Kinetico San Antonio

Getting an appointment was quick and easy. After our meeting, we had a detailed list of questions around brine and water efficiency of three different systems (although only one was a system that was originally recommended to us). Although it took some time and discussion to get the information we wanted, we were able to get the details and made a choice appropriate for our home. During the install we had some plumbing issues (on our end) to overcome, but Kinetico was great about coming up with a great work-around. We love our Kinetico and our water could not be better!

Everything was installed promptly on the date and time block homeowner was available. I did not have to wait until the last minute of the service time as is the case with so many installers/repair services. Ever detail of the products' operations were explained and how/when to add or change pellets and filters. Very pleased with the 200 lbs of pellets as part of the package and that I didn''t have to retrieve myself from the store and then from the car. I was out the door and on to other business after the installation was completed before my wife called to check on the progress. Both areas of work were left neat and dry. The new double tank water softner hugs the wall so well that there is more room now around it and in a walkway than when we had the other brand's single tank. Power surges and timers have no adverse impact as the system does not use electricity. One criteria my wife insists on is that the company installing is the same direct company servicing rather than relying on a repair-all service department that works on any and all appliances. We have experienced better service, maintenance, and courtesy from such companies. The installer told us to expect 4-5 days or more before we experienced a difference in the softness of the water. I would say that it took less than 24 hours before the family at different times noticed a difference for the better. This system was somewhat more expensive than other systems, however, we felt confident in what we were getting after walking through all the information with the provider and appreciated our treatment in the discernment phase. Angie's list discount was a nice plus. And, my wife got her flight points added to her account!

Not happy. I was getting water in my dishwasher. I would shut the water off to the dishwasher and I would still get water in the bottom of the dishwasher. I had two different repairmen out to look at the problem. The last one said it the the water filter draining back into the dishwasher instead of the drain. I actually tested the theory and the drain pipe had slanted down and water was going into the dishwasher. I wedged the drainage pipe up and have not had any water in my dishwasher. I called Kinetico and told them about it. The lady that answered the telephone was not receptive to what I was saying but she had David come out and look at it. He did not believe me either, but he tied the drainage hose up to the drain pipe. Not happy to pay a repairman $97.00 and then not even be believed that the water was draining into the dishwasher from the filtering system. If you have a water filtering system and you get water back into your dishwasher, keep this in mind.

The company was promptly responsive to my initial inquiry, and the sales representative had an easy job of it because I had already decided that I wanted a Kinetico system, based upon the research I had done. The company worked with me on the installation schedule, as I work overnight in police communications and needed an early appointment. The initial plan was that the crew would need to tunnel beneath my driveway to run a waterline, from my water main, to the corner of my garage where the system would be installed. As a part of the installation, I was supposed to receive an exterior soft-water outlet on both the front and the rear of the house. When the contracted installation crew arrived, they discovered that I had a PEX Water Manifold System in my garage, and they decided to hook into that instead of doing the water-main tap and tunneling. (PEX is polyethylene that has been cross-linked to form a stronger material that lasts for a longer period of time under extreme temperatures and temperature changes. It is used in plumbing manifolds because of these qualities. A water (plumbing) manifold system is a multi-valve juncture which allows for the independent control of every waterline, both hot and cold, running to every water source within, and outside of, the house (e.g. faucets and toilets). I have always felt that this was a terrific up-scale house feature.) Once the contractors completed the installation, I had lost the ability to shut off my existing exterior faucets at the manifold. The valve labeled to control the Master Bath Commode no longer functioned and was replaced by the valve labeled to control the Backyard Faucet, and I did not get either of the anticipated exterior soft-water faucets, Having several newly purchased & planted trees (and other plants) which require slow, deep (trickle) watering, my hose bibs need regular replacement because they wear out quickly. I lost the major convenience of shutting off the exterior water with a quick turn of a manifold valve, and must now struggle to shut off the water to the entire house when I need to replace an exterior spigot; the most recent experience included Fire Ants. Also lost is the ability to turn off the water to the exterior faucets when freezing weather is expected. The more time that passes, the more chagrined I am by this. Had I been told that I would be losing that control capability beforehand, I would have tried insisting upon a workaround, but I was only notified about these "changes" once the main work-crew was departing and the supervisor was performing minor clean-up duties. When I objected at that point, I was basically told that I would get used to it. Although I am pleased with the Kinetico system, I have become more and more unhappy with the loss of functionality to my water manifold system. I still do not believe that I should have had to trade off a premium feature like that when I am almost certain that there could have been a work-around or a way to replace that functionality somehow. As for my not receiving at least the front exterior soft-water faucet, that was probably my fault. I was very tired after working all night, up hours past my normal bedtime, so when I perceived clear hesitancy over installing the extra line, I passively acquiesced and thus, it did not get installed. In hindsight, that would have been a very nice feature to have, and I should have pressed the issue. As for the overall functionality of the system, it seems to be working relatively well, although there are times when, while washing my hands, the water seems harder than it should be, as perceived by the rapid rinsability of the soap from my hands without the soft-water feeling. Having no means to test the water at these times, I'm not certain what to think of those moments, or of the fixture spotting which was supposed to have ceased with the use of soft-water. The spotting seems to be from soap splatter, I think.

