If you are doing your due diligence when shopping for a water softener, then the name Culligan will most likely come as you are looking.
That’s because this water softener brand has a reputation for being a good water treatment solution.
What you may not have an easy time finding is the price for what it would take to purchase a Culligan water softener.
This is because of the very unusual way that Culligan goes about giving out information on its water softening products.
So how much does a Culligan water softener cost? That is something that I prepared to help you get a handle on in this article.
I will do that by giving you good information on how Culligan goes about pricing its water softeners, their quoting process, and I will even provide you with some great alternative water softener brands from companies that are much more upfront about their pricing.
Once you know this information, you can then better choose whether or not it’s worth it for you to go through Culligan’s unusual price quoting process for its water softening products.
Also Check Out: Best Water Softeners (In Depth Review)
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Culligan Water Softener Cost
I am not going to give you false information and tell you that Culligan water softeners are not well designed because they are. After all, they are a big name for a reason when it comes to water filtration products.
You can see that for yourself here in our review of Culligan water softeners. They also come with a limited lifetime warranty.
As I mentioned in the opening of this article the big problem is that Culligan water softener prices are not listed anywhere. It’s as though it’s secret level information. You will also come to find that Culligan prices their water softening systems at the higher end of the market.
Part of the reason for that is Culligan likes to tailor their water softening equipment based on each household’s specific needs. That’s great but also not necessary in most cases. You will realize that if you read this article by us on how to choose the right water softener.
A Culligan water softening system’s cost is determined by such factors as the flow rate in your plumbing, the size of your household, the number of bathrooms you have, and the total hardness level of your incoming water supply.
This is really no different from any other type of ion exchange water softener brand. So the question becomes why are Culligan water softener prices not displayed more openly.
When you are shopping for a new Culligan water softener, you will also start to realize that part of the higher price that you will pay for them is tied to the different services that they often bundle in with their water softener packages.
This includes such services as salt delivery and yearly maintenance. Installation is also included in many of their price plans and it will cost you more than if you hire a local plumber to do the installation.
According to business watchdog services such as Yelp.com, customers have very mixed emotions about the high prices that Culligan charges for their products and the associated support services that are often packaged in with them.
There are no complaints from the Water Quality Association as to the quality of water that the company’s salt free water softeners produce.
How To Get an Estimate?
If you have determined that it’s a Culligan softener that you desire, then I will discuss how you can go about getting a quote for one. There is only one formal way to get a price estimate from.
Here are the steps in that process:
Step 1: Go to the Culligan.com website
Step 2: Under their website’s drop-down menu, click on water softening.
Step 3: Next click on water softeners. You will see that they also have salt free water conditioners but stick with salt based water softeners if you want to have soft water in your home using the optimal means to do that.
Step 4: Once on this page, you will get an overview of the different water softeners that Culligan offers but you will not find any pricing for them.
Step 5: So, your next step in the quoting process is to click on the ‘schedule an in home water test’ button. Then you will fill in some basic contact and other relevant information. This will enable a Culligan representative to get in touch with you to talk about their twin tank softeners.
Step 6: When they do a free water test, the local company representative will try to sell you on their system during your face to face meeting.
They do this because they realize that the best way to convince you to buy their somewhat overpriced water softeners is to give you a quote in person and then immediately begin to discuss the benefits of their systems.
At this time, the representative will also discuss with you that you have an option to rent as well as buy one of their salt free softeners.
Culligan Water Softener Price List & Monthly Rental Rates
I will be honest with you; I have never priced a Culligan water softening system. That’s because I have always heard that their prices are very high and being in the know when it comes to water treatment products, I can name several excellent low-cost water softener models.
I will tell you what I have heard about their product pricing. Here are some examples:
- One water softener shopper was quoted over $8,000 for a combination reverse osmosis system and water softening system with support services such as bimonthly salt delivery.
- Another paid $2600 for a basic water softener with installation.
- I heard of yet another quote for a more automated Culligan softener that retailed for $3000 with professional installation.
- A fancy water softener model with an included pre-filter was quoted to another shopper for around the same $3000 mark with installation.
System rental quotes I am told fall into the $80 to $ 120-month range with support services. That adds up to a whopping $1000 a year on even their lower-priced water softening systems.
You can get a decent complete water softening system that will last you 5 or 10-years and with included installation for less than that figure. Adding a reverse osmosis system, drinking water system, or other water treatment equipment to the package will raise the rental price even more.
Alternatives To Culligan Water Softeners
If I am looking to purchase a new water softener, one of the first things that I want to know is the price. I think most people set an acceptable budget range for a product before they start a shopping process and I am no different.
That way I do not waste my time getting interested in a product from other water softener companies that I may not be able to afford. So, I am not a big fan of the way that Culligan goes about selling their water softening choices without displaying the total cost.
I am even less impressed with their water softener prices. Their in-home evaluation policy also makes it difficult when comparing water softeners and equipment setup fees only add to the cost.
This is why I want to provide you with two different choices of quality water salt based softeners that I really like and the price category that each one slots into. These are systems that each manufacturer also has no problems openly displaying their total cost.
Excellent Choice for the Money
I don’t think you can go wrong making the GE 40,000 Grain Water Softener System your model of choice. Its control head is not super sophisticated but it handles the important operations and also gives you the ability to save on salt.
Here are its best features:
- Eye pleasing and space-saving single shell design
- 40,000-grain capacity
- Save money on salt system setting
- Customer blending valve
- 35% water savings & saving on energy bills
- Self-cleaning sediment pre-filter
- 9.5 GPM flow rate
- 1-year entire appliance warranty
Water Softening at Its Finest
One higher-quality water softener model that I like (but still reasonably priced) is the Fleck 5600SXT Water Softener System.
There is a reason this is one of our top-rated water softeners and, that’s because it has the type of automation that you want in a water softener.
Other than adding salt, it guides you through the rest of the water softening process so it’s extremely hassle-free. Something that is not always true with lower-priced water softener models.
Here are some of the benefits that the Fleck 5600SXT will give you:
- Durable 48 000 grain water softener capacity
- Uses a digital control valve
- Automatic regeneration
- Has a large tank, holding up to 250 pounds of salt
- Low maintenance
- Customizable
- Easy installation
To Consider Purchasing a Culligan Water Softener or Not
As I mentioned earlier, I will not try to tell you that Culligan’s water softeners are bad products because they are not.
In the reviews that I have read on the company’s softeners, more people seem to complain about the high pricing and the questionable service that they sometimes get than they do with how their products perform.
What I do believe is their systems are overpriced based on the cost estimates I have heard.
There are many good water softeners in the marketplace and once you learn how a water softener works, there is not a lot that sets them apart price-wise besides the sophistication of a model’s controls.
So, when deciding to go with a Culligan water softener or another brand, I believe it comes down to whether or not you think the support services that they package into their deals are worth their systems’ significantly higher costs.
Don’t forget water softening systems are best used in conjunction with a reverse osmosis filter.