KINETICO - ADVANCED WATER SYSTEMS INC

This system has been installed for almost a year with no regrets. The installation went very well with the technician arriving as scheduled. The system was installed out of the way in my garage and the water quality has greatly improved. Even though we have county water, we were previously unable to drink from the tap and used mostly store bought bottled water for consumption. Our showers continually had soap scum accumulations, the toilets were stained and clothes had a very rough feel out of the laundry, even though we used fabric softener. The water soaped up fine but it also had a high mineral content. With this system in place our water tastes great right out of the tap with no chemical aftertastes. After cleaning the showers we no longer get soap scum buildup and the toilets remain clean. The laundry feels softer and looks cleaner. My elderly parent who also resides in the home has had an unknown skin condition for many years, randomly breaking out in uncomfortable rashes. Skin specalists were unable to determine the cause. This condition has finally cleared up and we can only assume that it was something in the water that is now being filtered out. My decision to install the Kinetico Whole House System has been a life changing experience for my parent. Kinetico installed quality equipment and they were easy to work with. I researched several companies and several different options before contacting Advanced Water Systems. I also based my final decision to contact Advanced Water Systems based on Angie's List recommendations. I initially contacted Mr. Smelik via email before eventually deciding to install this system. I would highly recommend Kinetico products if you're looking for a quality system and Advanced Water Systems should be your first call.

I live in a neighborhood served by a private well service with hard water. After installing a tankless water heater, I learned that the warranty could be voided because of scale buildup from using hard water. I decided that I needed to filter my well water to protect my tankless water heater. I'm fortunate that my neighborhood has a referral system for service providers which referred me to Kinetico and Advanced Water Systems, Inc. Initially, I was just interested in a whole house water filter and that was the basis for my appointment with Pat of Advanced Water Systems. When Pat arrived at our appointed time I told him that I wanted a quote on a filter because I had a tankless water heater and had been told that using hard water may void the warranty. I explained that I was not interested in a whole house water softener because I had them in the past and wasn't a fan for two reasons; I didn't want to install a new tap for drinking water and because washing with it made me feel that I couldn't get the soap off. Pat acknowledged my concerns and agreed that tankless water heaters require special treatment including regular flushing and that installing a whole house water filter is an option. Pat next told me about his company, Kentico's technology, and explained all of the water treatment options and the advantages/disadvantages of each in detail. He patiently addressed all my concerns and answered my numerous questions. Next he performed extensive tests of our water for hardness, acidity and contaminants and demonstrated how the result would be different depending on the water treatment selected. At no time did I feel pressured for any option and he always acknowledged that installing just a whole house filter would be an improvement. I felt as if I was getting an education instead of a sales call. Armed with all the evidence I decided that installing the combination Macrolite/softener was the best option. It would not only protect the tankless water heater warranty but also save us money in reduced maintenance and expenses. The installation, which was in a crawl space went without any issues. The installer was personable, experienced and knowledgeable. He worked tirelessly to get the system up and running quickly. Once he was done, he took the time to explain the system, its components, how the shut off unit worked and when to add salt. I would highly recommend both the Kinetico technology and Advanced Water Systems, Inc. for anyone interested in water treatment systems.

Gene was prompt and very good and explaining the whole process. The young man who installed the system was very hard working and polite. So far, it's only been about a month, I can say that our water is as near perfect as I think it can be. I had no idea that the system would increase our water pressure so significantly. My laundry looks great and there is no more odor. OH how I wish I would have done this years ago when I first talked to Gene. Advanced Water Treatment is a class act, I give them an A++++!

