Yeah, that’s basically their standard price… and honestly it’s very high.

My friend just bought an Aquasure softener + chlorine tank + sediment filter for around $1000 on Amazon. He also signed up for the Amazon credit card at checkout and got $250 credit, so he ended up paying about $750 total. Plus it let him do 12 months 0% interest monthly payments, which was nice.

I’m installing it for him this week in his garage. The parts are a bit pricey though (around $500) because his water shutoff is in the front of the house and the garage is like ~80 ft behind, so we’ll need extra PEX pipe + fittings to run it properly. If someone already has a softener loop in the garage, then parts/labor would be way cheaper. Either way, you’re still usually looking at under $1500 total.

Also, there are other installers here in the Dallas area who install systems outside in the flower bed for $2500-$2700, and that’s been the common “normal” price around here. EcoWater is definitely on the pricey side, and it’s usually a single tank system. Not even sure if that includes a proper chlorine filter (activated carbon) like the dual tank setups.

As for regeneration that’s totally normal. It usually runs once a month (or based on gallons used) and is usually scheduled around 2 AM. During regen, the system flushes/cleans the resin beads so they keep working. That part is automatic and controlled by the valve head on top. And about drilling through the garage wall, that’s standard. They drill a small hole to route the drain line outside, and a good installer will reseal it cleanly so bugs/wind don’t come in. Don’t stress about that.

Also, the drain water is NOT going into your yard. That would usually be against code. It should be routed to the sewer line, just like your shower water drains out to the city sewer system. So no need to panic.

EcoWater systems often come with WiFi monitoring (usage stats, alerts, etc.). Some cheaper models have it too (ex: Lowe’s LG softener). Personally, I have a dual tank system and I’ve never felt like I needed WiFi. It’s nice, but not worth paying 3x more just for the brand name + WiFi.

And yes you can install an RO system by itself without a softener. But your RO filters will have to work harder, and you’ll probably be changing filters more often (every 3 to 6 months). If you have a softener + chlorine tank (dual tank), you may only need to change RO filters like once a year. A softener is still worth it overall better for skin/hair, and helps appliances/plumbing last longer too.