The Best Marine Water Softener is not only for boats. In fact, it is really a portable water softener and can be hooked up to boats, RVs, and mobile homes. It is a portable unit that cleans and purifies your water when on the go. Purifying the water before it enters your vehicle’s pipes will keep the pipes clean and clear from any scale or mineral deposits. This can be very important, as it is costly should your pipes get compromised from bad water.
It is designed to be transported easily and doesn’t take up much space. Because it is designed to be on a boat or RV is doesn’t require electricity. This makes it incredibly easy to use no matter where you are. You simply have to hook it up to the waterline, which is typically a hose.
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Top 5 Best Marine Water Softeners For Sale
Now that you know why you should have a water softener for your boat, it’s time for us to review several of them for you. Here is our list of the top 5 best marine water softeners followed by a brief review of each. Later in this article, we will discuss in more depth what important qualities to look for when selecting one for your vessel.
- On The Go OTG4-DBLSOFT-Portable 16,000 Grain RV Water Softener
- Watts Water Quality/Condition M7002 Flow-Pur RV-Pro 10,000 Water Softener
- PRO+AQUA Portable RV Water Softener
- Mobile-Soft-Water Portable 16,000 Grain Water Softener
- On The Go OTG3NTP3M Portable Water Softener
Best Marine Water Softener Reviews
*Our Top Choice*
1. On The Go OTG4-DBLSOFT-Portable 16,000 Grain RV Water Softener
 | On The Go OTG4-DBLSOFT-Portable 16,000 Grain RV Water Softener Review Pros: – 16,000 grain – Requires no tools or electricity – 40% more soft water than any other unit Cons: – none |
The On The Go OTG4-DBLSOFT-Portable 16,000 Grain RV Water Softener can soften water for up to 40 days. It has a total output of 1600 gallons and will regenerate in less than 30 minutes. This Marine Water Softener only requires 2 boxes of table salt to operate properly. It has a very compact design and produces 40% more soft water than many other models, which is how it got on our list.
It is important that you find a water softener that will work for your application. This one has a 360° handle that makes it easy to move around. It required no electricity to operate as well as no tools to hook up.
Best Value
2. Watts Water Quality/Condition M7002 Flow-Pur RV-Pro 10,000 Water Softener
 | Watts Water Quality/Condition M7002 Flow-Pur RV-Pro 10,000 Water Softener Review Pros: – Custom designed flow valves – Uses common table salt – High flow rates Cons: – Some fittings may have short lifespan |
The Watts Water Quality/Condition M7002 Flow-Pur RV-Pro 10,000 Water Softener is another option for the Best Marine Water Softener. It has a 4 GPM output, however, the faucet of an RV is only at 1GPM. So, it has no problems keeping up with demand. It will require 2 pounds of table salt per regeneration process which a lot more than the previous option. It doesn’t require any electricity and has a separate drain which allows regeneration to happen successfully while it is still hooked up to the system.
The Watts M7002 is built in the US and made to last. The main con of this machine is that the Y valve is in a place that many want to grab to move it. This will cause it to break, so just be aware of that.
16,000 Grains
3. PRO+AQUA Portable RV Water Softener
 | PRO+AQUA Portable RV Water Softener Review Pros: – 16,000 grains – Regenerates in under 30 minutes – Built with high-grade NSF materials Cons: – Some people may find it difficult to install |
The PRO+AQUA Portable RV Water Softener has a pressure of 5GPM, which again, most boats and RVs have a 1GPM water output, so this will have no problem keeping up with demand. Some of the features are that it has a premium value, uses only 2 boxes of table salt, and can regenerate in 30 minutes.
This is a very compact unit and it measures about 10″ x 19.5″ in size. It can provide up to 40 days of soft water, approximately, or 2000 gallons before needing to be regenerated. However, this is really dependant on how much water you use as well as how hard that water actually is and what contaminates it is taking out.
As with all of these Marine Water Softeners, you will have to have a filter for this water to be drinkable. This unit will arrive ready to go but will require regeneration after some use.
