Water2Buy W2B200 Water Softener | Efficient Digital Meter Softener up to 6 People | 100% Limescale Removed
Common Questions | Häufige Fragen | Questions courantes | Domande comuni | Preguntas comunes
EN
To connect the water softener to your plumbing use an install kit, sold separately. Separate mounting blocks are not required the unit has separate bypass and water hardness adjustment. The softener uses Water2Buy crystal salt available to buy or subscribe. Water2Buy Water softeners do not affect water pressure. Water2Buy Water softeners can be installed with a combi-boiler. Water softeners donât make any noise while in normal softening mode, during regeneration they make a noise similar to a dish washer. We recommend an annual self-service using Softec resin cleaner. If you are concerned about drinking soft water, install an Easy1 undersink filter tap before the water softener. Scanning the QR code on your Product to get the app or Search the App store.
DE
Um den Wasserenthärter an Ihre Rohrleitungen anzuschlieÃen, verwenden Sie ein separat erhältliches Installationsset. Separate Montageblöcke sind nicht erforderlich, das Gerät verfügt über einen separaten Bypass und eine Wasserhärteeinstellung. Der Enthärter verwendet Water2Buy-Kristallsalz, das Sie kaufen oder abonnieren können. Water2Buy Wasserenthärter haben keinen Einfluss auf den Wasserdruck. Water2Buy Wasserenthärter können mit einem Kombikessel installiert werden. Wasserenthärter machen im normalen Enthärtungsmodus keine Geräusche, während der Regeneration machen sie ein Geräusch ähnlich einer Spülmaschine. Wir empfehlen eine jährliche Selbstbedienung mit Softec Harzreiniger. Wenn Sie Bedenken haben, weiches Wasser zu trinken, installieren Sie einen Easy1-Untertisch-Filterhahn vor dem Wasserenthärter. Scannen Sie den QR-Code auf Ihrem Produkt, um die App zu erhalten, oder suchen Sie im App Store.
FR
Pour connecter l’adoucisseur d’eau à votre plomberie, utilisez un kit d’installation, vendu séparément. Des blocs de montage séparés ne sont pas nécessaires, l’unité dispose d’un réglage séparé de la dérivation et de la dureté de l’eau. L’adoucisseur utilise le sel cristal Water2Buy disponible à l’achat ou à l’abonnement. Water2Buy Les adoucisseurs d’eau n’affectent pas la pression de l’eau. Les adoucisseurs d’eau Water2Buy peuvent être installés avec une chaudière combinée. Les adoucisseurs d’eau ne font aucun bruit lorsqu’ils sont en mode d’adoucissement normal, pendant la régénération, ils font un bruit similaire à celui d’un lave-vaisselle. Nous recommandons un libre-service annuel utilisant le nettoyant pour résine Softec. Si vous êtes soucieux de boire de l’eau douce, installez un robinet filtre sous évier Easy1 avant l’adoucisseur d’eau. Scannez le code QR sur votre produit pour obtenir l’application ou recherchez dans l’App Store.
IT
Per collegare l’addolcitore all’impianto idraulico, utilizzare un kit di installazione, venduto separatamente. Non sono necessari blocchi di montaggio separati l’unità dispone di un bypass separato e di una regolazione della durezza dell’acqua. L’addolcitore utilizza il sale cristallino Water2Buy disponibile per l’acquisto o l’abbonamento. Gli addolcitori Water2Buy non influiscono sulla pressione dell’acqua. Gli addolcitori Water2Buy possono essere installati con una caldaia combinata. Gli addolcitori non fanno rumore mentre sono in normale modalità di addolcimento, durante la rigenerazione emettono un rumore simile a quello di una lavastoviglie. Si consiglia un self-service annuale utilizzando il detergente per resine Softec. Se sei preoccupato di bere acqua dolce, installa un rubinetto con filtro sottolavello Easy1 prima dell’addolcitore d’acqua. Scansiona il codice QR sul tuo prodotto per ottenere l’app o cerca nell’App store.
ES
Para conectar el ablandador de agua a la tuberÃa, use un kit de instalación, que se vende por separado. No se requieren bloques de montaje separados, la unidad tiene un bypass y un ajuste de dureza del agua separados. El ablandador utiliza sal cristalina Water2Buy disponible para comprar o suscribirse. Water2Buy Los ablandadores de agua no afectan la presión del agua. Water2Buy Los descalcificadores de agua se pueden instalar con una caldera combinada. Los ablandadores de agua no hacen ningún ruido mientras están en el modo de ablandamiento normal, durante la regeneración hacen un ruido similar al de un lavavajillas. Recomendamos un autoservicio anual con el limpiador de resina Softec. Si le preocupa beber agua blanda, instale un grifo con filtro para debajo del fregadero Easy1 antes del ablandador de agua. Escaneando el código QR en su producto para obtener la aplicación o buscar en la tienda de aplicaciones.
Weight: | 28.5 kg |
Dimensions: | 42 x 22 x 65 cm; 28.5 Kilograms |
Model: | W2B200 |
Part: | W2B200 |
Colour: | White, Green |
Pack Quantity: | 1 |
Batteries Required: | No |
Batteries Included: | No |
Manufacture: | Water2buy |
Colour: | White, Green |
Dimensions: | 42 x 22 x 65 cm; 28.5 Kilograms |
Quantity: | 1 |
We live in a hard water area and I used to hate the hard water marks that start to build up over everything that the water touches. We got a plumber to install it (it’s the first he’d done and I wish we’d used a more experienced one) and you have to get the fixing hoses separately (I got the wrong size initially but the plumber had the correct ones – I think they’re actually quite standard). This softener now sits in the cupboard under the sink in the utility room, and other than topping it up with salt every couple of months, I don’t give it a second thought. All of the hard water marks have disappeared and the shower, sink and taps all look very clean. You still get the odd white spot, but they’re salt and just wipe away. I haven’t noticed any difference in the taste of the water.
Really quick delivery and great customer service. Ideal that you can service yourself and that it has an app – great product and well priced!
I found it really easy to install, I’m not a plummer.
I had it for nearly 4 years, since installing I find that the toilets stay much cleaner without using descaler, the kettle doesn’t scale up at all, neither do our showerheads.
