Want to experience the benefits of your beautiful soft water even when you are on the road in your RV? you need a portable water softening system!
As the name suggests, this water softener is designed to be used in portable applications – such as with RV’s or on camping trips where you cant soften hard water.
Due to the portability of the device some features that one would associate with whole house softening systems (such as auto-recharge of salt) are absent but this is more than made up for by the clever compact design.
This system that you end up with is a much lower cost, lighter and more compact system that is highly efficient at softening water when you are travelling around the country – if you need to go portable, this system is worth a look into.
An obvious question in mind here is that will this thing still perform like some of the bigger, home-based water softener systems? Will its effectiveness be effected by its portability? lets find out.
Our Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
PROS
- Easily transportable/mobile
- Inexpensive
- You can use pellet salt or table salt to operate
- Very efficient at softening hard water
- Huge warranty
CONS
- Limited by size - only ideal for small homes/families
- The hose fitting does not rotate (however there is a quick solution - see below)
- Manual regeneration only - more work to operate
Product Specifications
- Custom designed flow valve – allows the softener to be regenerated with salt without having to disconnect and then re-connect the system.
- Full cradle base – gives it additional security and stability of the water softening unit – especially when on the move.
- Built-in drain line VORTEX flow restrictor – enables the regeneration to be more efficient by increasing the capacity by as much as 55 percent.
- High flow rates – the RV Pro-1000 is capable of a throughput of 4 gallons per minute with very little pressure drop.
- High capacity resin – this unit has 1/3 of a cubic foot of premium resin for greater effectiveness in the treatment process.
- Compact and mobile – weighs only 24 pounds, and is 9 ½” in diameter and 21” high (can fit almost anywhere).
- 10,000 grain capacity.
- 10 year warranty.
- Made and manufactured in the US.
What We Liked About Watts RV PRO-1000 Portable
SUPER compact Size – this unit is designed with portability in mind: It’s only 21” high and 9 1/2” in diameter (and hence perfect for RV or camping trips). This is the main feature of this product, so if you are looking for something easy to store and move around, this ones for you.
Very effective at softening hard water – Watts only makes high performing machines, and this water softener comes with a set of test strips to allow you to check the hardness before softening and after. The results will vary depending on the hardness of the water in the area in which you are testing but in many situations you will have tests results that change from ‘very hard’ to very soft’. This is normal with salt based systems such as this one.
Great stability – the full cradle base is ideal for helping to make the RV Pro-1000 highly stable when on the move.
Efficient regeneration – the flow restrictor means that not only will less water be wasted (an important consideration in dry areas) but that the actual time taken to regenerate the system can be as little as 20 minutes.
Cost effective to operate – due to the material and the design, plus the fact that standard table salt can be used in regeneration, the RV Pro-1000 has much reduced running coats. The high grade resin used is intended to give many years of efficient service.
What We Didn’t Like About Watts RV PRO-1000 Portable
The hose fitting does not rotate – This can become a problem when using long lengths of hose. If you think you’ll have this problem there is an easy way to fix it: simply change this fitting to a snap-in type connector and the problem is gone!
Manual regeneration – Since it’s a portable system, there is no way for it to run an an automated generation cycle. This means you have to manually force a generation, however there is no way around this.
Best Suited For
- RV’s – This system was made with the road traveller in mind
- Small household – If you live in a very small household/flat, this system is a good alternative – and it’s super cheap!
Not So Great For...
- Larger households – If your house has more than one bathroom, you’ll need a larger system. Visit this page and see more options
The Verdict
The Watts RV PRO Portable Water Softener is a very efficient compact system that does what it is designed to do and does it very well. In terms of compact water softener systems it’s the best option out there, as it performs well and is super compact.
This system is perfect for you if you are travelling the country in an RV or even if you live in a small house and want a unit that is light and portable. It’s also a great option for renters, car enthusiasts or anyone who want soft water on the go.
(Please note, if you are after a water filter you will need an additional unit) The overall verdict – a great little system at a great price which can be easily moved around.
Not for you? we reviewed a few other portable systems here so be sure to check them out.
Our Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars