Kenmore Elite 520 Hybrid Review
Verdict: A softener with built-in self-cleaning carbon media, so one cabinet softens and reduces chlorine taste. It ranks #1 in our best whole house water softener and filtration system list.
Hands-on: used in our own household, recently installed, with long-term results to follow. Read our notes.
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| Max flow rate | 8 gpm* |
|---|---|
| Filtration | built-in self-cleaning carbon* |
| Warranty | 1 yr full, 3 yr electronics, 10 yr tank* |
| Grain capacity | 31,000 grains |
| Brine tank | 200 lb salt storage |
* From the seller's Amazon listing; not yet confirmed by the manufacturer.
Certification claims are shown only once the manufacturer's documentation confirms them.
Unmarked values come from Kenmore's own pages or manuals; values marked * come from the Amazon listing (ASIN B00JH3XXWI). Model 520.
Check price on Amazon ($900–$1,300)Hands-on notes: the Kenmore Elite 520 Hybrid in our own household
First-hand use by the site owner, recently installed, with long-term results to follow. A whole-house installation replacing a previous softener, self-installed by two of us using the existing hard-plumbed connections. These are personal observations, not lab measurements.
Delivery and condition
It arrived within two days in a sturdy box, undamaged and fully assembled, with nothing missing or needing to be put back together. That stood out because two Whirlpool softeners we had ordered earlier from another retailer each took about two weeks, arrived in flimsy, battered boxes, and were damaged and incompletely assembled, so both went back. The Kenmore looked noticeably better made out of the box.
Installation: check your existing plumbing first
A plumber quoted us about $400 to install it, including cutting the existing copper pipes and fitting flexible tubing. Before going ahead, we checked how the Kenmore would line up with our plumbing, and its connections matched the hard-plumbed lines left by the previous softener exactly, so no pipe cutting was needed.
Two of us installed it ourselves, following the instructions slowly, then programmed it. The whole job took a little over an hour with no leaks or complications. If you're replacing an existing softener, check the connection positions before booking a plumber; it may save you the bill.
Softening and filtration in one
We liked getting softening and whole-house filtration in one cabinet instead of two separate systems. Kenmore rates it at 31,000 grains with built-in, self-cleaning carbon for chlorine taste and odor; we haven't yet measured hardness reduction or taste ourselves.
Verdict so far
Very positive. It arrived in excellent condition, matched our existing plumbing, and we installed and programmed it in just over an hour without paying for a plumber. Build quality looks good. Long-term water quality, salt use and maintenance will be the real test, and we'll update this review.
More on drinking water: see our softener and filtration picks; for setup, our installation guide covers programming hardness.
What we didn't measure: incoming and softened-water hardness; drinking-water taste; salt use; filtration results over time. Test your own water before and after with a hardness test kit to confirm a softener is working.
Who the Kenmore Elite 520 Hybrid is for
City homes that want softer, better-tasting water without a second tank.
Who should skip it
Wells with heavy sediment or iron.
Pros
- One cabinet, two jobs
- Arrived well packed and fully assembled; we installed and programmed it in just over an hour
- Carbon media is self-cleaning: no filter changes, per the listing
- 1 in high-flow valve
Cons
- Smaller capacity than the two-tank combos
- Very low stock at research time
- 1-year full warranty
Our take
The hybrid design saves a whole filter housing. Kenmore's own page rates it at 31,000 grains with 200 lb of salt storage, so it suits small and mid-size households; larger families on very hard water should look at the two-tank Fleck combo.
Kenmore builds its cabinet softeners for compact installs: a 1 in valve keeps pressure up while the cabinet fits beside a water heater. The carbon media cleans itself during regeneration, so there's no cartridge to replace.
At 31,000 grains, a family of four on 12 gpg water would regenerate roughly every week; use the sizing table below before choosing it for a bigger household.
How it compares on paper
- Against the AFWFilters Fleck 48K + Upflow Carbon: less capacity (31,000 vs 48,000* grains) and a lower rated flow (8* vs 12* gpm).
- Against the GE Smart Softener with Filtration 30K: more capacity (31,000 vs 30,000* grains).
* Seller-listed value, not yet confirmed by the maker; unmarked values are from the manufacturer.
Kenmore Elite 520 Hybrid sizing at a glance
Using the 31,000-grain capacity, here is roughly how many days it runs between regenerations. At 12 gpg, a family of four would regenerate the Kenmore Elite 520 Hybrid about every 6 days, and two people on 18 gpg water about every 9 days; aim for 5–8.
| Household | 8 gpg | 12 gpg | 18 gpg | 25 gpg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 people | 20 | 13 | 9 | 6 |
| 4 people | 10 | 6 | 4 | 3 |
| 6 people | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
Spec score: 4.2/10 (provisional)
| Capacity | 1.5 / 3 — 31,000 grains (64,000 = full marks) |
|---|---|
| Flow | 1.6 / 3 — 8 gpm (15 gpm = full marks) |
| Iron handling | 0 / 1.5 — no iron limit stated |
| Value | 1.1 / 2.5 — price band $900-$1,300 |
Alternatives to the Kenmore Elite 520 Hybrid
- AFWFilters Fleck 48K + Upflow Carbon (#2): Serviceable two-stage setup.
- GE Smart Softener with Filtration 30K (#3): Smart alerts plus filtration.
- Aquasure Softener + RO Bundle (#4): Adds drinking-water RO.
See all our picks in the best water softener rankings, the top three on our best home water softener systems page, or every spec side by side in the water softener comparison table, or more from Kenmore. Not sure about size? Use the calculator in our water softener buying guide.
Before you buy: how a water softener works, what water softener installation involves, the full cost of running a softener and the maintenance it needs. On a private well? See our water softener for well water picks.