Morton M30 Water Softener Review : Are Morton Water Softeners Any Good?
If you are looking for water softeners, you might have come across the brand, Morton. Morton is one of the biggest brands when it comes to salt-based water softeners and in this review, we’ll be looking at one of their best water softener systems, the Morton System Saver M30 30,000-Grain Water Softener.
An Overview of the Morton Water Softeners
Before doing an in-depth review on the Morton System Saver 30,000-Grain Water Softener, let’s go through the general features of this Morton Water Softener.
The Morton System Saver is a whole house single-tank water softening system that connects to the main water pipe of your household. The purpose of this softening unit is to get rid of minerals that cause hard water and to replace those minerals with a little bit of salt. This process of replacing minerals with salt is also known as the ion exchange process.
With the Morton System Saver 30,000-Grain Water Softener, you can expect hard water issues such as dry skin, stained dishes and poor lathering with soap to reduce. Additionally, it can also remove the present limescale on your appliances and plumbing. Without any substances to increase water hardness, it will also prevent the formation of any new scale.
The Morton Water Softener is also meant to treat water with a water hardness of up to 96 grains per gallon, which makes it an incredibly powerful water softener. Using this softener system for well water and hard municipal water shouldn’t be a problem at all. With its flow rate of 7 gpm, it would be perfect for households with 4 people to use.
With the use of a demand initiated regeneration known as the “Look Ahead Technology“, the water softener, M30, is able to measure water usage and predict regeneration. As a result, it helps to reduce the use of salt and water waste by only regenerating when it’s needed.
Product Specifications
- Dimensions: 45” x 23” x 20”
- Weight: 80.4 lbs
- Salt storage tank capacity: 175 lbs
- Flow rate: 7 gallons per minute (GPM)
- 30,000 grain capacity
- Water pressure limits: 20 – 120 psi
- Maximum water supply hardness: 95 grains per gallon (GPG)
- Maximum iron in clear water: 7 parts per million (PPM)
- 1-year warranty for parts
- 10-year warranty for tank
Features and Performance of the Morton M30
Look Ahead Technology
During the regeneration cycle, it is normal for salt-based water softeners to waste water. Unlike the typical water softeners, the Morton water softener is equipped with a smart “Look Ahead Technology” to reduce water waste. This technology also allows you to use it without cutting off water supply during the regeneration process.
The smart technology also measures your water usage and comes up with a prediction of when it will need to regenerate. This helps to reduce waste and also the frequency of salt top-ups. The M30 can also be configured to regenerate based on the schedule you set.
Easy to install
The Morton System Saver M30 30,000-Grain Water Softener is a unit that can be easily installed on your own and you don’t need to pay extra money to hire a plumber for the installation. The Morton System Saver comes with a kit that includes all the steps required for installation.
A DIY installation is very much possible as long as you follow the instructions that are included. Besides the instructions for installation, the kit also contains components like bolts, step-down conversion nuts, washers, connectors, clips, hose clamps and a bypass valve for you to install the unit on your own and to connect it to the copper plumbing. There is also a 20-feet drain pipe and a 120/24 volt AC adapter included.
10-year limited tank warranty & 1 year warranty for components
One of the best things about the Morton M30 is the long warranty period that Morton is giving. 10 years is a long time and it shows the confidence that Morton has for their product. If anything were to happen during that period, Morton will provide you with a replacement, giving you the peace of mind for a long time.
Removes iron
Some people would prefer to buy a filter specifically for iron but instead of making a purchase for it, you might want to consider the filtering capability of the M30 first. The Morton System Saver 30,000-Grain Water Softener has the capability to remove iron up to 7 parts per million (PPM), which prevents the water from causing rust issues.
Decent flow rate
The Morton System Saver M30 is providing a water flow of 7 gallons of water per minute, which is more than enough for a household with 3 to 4 people.
NSF certified
The Morton Water Softener has certification to Standard 44 for reducing water hardness level and efficiency. Additionally, it also meets Standard 372 for lead compliance.
8-hour power interruption protection
With this 8-hour protection, you can expect the meter to not reset even in the event of a power outage.
Easy to use
The Morton System Saver M30 is equipped with a control panel that is easy to use. The design of the control panel makes it easy to program and you can simply set the timer based on the hardness of the water in relation to the number of ions per gallon of water.
How To Install and Maintain the M30 Morton Water Softener?
Although the Morton Water Softener M30 has a compact design, which makes installation easier, this doesn’t mean that everyone can do it on their own even with the instructions given. Many buyers have reported that installing the M30 might have been a lot easier with the help of a plumber.
However, if you’re someone with a little bit of plumbing experience and is looking to start a new project, then this would be the best water softener to begin with.
If you would like to install the Morton System Saver 30,000-Grain Water Softener on your own, here are the steps you can follow:
- Find a location. Make sure that it’s not under direct sunlight or anywhere with freezing temperatures. It is recommended that you place it upstream of your water heater and near a drain and power supply.