I haven’t timed it, but a 10kg bag of salt lasts for weeks.
A great produc
I have bought this few years back and still going strong. Highly recommended.
Been using it for a year. No more stains from hard water in the bathroom or kitchen, just occasionally check the salt levels.
Good product, not the easiest to set up unless you have some understanding of plumbing. Luckily i had a plumber friend who nailed it in no time with the video guides.
Had a couple of tech support questions as i was too lazy to read the manual throughly. Got a quick response that explained everything i needed to know
Overall good product, good service.. more than happy x
Had a few issues but resolved with help from good online instructions
Always had in mind to buy one but it’s not until you have one installed that you really appreciate its value. I have mine plumbed so that the water for the whole house, hot and cold, runs through the water softener with a separate feed in the kitchen directly from the mains for drinking water.
As far as this particular brand is concerned, I bought it because it’s as a lot cheaper than other more popular brands but performs just as well.
A 20kg bag of salt lasts our household of 4 around 6-8 weeks so quite efficient and we no longer have to deal with London limescale!
Seriously, buy one – you won’t be disappointed. They only things to think about are how it will be plumbed in to get the best benefit (try to connect it so that every outlet has softened water), and who will plumb it in. If you’re good at DIY, you could fit it yourself or else you may need a plumber to connect it up for you.
Easy installation. Much better than the unit it replaced and due to the metering it uses far less salt as well.
A really good water softener at a good price. In my experience it produces good soft water. I’ve looked at softeners that cost 3 times the price and more, but my sense is that this one is perfectly good enough. Why would you pay more? I’ve been using it now for a couple of years. It was straightforward to install in terms of the connections and instructions. My install space was tight and that made it awkward with my original piping, but otherwise install can be DIY. Seems to work well. No problems with it so far. Would happily rtecommend it.
I have had the water softener for 2 years now. The settings are easy to use, we use a small amount of salt, we do not need to use strong detergents for cleaning as there is no limescale build up with soft water. I am super satisfied with the quality of water in my house now! I recommend getting this softener to stop having harsh hard water at home.
The softener was easy to install and setup. It would appear to use less salt than our old softener.
After 4 years trouble free service it developed a fault that was quickly resolved by excellent customer service (thank you Steven)
I would recommend and definitely buy again.
Bought this when on Amazon offer to replace my old fixed timer softener
it was simple to fit as all the connections were the same and it did not need an overflow pipe
Uses a lot less salt than my old one and less water on a recycle
Tidy, easy to use softener, easy to install (though I had to cut a hole in the back of the under-sink cabinet for the pipes in order to get this fully in and the doors shut). I live in a very hard water area and used to have limescale deposits form really quickly, this has eradicated that and the water is now lovely and soft. I drink the water from this and have no issues with it, though I know some people don’t like drinking softened water..
We live in a very hard water area (New Forest, UK) and suffered from rapid lime scale build up on our taps and shower. This unit has completely cured the problem. It was easy to fit – the 22mm connections give a good flow rate but it is important to avoid using flexible hoses with a small internal diameter. I took 22mm copper pipes all the way to the back of the softener and it works very well. Highly recommended for both value and effectiveness and there is also no noticeable change in water flavou
Installed for a year now. Was easy to install (DIY). Considerable improvement in water quality and has proven very economical to run.
The water in NR4 is very hard & a water softener is essential; this product was very competitively priced and was easy to install albeit by a plumber.
Had the unit over 2 years now. Once set according to your water hardness and for the number of people in the house you are ready to go. Set and forget.
We liked that it was easy to install. Instrctions straightforward. Economical to run. Requires very little space. All in all, we are more than totally satisfied. It does what it says it will do.
Very easy to install and I’m not a plumber. Our family now save a fortune on soaps, shower gels and shampoo because the water is so soft, we only need a minimal amount and now we get a lather that feels so soft.
We struggle with hard water build up which was really noticeable with limescale build up around taps and sinks. Although this was an initial investment to buy and install, it has been worth every penny and the maintenance just relies on topping it up with salt.
Be careful when setting up this product. At first I followed the printed instruction book that came with my unit.
I then usedy phones scanner that then took my onto a YouTube video again showing you how to set the unit up and its default settings……..which are different to the instructions.
Must admit it was made my water feel more silky which is nice as I live in a hard chalky water area. Even the wife has noticed how soft her hair is!!
The unit is a good purchase and I would of rated it 5 stars if it had not been for the conflicting information.
Would I recommend…..yes I would.
Simple, neat, easy to use. It won’t fit in a 500mm deep kitchen cupboard, I had to make a hole for the water pipes (see picture). The green lid is nice but as you can see in the picture its not installed as you cant remove it to fill the salt as it is too tall. On the plus side it meters the water usage and only regens when needed and salt usage is lower than the old unit and so far has not woken me up so quiet enough. If you can make it fit I would recommend it.
What caused me to purchase this water softener 7 years guarantee and the on line info of installation and operation, this made life a lot easier, the reason I purchased a softener was that the water supply was very hard I measured it using test kit it measured 373 which I looked up on line for this area, agreed with my measurement, tested after installation of water softener very low ie 10mm tap water added test kit one drop at a time first it turns move then after 20 drops blue bad. After installation the water did not turn move. very soft no more lime deposits, stops lime build up in shower thermostats, takes fine.
Good value water softener, got it in a flash sale so even better.
Really simple to install and set up with online assistance if required.
Definitely producing softer water and no leaks which is good!
Hopefully lasts longer than the BWT it has replaced.
We’ve just redecorated our bathroom and as we live in a very hard water area ( Southern Hampshire) we decided to fit the W2B 200 water softener. It was wasy to fit in our airing cupboard up stream of our combined boiler(don’t forget the flexi hose kit) There has been no drop in water pressure and the effects of the softener are immediately noticeable ( virtually no water marking, less shampoo and shower gel required and detergent for washing up/ washing machine)
The set-up is easy using the app which has some great help videos.
A 25kg bag of salt lasts 4-5 weeks in our 4 adult home.
We are really pleased with its performance after a couple of months use and can highly recommend it.