Our community well water (AquaNC) is pretty hard with lots of manganese and iron. We've had the typical symptoms such as deposit rings in the toilet bowls, dark brown staining in the toilet tanks, white residue around the sink fixtures, etc. for quite some time. I discovered Advanced Water Systems on Angie's List a couple of years ago and, despite what seemed like high prices to me, marked them as a favorite due to the high ratings they'd earned. I talked to the handful of people I know that have softening systems (none, Kinetico) and did quite a bit of online research. I didn't want to reach out to AWS or any other vendor until I felt educated enough to at least have a feel for the content of discussions that would follow. I finally booked an appointment with AWS meeting with Pat. He arrived at our home on time and spent several hours explaining the various tests he was performing on our water as well as the systems that his company offers. It probably went a little longer due to the list of questions I had prepared in advance though he answered most of them in the course of his normal presentation. At no point did I get the impression that he wanted to wrap up and move on - he was happy to stay as long as we had questions. It was great to watch him conduct the tests verifying a number of things we either already knew about our water or suspected. I learned even more during this process. When we finally sat down to discuss the results of our water tests and what options were available to address the various shortcomings, Pat did a fantastic job of explaining the combinations of equipment and what we could expect in each case. We never felt pressured toward any particular solution. In fact, we never felt pressured to even purchase a system! Pat knows how good their product is and when you treat potential customers respectfully, answer their questions truthfully, and help guide them through potential solutions without pressure, the customer will likely arrive at a favorable conclusion for both parties. After leaving the literature behind along with a report citing his findings during the tests, we took about a week to revisit the information and follow up with some more research online. The one thing I kept noticing when reading about other people's experiences with Kinetico products was that, while they might be a (typically) greater investment up front than your average big box store solution, everyone felt in the long run that the expense was more than justified by the benefits of the system. No electricity. No timer (i.e., no unnecessary regeneration cycles). All moving parts driven by treated water (Pat had recently worked on a system nearly 20 years old and the inside of the main unit looked brand new). Always online (twin tank). Reduced salt usage. Long history with very few modifications to the original design (and all systems every made still supported). I'm pretty certain I did not find a single review or comment anywhere that was negative about anything other than pricing. For me, I was able to justify the price difference for all the other positives, especially the ingenious engineering that allows the system to be so compact and run without electrical power, regenerating on demand instead of at pre-determined times. We made a decision to go with a twin tank system, pre-filter and the RO water treatment unit which includes a second tap at the sink for drinking/cooking water as well as a split to the ice/water line for the refrigerator. Our installers (one, Pat's son) were also fantastic. They explained everything they were doing, how the system worked and would be maintained, and did a very clean install, binding loose hoses, using covers over the hoses where they went into the wall (from the garage to the crawl space), etc. I was a little concerned about them having to drill the granite counter at the sink for the secondary tap, but it went without a problem and looks like it was built in from the beginning. About eight weeks in, we did have an issue that turned out to be a small part failure in the main unit, but it was repaired quickly and we've been good ever since. My family is enjoying much improved drinking and cooking water, showers and baths that don't leave their skin and hair dry, and after a single treatment of Iron Out in our toilet tanks, they look brand new with no residue of the iron staining that began over two years ago! Pat recently came out for a follow up visit and retested the water. Needless to say, the results are far different from what they were in early April. I'll close this rather lengthy review by saying that we feel that Kinetico was the best system for us to have installed and that Advanced Water Systems was the best dealer to do it. AWS is apparently making a great name for itself in central North Carolina as it has already done so on the coast (in SC and VA as well). They've been a pleasure to work with and we look forward to a continued relationship for years to come.

We had been having trouble with sulfur odor ever since moving into the house in 2006. We tried many things with varying degrees of success. Even when something worked, constant attention was necessary. We decided to look at whole house filtration systems and found AWS on Angie's List. AWS came out and tested the water and then recommended a system. We went with their recommendation. They installed a combination macrolite/softener system. The interior installation went smooth. We were going to use an existing exterior drain line for the backwash, but the line was plugged. The AWS people did a lot of digging trying to find the obstruction. When that wasn't successful, they dug a trench and installed a new backwash line. The project took most of the day, but they stuck with it and completed the installation late in the day. We've now had the system a year, and it's worked flawlessly. The water quality is excellent. The sulfur odor appears to be gone for good, and the water tastes much better, too. Like most things, it would have been nice for the price to be lower. However, the price was competitive with another system we looked at.

We contacted the company in December 2011 but did not make the decision to get a water softener until June of 2013,. We were hoping that the prices had gone down, but were probably lucky that the newest model was about the same price as the newest model had been in 2011. Andy arrived on time as scheduled, he was professional and knowledgeable and got the job done in just a few hours. He was very respectful of our home, did a very neat job and cleaned up thoroughly when he was done. One of the best plumbing jobs I have ever seen. Andy was also friendly, personable and nice to our dog.

Professional installation, excellent communication and follow up, clean, courteous. Worked with me to install entirely at a convenient time for me.