16,000 Grains
4. Mobile-Soft-Water Portable 16,000 Grain Water Softener
 | Mobile-Soft-Water Portable 16,000 Grain Water Softener Review Pros: – 16,000 grains – Lead-free water connections Cons: – Reports of input hose connector not being included |
The Mobile-Soft-Water Portable 16,000 Grain Water Softener comes with a heavy-duty tank and is compact at 9.2″ x 21.6″. This makes it perfect for those with less space.
It is equipped with nylon fittings that don’t require any tools to set up. The tank has been approved by NSF and is lead-free. It is said that it not only removes minerals in the water but also contaminates. It can clean up to 1600 from a charge and then will need to be regenerated. It too can produce 5 GPM, which means it will have no problems keeping up with demand.
Like most portable marine water softeners, it doesn’t need electricity to run properly. It has a capacity of 1600 gallons before needing to regenerate. It comes with test strips that you can use to test the hardness of the water both before and after.
8,000 Grains
5. On The Go OTG3NTP3M Portable Water Softener
 | On The Go OTG3NTP3M Portable Water Softener Review Pros: – 8,000 grains – Super-compact design Cons: – Cannot condition as much water as larger units |
The On The Go OTG3NTP3M Portable Water Softener has a large mouth that makes adding salt easier than some of the other units. It comes with a 4′ drinking hose and regenerates with only 1 box of common table salt in only 15 minutes. This water softener can last up to an average of 20 days of use, depending of course on the amount of use and the hardness of the water.
Softened water is great for the pipes of your boat, RV, or camper. They clean and purify the water so that you will not get rust stains as well. Its tank is about 19.5″ x 7.3″ making it nice and portable.
Best Marine Water Softener Buyer’s Guide
When thinking about buying a marine water softener for your boat, you should be aware of several key factors. These include the size of the unit, the regeneration time, the grains or capacity, and the maintenance & warranty of the softener.
Size
The size is very important as you are going to be taking this portable water softener with you on your boat. Just like RV’s, boats have only a limited amount of space, which must be used wisely. You also don’t want something that is large and awkward to try to get on and off the boat at the docks. Because of this, you need to pay attention to the size.
Regeneration Time
Typically, a home water softener takes between 85-90 minutes to its complete regeneration cycle. Regeneration is when the water softener cleans and softens the water via a medium and chemical reaction that removes the unwanted and dissolved minerals from the water.
Marine water softeners are much smaller, so the regeneration time is much less. Typically between 30-45 minutes. This is great as it means that you will have less time to wait, should you be waiting for soft water to take a shower or wash some dishes.
Grains (Capacity)
The way to determine what grains you will need is how much salt it will use to the cubic feet of resin. Grains is one the more confusing part of purchasing a water softener but manufacturers do usually put the output of the softener out there for you.
How much salt is used and how often the regeneration process needs to be will tell you the efficiency of that machine. Typically, the harder your water and/or the more water you use, the higher the grain capacity you should get. You can check out this guide to get a better understanding of water softener grain capacity.
Maintenance & Warranty
Luckily, water softeners tend to be very low maintenance products. Most of them you can simply set them and let them run automatically. That being said, there is minor maintenance to be done, such as adding salt and changing filters.
The warranty should also be considered, as you want to know that your softener is protected, should there ever be an issue.
Conclusion
While many campers and boaters love their Marine Water Softener, it can also be used in a home as a backup water softener. Not only are you saving your pipes with soft water, but you can also know that you are washing clean water as well. This is a great investment for anyone that loves camping and boating and is a great investment for saving your pipes.
They operate the same way that your home water purification system works through ion exchange. Most of the time they arrive ready to go. However, you might need to add salt and allow it to go through the regeneration cycles before using it. This will depend on the model.
The best marine water softeners come with hose connectors, however, you should keep some Teflon tape handy to prevent leaking. Most connect directly to a hose without the need for tools.
We hope that our reviews have made it easy for you to purchase your new boat water softener.
Last update on 2021-10-18 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
no.2 is great. I now have soft water in my car for a cleaner shower, sink, washing machine and toilet. I tried not wearing gloves to see how the water quality is and my hands are very soft. Very satisfied with it!
Thanks, Glen. We’re glad that you’re enjoying your Watts water softener. They really do make a huge difference.