I’m very pleased indeed with my new Water2Buy W2B200 water softener as it’s actually better than the much more expensive water softener it replaces. The fact it already has bypass valves fitted and doesn’t need an overflow makes the plumbing easier and neater. Loading salt is now much easier than my previous block salt softener. Although not shown in the product photo the Water2Buy 22mm ‘Easy Installation kit’ I purchased came with 90 degree elbows already fitted. This was a great help because, as other reviewers have noted, the pipework at the back means the W2B200 does need almost the full depth of a standard 600mm deep kitchen cabinet. The supplied detailed instructions made it very easy to install and set up. I live in a very hard water area and my W2B200 is now providing me with perfect soft water. As the W2B200 also looks to be very sturdily constructed for a long life (it comes with a seven year guarantee) and is such excellent value for money I very highly recommended it to anyone needing their water softened.
This does a good job in softening the water around the home, and has resulted in a significant reduction in limescale/ water staining on shower screens etc. Living in the London area, our water is extremely hard While water is softer, it doesn’t result in the same amount of lather one gets when using soap in a genuiine soft water area.
Salt usage is not excessive. 25kg lasts us for for 4 months or so.
It is a very good water softener and if you have little plumbing skills, you can install it yourself using the videos provided on Water2buy website. Very good customer service support for any questions on product. Comes with 7 year warranty which I hope I don’t have to use. Using it for last 1.5 years now and going good. Very good price and happy with the purchase.
I had this professionally installed. I live in a very very hard water area and this works really well. Water is really soft. The only downside is that drinking water can taste a little different but the benefits far out weigh tha
On the plus side, this is a low cost water softener which is easy to install and cheap to run. On the down side, the instructions are wrong. There is no separate overflow required, and the set up is now digital rather than the analogue in the instructions. Since these are positive improvements, I can’t see why they don’t just put an ammendment note in the box. Cheapest on amazon. The fitting kit is extra.
I didn’t realise that the hoses had to be ordered separately, but Stephen from W2B phoned me & said the plumber can use washing machine hoses from any supplier. I haven’t moved into my house so can’t comment on the efficiency of the machine, but am delighted with the price & build quality.
Very easy to fit. Live in a very hard water area (off the top of the scale). Softener work well with easy YouTube set-up and programming guide.
My plumber installed this water softener and said that it is a good machine and easy to install and set up.
After about a week, we could really notice the effectiveness of the system. Our shower is clean, the top shower spray is clean and the water comes out in straight lines!
The dish washer is cleaner. Washing hair is easy and doesn’t require after shampoo. we are going to save a lot of money on cleaning products that we now do not need. Every home should have a BWT water softener. It’s a necessity.
As with many other comments; the instruction leaflet/booklet and App are quite poor. This was a replacement of an existing water softener, so had all the correct fitting already in place. The English was not proofed read, as there are simple typo errors (size instead of side). The instructions omit many steps and are not correct in other areas. The first step is to fit the bypass flow valve. The instructions don’t tell you to fit the O-Ring to the first groove of the Bypass valve then apply the grease (this was obvious even for a non-plumber like me). The instructions don’t tell you that you really need to push the bypass valves in very hard until you hear a resounding click (spent a long time figuring out initially why it was so loose and would never make a water-proof seal). The instructions state that there are either 3 or 5 red clips that must stay in place. For the W2B200 Metered, they’re in fact 7 red clips. Very important that the clips under the bypass valves are in place (as these are not shown in the diagrams); otherwise when you switch on the water, the valve switches explode out and the wife gets a soaking (my first basic and probable error). Valves go back in ok, and when the clips were inserted and the water turned on; all was ok. The newer models seem to have a different brine tube in the tank to that shown in the diagrams. There is a bit of tape holding the lid on it; wasn’t sure if this needed to be removed, so left it on. Settings were simple to do and the instructions pretty clear in this instance. No leaks after 24 hrs and a regeneration seemed to have occurred during the night, as salt level had gone down a bit. Wish there was a way of being able to swivel just the display part, as the display has ended up facing the back of the cupboard because of the extra length the bypass valves have on the fittings. Also was not able to fit the green lid under a normal kitchen cupboard without having a lot of faff dragging it out of the cupboard each time you wanted to fill it with salt.
Just the right size for our 3 bed bungalow. Keep forgetting it’s there.
Easy to order via Amazon and arrived quickly.
Where I live the water is classed as ‘very hard’, and have to use a lot of shampoo, shower gel, washing machine detergents, but which left residue and scale on the taps. Since using the Water2buy softener the difference is amazing. The water feels soft, I now use a fraction of soaps etc, the scale on the taps and kitchen sink has disappeared. I wouldn’t be without it now.
Fed up of limescale so did some research on Water Softeners.
Easy to install and also put in a bypass. Limescale free kettles, washing machine and no more limescale on bathroom surfaces or in the toilet.
Have had the softener 2-3 years now and run a resin cleaner through it once a year for maintenance. Has given me no problems, fit and almost forget 🙂
Just one thing…..if the height and depth could be reduced around 10cm and the unit made wider to compensate that would be ideal. Have a shorter but wider resin unit ? It was such a tight fit in the cupboard.
As with many other comments; the instruction leaflet/booklet and App are quite poor. This was a replacement of an existing water softener, so had all the correct fitting already in place. The English was not proofed read, as there are simple typo errors (size instead of side). The instructions omit many steps and are not correct in other areas. The first step is to fit the bypass flow valve. The instructions don’t tell you to fit the O-Ring to the first groove of the Bypass valve then apply the grease (this was obvious even for a non-plumber like me). The instructions don’t tell you that you really need to push the bypass valves in very hard until you hear a resounding click (spent a long time figuring out initially why it was so loose and would never make a water-proof seal). The instructions state that there are either 3 or 5 red clips that must stay in place. For the W2B200 Metered, they’re in fact 7 red clips. Very important that the clips under the bypass valves are in place (as these are not shown in the diagrams); otherwise when you switch on the water, the valve switches explode out and the wife gets a soaking (my first basic and probable error). Valves go back in ok, and when the clips were inserted and the water turned on; all was ok. The newer models seem to have a different brine tube in the tank to that shown in the diagrams. There is a bit of tape holding the lid on it; wasn’t sure if this needed to be removed, so left it on. Settings were simple to do and the instructions pretty clear in this instance. No leaks after 24 hrs and a regeneration seemed to have occurred during the night, as salt level had gone down a bit. Wish there was a way of being able to swivel just the display part, as the display has ended up facing the back of the cupboard because of the extra length the bypass valves have on the fittings. Also was not able to fit the green lid under a normal kitchen cupboard without having a lot of faff dragging it out of the cupboard each time you wanted to fill it with salt.
