required Comes Bundled: The mineral and brine tanks aside, you’ll get everything you need to get started without needing to go to the hardware store immediately; lube, sanitizer, even strip tests to monitor hardness. The small extras make all the difference. There’s also a brine line, a drain line, and a kit with small parts thrown in.

Simple Set-Up: There’s no shame in calling for professional assistance. That said, if you’re a keen DIY-er or fancy a challenge, getting your water softener installed is not remotely taxing.

Here’s a brief overview intended as a guide only. We include this so you can establish whether this is a project you’d feel comfortable taking on:

Shut the water supply off.
Look for a suitable indoor spot as close to a drain as possible.
Ensure that the softener tank is level and standing securely.
Cut the distributor tube, so it’s flush with the upper part of the resin tank.
Using the provided silicone lubricant, grease the seal of the distributor O-ring as well as the seal of the tank O-ring.
Pop the Fleck control valve onto the tank, which will already be assembled and ready to use.
You’ll need a connection now between the DLFC (Drain Line Flow Control fitting) and the drain. Teflon tape makes a great sealant.
Ensure the brine tank is placed on a level surface.
Flick the system into bypass mode.
Top up the brine tank making sure the water comes one inch higher than the grid plate. If there’s no grid plate, fill to the top of the aircheck.
At this point, open your main water supply back up to check for any leaks.
Open a cold (soft water) tap so the softener flush can get rid of any debris accumulated during installation.
Shut this tap off once flushed and hit service mode. Water can now flow into your resin tank.
Once the tank is full, open the cold soft water tap again to purge any air left over in the unit.
Hook up the water softener to a power outlet, and you’re almost in business.

Straightforward Start-Up: At this point, all you need to do is get the water softener running.

Enter bypass mode again.
Top up the brine tank with salt, following the instructions carefully.
Slowly opening the bypass valve will get rid of any remaining air.
Start a backwash cycle. The purpose of this is to charge the resin beads with sodium ions.
Make a final check for any leaks.

You’re now ready to enjoy softer water throughout the whole house!

Measurements and Specifications

Item Model Number	94FL 7000S
Item Weight	155 pounds
Mineral Tank Size	10 x 54 inches
Voltage	110 volts
Flow Rate	16 GPM
Water Consumption	12 GPM
Capacity Description	48,000 grain

Pros

High flow rate, so it works well in larger homes and even for light commercial applications where demand for water is high.
Meter-based regeneration to reduce the use of salt and water and eliminate the need for scheduling.
Double backwash during regeneration keeps the meter accurate for longer.

Cons

Extremely heavy at 150 pounds and perhaps too much for smaller homes.

The Bottom Line: Fleck 7000 SXT Meter 48,000-Grain Water Softener

Equipped with an intuitive design and the expected lifespan of at least 20 years, the Fleck 7000 SXT makes a reliable choice if you have a larger home. There is no denying the benefits of this water softener’s straightforward installation and the robust warranty,

A mentioned, this product is probably unnecessary for smaller properties, but if you want soft water throughout a more substantial home, you really can’t go wrong with its 48,000-grain capacity.

For a set-and-forget approach to water softening with first-class customer service when it counts, you can rely on Fleck and ABCwaters. If you have a home with up to 4 bathrooms and a high concentration of minerals making your water hard, this model punches above its substantial weight.