Do you actually know anything about water treatment? First of all Ecowater has upflow brining. Fleck or Clack are good filter valves but as softners are water and salt hogs. Apparently the Ecowater salesman with high prices and questionable solutions to simple water problems gives Ecowater a bad name. There is a difference between Ecowater and sears,northstar, whirlpool,and ge. The Ecowater is a double disc(side) and the others have a single rotor on top . The key is to find someone who will test your water and explain to you what is going to solve your water problems. What the initial cost is,the maintenance cost, and the equipment life expectancy. If are you going to do it yourself and save( do it right the first time), if not find a professional!