Really good product, after sales support is excellent. Would not hesitate in recommending their products.
I am very happy with my water2buy softener. Very easy to install. Well made unit. Works 100%. Stopped absolutely all of the limescale.
Easy to install and use water softener. Softens the water very well.
Quite a nice tidy looking machine, that fits into the corner of my assuring cupboard
It does work very well and I was very surprised to find the difference in the water, very sof
As we are a two-person household, we bought the W2B 200. That was five years ago and we have been well satisfied. It was simple to install and to input the settings. If there’s any confusion over this, I recommend watching the many helpful videos by W2B on YouTube. The water softener has given us good service for five years and looks set to continue. One word of advice is to do two maintenance procedures. First is to clean the salt chamber every two years as recommended by W2B. The other is to run regular deep cleans of the resin chamber, using the SoftTec liquid sold by W2B. It’s a very simple procedure that clears any build-up of muck in the resin. Just to add, I have found W2B very helpful whenever I have sought advice from them. Overall, we are very pleased with the water softener and have no hesitation in recommending it.
Not that easy to install maybe and you have to order the fitting hoses separately. It took my plumber a couple of days to fit, one way and another. As others have commented, the plastic box and lid seem a bit flimsy. But all is up and running at a relatively reasonable price. The system seems to work as it should. The proof is that I can now actually wet shave, which I couldn’t before!
Installed pretty easily and neatly under my kitchen sink. I live in a very hard water area but noticed that after 2-3 weeks that chunks of limescale were clearing out of my kettle and there was much less soap scum in the kitchen sink and bathroom.
Easy to add salt in as well. Very happy with it.
I’d been thinking about getting a water softener for years, and in 2019 I bought this one.
Easy to install, and has been great – uses quite a lot of salt, but feels like it’s worth it.
Water2buy customer services are great too, always happy to help and offer advice.
Very pleased with this purchase.
I was tempted by the bigger 800 version, but this 500 model fits under the worktop.
Bear in mind one of the waste pipes comes out the side.
Our unit came with a black lid rather than the green shown in the photos, and one of the plastic lid lugs was broken, but neither is an issue.
Water2Buy kindly provided 2 x 15mm adapters to suit our pipes. Water2Buy were very quick to respond to emails and sent out the parts quickly too.
We also had to buy 2x 2m waste pipes, but it’s a standard size plastic hose, so it’s easy to source.
We needed a plumber to rearrange our pipework slightly, but otherwise we could have fitted this unit ourselves.
The softener was very simple to fit, with x2 holes needed through the wall for the waste pipes.
Immediately our water hardness came down from over 400 to between 0-25 (difficult to be exact on our test strips). The setting are adjustable, but I’ll see how it goes for a few weeks.
Our water now has a softer feel and soap lather lasts far longer.
We installed a much more expensive (x4) softener in our last house, so I wasn’t sure how this much cheaper make/model would stack up. So far it’s absolutely fine and I’d certainly recommend it. If we have any problems I’ll update this review.
I was already using a water softener, so knew the benefits. Bought my daughter a Samsung washing machine the same day I bought the same model for myself. We both live in the same extremely hard water area. She doesn’t have a water softener but I do. Less than 3 years later her machine broke down and she had to buy a new one. Mine is still going strong 8 years later! My hot water boiler, shower unit, kettle, toilet cistern, taps and pipes are all pristine also. My combi boiler is 9 years old and going strong!
I originally paid 1400 for my softener and it stopped working after about 12 years. Called in the original supplier who said it needed replacement at 1350 including fitting and 10 year warranty. I’m a pensioner so limited income so I shopped around and found the Water2buy at 399. I order it, it arrived in 2 days with everything I needed, I already had the plumbing from my old machine, connected up and it was working immediately. Less than 30 minutes from unpacking! And I’m probably the world’s worst at DIY.
The next day I tested the water hardness – it was off the scale at over 1,000 ppm before installation – now it’s at the very bottom of the sacale at less than 5 ppm. Brilliant! My advice, just buy it, it’s everything they claim.
Well made, great machine but supplied with installation instructions for an earlier model! Had to get a pro installer to finish the installation then it is excellent!
My unit worked well for a year then started beeping constantly after trying to regenerate.
I contacted the seller and he was very helpful, sent replacement parts and was on hand with any queries I had. The unit is now working perfectly again. Great customer service.
The softener arrived promptly but with a piece of the lid broken off. Another was sent and communications with the seller were prompt and helpful. The softener is working well.
Living in South Somerset our water was very hard. The W2B200 resolved this . The water is soft now. It really makes a difference. It was easy to install. I had a couple of questions and Steven from W2Buy was very quick to respond with the advice I needed. Overall a good purchase experience with good service backup.
I have had it for just 1 week and I can see the difference.
It does a good job, and after a month of use it has so far been reliable. You might want to get some water test strips – I bought some inexpensive ones from Amazon which are fine. Also, note that the table of regeneration settings printed in the leaflet are not entirely consistent with those on the website: use the ones on the website, they seem to work better.
I’ve had a couple of problems, neither of which are a criticism of the machine.
Firstly, the water was still coming out a little hard, until I discovered that near the top (below the control head) on the left hand side is a bypass valve to allow some hardness of water to remain. For full softening, it needs to be turned fully anticlockwise. Problem solved instantly.
Secondly, hardness returned after a few days. It turned out that a salt bridge had formed, so that the salt tablets were stuck in an arch above the water level and therefore the water wasn’t becoming brine for the regeneration cycle. A non-splintering wooden stick worked down through the salt tablets to break the arch solved that problem – give it time to dissolve to form brine, then turn the control knob clockwise to initiate a regeneration cycle, and softness flows forth once more. I’ll confess that the second time it happened was of my own making, as I put some granulated salt I had left over from a dishwasher softener in with the tablets, and of course the granules filled the gaps so the tablets locked together and couldn’t fall. Pouring some extra water through to dissolve the remaining granulated salt (after a stir with the stick to break the arch) made that problem go away, and it all seems very stable now.