- Shut off your main water supply and water heater.
- Open all the faucets in your home to drain the remaining water.
- Remove the top cover and the salt lid from the system and be sure to secure the brinewell and keep it vertical.
- Take the brine valve out from the brinewell and make sure the float stem and the stand tube are parallel with each other.
- Put the brine valve back to the bottom of the brinewell and place the cover.
- Install the elbow and overflow grommet.
- Place the softener at the preferred location and make sure it’s level.
- Use silicone grease to coat the O-rings on the bypass valve.
- Push the bypass valve as far in as possible to the softener and secure it with the included large holding clips.
- The inlet and outlet ports of the bypass valve should be connected to the main water pipe and make sure the hard water goes to the inlet side.
- Connect the drain line to the valve drain fitting to install the valve drain hose and secure it with a hose clamp.
- Run the drain hose to the floor drain while leaving an air gap.
- Connect the drain line to the tank’s overflow elbow for the installation of the salt storage tank overflow hose.
- The hose should run to the floor drain.
- Open a minimum of 2 cold water faucets near the softener and set the system to “bypass” mode.
- Turn on the water supply and wait for a steady flow from the faucets and make sure there are no air bubbles.
- Follow the manual instructions and put the softener into “service” mode.
- After 3 minutes, turn on a hot water faucet to let out the remaining air and close it.
- Turn off all cold water faucets.
- Check for leaks.
- Add approximately 3 gallons of water to the tank and fill it with softening salt.
- Plug in the power supply and place the top cover and salt lid.
- Before restarting the water heater, program the controller for sanitization of the unit.
The maintenance of the Morton Water Softener is rather simple. It is mostly refilling the salt and cleaning the tank. Since it is a salt-based water softener, it is essential that you keep track of the salt levels and refill when it’s necessary.
The manual has instructions to help you clean the tank and get rid of sediment or slime. The programming is incredibly simple as well, all you need to do is press the regeneration button and the system will begin to recharge immediately.
Information about Morton
The Morton salt-based softener M30 has a single tank and uses ion exchange to soften water. During ion exchange, the sodium ions from the salt will swap with ions from calcium and magnesium minerals as they pass through the resin in the tank. The calcium and magnesium will be trapped in the resin and the soft water will travel in your plumbing.
Soft water has its benefits including a fresher laundry and extending the life of your appliances. Additionally, the Morton softener can also remove iron but if your water has a much higher clear water iron content then we would recommend you to go for a separate iron filter.
You will like this product if:
You are a fan of its compact design. The Morton M30 softener has a compact size and a space-saving design that allows it to be placed almost anywhere, making it the best choice for anyone that lives in a small apartment and would prefer something compact.
You like the “Look Ahead Technology” that it uses. The “Look Ahead Technology” that M30 uses allows you to keep using the system even during its regeneration and the “Look Ahead Technology” measures your water usage to predict a suitable time for regeneration.
You are looking for a water softener at an affordable price. Water softeners cost differently based on their design, capacity and other factors and this model is definitely one of the most affordable models available on the market.
You want a softener that softens water with up to 95 grains of hardness. The maximum hardness that the Morton 30,000-Grain Water Softener M30 softens is 95 grains for every gallon and a 95 GPG is great for a product offered at its price.
You will not like this product if:
You prefer something that is easy to install for anyone. Although Morton has included a guide for the installation of this softener, the process is still far from simple to do it on your own.
You expect great customer service. Some customer reviews have stated that their service can be a hit or miss which isn’t ideal if they’re not giving a helpful guide during the installation.
You prefer something with higher than 30,000 grain capacity. The Morton 30,000-Grain Water Softener M30 has a decent grain capacity but there are others on the market that offer a higher capacity.
Should You Get The Morton System Saver M30?
To conclude this Morton Water Softener review, it is safe to say that the quality and technology of Morton water softeners are great. However, some people might lack confidence in Morton because of how recent they started making softeners.
Despite that, the pros demonstrated in this Morton water softener review definitely outweigh the cons and we believe it’s one of the best options you can get.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What are the common issues of a water softener?
There aren’t any major problems with a water softener other than the fact that it’s not ideal for anyone on a low sodium diet. To deal with this, you may go for a potassium chloride softener salt instead but it will definitely cost more than the regular sodium chloride salt.
Is the Morton Water Softener good?
Yes. The pros of this softener includes the use of an advanced technology to provide soft water, simple operation, on-demand regeneration process and has a design that helps you save space.
Are Morton water softeners worth it?
Morton water softeners are well-establish among other water systems on the market especially in relation to water softeners, water softener salts, and softening system accessories. The best Morton water softeners is the Morton M30 which is equipped with comprehensive features with the latest technology.
How long does a M30 water softener lasts?
Morton water softeners commonly have a life span of 15 years but an average period of 10 years which varies according to individuals. This is subjected to their usage, maintenance and cleaning as well.
