Fleck 5600SXT – The Ultimate Review

The Fleck 5600 SXT that we tested has proven to be an effective way to treat hard water. The installation is made easier because most of the parts come assembled out of the box. Some sellers even put in the resin beads for you. This unit has a large brine tank that can hold up 250 pounds of softening salt. Depending on your regeneration settings, you can use anywhere from 8 to 25 lbs. of softening salt per weekly cycle. This means that a full brine tank of salt can last for months and months.

The electronic control head is programmable through a back-lit LCD screen. You can program four different modes for meter-based regeneration. This way the amount of water passing through this system is measured for an optimal regeneration process.  The modes available include delayed meter regeneration, immediate regeneration, a day of the week setting, and a delayed time clock regeneration. This option covers a lot of bases and makes using this unit much easier. This Fleck system also has a safety float which prevents overfilling of the brine tank. There’s also an overflow drain which is a further backup to avoid flooding.

Despite many great features and advantages, the Fleck 5600 SXT has some drawbacks as well. The first one you will encounter is the lack of a detailed manual. To install our system, we had to resort to Google searches and YouTube videos. For people with no plumbing experience, getting this system working can be difficult.

Another thing that you will notice when during installation is that a few parts are missing to complete the setup. For the system to work, you will need to buy two more plastic lines. During installation, you might also notice that there are a few smaller plastic parts. Considering the material of choice and quality, you might experience minor leaks.

Finally, this system is heavy and big. The weight isn’t much of an issue when you put it in its place. In contrast, the size can make fitting it into small spaces challenging. That’s why you need to make sure you have enough room for this unit.

We bought the Fleck 5600 SXT for this test by ordering it online through Amazon. The seller shipped this unit within a short amount of time, almost immediately. Not long after that, in fact, just a few days after ordering it, this softener was at our doorstep.

The expected shipping time is 3-5 business days, so we received this Fleck within that period. We are happy with how long we waited, but shipping time may vary depending on where you live and where the unit is shipped from. When it comes to costs, we paid about 50$ for the package, even though many online retailers advertise free shipping. The shipping isn’t free because sellers make up for it with a markup of the price.

The package we received was well wrapped, and everything was sitting securely in the shipping box once we took a look. Inside the box, we found resin beads, an assembled unit which consists of two tanks, an electronic control head, and other necessary parts. Thanks to careful packaging, there were no signs of damage whatsoever.

The entire box is quite heavy since it includes the resin beads and stainless steel parts. That’s why we decided to take one part out at a time and move the system to its final destination. Since the shipping weight is over 100 lbs., we recommend that you get someone to help you out or to move the parts one by one like we did.

Even though this water softener system comes assembled, you still need to install it and adjust some parts. Installation can take up to an hour or two depending on your knowledge and experience.
The manual that comes with this unit could be more detailed. Luckily for everyone that buys the 5600 SXT, there are a lot of video tutorials on the internet. Before you install this unit, you should know that mistakes during installation can cause significant damages. If you’re not sure how to set this product up, you should call a plumber.

One more thing to note is room requirements. Because of the bypass valve and connections leading up to water mains, this unit can take up to a foot of room behind the control head. When you add the tanks to this, you need to make sure the whole system can fit into its designated space.

You should also take care when installing the beads. The funnel in the package can be pushed out of the resin tank from the weight of the beads which will send them flying all over the floor. Finally, the package includes only one plastic line, but for the system to work you need three.

Once your water softener system is installed, you will have to program it. You can use two approaches for this. One is to program for efficiency and the other for capacity. The amount of softening salt used for one regeneration cycle affects the grain capacity. Programming for max capacity will give you the rated 48,000 grains but will require a significant amount of salt. Programming for salt efficiency gives the best results but lowers the capacity. This is a drawback with every model because most sellers don’t use precise rating systems.