It does a good job, and after a month of use it has so far been reliable. You might want to get some water test strips – I bought some inexpensive ones from Amazon which are fine. Also, note that the table of regeneration settings printed in the leaflet are not entirely consistent with those on the website: use the ones on the website, they seem to work better.
I’ve had a couple of problems, neither of which are a criticism of the machine.
Firstly, the water was still coming out a little hard, until I discovered that near the top (below the control head) on the left hand side is a bypass valve to allow some hardness of water to remain. For full softening, it needs to be turned fully anticlockwise. Problem solved instantly.
Secondly, hardness returned after a few days. It turned out that a salt bridge had formed, so that the salt tablets were stuck in an arch above the water level and therefore the water wasn’t becoming brine for the regeneration cycle. A non-splintering wooden stick worked down through the salt tablets to break the arch solved that problem – give it time to dissolve to form brine, then turn the control knob clockwise to initiate a regeneration cycle, and softness flows forth once more. I’ll confess that the second time it happened was of my own making, as I put some granulated salt I had left over from a dishwasher softener in with the tablets, and of course the granules filled the gaps so the tablets locked together and couldn’t fall. Pouring some extra water through to dissolve the remaining granulated salt (after a stir with the stick to break the arch) made that problem go away, and it all seems very stable now.
I had originally posted a very negative review on here as my water softener was not working at all, despite being installed by a plumber. We really struggled to tell from the instructions if was wrongly installed or wrongly set up so I contacted another plumber and 3 water softener specialist locally to get it checked but no one would touch it.
Having posted my negative review, the customer service team from Water2 Buy contacted me and talked me through some key installation pointers, It turned out the dials to open/close the inflow and outflow pipes were set to closed. As soon as I turned them, the unit worked… and now 3 weeks later, we are enjoying soft water throughout the house. It is making a significant difference to areas like the toilet bowl which was previously stained brown.
In the end great service, but shame the instructions are not easy to understand. It would also be helpful if there were more registered installers as there is no one near to me.
Having not a techy to fall back on is always a bit scary, but I was able to replace my old water softener with the W2B. Documentation was good as was the support by email.
I have it running for a year and reduced the salt usage as this machine only regenerates based on water usage, not just a clock. I replaced the top of the salt reservoir with a plexiglass one, so every time I walk past the softener I can see quickly if there is salt left. It’s recommended.
Bought this W2B 200 3 weeks ago replacing one that had been there before so plumbing was already there.
2 adults in 2 bathroom house ave usage.
Purchased some pipes and waste fitting kit from a local dealer 40. The depth of the softener is as stated but needed to remove the rear panel of the kitchen unit which was 500mm deep to fit it, really need to allow at least 550mm with 90 degree fittings at the rear for the softener to fit in. Also left the green cover off not needed.
After fitting an electrical supply filled container with 10 kg of salt and 4litres of water after a few hrs water felt different, the water test kit supplied is ok but not very useful just tells you if your water is hard or soft or in between no accurate measurement. I had purchased some test strips which told me my cold un softened water was about 350-400 and my water after the softener was about 80 so really pleased. I noticed areal difference in the shower glass really clean and doors slide on the runners a lot smoother. Kettle descaled.
Set up the timer etc via YouTube instruction booklet not very good but got over it. Tested water usage as im on a meter after 600 litres used and it went into a regen I checked water meter before and after it used 110 litres so I phoned help line adjusted the regen and back wash times and now uses between 70 and 90 litres of water for a regen every 3-4 days this I think works out about 12 per year water usage not bad. Salt used is about 10kg per 3 weeks. If you are thinking of buying this W2b 200 good value for money would recommend time will tell if it lasts. Thing to remember they all do the same thing end of the day you can pay over 1000 for other units. I hope this review is useful to someone I found out lots of info by reading here and the Q and A as-well.
Bought this W2B 200 3 weeks ago replacing one that had been there before so plumbing was already there.
2 adults in 2 bathroom house ave usage.
Purchased some pipes and waste fitting kit from a local dealer 40. The depth of the softener is as stated but needed to remove the rear panel of the kitchen unit which was 500mm deep to fit it, really need to allow at least 550mm with 90 degree fittings at the rear for the softener to fit in. Also left the green cover off not needed.
After fitting an electrical supply filled container with 10 kg of salt and 4litres of water after a few hrs water felt different, the water test kit supplied is ok but not very useful just tells you if your water is hard or soft or in between no accurate measurement. I had purchased some test strips which told me my cold un softened water was about 350-400 and my water after the softener was about 80 so really pleased. I noticed areal difference in the shower glass really clean and doors slide on the runners a lot smoother. Kettle descaled.
Set up the timer etc via YouTube instruction booklet not very good but got over it. Tested water usage as im on a meter after 600 litres used and it went into a regen I checked water meter before and after it used 110 litres so I phoned help line adjusted the regen and back wash times and now uses between 70 and 90 litres of water for a regen every 3-4 days this I think works out about 12 per year water usage not bad. Salt used is about 10kg per 3 weeks. If you are thinking of buying this W2b 200 good value for money would recommend time will tell if it lasts. Thing to remember they all do the same thing end of the day you can pay over 1000 for other units. I hope this review is useful to someone I found out lots of info by reading here and the Q and A as-well.
Instructions were clear. Easy to install for the DIY plumber.
I had some issues with a faulty unit, but Steven sorted everything out for me. My replacement unit arrived the next day, was fitted in by my local plumber and the unit is working really well. Steven has called me on numerous occassions to check how I was getting on, which I really appreciate and taken on board my feedback regarding some of the literature etc.. but overall I’m a happy customer and so glad we finally have softened water! We’re a family of 2 kids and 2 adults and have around 450ppm water hardness and having run the softener for approximately 4 days or so, the W2B200 still has not required a regen. I’ve estimated that we would require a regen every 5-6 days or so, with us taking regular showers and doing 2-3 washing loads a week.
