Frequently Asked Questions

It replaces the job a softener does, but not the way a softener does it. Traditional softeners use salt and an ion-exchange process that strips calcium and magnesium out of your water and swaps them for sodium — which is why you're hauling bags every month. WaterCrest instead neutralizes the hardness minerals so they stop forming scale, without removing them from the water and without using any salt. No bags, no brine tank, no regeneration cycle.

Most softeners fail because they're mechanical: they rely on moving parts, electricity, and a regeneration cycle to keep working. WaterCrest has none of that — no electricity, no moving parts, no chemicals. It's covered by a warranty on materials and workmanship for as long as you own the system, and that warranty transfers to the next owner if you sell your home. There's also a one-year, 100% performance guarantee after installation.

Yes — that's exactly what it's built for. WaterCrest treats for chlorine, chloramines, and the compounds that cause bad taste and odor, alongside bacteria, viruses, cysts, metals, and pharmaceuticals. The result is described in Hanish Water's own materials as better-than-bottled-water quality, at every tap in the house — not just the kitchen sink.

That's the intent — Hanish Water's own product materials describe the output as better-than-bottled-water quality at every tap, which is why the company positions WaterCrest as eliminating the need to buy bottled water at all.

The key difference from reverse osmosis (RO) systems is mineral retention. RO strips out essentially everything, including the calcium and magnesium your body actually needs, and produces water that's acidic enough that plumbers run RO discharge lines in plastic instead of copper because it corrodes metal pipe. WaterCrest's process removes contaminants (bacteria, viruses, cysts, metals, pharmaceuticals, endotoxins, DNA) while intentionally leaving the healthy minerals in.

Hanish Water's under-counter and countertop systems are specifically marketed toward households with weakened immune systems, Lyme disease, pregnant or nursing mothers, and families with young children. Independent third-party testing (the Water Quality Association) found the under-counter cartridge reduces cysts — organisms like Cryptosporidium and Giardia — by at least 99.97%. The filter media across Hanish Water's product line is tested and certified to NSF/ANSI Standards 42, 53, and 61 for drinking water treatment and components.

Two ways, directly from the product specs: it runs on no electricity, and it wastes no water. Conventional salt-based softeners periodically backwash — flushing salt-laden water down the drain and into the septic system or municipal wastewater stream — and many also draw electricity to run that regeneration cycle. WaterCrest does neither. It's also worth noting on the personal side: eliminating single-use bottled water is itself a smaller environmental footprint.

It depends on what you're solving for. WaterCrest is the whole-house (point-of-entry) system — it treats every tap, shower, and appliance in the home. The UTC (under-counter) and CTS (countertop) systems are point-of-use: they treat water at a single sink, which is a lower-cost way to get drinking-and-cooking-water quality if you're not ready for a whole-house install, or if you're outfitting a rental, condo, or vacation property.

For the whole-house WaterCrest system, the warranty terms allow installation by the homeowner or by an authorized technician, provided it's done to local plumbing code — most buyers still opt for a professional install given the scope of a whole-house line tie-in. The under-counter (UTC) system is designed for quick setup by a certified plumber of your choice and comes with the connections and valves needed. The countertop (CTS) system needs no plumber at all — it connects to your existing faucet with an included hose and diverter valve and sits on the counter.

The WaterCrest system itself is warranted against defects in materials and workmanship for as long as you own it, and that coverage transfers if you sell the home. On top of the standard warranty, Hanish Water backs new installations with a one-year, 100% performance guarantee. (Note: warranty coverage requires the system be installed and operated per code, on an approved water supply, within stated pressure and temperature limits — full conditions are in the warranty documentation provided at purchase.)

It depends on the system. The whole-house WaterCrest's pre-filter is rated to operate at peak efficiency for up to two years between change-outs. The under-counter and countertop systems use a cartridge rated for about 20,000 gallons, or roughly one year of normal household use — and for the under-counter system, annual replacement is what keeps the lifetime warranty in effect. Replacement cartridges for the countertop/under-counter systems run in the $89–$199 retail range depending on cartridge type; whole-house cartridge pricing varies by component ($231–$453 retail per part, per current price list).

Contact Hanish Water directly with your model number, serial number, and installation date on hand — these are required for any warranty claim. Defective parts are inspected before a warranty adjustment is finalized, and approved replacement parts are shipped at no cost to you (excluding shipping/duty fees and any local labor to install them).

When a customer begins to notice a pressure drop, or smell chlorine, or notice more spotting than normal, then its time to re-order from the website. Call us first so we can help you determine which cartridges to purchase.