Performance Review

The Clack® WS1CH metered valve. There's a lot to say about this small yet robust piece of equipment. It's not perfect, but it's pretty incredible. Today, we're going full on performance review, going over the pros and cons of this little workhorse.

First, the PROS:

1. Reliability. We've thrown just about everything you can at this bad boy and it just keeps working. Like all water filtration equipment, it has its wear and tear items, but as we'll touch on in the next paragraph, it's extremely serviceable - which is why it still performs over 20+ years in the field!

2. Serviceability. Every single replacement part on the unit is readily available, and replacing standard wear and tear items is very manageable. Unlike many other valves on the market, people can actually work on this one, with minimal tools required.

3. Quality. We've assembled and deconstructed thousands of valves over the years, and the WS1 is, by far, the most impressive. Water can be very aggressive and tough on, well, everything it comes in constant contact with. Where other valves often fail, this one picks up the slack and, again, it just keeps working.

4. Functions. The WS1CH, specifically, comes outfitted with a computer board capable of optimizing and customizing the valve's performance. Water metering is a valuable tool that allows us to track water usage and flow rates. There are many powerful softening and filtering settings that allow us to program the valve efficiently, tailored to each system's specifications.

5. Cost. It's true, water filtration can get expensive, and we don't consider this valve cheap, by any means. We chose the WS1 over hundreds of other valves with longevity in mind. Over time, the valve pays for itself. The up-front cost for quality means savings in the long run. We've compared costs of equipment in the industry, from cheapest to most expensive, tested and documented their performance, analyzed the data, and the results are undeniable. The WS1 is the best bang for your buck, in our professional opinion.

Now, the CONS:

1. The clock. Yes, the "hit or miss" clock on these things. So many times, a power blip or "brown out" will knock the time off, despite having a battery backup. In fact, we've seen it happen way too often and, chances are, you have too. The solution, at this point, is to check the time on each valve routinely, to make sure it's set correctly, to the current time of day. For instructions on setting the time, see our step-by-step troubleshooting page here. Hopefully, Clack® will figure out a way to store the time function in solid state like the rest of the settings.

2. WIFI Board Cost. A WIFI-capable computer board is available, but the cost is much higher on the WS1 valve than other less superior valves offered by other brands. To upgrade to a WIFI capable board, there ends up being the cost of the board itself and a yearly subscription cost thereafter. Many Clack® competitors do not require a subscription, which is the downside of the WS1, as it stands currently.

There are lots and lots of water filtration equipment options out there, boasting more and more capabilities. We have our finger on the pulse and a lot of interest in providing our customers with the very best, considering every factor. Our customers can rest assured knowing we do the research, testing, analyzing, and make recommendations based on our understanding of your water and equipment available. If you're doing your own research and have landed here, we encourage you to take advantage of our free water testing and bring a sample to our Asheville office (see collection instructions here). We're available to answer any questions you may have and we're happy to help! Let's get your water quality where it should be, today!