I was choosing between the bigger model and smaller 200, ended up taking 200. After installing it, happy with everything. Shower water no longer contaminates the glass, taps are clean. Bath water looks significantly clearer. I had to contact support about additional parts, what a pleasure dealing with them. Got everything sorted fast. I would recommend it.
I bought this after years of wanting a softener. We live in Surrey where the water is hard and I’m sick of limescale.
Firstly the results, great. Instant soft water and it got softer after a week as I suspect the limescale in all the pipes was removed. Already saving money on soap and detergents and time cleaning shower screens. Softened water does taste a bit different, I don’t like it so have left a tap in the kitchen for drinking. Also left the garden taps on Unsoftened water.
This unit, the w2b800, is pretty big, but the bigger the better. The unit is configured to regenerate after a certain volume of water is passed through it(metered). It then runs a regeneration cycle at 3am. You test the water with a kit supplied to work out the config to use and set it up via the little screen on the top of the device. We regenerate every 5.7 cubic meters. For a family of 4 this is about 12 days worth of water. When it regenerates it uses about 90l of water and some salt (regeneration is effectively flushing the resin core that catches the limescale with salty water to clean it). This is far less often and more efficient than smaller units, so fit the biggest you can get in. The unit will hold about 75kg of salt, which I think will last a long time, perhaps a year….again very efficient compared to smaller units.
Fitting it was a little complex as I had to divert the mains to the plant room where the unit lives and back again. Getting the right fittings was a pain, the 800 is made for 3/4 inch fittings and flexis in this size are very hard to find, so I called the w2b support team and they sent free adapters to allow 22mm pipes to connect. I then found flexi pipes with built in elbows on the net (actually from a softener company).
Set up was ok, but to be honest the instructions are a bit vague in places. You need to read the info on the web and the printed stuff that comes with it…but it’s a bit spread out and hard to follow initially, really they need a nice printed walk through that covers everything. For instance there is a little black mixer valve on the unit that you can adjust to allow some water to bypass the unit, this is not mentioned anywhere on the printed notes and I only happened across it somewhere on the website….if this is open the unit barely softens the water so it’s quite important.
The support guy is great, very helpful and responsive.
So all in all I’m very happy. Get the biggest softener you can fit in for higher efficiency.
Bought & fitted this softener as part of kitchen refitting. I personally don’t think there’s much difference in models being sold apart from the price. bought this unit seeing average good reviews on this site itself. Have had the softener fitted for 2 years now & I must say that we are really pleased with the performance. The use of salt is a 25KG bag every 8-9 weeks for a 2 person household. Hardly any use for limescale sprays for basins, sink, toilet pan etc as none deposits anymore & so the shower screen too. In initial days of fitment, I use to test water with test strips & nearly always they show softest indication. This means that I can be sure that more than 90% of hardness is removed. The model purchased is a metered type. W2B sell a timer model too but really, I don’t see the point as the usage of water can never be matched with resin cleaning & in practise, too much salt is used for settings recommended. Hard water is supplied to the outside taps, CH boiler & a drinking water fountain that resides on the sink. Soft water everywhere else. We were able to arrange this plan fairly easily as kitchen was being remodelled & plumbing could easily be adapted at that point.
One happy W2B customer.
I was originally quoted over 1,800 for a softener installation by a water softener company. After a little research I noticed this product had identical specs/features. A approached a local plumber for installation, all in I paid 700! There is no loss of pressure in my home and we immediately noticed the difference. Make sure you get the fitting kit which is sold separately! I feel this should be made clearer when purchasing as I’m told the waste hoses are a custom size.
The order process:
I had to order this item thrice since they just failed to send me the item the first time (after 2 weeks of wait). The second one didn’t get dispatched till 10 days of order while the third one came within 2 days of order. Kept one and returned the 2nd one that arrived 3 weeks after the order was placed and after chasing amazon for 2 weeks. I even had to chase them for the refund since the status didn’t get updated.
The product itself is pretty solid. Just add some decent salt and you’d clearly notice a change in the water quality. I even tested the hardness before and after. It got my 270-300 ppm water to 0-50!
Update 30/03/21: We have very hard water in the Chilterns. For a few months I was disappointed by how quickly the water would go hard again after a regen (less than 200ltrs) and it was regenning every night. I was using granular salt and noticed that the tank wasn’t refilling for very long (~30 seconds). The newer model has a float valve in the tank (inside a long grey tube). I was using granulated salt and this is so fine that the water when refilling is not able to dissipate out of the grey tube quickly and is instead filling it up, closing the float valve. The solution is to use salt tablets or blocks.
——–
So the newest model which arrived at my house late November 2020 doesn’t have an overflow on the side – so I queried and got the answer that they’ve updated the design so that there is now a float valve in the tank which means it can no longer be overfilled. Great, makes the install job easier.
Our supply pipe enters, there’s a stop cock then a spur off to my utility room sink and outside tap, I cut the other side of the spur which is in 15mm copper pipe and fitted an elbow appliance tap on each side of the cut. To these I connected new 1.2m braided steel hoses with 3/4 connectors and right-angled at one end (9/ea) which run to and from the water softner. I originally used washing machine hoses but got worried about one failing and leaking. For the waste outlet I used garden hose into the washing machine standpipe.
The washing machine needs less than half the detergent it used before, otherwise you end up with very soapy clothes at the end! We use hard water for cold drinks for flavour reasons but soft water in the kettle/coffee machine for the sake of avoiding limescale.
The Water2Buy sales e-mail address have been very helpful so far, I had a couple of questions re warranty and also the regen settings which I wanted to tinker with so if regened less often. They replied to both within a few hours with knowledgeable responses.
No issues with water pressure.
So far so good, the showers are cleaner, and chrome plug holes and the like don’t collect scale like they used to.
Update 30/03/21: We have very hard water in the Chilterns. For a few months I was disappointed by how quickly the water would go hard again after a regen (less than 200ltrs) and it was regenning every night. I was using granular salt and noticed that the tank wasn’t refilling for very long (~30 seconds). The newer model has a float valve in the tank (inside a long grey tube). I was using granulated salt and this is so fine that the water when refilling is not able to dissipate out of the grey tube quickly and is instead filling it up, closing the float valve. The solution is to use salt tablets or blocks.
