Water Filtration Systems Compared - Culligan, Kinetico and Skillings

For homeowners who have identified the cause of their water quality problems, the next big decision they have to make is which brand of water treatment system to buy.

Cost and quality are the two main factors homeowners must consider when choosing a water treatment system. The system you choose should be of good quality. It is a big investment and you will want it to last for many years. Quality of the system is also important when it comes to the water quality it yields. Filters that leak, clog or do a poor job of filtering contaminants are not worth the money, especially for something as vital as your home water supply.

Skillings & Sons has decades of experience installing and repairing water treatment systems. We have consulted with thousands of homeowners about the various products on the market and can give you a broad picture of what brands and products are available, which ones are of the highest quality, and which ones aren’t worth the money.  

Before getting into the details of the different brands on the market, make sure to conduct a water quality test to determine the exact cause of your water quality problems. Once that is determined, you will know what kind of system you will need and can begin shopping for the brand best for you.

What Brand Water Treatment System Is Best?

Culligan and Kinetico are both well-known water treatment system companies that offer high-quality systems. Culligan makes and installs water softeners, reverse osmosis systems, point-of-use filters and even offers a bottled water service. Kinetico also sells and installs water softeners and a range of filters, including under-the-sink drinking water treatment systems.

The water treatment industry largely considers Culligan and Kinetico to be high-quality manufacturers, but one drawback to purchasing a system with these companies is that all future service on the system must be done by technicians employed by those companies. This can be a concern for some homeowners, who want to be able to choose the company and technicians who maintain and repair their water treatment system. Skillings & Sons typically recommends purchasing a non-proprietary water filter or softener.This gives homeowners the option of buying a high-quality product without tying themselves to one company.

Over the years, we have come to recommend Water Right, a Wisconsin-based company that makes their equipment and parts in the United States. Water Right has earned a reputation for quality and innovation. One such innovation is their Sanitizer Series, which instead of plastic resin in its water softeners, uses a crystalline media that is impervious to chlorine, backwashes in less time and at greater flow rates.

Skillings & Sons also carries a number of filters, parts and products made by Pentair Residential Filtration. This company, also based in Wisconsin, is one of the largest product distributors in the country and makes water filtration devices and parts for both point-of-use and whole house treatment systems widely used by technicians. Pentair also produces treatment systems, filters and parts under trusted names like GE, Homespring by GE, Fleck and AquaMatic. At our online store, you will find filter cartridges and housing made by Pentair, including the Big Blue series.

When deciding which brand of water treatment system to buy and install, choosing an experienced technician is a good first step and will help ensure the system does not interfere with other elements of your home water system. For more information about the different water treatment brands, please feel free to call Skillings & Sons for a consultation.