I live in Chatham County and our well water is very acidic (pH in the high 5's) and moderately hard (4). We also have very high iron content - the water is visibly brown. When we first moved into the house in 2006, we got a few quotes on water treatment systems. After I met Gene Smelik at Advanced Water Systems, I knew I was going to purchase from him. He is incredibly knowledgeable about water (he has a PhD for crying out loud, although I'm not sure in what discipline - can you get a PhD in water?) and took the time to explain what each component does, how it does it and what maintenance would be involved. We were most interested in a filter to get rid of the iron but he recommended a neutralizer and a softener because the acidic water would damage our pipes over time. We wound up going only with a whole house cartridge filter which did a pretty good job of filtering out the iron although I had to change it every 3-4 weeks. I didn't want to spend a lot of money and the house was brand new, so in all honesty, I wasn't that worried about the pipes. Anyway Gene didn't put any pressure on me to get anything I didn't want. He simply gave me the options and let me decide. I wish I had listened to his advice. Fast forward 6 years... We had two leaks in our pipes over the course of a couple of months. One was in the ceiling above our dining room (below the master bath shower/tub) and the other was in the wall behind the master bath sink. We spent several hundred dollars getting these fixed. The leaks were due to the copper Pex fittings having been corroded away by the acidic water. We decided to get a neutralizer to keep the corrosion from getting any worse and hopefully prevent further leaks. Gene came by again and went through our options. I decided to go ahead and get a whole house filter, neutralizer and softener. Kinetico is more expensive than other systems (by a decent amount) but Gene was able to explain the differences between his system and the cheaper one offered by my local plumber (who didn't seem to know anything about the product he was selling). Again, no sales pressure. I felt it was worth the extra money so went ahead and am really glad I did. Mike did our installation and he was very professional and meticulous. Everything is super neat and clean and the system works great. The iron filter is first in line. It is a twin-tank backwashing filter with Macrolite media. Then comes the neutralizer which is a NU1100 acid neutralizer system which corrects the acid pH with a mixture of calcite and Flo-Mag media. Then onto our existing cartridge filter (which still looks like new after over 6 weeks where it used to be full of iron sludge after only 3-4 weeks) and finally a Kinetico 2030s water softener. The Macrolite filter and water softener are both twin tank set ups which means the clean tank is used to backwash the used tank. They both discharge into the woods at the side of our yard through a buried drain that was part of the installation. Our water is noticeably nicer now. There is no trace of iron, our skin and hair are less dry and our soap actually suds up now. The only drawback is that my wife doesn't like the taste of the softened water as much. Since a happy wife is a happy life I'm probably going to have a drinking/cooking water line run to the kitchen from directly after the filter (before the neutralizer and softener). This will cost a few hundred dollars more (about $300 I think was the quote). In the mean time all I have to do is go fill up a jug from a spigot that was put there when they installed the system. Overall I could not be more pleased with Advanced Water Systems. They are extremely professional and sell a top quality product.

We contacted two or three people and we chose them. They were the best! They have a new product and it’s not like a Culligan man system or anyone else. They have different levels and this is a worry-free setup that I chose. You only have to check on the salt at least twice a year. This company developed the system themselves and there are 3 pieces to it and it is guaranteed for life! They were right on top of answering all my questions and had good follow-up. They were very thorough. I was pleased with them! I would highly recommend them for anyone that wants to choose a new system for their home.

Patrick came out and educated us in the many options available with the systems. After comparing other systems, we decided to go with the Kinetico system. The installation process was professional and painless. Andy and Patrick were very professional and did a great job. My wife has had dry cracked skin (especially heels) for many years. She noticed the benefits of softened water within a few weeks. Her skin is softer than ever. We are very happy with the system and highly recommend Advanced Water Systems.

Super, it went super well and I was very happy with the work, with Brian's expertise and help, and the follow up was really well done and handled. I will definitely be using Advanced Water Systems as my go to plumbers for any plumbing issues and/or new plumbing fixtures, etc.. in my house moving forward as they do this work as well he told me which I didn't even know! They did the water chlorine so well and didn't sell me anything I didn't need...this is HUGE in the plumbing world...and this earned my trust....

The whole experience was great. We originally met Gene (one of the owners) at a home show. We were interested in the system but not yet in our house yet. Once we moved in, we contacted them again and Pat (the other owner) came over to do the testing and tell us about the system. He was very informative and answered all of our questions. The next day we set up an appointment for installation. The installers were efficient and nice. They got everything hooked up and running, explained to me how to maintain the system and left everything clean.

Wow - what can I say! Great customer service - professional! Prompt - Courteous - Quality workmanship! Gene and his team provide not only a great product, but a complete water educational experience ! I feel I have earned a degree in Chemistry! In addition, the Kinetico system is a top notch system - Non electrical - all mechanical - it will provide years of worry free service! Thanks! I highly recommend - ADVANCED WATER SYSTEMS INC. Keep up the great team effort Gene!

For what they did I was satisfied. I haven’t gone any further with them at this time. They were very thorough. We are getting our water tested at the county.