——–
So the newest model which arrived at my house late November 2020 doesn’t have an overflow on the side – so I queried and got the answer that they’ve updated the design so that there is now a float valve in the tank which means it can no longer be overfilled. Great, makes the install job easier.
Our supply pipe enters, there’s a stop cock then a spur off to my utility room sink and outside tap, I cut the other side of the spur which is in 15mm copper pipe and fitted an elbow appliance tap on each side of the cut. To these I connected new 1.2m braided steel hoses with 3/4 connectors and right-angled at one end (9/ea) which run to and from the water softner. I originally used washing machine hoses but got worried about one failing and leaking. For the waste outlet I used garden hose into the washing machine standpipe.
The washing machine needs less than half the detergent it used before, otherwise you end up with very soapy clothes at the end! We use hard water for cold drinks for flavour reasons but soft water in the kettle/coffee machine for the sake of avoiding limescale.
The Water2Buy sales e-mail address have been very helpful so far, I had a couple of questions re warranty and also the regen settings which I wanted to tinker with so if regened less often. They replied to both within a few hours with knowledgeable responses.
No issues with water pressure.
So far so good, the showers are cleaner, and chrome plug holes and the like don’t collect scale like they used to.
Only arrive last week and it was easy to connect but I can’t comment on reliability yet but I tested the water and 0 limescale left and I used to have hard water that makes my skin dry. Now the water feels so different and refreshing.
I Definitely would advise to invest the in this.
I will update in 6 months and one yea
Easy to fit. Does what it is supposed to do
Easy to install, if i can anyone can. Works a treat.
Fantastic customer service , Had a faulty unit which was 4 years old they replaced the unit with no hassle and free delivery and return.
About 18 months after I purchased this water softener it developed a small fault. I got on to Water2Buy and they could not have been more helpful or attentive. They quickly helped me to diagnose the problem, sent me a replacement part and followed up to ensure that the problem had been solved. Top marks for customer service!
This softener is enough for a three bedroom flat. It is very economical to run as it has a digital meter and the salt consumption is minimised. It is a compact unit and it comes with all the information you need to install/get it installed. As I had a booster pump at the entrance (I live on a top floor of a 3 storey building) I called my plumber for installation. But it is possible to install it yourself if you have good DIY skills. The installation set sold on Amazon is not suitable. Don`t buy that one. A 3/4″ metallic flexible hose you can buy from B&Q would suffice. I have used 1.5m versions and it worked perfectly well. All in all a great investment. Definitely recommended
I am new to the Water2Buy products. The purchase and delivery reveal a great product.
The warranty sign up work straight away despite my application being a few weeks last.
I had a small concern about installing the product. However, asking my question resulting in receiving an Awesome support experience.
I received this product just before lockdown and then had to wait until today to get a plumber to instal it. He wasn’t happy because no connection hoses included. I went back to look on the description of “what’s in the box” and it then became apparent that – sure enough, no hoses. I would humbly suggest that the manufacturers make a point of telling prospective buyers that they need to buy hoses as well.
I live in a really hard water area and look into having one installed being quoted 1200 to 1500 I thought how hard can it be . Found this one looked at reviews hardly any negatives . And I must say it was easy to put in easy to set up and you can see in the picture it’s gone from very hard to soft very pleased
Bought as a replacement softener, the instruction booklet is terrible and out of date. Fortunately the online videos and setup instructions are excellent, just scan the QR code and away you go. Online registration and even the option to get sms or email salt top up reminders. It’s been in for three days and everything seems ok so far. I had a timer softener before and hope the new metered one will save on salt and water. Too early to say now, but I’ll update in a few months when the salt consumption is more obvious.
I fitted this in our house a year and a half ago and thought I would wait before writing a review.
Our house has 2 bathrooms and in a very hard water area. Installed it easy enough and was impressed that it has a bypass valve built in. This means if it fails or you dont have any salt etc you can just bypass it in seconds. After a bit of experimenting with settings and testing g the water with test strips I eventually got it working just right. It will take any salt it seems and I get big bags from Costco for not a lot. I reckon we get through no more than 4 25kg bags of salt a year.
The difference softner water has had is amazing. We had a new kitchen and bathroom installed at the time the softner was installed. It’s really noticeable the difference it gas made. No timescale in the toilets or on the shower heads. Even the shower screens have none. It’s made keeping the bathrooms clean so much easier.
Well worth the money espe ially at this bargain price compared with others. Dont be put off by the cheap price when comparing to the expensive ones, they all do the same thing, I looked into it loads before buying one.
The unit isn’t small and you need a bit of room for pipework and a power supply. As we were having a new kitchen I was able to design in a space for it.
You also need a couple of waste pipes off it. I plumbed one straight into the kitchen waste with a non return valve. If you do this without the valve you risk contamination of the water in the softner. In the instructions it doesn’t mention you can do this but we have with any issues to date.
The hoses required to connect it may be an issue but I just took the connectors to a proper plumbers merchant and they supplied the braided hoses I needed.
I fitted this in our house a year and a half ago and thought I would wait before writing a review.
Our house has 2 bathrooms and in a very hard water area. Installed it easy enough and was impressed that it has a bypass valve built in. This means if it fails or you dont have any salt etc you can just bypass it in seconds. After a bit of experimenting with settings and testing g the water with test strips I eventually got it working just right. It will take any salt it seems and I get big bags from Costco for not a lot. I reckon we get through no more than 4 25kg bags of salt a year.
The difference softner water has had is amazing. We had a new kitchen and bathroom installed at the time the softner was installed. It’s really noticeable the difference it gas made. No timescale in the toilets or on the shower heads. Even the shower screens have none. It’s made keeping the bathrooms clean so much easier.
Well worth the money espe ially at this bargain price compared with others. Dont be put off by the cheap price when comparing to the expensive ones, they all do the same thing, I looked into it loads before buying one.
The unit isn’t small and you need a bit of room for pipework and a power supply. As we were having a new kitchen I was able to design in a space for it.
You also need a couple of waste pipes off it. I plumbed one straight into the kitchen waste with a non return valve. If you do this without the valve you risk contamination of the water in the softner. In the instructions it doesn’t mention you can do this but we have with any issues to date.