The instructions that came with our unit weren’t clear enough for us, so we resorted to using online videos. We would have liked if this product came with more detailed instructions. With the right information, using the touch push-buttons of the control head was not difficult. All in all, it took us a good 30 minutes to program this unit, but we later adjusted some options further. The good thing about the electronic control head is that you can set the regeneration cycle time in advance. You can program the 5600 SXT to regenerate the beads during periods of low usage, or during the night. This way you don’t have to use untreated water.

Thanks to the electronic control head on this water softener unit, most of the processes involved are automated. This results in less maintenance. The resin tank goes through regeneration according to programming. The brine tank only requires that you check salt levels from time to time and add more if necessary.

Depending on the type of salt you use, you might need to clean the brine tank more or less often. Salt high in impurities is cheaper but can cause significant build-up. The brine tank can hold a lot of softening salts, up to 250 pounds, and the system doesn’t use that much in comparison for regeneration.

Something that might cause maintenance issues are some of the plastic parts that come with this water softener system. We didn’t have any problems but weren’t impressed with the quality. Some users recommend buying a stainless steel shut off valve, instead of the plastic one that comes with this system.

One of the best things about choosing a respected and reliable brand like Fleck is the warranty they offer. The Fleck 5600 SXT water softener system has a 10-year warranty for both the resin and the brine tank. When it comes to the electronic control head, Fleck has a 5-year warranty in place. Such a warranty is a great way to give peace of mind to customers. If you happen to need anything, they are easy to contact and promise a lifetime of technical support to all clients. Depending on the conditions, they offer replacements and repairs.

When it comes to performance, we can safely say that the Fleck 5600 SXT is working as intended. Even though installation and programming took a while, we are more than happy with the results. This water softener system does everything it advertises. It stopped plaque build-up in appliances, as well as on tiles and glass. Our bathroom, for instance, has never looked better. As for the taste, it is subjective, but we like it much better after treatment. This might be because our water was high on the water hardness scale.

As far as durability, there are no problems yet, which coincides with most of the reviews out there. We’ve been running the system for about two months without pause. But, this doesn’t mean that we don’t have any concerns. Many of the parts are plastic, and some can cause problems if they break down. A minority of verified Amazon reviewers had issues with leaks. Some were just drips, while other’s required immediate attention. Since the Fleck 5600 SXT offers such good value for its price, you might want to consider buying a few stainless steel replacement parts. You can install them right away or like us, opt to use them if the original ones break down.

WHY FLECK 5600SXT IS THE BEST WATER SOFTENER ON THE MARKET

We have tried out and reviewed many different softener systems. We have talked to plumbers that install and service water softener systems for a living, but also looked online for answers. In the end, the name most mentioned was the Fleck 5600 SXT, in a positive light, of course. It is a worthwhile purchase for many different reasons.

This product has a control head fitted with modern electronics and an LCD screen that minimizes maintenance. The programming offers everything a household could need. This unit can serve up to 6 people with ease continuously, not counting regeneration cycles which can be set to low usage hours. The included brine tank can hold enough salt so that you’ll need to refill it every few months or even less often. When it comes to quality, the most important parts are stainless steel, and tanks are 100% poly glass. For peace of mind, Fleck offers an excellent warranty on both tanks and the control head.

Considering what this system offers, you’ll need little else for water softening. All units come with their pros and cons, but none offer what the Fleck 5600 SXT offers. That’s why it is the best water softener system on the market.

Hard water and unwanted mineral build-up is something that no one wants in their house. It can happen to anyone in many different areas. In fact, you might hard water and not even realize it. If you have concerns about the quality of water, it is always good to run tests and consult local officials.

Hard water can cause significant damage to your water installation over time. It can cause more maintenance issues with appliances like washing machines, boilers, and dishwashers. Furthermore, hard water lowers the effectiveness of all cleaning products. This then raises costs because you have to use more detergent to wash clothes for example. Finally, the biggest concern for you and your family should be health. Consuming hard water can affect your skin and hair, among other things.

Luckily for everyone facing these problems, there are many water softener systems available. The product that stands out for its performance, durability and price is the Fleck 5600 SXT. It is ideal for a household of up six people, a large family. This unit will save you money with through its efficiency and through the softened water it provides.