Kinetico Essentials 8 Review

If you’re looking for a Kinetico water softener, this Kinetico Essentials 8 Review, may help you decide. Find out everything you need to know about this make and model.

What Is the Kinetico Essentials 8 Water Softener?

The Kinetico Essentials 8 is a single tank water softener. This system is single tank, non-electric and runs using tablet salt.

Is it the Best Choice for My Home?

The Essentials is designed for small homes with 1-2 bathrooms. 

The Kinetico Essentials 8 Review Score & Rating

4/5 

Summary: What’s Great About This Softener 

Small Size. Low Cost. Non-Electric

As far as single tank water softeners go – The Kinetico Essentials 8 is pretty good going. One pro of this product is that the system is non -electric.

Being non-electric, means there is little maintenance and the system is easy to install. Not only that, but running the softener won’t cost you extra in terms of electricity. Many single tank systems available to purchase online are electric, giving this Kinetico product a competitive edge.

What’s more, this softener has an entry level price tag, with a good flow rate and efficiency (for small homes). Therefore, it’s a good choice if you’re on a budget and is ideal for small homes with around 2 occupants and 1-2 bathrooms. It’s small size also means it should neatly fit underneath your kitchen sink.

Summary: What’s Not So Great About This Softener 

Short Warranty. Single Tank. Could Be More Efficent.

At a lower cost, this single tank water softener comes with a shorter warranty – which means there may be costs if the product breaks.

The Essentials runs using a single tank, this means that when the system is regenerating, the soft water supply is cut off. Not only that, but because the regeneration is automatic – there is no way to set when this will be.

A flow rate of 36L/min is generally only suitable for small homes, so 2-3 bathroom homes may require a twin tank machine. The Essentials provides a good efficiency in terms of salt and water use (especially when compared to electric water softeners). However, the latest single tank machine from Kinetico – the Sumo, seems to use less salt. In terms of maintenance, this softener is tablet salt fed, so you’ll have to store 25kg bags of tablet salt Vs neat blocks. This may be an issue in homes with limited space and storage.

The Technical Specifics:

• Design & Size

Single tank. Non- electric. Tablet salt fed.

Size hxwxd: 

508 mm x 452 mm x 292 mm

Performance & Efficiency 

Salt usage: 360g

Water usage per regeneration: 25L.

Regeneration time: 15 minutes.

• Flow Rate & Soft Water Capacity 

Max Flow Rate: 36L/min

Min/Max Pressure: 1-6 Bar.

• Durability & Certification

WRAS certified.

• Warranty 

2 years.

The Pros 

• Non-electric system. Unlike other single tank softeners, the Essentials is non-electric. This makes it easier to use and install, with lower running costs. Kinetico claim there is no need to set timers or controls.
• Efficient & quick. A flow rate of 36L/min is great for small homes. What’s more, it is generally more efficient than many single tank softeners. The regeneration of the system is 15minutes – so you won’t be without soft water for long.
• AccuDial Setting. An AccuDial setting means you can set the water hardness to the exact level of your water – making the system more efficient for your home.
• Reliable Brand. Kinetico are renowned for their high quality systems, making this brand a reliable choice.
• Low Price. This product has a low price tag – so affordable on a budget. 

The Cons 

• A 24 month warranty. This product has a shorter warranty of two years.
• Single tank. Just one tank means you will lose your supply of soft water when the system is regenerating – this takes 15 minutes. 
• Efficiency could be better. For a single tank water softener, this product has a good efficiency. However the Kinetico Sumo is more efficient in terms of water and salt usage.

The Kinetico Essentials Price, Value & Where to Buy

£625 – £795

The Essentials is a good product from Kinetico if you have a 1-2 bathroom home. It is cost effective at just £625, and being non-electric – guarantees low running costs and easy maintenance.

However, the system isn’t the latest release from Kinetico, and you may be better off going for the Kinetico Sumo (which is around the same cost). The Sumo is more efficient in terms of how much water and salt it uses and uses block salt vs tablet. This softener is designed for 1-2 bathrooms, so if your home has 2-3 bathrooms – you may need a twin tank design such as the Kinetico Premier Compact.

This Kinetico water softener can be found online by searching in Google. Top results we found are from North East & Yorkshire Water Softeners and Love Your Water

We hope this Kinetico Essentials 8 review has been helpful, if you want to keep researching, checkout our other reviews below.

Before you buy check out these single tank water softener reviews…