We've been putting off having a soft water system installed because of the uncertainty associated with the effect salt brine would have on our septic system and the lack of a drain near the connection location. We visited with a number of water softener sales people about our situation, over the years, and never received a satisfactory answer to our concerns, until we contacted Kinetico. We were given different options by the Kinetico representative that evaluated our situation and we selected the potassium chloride system as the one we felt most comfortable with. We were presented with a copy of a study that was preformed by The Water Quality Research Foundation that concluded that water softeners, set with appropriate salt efficiency, do not harm septic systems. So, we did have the option of either a salt or potassium system. The installers, Dave & Dave, arrived a little early to install the unit. They positioned the unit in a compact manner and routed the drain line through the laundry room wall and into the washing machine drain. They were very professional and the installation went fantastic. The area was spotless when they left. The system has only been functioning for 5 days now and it seems to be performing as advertised. We are very pleased with the system and the professionalism exhibited by the Kinetico representatives.

Very courteous, and answered all of my questions. He was helpful and showing me how to use the machine.

I could not have been more pleased. I am planning to sell my house in 3 years, so a water softening system with a 20 year warranty did not fit for me or for my budget. I was very happy that Kinetico did not try to upsell me or persuade me to buy more than I need. Still, I wanted a quality brand that would add value to the house when I sell. They listened, and then recommended a product that made sense for me. Both the salesman and the technician were extremely professional. They were punctual,and respected my time. I felt comfortable having both of them in my home.

Arrived on time and were very professional. Ray Paez was very helpful in explaining everything and making sure that everything was correct and that we were happy with everything.

no story..just good stuff good product (little hi $$) workmanship, prompt..good system we are very happy

The thing I like about it, it is not powered by electricity. So, if the electricity goes out it keeps working. They are a little pricey.

After we reeived the estimate, we agreed to have this water softener installed at our daughter's home as a Christmas present. The work went smoothly. The installers were very helpful and professional.

Service tech made sure it ran through complete cycles prior to leaving. Very professional service tech. Only down side is the system is more expensive than other systems. However, our previous experience with Kinetico made this an easy choice.

The service was great overall. We haven’t had any problems with our softener system.

Overall, the experience was good. They showed up on time and got the job done. Their price was within normal range. We had no issues.

The experience was good overall. A few years after they did the service, I noticed one of the PVC lines was not glued on the way it should?ve been. I was able to repair that, but other than that, everything was done well. Also, the beads inside the water softener weren?t working like they should?ve. I called them and they repaired the problem, since it was under warranty. We?re happy with the water softener and I have no complaints.

The service has been fine overall. Once, we had a technician that we had some issues with, but I don’t believe he’s with the company anymore. We haven’t had any problems.

Good response to calls, set up and early recall were good. The product has been good and better than our previous as it works on demand rather than a set schedule.

Kinetico is a great product but because of it's business structure it is extremely over priced. Sales personnel, through omission, are not truthful....Texas code requires a 1" supply line to water softeners and Kinetico uses a 3/4" thus requiring an adapter which will lower water pressure....no one at Kinetico told me this. Also Kinetico needs to have a pre-filter ($150) to keep it from clogging up....I'd say that's a big design failure. I went with a local, HIGHLY rated Angie's List plumber who uses a softener made in San Antonio and it was less than half the price of a Kinetico.

I called Kinetico after I had done my research on the web and through Angie's List. We have used water softeners for over 30 years and we used a different national brand. I know from experience that external non-softened water bibs outside the house is a must. I think the salesman was surprized when I asked how they would dig the trench to the back yard... expecially since we have a lot of slate and concrete tiles in the way. He proposed a method that I had not thought about. Very informative. When the installation crew arrived... early by the way... I talked briefly to the install crew installation team and they got to work right away. I was informed when they shut off the water to tap into the main water line. The water was off (I'm guessing) for about 30 minutes, maybe less. The front trench was dug, pipes laid, and the water softener installed within a couple of hours. The back hose bib was installed differently than I had ever imagined. We have a positive pressure sprinkler system. That means there is a constant pressure in the system. Instead of digging a trench from the front of the house to back of the house, they were able to tap into the sprinkler system at the closest control point. It seems to be working well. I had a sprinkler technician come by a few weeks later and he stated he had never seen that before, but if it works leave it alone.

Worker arrived on time and the leak in the system repaired at no cost.

Very professional and thorough presentation. Their equipment sounds very good, but the price quoted was more than we wanted to pay because we may not be in the house long enough to make it economical.

Our last water softener was 10 years old and had stopped working. Their service people had been trying to sell us a new unit for quite awhile because the design of the old unit was obsolete. Kinetico's salesmen, Rick, gave a very clear description of the product and how it is different from the competition. It is more expensive than I was anticipating, howeverI was expecially impressed with the figures that he presented (and we confirmed online) about the longevity of their product and how the design has not changed substantially, meaning parts are available should they be needed. Unless there is a catastophic failure, it looks like this unit will outlast any other brand with less maintenance. The installation was on time, neat, and professional. It is now 2 weeks later and we are completely satisfied and happy with the decision to go Kinetico.

Rick Jorgenson was excellent- worked with our work schedule, respected our past water softener experience (bad- Kenmore!) so he didn't talk down to us or belabor us with too much info. He did focus on the mechanics of the system and the results of our spot test of our well water. He worked out a price and then went out to our pump/water handling shed and measured up the site. I was glad to see that as some less than reputable outfits will do that first and then horse around with a price. Based on our pre-purchase research the price we paid for the Kinetico unit was very fair. We know these units are the luxury cars of the residential water softener world- and we were NEVER going to deal with another national retail store brand again- we've done Sears/Kenmore and one from a large local plumbing/water treatment company. Never again. David the installation technician called before hand and was exactly on time. He openly discussed with us on what we preferred as far as unit placement, minimizing free-hanging pipe, easy of maintenance, etc. He also waited for the PVC cement to cure fully before pressurizing. He then went over all the owner maintenance, his tips from years of working on the Kineticos and what can cause the rare if ever system issue. Almost every service call was owner error and I also knew that from the 3rd party websites. These units are very reliable. Was an excellent choice and worth it. FOLLOW-UP 8/28/2014: System is still working flawlessly. Biggest thing we've noticed over the last two years is that all the red/orange stains around our showers/tubs were gone within about 90 days of the Kinnetico install. Also, our pool chemical use dropped in half. I do weekly pH and Chlorine/free Chlorine/alkalinity testing of the pool myself and it's a fact. We have less chlorine lock-up and our pool always feels great. Mind you we didn't empty or refill the pool, we simply have topped it off over time within water district regulations with the softened water and it's awesome- no itchiness, chrome and tile fixtures no longer have a crust on them. And, we till only have to get salt about once every 4-6 weeks during pool season. Salt use is in fact much better than our old Kenmore softener. Was worth every dime.

I live in a 30 year old home that was not prepared for a water softener. That means a considerable extra amount of work and materials are required to properly install a whole house water softener. Therefore the cost for my system is higher because of the extras required. I also added an optional water dechlorinator ($600). The installation crew arrived on time and quickly installed the system. It works great. There is absolutely nothing required for me to do except add potassium as required (which is not very often). No time clocks, no schedules, just soft water.

Kinetico sent over the sales person and he did a good job of explaining the difference between his product and the rest of the other companies. I didn't want to see the entire sales pitch because we had already seen other company's sales pitch and we knew we needed a water softener and so he was able to adapt to what we needed understand and what was just redundant to the other sales pitch where they show you how bad your water was and how much soap you would save and so on. He was good. He could see we know all that and was able to articulate what was different about their company and others. We setup a date to install and they came out at the agreed time and installed it. They did a great job with installing it and made it as neat and clean as possible. They were professional and did a neat, good job. The only problem was that they did not teach me the system before they left. They did not take the packaging off the water level float and the brine tank overflowed and when we noticed it it was about 2 to 3 hours later and there was water all over the garage and down the drive way. The office was closed. They do not have any body taking call after hours or on weekend and so I had to figure out how to stop the problem before they would call back Monday morning. I didn't want to wait that long because I didn't know if I had at least resolved the problem. I did call the salesman's phone number and after he got home and checked his messages he called me and had one of the installers call me and told me that what I had done would fix the problem and he would come out Sunday (the next day) and fix it for me. He made it here at the agreed time and fixed the problem. He went through the operation of the equipment and told me that someone would come to do some adjustment later that week. Then later that week the company sent someone out to explain the operation of the equipment and helped out and adjusted the float and now I feel the equipment is working great.