Questions and answers

No. Kinetico does not sell directly to the public. Systems are sold, sized and installed by local, factory-authorized dealers. In Columbus and central Ohio, that is Cardinal Water Solutions.

From your local Kinetico dealer. Cardinal Water Solutions carries genuine parts and cartridges, and can schedule filter changes for you.

Ideally, the dealer who installed it. All Kinetico dealers are trained and factory authorized to service Kinetico models, so if you have moved into a home with a Kinetico system, call us at (614) 555-0100.

Your local Kinetico expert can test your water for hardness, iron, pH and total dissolved solids at no cost, and help you read the results.

A Kinetico limited warranty can be transferred one time to the next homeowner, as long as the transfer is registered with Kinetico within three months of the property transfer date. Call Cardinal Water Solutions to register it.

If you are the original owner and take the system with you, call us before it is reinstalled; the water at your new home must be within the system’s operating specifications. See the written warranty for your model.

Kinetico non-electric softeners and filters run on the energy of moving water, so there is nothing to plug in. The Powerline^™ PRO whole-home iron and sulfur filters and the HYDRO^® ECO^™ under-sink reverse osmosis system are electric by design.

A water softener reduces the calcium and magnesium that make water hard through a process called ion exchange. As water flows through the system, those minerals are drawn to charged resin beads and held there.

Installed where water enters your home, a softener treats all of it, so you have softer water for bathing, cleaning and everyday use.

Dry skin and hair, soap scum in the shower and white scale on faucets are common signs of hard water. Over time, hard water also adds wear to appliances like dishwashers and water heaters.

A free water test measures your hardness in grains per gallon, which tells you whether a softener is worth it and which size fits your home.

A trained professional connects the system to your home’s main water line, along with a drain line and the brine tank that holds the salt. Cardinal Water Solutions handles the installation and walks you through the system before we leave.

It depends on the size of the system, its features and your water. A professional water test is the best way to find the right system for your home, and Cardinal Water Solutions puts the recommendation and the price in writing before any work begins.

Sizing depends on the hardness of your water, the number of people in your household and how much water you use each day. A water evaluation lets us size the system so it keeps up with your home without waste.

A water softener exchanges hardness minerals through ion exchange, which addresses the cause of scale. "Water conditioner" is a broader term, often used for salt-free systems that change how minerals behave. Kinetico notes that salt-free systems do not fully soften water.

Softening swaps hardness minerals for sodium ions, and the amount added depends on how hard your water is. Kinetico notes that for most people it is not significant. If you follow a low-sodium diet, talk with your physician, and ask us about a drinking water system for the water you drink and cook with.

Reverse osmosis, or RO, uses water pressure to push water through a semi-permeable membrane that holds back very small particles. Kinetico systems pair the membrane with sediment and carbon stages for better performance and taste.

Reverse osmosis systems are designed to reduce a wide range of drinking water contaminants, and every Kinetico system lists its certified claims on its performance data sheet. A water test shows which contaminants are in your water, so the system can be matched to them.

A tank-based system such as the K5 fills a small storage tank so filtered water is ready when you open the faucet. A direct-flow system such as the HYDRO^® ECO^™ treats water as it is drawn, with no storage tank under the sink.

It depends on your water, your usage and the system. As a general guide, Kinetico suggests changing pre- and post-filters about once a year and checking the membrane every year. Cardinal Water Solutions can schedule filter changes for you.

No. Kinetico notes that replacement cartridges bought online are not approved or certified for use with Kinetico products, may not perform to specification, and void your product warranty. Genuine cartridges come from your local Kinetico dealer.