Kenmore Elite 520 Hybrid Water Softener & Whole House Filtration System | NSF Certified | Reduces Hard Water and Chlorine Taste & Odor in Your Home | Fully Programmable

Why I chose the Kenmore 520

Hard municipal water and noticeable chlorine taste pushed me to upgrade to a hybrid system that could handle both softening and whole-home filtration in one footprint. The Kenmore 520 stood out because of its NSF certification for reducing hardness, barium, radium, and chlorine taste and odor, plus its promise of truly hands-off filtration (no carbon cartridges to change) thanks to self-cleaning regeneration. On paper, it checks a lot of boxes for busy households that want better water without a maintenance routine.

After several months of use, I’m confident saying it does exactly what it claims—though the path to installation wasn’t as straightforward as I expected.

Installation and setup

The unit is compact but heavy; plan for a two-person move from pallet to install location. The single-cabinet design simplifies placement—just make sure you have access to a drain and a standard outlet. I plumbed it with 1-inch flexible connectors to the integrated bypass (highly recommended for service or emergencies) and routed both the main drain and brine overflow to an air-gapped drain.

A few practical notes from my setup:
- Attach the bypass to the valve head before you connect your plumbing. It’s easier to align and tighten.
- You can lift and tilt the top cover slightly (there are wires attached) to access the drain and brine connections—handy in tight spaces.
- Plan to cut and route the included drain line; there are two drain ports to manage (service drain and brine overflow). Make sure neither hose can kink.
- Do a manual regeneration right after programming to purge packing air and ensure the brine draw works correctly.

Programming is straightforward. You enter hardness (and iron if applicable), set the time, choose a regen time, and the system’s IntelliSoft logic handles the rest. I like that the display shows live flow, average daily consumption, and a salt level indicator. It gives a quick snapshot of household use and helps me spot abnormal water events.

If you’re replacing an older Kenmore, the experience is even smoother. The dimensions and plumbing orientation are familiar, and my existing bypass and drain setup mapped nicely to the new unit.

My only real gripe at this stage: the documentation is generic and glosses over model-specific steps. If you’re DIY-ing, watch a comprehensive install video first, lay out your parts, and double-check the drain routing before powering up. Once installed, though, it’s largely set-and-forget.

Water quality and performance

Before switching, my water tested at 17 gpg. After the 520 was online and through its first regeneration, I measured 1 gpg at multiple taps. That’s textbook soft, and the difference is immediate: less scale on fixtures, a lot less spotting on glassware, and laundry feels softer at lower detergent doses.

The built-in carbon media is effective. The chlorine edge in our tap water disappeared across the entire house—kitchen, showers, and even the hose bib I use for washing the car. Coffee and tea taste cleaner, and shower steam doesn’t carry that pool-like smell. If you’ve been juggling a separate softener and a whole-house carbon filter with cartridges, it’s refreshing not having to babysit another set of filters.

On iron: the spec sheet says it reduces clear-water iron up to 3 ppm. I’m on municipal water with intermittent iron around 0.5–1 ppm, and it handled staining well. If you’re on a well with higher iron or sulfur, plan on dedicated pre-treatment; the 520 is not a cure-all for heavy iron or rotten-egg odor.

Pressure and flow have been non-issues. In a three-bath home, showers and appliances run without any noticeable drop in water volume, even when laundry or the dishwasher is running.

Efficiency, noise, and regeneration

Kenmore’s IntelliSoft feature tunes regeneration based on tracked usage rather than a rigid calendar schedule. In practice, that’s translated into efficient salt use for me. I’m adding salt less frequently than I did with my previous softener for similar household habits, and the brine tank’s indicator helps me avoid guesswork.

Regeneration noise is on par with other cabinet softeners: a low hum and some water movement during backwash. I schedule regen for the early hours, and it hasn’t woken anyone up. Wastewater output is typical for a softener/carbon backwash cycle; make sure your drain can handle it and that you maintain a proper air gap.

A standout convenience is the self-cleaning carbon media. There are no cartridges to change, and the system purges and refreshes the bed during its cycles. Just be aware that carbon beds aren’t eternal; while there’s nothing to “replace” in normal intervals, long-term media life still depends on your water quality and usage. That said, there’s nothing in the regular maintenance routine beyond keeping salt in the tank and the occasional cleaning of the venturi assembly.

Maintenance and reliability

Day to day, maintenance boils down to:
- Keep the brine tank at least one-third full of clean, pelletized salt.
- Inspect the venturi/flow plug assembly periodically and clean if you notice slow brine draw or regen errors.
- Sanitize the system annually if you’re particular about hygiene or after plumbing work.

One cautionary note from my own setup: on the first test regeneration, my brine level climbed higher than expected because the drain line had a subtle kink behind the unit. Straightening the run fixed it immediately, and I haven’t seen a recurrence. Moral of the story: protect your drain lines and verify a strong brine draw during the initial regen. A quick look into the brine well during brine draw will confirm it’s working.

The control panel is simple and informative. I appreciate real-time flow readings; they helped me catch a minor toilet flapper leak within hours. The cabinet lid is a bit smaller than a typical open-top brine tank, but pouring in 40 lb bags is still easy with a small step stool.

Who the Kenmore 520 suits best

• Households on municipal water with both hardness and chlorine taste/odor concerns.
• Families replacing an older softener who want minimal maintenance and no separate carbon cartridges.
• Users who value usage-based regeneration, usage tracking, and a compact footprint.

Who should consider alternatives:
- Wells with iron consistently above 3 ppm, sulfur odors, or significant sediment. You’ll want dedicated treatment ahead of any softener.
- Homes needing advanced flow capacity for very large residences or simultaneous high-demand usage (multiple showers, irrigation, and laundry at once).

Pros and cons

Pros
- Excellent softening performance; brought my water from very hard to truly soft.
- Whole-home chlorine reduction noticeably improves taste and smell.
- No filter cartridges; carbon bed is self-cleaned during regeneration.
- IntelliSoft and a clear display make it efficient and easy to monitor.
- Compact, single-cabinet design with an integrated bypass.

Cons
- Installation guidance is too generic; plan on some DIY intuition.
- Heavy unit—expect a two-person move.
- Lid opening is modest; pouring salt requires a bit of care.
- Not a solution for high iron/sulfur wells without pre-treatment.

The bottom line

The Kenmore 520 is a thoughtful hybrid that earns its keep. It softens hard water exceptionally well, scrubs away chlorine taste and odor across the whole house, and trims maintenance by eliminating cartridge changes. The adaptive regeneration and usage data take the guesswork out of efficiency, and the cabinet design fits neatly where a traditional softener would go.

It’s not perfect—the documentation could be more model-specific, and installation rewards thorough prep—but once it’s in place, it’s remarkably hands-off and consistently effective.

Recommendation: I recommend the Kenmore 520 for households that want a combined softener and whole-home carbon solution with minimal upkeep. If your water issues are primarily hardness and chlorine (and your iron is modest), it’s a strong, NSF-certified choice that simplifies ownership without compromising performance. If you’re on a challenging well with high iron or sulfur, address that upstream; otherwise, this hybrid delivers exactly what most homes need in a single, tidy package.