The hoses required to connect it may be an issue but I just took the connectors to a proper plumbers merchant and they supplied the braided hoses I needed.
This product really works I’m really pleased with it. it starts to dissolve lime scale straight away. The unit is bigger than I thought it would be and needs a bit of space but is well worth the money.
Unfortunately this product I received was faulty but I’ve given the product 5 star reviews because of the aftercare received by water2buy. They done everything in there power to get the water softener working and need I problem speaking to there technical team. Will be using them again.
This was a replacement for an old softener under our sink. It’s a large and heavy machine, and we had great difficulty fitting it into the space and had to remove the floor of the cupboard and some of the back panel to give enough depth and room for it, even without its green plastic cover. This would not fit in the space and would not have been removable even if we had got it in as it covers the whole top of the machine, not just the part where you add the salt. We now use just the white plastic cover over the top of the refill space and have no use for the green top.
We bought the accompanying kit of hoses and various fasteners, but found the hoses were too stiff and thick and heavy to go in the space behind the machine, so we re-used our old plastic ones from the previous machine, which are thinner and more flexible than the lines in the kit. This worked OK, but we felt that the price for the kit was high since we really only used the jubilee clips and one or two other small items and are left with two useless and expensive hoses. Would advise you to try your old hoses, if you have them, or buy new bendy ones and a few bits and pieces of connectors and clips as you find you need them.
Once eventually up and running, it works well. Water hardness test strips show we have softened water throughout, and it uses less salt than our old model. It recharges automatically when necessary, so no need to set it to holiday mode when you go away and no water is being used.
All in all, a good buy if you have the skills and strength to instal it yourself. The online videos which come with the pack are very helpful.
This was a replacement for an old softener under our sink. It’s a large and heavy machine, and we had great difficulty fitting it into the space and had to remove the floor of the cupboard and some of the back panel to give enough depth and room for it, even without its green plastic cover. This would not fit in the space and would not have been removable even if we had got it in as it covers the whole top of the machine, not just the part where you add the salt. We now use just the white plastic cover over the top of the refill space and have no use for the green top.
We bought the accompanying kit of hoses and various fasteners, but found the hoses were too stiff and thick and heavy to go in the space behind the machine, so we re-used our old plastic ones from the previous machine, which are thinner and more flexible than the lines in the kit. This worked OK, but we felt that the price for the kit was high since we really only used the jubilee clips and one or two other small items and are left with two useless and expensive hoses. Would advise you to try your old hoses, if you have them, or buy new bendy ones and a few bits and pieces of connectors and clips as you find you need them.
Once eventually up and running, it works well. Water hardness test strips show we have softened water throughout, and it uses less salt than our old model. It recharges automatically when necessary, so no need to set it to holiday mode when you go away and no water is being used.
All in all, a good buy if you have the skills and strength to instal it yourself. The online videos which come with the pack are very helpful.
Does a great job although the phone app is difficult to set up for us old gits.
Best value unit I found for the UK. My plumber found the installation process reasonably easy. Water softener systems works wonderfully.
Guided by youtube video,it is very easy to install and setting are straight forward,quick and effective response,the price was much cheaper than the other brands.
Compact domestic water softener. It fits well in a kitchen cupboard, is easy to plumb (you will need a basic understanding of plumbing but push fit connectors make it simple enough) and produces consistently soft water – just add salt. Very pleased with my purchase.
Arrived promptly, needed hoses and fittings but got them from Toolstation. Fitted it myself, I’m a DIYer. I left the settings on default and tested the water before and a couple of weeks after fitting and the hardness went from over 300ppm to about 70ppm, according to the kit anything under 100ppm is acceptable. Seems to work well.
Seems to be working great, have noticed a big improvement to limescale deposits on all our appliances and showers after just a few weeks. Doesn’t use much salt
One drawback is the severe lack of documentation and support available online. And the setup documentation gets very vague once everything is plugged in. I assumed I needed to turn the dial to another setting other than Service to get it going, but aparantley not, it just works once setup is complete.
It was easy enough to setup, but it felt very rough and ready compared to other brands.
Excellent value for money and would definitely buy again now I know how it all works
Device was easy to install. However had to spent 80 more to adjust plumbing, buying pipes, connectors and etc.
So far – water is really soft. This is really noticeable on shower screens (lack of any lime scale) as well as on chrome surfaces.
Using it for a month now and completely happy.
I have been using this softener for over a year and it is excellent product with ease of installation. It works extremely well with efficient use of salt. Very satisfied with water2buy softener.
Having soft water in the house is amazing. Bathroom and esp taps stay cleaner, washing machine looks and smells cleaner using let cleaning products. Well worth the money
Using the W2B200 model for softening water in a 2 bedroom flat (single person occupancy) in a very hard water area.
Importantly I wanted it up and running for a month or so before my new kitchen and bathroom are fitted so with luck it will clear some of the existing scale prior to the new shower screens being fitted. I used a professional plumber to carry out the installation as it’s currently not in it’s final location. Any slight hitches he encountered were due to the fit position and not the design or instructions.
The great news is that I enjoyed fantastic results with my drinking water within a matter of hours and two of my neighbours are seriously considering the system themselves. Real credit goes to the company for their telephone support. No problem getting through to them on two occasions and they are extremely helpful and patient!
So far fantastic all round. Well done guys!
Two tanks are nonsense, this is what all I need. Just a little bit difficult to install a bypass system. I hope this can be included into the intallsion kit.
Excellent product, first softener I’ve bought but was simple to install and operating well so far, will be able to comment on salt usage once it’s been in use for a few months.
I bought this to replace a 50 year old Permutit water softener, I hope this lasts as long! I decided on the metered version instead of a clock driven softener as our water use is erratic. Very pleased with it, easy to fit, the water is definitely softer than the old Permutit did AND it uses significantly LESS salt. My only disappointment is that the green top cover has to be placed over and down, buy I don’t have enough space above the softener to put the top over it, so I have to use it without the top cover. (Nice point about the Permutit – the cover slid on so I didn’t need the extra space above it. Perhaps an the next version W2B could think about doing that.)
Only problem to dislike is the installation information which is quite vague, a bit more thought needed!!!