thanks for the reply, they are both about 575 each, which to me is not very cheap, how much should a water softner of this size cost, and what brands would be recommended? Neighbor has the whirlpool, had it for about 4 years and he said it still works great, another neighbor that I talked to up the road has a system, not sure of the name brand, but I remember him saying it was around 2500 when he got it and a plumber services it for him, did not ask many questions about what he meant by service, but i think he meat when it needed the salt, etc. that was what he was referring to. How many years would you think one of the GE or Whirlpool units would last?