Super job! I was very pleased from the get-go with the service technician/salesman, Brian Bartz, who was professional, knowledgable and took his time to perform thorough testing and explaining the methods and results. He was attentive to my needs and answered all my questions! The installation was completed on-time and with no need for my oversight (or followup). It's been 4 weeks now since the Kinetico system was installed and our water is actually tasty! THANKS A MILLION Advanced Water Systems!

I had been without hot water for days (!) waiting for the plumber that I had originally contacted to return my call. When I gave up on that option, I called Gene at Advanced Water Systems of SENC. He answered the phone within three rings and, after my brief explanation of the hot water problem (and the minor leaky faucet problems), he scheduled an appointment in less than 24 hours to repair the hot water heater and to assess the other minor problems. Gene thought the more minor repairs might require a second appointment, but he was intent that the hot water issue needed to be resolved as soon as possible. He identified that "Pete" would be the technician who would be handling my repairs. Pete called me the next day, asking if he could come a few hours earlier -- which was great with me. He worked diligently. He first inventoried all the items that were of concern and prioritized them. He determined that the house water pressure valve was indicating a pressure that was unusually high, a factor that may have lead to , or contributed to, all the problems that I was having, and he took time to have me see the gauge that indicated the abnormal pressure level and to explain how the pressure reduction valve worked with other valves in the plumbing system. (IMPORTANT NOTE: Along with all the plumbing matters he was dealing with, Pete carefully removed his shoes each time he came into the house to keep "outside-under the house" mess from getting inside the house on carpeting and floors. He must have gone through the "shoes-on/shoes-off" routine 20 times as he was handling repairs in the kitchen, in the upstairs bathroom, and under the house.) We ended up with an additional problem before Pete left -- a faucet aerator broke leaving a portion of the threads inside the faucet. Who knows why this broke? That's a minor issue. I really don't care. However, I did care that the threads that were left inside the bathroom faucet when the aerator broke would have prevented me from being able to add a new aerator and would have made the water flow aesthetically unpleasant -- forever -- unless the broken off threads in the faucet could be removed, and a new aerator attached. Pete didn't leave until he had managed to get the broken threads removed from the faucet so that a new aerator could be installed! This made me very happy! Also, he managed to get all the repairs completed in one visit, rather than the two visits that had originally been anticipated! I will certainly be keeping this company on my list for future call backs. You should just hear how pleasantly Gene answers the phone!! Thank you, Pete! Thank you, Gene!

Gene came out and analysed the water and wrote a quote and we went on vacation came back one week later and had the system installed.

The local rainsoft dealer that sold me the system, Carpenter's, went out of business or sold the company. After repeated calls to the 1-800 number without return calls, i searched on angie's list & found 2 options. The first guy i called was going to charge $350 for maintenance. I fortunately got a call from this company who was servicing other Carpenter's clients & offered to the maintenance for $175K, sooner, and with 4 bags of free salt. So, i scheduled this appointment & was very satisified with the service.

I called the company and talked with Patrick Smelik who answered many questions without trying to sell me anything. He knew his system and we made an appointment to discuss it further. He came to our home and explained with brochures and hand written diagrams exactly how the units would function, where they could be installed, what we needed and the cost of each and the warranty. He explained the systems two tank system which runs on water power and conserves water. He took water samples from the well and explained the results. This was a warm, polite and unhurried conversation with no pressure to buy. He told me exactly what Steve the installer would do and how long it would take him and the best place to put the equipment. We decided to go with the system and within three days it was installed. Steve arrived on time, cleaned up his mess and was polite and informative. He went over the functioning of the system, how and when it recharged and the type of salt needed. The unit was placed by the entry door from the garage and my only complaint was a piece of 10"x12" board placed on the wall to secure a piece of equipment to the wall. Although necessary, it is unsightly. We don't have a basement so it was necessary to place the unit in the garage and it had to be next to the water pump. It was necessary to have a hole drilled in the granite by the kitchen sink for the drinking water bypass. A man showed up right after Steve arrived and within minutes had the hole drilled in the proper place without any mess or chipping of the granite. He was courteous and efficient. An invoice came three days later both by regular mail and by email. Pat made himself available for any questions and sent a follow-up card of thanks his business card attached with both business and mobile numbers. He requested a follow-up to go over the installed system and answer questions we might have. I have yet to make that appointment but will do so this week. The unit is functioning as promised. It is quiet and efficient and conditions the water as needed. I would highly recommend this independent authorized Kintetico dealer.

