A.O. Smith Water Softeners
Worth knowing
A.O. Smith's two softeners use less water per regeneration than anything else we have recorded, 21 and 26 gallons against 35 to 55 across the GE and Whirlpool cabinet units. They also ship set to an efficient salt dose out of the box rather than to their headline capacity. The catch is availability: one model has been superseded and the other is not currently sold online at Lowe's.
The lowest water use per regeneration we have recorded
The AO-WH-SOFT-350 uses 21 gallons per regeneration and the 450T uses 26. For comparison, GE's cabinet units use 37 and 43 gallons, Whirlpool's standard WHES pair uses 35.2 and 37.1, and the Whirlpool hybrid uses 54.7.
On a unit regenerating weekly that difference works out to a few thousand gallons a year. It will not transform a water bill. It is worth knowing if you are on a septic field, where regeneration discharge volume is a real design consideration, or if you are somewhere that meters water aggressively.
Both units are efficiency rated per NSF/ANSI 44, so the figures have a standard behind them rather than sitting on a marketing page alone.
The factory setting is already the efficient one
Most softeners are marketed at the capacity they hit on a maximum salt dose, and the efficient setting is something you go and configure. A.O. Smith ships the other way round. The 350 leaves the factory on a 3-pound dose rated for 13,500 grains, and the 450T on a 5-pound dose rated for 21,600 grains.
Their headline numbers still exist. The 350 reaches 35,000 grains at a 15-pound dose and the 450T reaches 45,000 at 18.75 pounds. You are unlikely to run either that way, and the useful comparison against other brands is the factory figure rather than the badge.
Set the 450T's 21,600 grains on 5 pounds against the GE GXSH45V's 13,200 on 2.6 pounds and the picture is roughly a wash per pound of salt. What A.O. Smith gives you is a bigger useful cycle without any configuration.
Every A.O. Smith unit we track
| Model | Type | Capacity | Salt/regen | Flow | Certifications | Warranty | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A.O. Smith AO-WH-SOFT-450T | salt-based | 45,000 gr | 18.75 lbs | 7.5 GPM | Efficiency rated per NSF/ANSI 44 | 5 yrs parts/electronics, 10 yrs media tank, valve and brine cabinet | — | Retail only |
| A.O. Smith AO-WH-SOFT-350 | salt-based | 35,000 gr | 15 lbs | 7.5 GPM | Efficiency rated per NSF/ANSI 44 | 3 yrs parts/electronics, 10 yrs media tank and brine cabinet | — | Retail only |
Specs read from manufacturer pages. Each unit's page lists its source and check date. “—” means not yet sourced, never guessed.
Both models have an availability problem
The AO-WH-SOFT-350 has been superseded at Lowe's by the AO-WH-SOFT-350C, which carries the same 35,000-grain, 90 gpg, 10 ppm iron and 7.5 GPM ratings in a smaller cabinet. If you are shopping now, the C is the one you will find, and the specs carry across.
The 450T is the awkward one. Lowe's currently shows it as not sold online, so availability depends on local stock. Neither model has a price we could verify from the manufacturer, which is why our chart leaves those cells empty rather than filling them with a retailer's number that moves week to week.
If you want the Wi-Fi and salt-sensing features specifically, check local stock before settling on the 450T. Everything else A.O. Smith sells at this capacity is a conventional metered head.
The 350 is the short one
At 32 inches tall the AO-WH-SOFT-350 is the shortest softener in our data by a wide margin. GE's cabinets are 47.6 inches and Whirlpool's are 48. The 450T sits in between at 39.5 inches.
That is a genuine practical advantage in a crawl space, under a low basement duct, or anywhere a 48-inch cabinet plus clearance to lift the lid does not fit. It is wider than the alternatives at 22.8 inches, so measure the floor as well as the ceiling.
Warranty terms differ between the two more than you would expect. The 350 carries 3 years on parts and electronics, the 450T carries 5, and both cover the media tank for 10 years. The 450T also includes the valve in its 10-year coverage, which the 350 does not.
Where to go from here
Brand matters less than size and type. Start with the capacity your household needs, then decide salt-based vs salt-free, and only then compare A.O. Smith against the alternatives at that size in the full comparison chart.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much water does an A.O. Smith softener use per regeneration?
21 gallons on the AO-WH-SOFT-350 and 26 gallons on the AO-WH-SOFT-450T. Those are the lowest published figures in our data. GE's cabinet units use 37 to 43 gallons and Whirlpool's use 35 to 55.
Is the AO-WH-SOFT-350 discontinued?
It has been superseded at Lowe's by the AO-WH-SOFT-350C, which has the same 35,000 grain, 90 gpg, 10 ppm iron and 7.5 GPM ratings in a smaller cabinet. The specs carry over, so a review of the 350 still describes what the 350C does.
What salt setting does an A.O. Smith softener use out of the box?
The 350 ships on a 3-pound dose rated for 13,500 grains and the 450T on a 5-pound dose rated for 21,600 grains. Unlike most brands, the factory setting is the high-efficiency setting rather than the maximum-capacity one.