Do I need a water softener, a filter, or both?

They solve different problems, and most Southeast Michigan homes need some of each. A softener removes the dissolved calcium and magnesium that cause scale, spotting, and stiff laundry. A filter removes things you do not want to drink or bathe in — chlorine, iron, sulfur, VOCs, PFAS. A water test tells us which of those you actually have, and we size the system to the result instead of selling you a package.

How do I know what is actually in my water?

We test it. That is the first step on every water treatment job, and it is what separates a system that fixes your problem from one that is merely expensive. The test tells us hardness in grains per gallon, iron and manganese levels, pH, and whether you need to look harder at contaminants like PFAS. Call (248) 486-6100 to schedule one.

Should I be worried about PFAS in South Lyon?

It is worth testing for, particularly on a private well. Michigan regulates seven PFAS compounds in public drinking water — among the strictest limits in the United States — but those rules cover roughly 2,700 public supplies and not private residential wells. If you are on a well, the only way to know is to test. If PFAS is present, treatment can be done at the point of entry for the whole house, at the drinking water tap, or both.

Is RainSoft equipment worth it compared to a big-box softener?

The equipment differs in ways that show up over years rather than weeks — demand-based regeneration instead of a timer, app monitoring, and a control valve built to last. But the larger difference is the install. A water treatment system that is not sized to your actual water test and plumbed correctly will underperform no matter whose name is on it. We test, size, install, and service the system ourselves.

Can CleanStart really wash clothes without detergent?

It greatly reduces, and often eliminates, the need for detergent, fabric softener, and bleach. The system injects ozone into the cold water feeding your washer; ozone is a strong natural disinfectant that cleans the fabric and then reverts to plain oxygen. It works with every washer type, runs on cold water, and uses less electricity than a 40-watt bulb.

Do you service water treatment systems you did not install?

Yes. We service RainSoft equipment and other brands across South Lyon and Southeast Michigan — the same way we repair every brand of furnace, not only what we sell. Call (248) 486-6100 and we will tell you honestly whether your existing system is worth servicing or worth replacing.

RainSoft Water Treatment

RainSoft Water Conditioning & Whole-Home Filtration

Hard water, iron staining, chlorine taste, PFAS — Southeast Michigan homes deal with all of it, and each one needs a different answer. Heinanen Engineering tests your water, tells you what is actually in it, and installs the RainSoft system sized to that result. Same local family-owned team that has handled heating and cooling here for more than 20 years.

Start with a water test, not a product

There is no single system that fixes every water problem, and anyone who leads with a product before testing your water is guessing. A softener will not remove PFAS. A carbon filter will not stop scale. An iron filter will not help a home whose real problem is chlorine. We test first — hardness, iron, manganese, pH, and where it matters, PFAS — and then build the system around what the test says.

Most homes here need a combination: conditioning for hardness, filtration for what the municipal supply or the well brings with it, and a reverse osmosis unit at the kitchen tap for drinking and cooking. The seven RainSoft systems below are the components we build those combinations from.

PFAS compounds regulated in Michigan

Michigan set enforceable maximum contaminant levels for seven PFAS compounds in 2020 — among the strictest and broadest standards in the country. PFOA is limited to 8 parts per trillion and PFOS to 16 ppt.

~2,700

Public water supplies those rules cover

Michigan’s PFAS standards apply to roughly 2,700 public drinking water supplies. Private residential wells are not covered by that testing requirement — if you are on a well, no one is testing your water but you.

10.5+

Grains per gallon = “very hard” water

The USGS classifies water above 180 mg/L — about 10.5 grains per gallon — as very hard. Southeast Michigan groundwater moves through limestone and dolomite, picking up the calcium and magnesium that puts much of the area in the hard to very hard range.

Sources: Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (PFAS maximum contaminant levels, 2020); U.S. Geological Survey water-hardness classification.

The Equipment

RainSoft systems we install and service

Seven systems covering conditioning, whole-house filtration, iron and sulfur removal, drinking water, PFAS reduction, and laundry. Most homes use two or three of them together.

Water ConditionerEC5 100 V

EC5 Series Water Conditioner

Softens hard water for the whole house

The EC5 is RainSoft’s flagship water conditioner — the unit that solves hard water at the point it enters your home. Water passes through a bed of conditioning resin that pulls out the dissolved calcium and magnesium responsible for scale, spotting, stiff laundry, and soap that will not lather. Everything downstream of it, from your water heater to your shower valves, sees soft water instead.

Regenerates based on the water your household actually uses, not a fixed timer — which conserves salt, water, and electricity
Wi-Fi connected through the RainSoft REMIND® app (iOS and Android) for salt-level monitoring and service alerts
Six-line LCD display shows system data on demand
Runs on DC power, drawing less electricity than AC-based competitors
Resumes and completes an interrupted regeneration automatically after a power outage

EC5–FLT 100 H LINKEDWhole-House Filtration

Whole-House FiltrationEC5–FLT 100 H LINKED

EC5 Series Whole-House Filter (Linked)

Filtration and conditioning working as one system

A whole-house filter built on the same EC5 control platform as the conditioner and “linked” to it, so the two units coordinate their regeneration cycles instead of competing for water. That coordination matters in practice: linked units will not both go into a cycle at once, so you keep pressure and capacity when the household needs it. Filtration ahead of the conditioner also protects the conditioning resin, extending the life of the more expensive unit.