After a bad experience with a "well" contractor who had indicated we had issues with our well casing, etc (even though he could not see that for the orange water) his "fix" for our problem of low water pressure was to blow out our well and replace the casing etc. I asked if he should check the pressure tank switches, but he said that was not the problem. After paying him more than was fair for his visit, we decided to call Advance Water Systems. They reponded very quickly, Eugene Smelik (the company VP) came out and spent a few hours going over various things about our well, water tank and currrent filtration system. He actually found the issue with the low water pressure - and promptly took care of it - the setting on the tank was way off. He basically fixed it for free. We knew our filtration system was not adequate and Gene explained how our old system was trying to work - tested our water for lots of things (like iron, the hardness of the water, etc). I felt very confident in his ability to give us the right system for our needs. The installation was completed in less than a few hours, and I can already tell an immediate improvement in the look of our water. Gene is coming back out next week to re-test the water and make sure everything is functioning properly. Their systems are a bit pricey, but they require no maintenance, and they do not need electricity to run. We would like to get a water softener to add to this system, but they are pricey as well. However, we were told that we could be put on a waiting llist and that sometimes softeners come back to them that they rent out to businesses, or a person changes their mind about wanting one and they sell these as a steep discount.

He was excellent. It is well worth having him come out. He's very thorough, very nice, and professional. I have nothing but good things to say about him. The price is expensive but he's got a good, quality products. I would use him in the future if needed.

Excellent. System was installed and up and running on the date promised. We no longer have any staining problems in the bathrooms.

They were excellent. They were very professional. The owner is extremely good and he will take as much time as I need to solve a problem or address an issue. They run water tests to make sure everything is working fine, and to me it is quality all the way. I would use them again in the future if I needed to.

They were marvelous. Gene was amazing! His staff, Andy and Pete were also great! They came out and did everything right away, and the did a great job cleaning up after themselves. They let me film them so I could understand how everything works.

This is where Gene came into the picture. We called his company and he was very responsive, he came out to our house that same day. He showed up and and took several water samples. We commented to Gene that we were afraid we had Silica. Gene said he would take a sample of our water and send it to his lab for further testing. He was the only company of the three to offer that this sample be sent to a lab. Aside from the Silica thing, he tested more items than everyone else and he took his time., he didn't rush through the process. Gene was detailed, organized and very knowledgeable. He has a true passion for what he is doing and he was very confident in his company product. He speaks from experience. His father first started using the Kinetico product 25+ years ago. During his visit, we were very impressed with Gene. But for us, this was not enough. We asked Gene if he had any Kinetico customers in our neighborhood that we could call and talk to those who already have a Kinetico. Gene replied there was and he had no problem providing us with that info. He volunteered that he could also send us more names that lived within about 1 mile from us. We are the type that if were spending this much money, we are going to do a substantial amount of research. That is exactly what we did. We called approximately 10-15 people who already had a Kinetico. People we spoke to raved about not only the product but also spoke very highly of Gene and also Pete at Advanced Water Systems. All the info wereceived was very positive, from everyone. Some customers mentioned that they have had the Kinetico for 8-10 years and have had no issues. The main thing we heard was, "its not the cheapest thing out there but you truly get what you pay for in this case. Its important to have a great product but also the same goes for the local dealer. The people spoke very highly of Gene, mentioning his honestly, integrity and how he cared for his customers much more than other companies in this day and age. We also did a lot of research on the internet. It was difficult to find much negative about the Kinetico. Things like non electric, dependable and metered so that you have soft water at all times with its twin tanks. It just made sense. No moving parts that will break down. We were surprised how many people we read about that have had their Kinetico system 20+ years and its still trucking along. Gene had mentioned to us that the Kinetico is just built to last. One other thing we want to point out. After meeting Gene in person, we followed up with him via email to ask some follow up questions. Each time we did, Gene was very responsive and we appreciated his timeliness. With all of this, we decided to move forward and we purchased the Kinetico. Pete came by and installed our system. He was very knowledgeable just like Gene. We had some well work done at our house about a year prior and Pete pointed out that the company used the wrong switch on our bladder tank. Pete mentioned next time we come by, we can replace the switch for you. After the installation, Pete explained the system very well. He also labeled all the piping for us so in the future we wouldn't be guessing which pipes went where and what purpose they served. We have now had the Kinetico in our house for a week now. Its fantastic, the water is very soft. From start to finish, everything that Gene promised has come to fruition. Anyone that is having problems should give Gene a call. The best part, it won't cost you a penny to have him come out. Thanks again Gene!