APEC WH-SOFTENER-SYS-10 whole-house softener
The APEC WH-SOFTENER-SYS-10 is a 10-inch whole-house salt-based ion-exchange softener designed for residential installation on the main supply line. Capacity: 48,000 grains. Flow rate: 12 GPM service, 3 GPM backwash. Resin volume: 1.5 cubic feet of high-capacity sulfonated polystyrene cation exchange resin. Brine tank capacity: 250 lbs. Control valve: demand-initiated regeneration (DIR) based on water volume consumed. Regeneration salt consumption: approximately 8 lbs per regeneration cycle at standard efficiency programming. Operating pressure: 25-100 PSI. Hardness removal capacity: certified to remove up to 100 GPG supply hardness. Iron removal: up to 3 PPM clear water iron (ferrous). Warranty: 5 years on control valve, 10 years on tanks.
APEC 64,000-grain high-capacity option
For larger households (4+ bedrooms, above-average water consumption, or source water hardness above 20 GPG), APEC offers a 64,000-grain whole-house softener with a 2.0 cubic foot resin tank and a 300-lb brine tank. Flow rate: 15 GPM service. At 20 GPG source hardness, the 64,000-grain unit provides approximately 3,200 gallons of softened water per regeneration cycle, extending intervals to 10-14 days for a family of four. Compared to the 48,000-grain unit, the larger capacity reduces regeneration frequency and salt consumption per gallon treated by approximately 15-20% due to improved resin-to-water contact efficiency at higher bed volume.
APEC softener and RO system pairing
APEC markets a combined softener and RO system as a two-stage solution: the whole-house softener reduces hardness at the main line (protecting plumbing and appliances), and the APEC ROES-50 or ROES-PH75 5-stage reverse osmosis system at the kitchen sink provides drinking-quality water. The RO system removes residual sodium added by the softener, producing water with less than 10 PPM TDS compared to the softened supply at 100-300 PPM TDS depending on source water. This combination is the benchmark for comprehensive residential water quality: softened water through the whole house, and RO water for drinking and cooking.
Comparing APEC softeners to competitive systems
APEC softeners target the mid-range residential market with pricing from $700-1,200 depending on capacity, positioning above budget brands but below premium brands like Kinetico. APEC uses standard NSF-certified resin and control valve components from recognized suppliers, making parts availability and compatibility with existing water softener service networks straightforward. The demand-initiated regeneration control reduces salt waste compared to time-clock softeners, a meaningful long-term operating cost advantage. APEC sells direct-to-consumer, providing competitive pricing relative to softeners sold exclusively through dealer channels.