Shares the EC5 control platform — one interface and one app for both units
Linked operation coordinates cycles so filtration and conditioning do not overlap
Pre-filtering the water feeding the conditioner extends the life of its resin bed
Sized and configured to your water test rather than sold as a one-size unit

EC5 OXYTECH 150 MMIron, Sulfur & Manganese

Iron, Sulfur & ManganeseEC5 OXYTECH 150 MM

EC5 OxyTech Filtration System

For rust stains and rotten-egg odor

OxyTech targets the three contaminants behind the most recognizable well-water complaints in Michigan: iron, which leaves rust-colored staining on fixtures and laundry; sulfur, which produces the rotten-egg smell; and manganese, which contributes dark staining of its own. It is a chemical-free system — it uses a blend of four filter minerals, each with its own filtering characteristic, rather than dosing your water with anything.

Removes iron, sulfur, and manganese — the usual causes of staining and odor on private wells
Chemical-free operation using a blend of four filter minerals
Automatic regeneration with power-outage recovery
Monitored through the RainSoft REMIND® app with a maintenance alarm
Interactive LCD screen showing system status

RainSoft notes the EC5 OxyTech is not registered in California for health claims and is not certified in Wisconsin for hydrogen sulfide removal. Neither restriction affects Michigan installations.

RainSoft Ultrefiner Elite premium drinking water system — under-sink reverse osmosis filter manifold and storage tank

Reverse Osmosis · Drinking WaterULTREFINER ELITE

Ultrefiner Elite Drinking Water System

Certified drinking water at the kitchen tap

The Ultrefiner Elite is the drinking-water half of the system — an under-sink reverse osmosis unit that delivers to its own dedicated faucet. Water moves through a pre-filter that reduces particles and chlorine taste and odor, then through a spiral-wound semi-permeable RO membrane, into a storage tank, and through a post-filter on the way to the tap. It is the unit that replaces bottled water for drinking, cooking, coffee, and ice.

Tested and certified by independent laboratories to NSF/ANSI Standards 42, 53, 58, and 401
Certified to reduce total PFAS, lead, microplastics, chlorine, chloramine, and pharmaceutical contaminants such as ibuprofen
Three-stage multistage filtration with a spiral-wound RO membrane
Dedicated lead-free faucet in chrome, brushed nickel, or matte black
Cartridge replacement is straightforward — no specialty tools

QRS 1044 SH EPAWhole-House Carbon

Whole-House CarbonQRS 1044 SH EPA

QRS Whole-House Carbon Filtration

Chlorine taste, odor, and VOCs — at every tap

The QRS carbon filter handles what municipal treatment leaves behind: chlorine taste and odor, volatile organic compounds, and other chemicals common in treated tap water. It is normally installed ahead of the water conditioner, which is a deliberate sequence rather than a convenience — the carbon filter feeds the conditioner very clean water, so the two units work together and the conditioner lasts longer.

Reduces chlorine taste and odor throughout the house, not just at one tap
Reduces volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other chemicals found in treated water
Installed upstream of the conditioner so it protects the conditioning resin
Whole-house coverage — showers and laundry included, not only drinking water

TC–FLT 100 ASPFAS Reduction

PFAS ReductionTC–FLT 100 AS

Whole-House PFAS Reduction Filter

Built for Michigan’s PFAS problem

PFAS — the “forever chemicals” — are the water-quality issue Michigan has moved on more aggressively than almost any other state. This unit is the whole-house answer: PFAS-reduction media treating the water at the point of entry, so the protection covers showering and bathing rather than only the kitchen tap. It pairs with the Ultrefiner Elite, which adds a second certified PFAS barrier at the drinking-water faucet.

Point-of-entry treatment — covers every fixture in the house, not just drinking water
Targets the PFAS compounds Michigan regulates, including PFOA and PFOS
Commonly paired with the Ultrefiner Elite for a second certified barrier at the tap
Recommended after a water test confirms which compounds are present and at what level

Laundry SystemCLEANSTART

CleanStart Laundry System

Cold-water laundry, little to no detergent

CleanStart is the one product here most people have never seen before. A compact unit mounts behind the washing machine and connects to the cold-water hose. When a wash cycle starts, a flow switch activates the unit and injects a controlled amount of ozone into the incoming cold water. The ozone folds into the fabric as the load agitates, cleaning and disinfecting — then reverts to ordinary oxygen, leaving nothing behind.

Greatly reduces, and often eliminates, the need for detergent, softener, and bleach
Works in cold water — the water heating step is simply not needed
Draws less electricity than a 40-watt light bulb
Compatible with every washer type: top loaders, front loaders, and high-efficiency models
Ozone is a powerful natural disinfectant that reverts to oxygen after the wash

How the process works

Free water test

We come out, test your water, and give you the numbers — whether or not you buy anything from us. Call (248) 486-6100 to schedule.

1. We test your water

Hardness in grains per gallon, iron, manganese, pH, and the contaminants worth checking for your specific supply. On a private well this matters more, because no public agency is testing it for you.

2. We size the system to the result

The test determines which units you need and how they are sequenced — carbon ahead of the conditioner, iron removal before both, reverse osmosis at the kitchen tap. Sequence and sizing are what make a system work; getting them wrong is why some systems underperform from day one.

3. We install and plumb it correctly

Our own technicians install it — the same crew that handles our heating, cooling, and water heater work. Correct plumbing, drain, and bypass are not optional details; they determine whether the system delivers what it is rated for.

4. We service it after the sale

Salt, cartridge changes, media replacement, and troubleshooting. We service RainSoft equipment and other brands, including systems we did not install.

Water treatment systems qualify for financing through the Michigan Saves Home Energy Loan Program — we have been an authorized contractor since 2011. See financing options.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about water conditioning and filtration in Southeast Michigan.

Ready to Get Comfortable?

Call Heinanen Engineering for fast, fair, family-owned service across South Lyon and Southeast Michigan. Same-day and emergency appointments available.