Morton 27000 Grain Water Softener Review
By G. Simms, Plumber, Contractor
Pros & Cons | Features | Conclusion

By G. Simms
Plumber, Contractor
Time: 1-minute read

Do you think that the Morton 27000 Grain Water softener is the right water softener for you? It has the Look Ahead Technology, compact design, option for water regeneration, and iron filtration. This review will help you.
No one wants to wash their clothes only to have them come out looking dirty and feeling scratchy when dry. If you’ve ever experienced this problem, you know that it’s due to hard water. Hard water is caused by the presence of certain minerals in water, namely calcium and magnesium.
These minerals interfere with soaps and detergents, preventing them from lathering. They also form soap scum. This leads to having to use more soap than should be necessary and dirty clothes at the end of the day.
It is the same case with dishes and your plumbing fixtures. Spots on your favorite utensils and or in the bath tub can be difficult to get rid of. Clogged pipes are also a result of hard water as minerals cling to the pipes, slowly blocking their flow.
But you can fix all of these problems with a high-quality water softener. One of the most reliable water softeners is the Morton 27,000 Grain Water Softener (M27). It is a salt-using, compact water softener that removes calcium and magnesium via ion exchange.
Here’s everything that you need to know about this softener.
Morton 27000 Grain Water Softener Review

PROS
CONS
The Morton Company has been in the salt manufacturing business for 160 successful years. They were initially involved in salt manufacture for human and animal consumption, agricultural practices, road construction, and industrial applications.
In 1951, when water softeners came into the picture, the Morton Company ventured into softening salts, making salt pellets that could regenerate the resin in water softeners. Morton became the leading name in salt production.
In 2002, the company started making their own water softeners to capitalize on their good name for sell the water softening salts. Their first unit was called the system saver. Their production of water softeners has been successful so far as the company has a variety of Morton grain water softeners, this one being one of the smallest.
Why Do We Need Water Softeners?
Hard water isn’t only inconvenient; it’s dangerous to your health!
Apart from ruining your clothes and causing stains on your utensils and washing machines, it can also lead to your hair falling out. The hair shaft is made up of tiny scales that help strengthen it. These scales are negatively charged.
When they come into contact with the calcium and magnesium ions, which are positively charged, they attract. This makes the scale stand up, causing your hair to feel rough and dry. Prolonged exposure to hard water weakens the hair shaft and can make your hair fall out.
Water softeners help you maintain healthy hair and skin as they also increase the efficiency and durability of your home appliances and pipes.

Specifications
Is the Morton 27000 Grain Worth Buying?
The Morton Water Softener has a 27,000-grain capacity and is therefore a perfect choice for a household of two to three people. It would also be an ideal choice for small offices.
It has the ability to supply water at a rate of 6.5 gallons of water per minute. Its salt storage capacity is 175 pounds, each pound having approximately 5060 grains. This gives the softener the ability to soften water with high levels of hardness.
How Long Will the M27 Last?
The average lifespan of a water softener is 10 years. The durability, however, depends on the material used to make it and how well you use it. The Morton 27,000 Grain Water Softener has a tank that is made of fiberglass. This is a strong material that ensures the durability of the tank while maintaining the efficiency of the unit.
The device has a 1-year warranty for the electronic panel. For the tank, which is a combination resin and brine tank, the warranty extends to 10 years. But the entire unit can last more than 15 years without any problems as long as you don’t misuse it.
Is the M27 Easy to Install?
The Morton 27,000 Grain Water Softener is very easy to install. The installation kit and instruction manual are made for do-it-yourselfers with a step by step guide on how to install the device. This saves you the cost of having someone come and install it for you. You simply need to follow the instructions in the manual and connect the water softener to your plumbing system.
In addition to the manual and installation kit, the water softener has a bypass valve, a drain line, and a low voltage transformer. This makes it easier to install by yourself because you have all the parts required for the softener to operate successfully.
Detailed Breakdown
FEATURES
The most outstanding feature of the Morton 27000 Grain Water Softener is the “Look-Ahead” technology.
This is a technology in the softener that allows it to study the routine of water usage in your household to enable it to regenerate water only when it is required. With this feature, the softener helps you save money on salt and water as there will be no wastage as it operates within your normal home schedule.
For this reason, the softener uses 50% less salt compared to other softening units. The Look-Ahead technology allows the softener to automatically adjust if your water usage changes.
For instance, if you use double the amount of water on weekends than you do on week days, the softener will adjust to regenerate more often on the weekends.
Additionally, the M27 has a simple control panel that you can easily program. All you need to do is enter the time of day and the hardness level of your water. You can test the hardness of your water using a test strip available at any hardware store. If you have not tested the hardness of your water, you can estimate a reasonable hardness level and then readjust the softener settings as required.
In times of heavy water use, the Morton 27,000 Grain Water Softener has options for when to recharge or regenerate it. You can choose to allow the softener to automatically enter a regeneration cycle or you can delay it until the middle of the night.
The regeneration cycle keeps your home supplied with water, but this water cannot be used during the regeneration process. To enable water flow, the softener has control heads that delay regeneration. If there is a break in water usage, the softener will automatically start the regeneration process instead of waiting until the middle of the night to regenerate.
But if the resin has already reached its filtering capacity during water flow, the water that the softener supplies before any regeneration cycle will come out untreated.
Another feature of the Morton 27,000 Grain Water Softener is the top-loading salt compartment, which is easy to fill and is the only type of maintenance that the device requires. The salt compartment requires refilling two to three weeks. It only requires lifting the lid and pouring the required amount of salt into the compartment.
The ability to filter iron deposits in water is another unique feature of the M27. It can filter all or most of the iron present in your well water. This helps save you the cost of purchasing an iron filter and also the work of removing the rust spots that iron leaves in your tub.
The Morton 27,000 Grain Water Softener also helps save on space. This is because it is a compact unit that has a single tank for both the resin and the salt. The softener is only 44 inches tall, putting everything in arms reach, so it is easy to operate.
The resin is a polystyrene mixture that serves the purpose of collecting the calcium, magnesium, sulphites, and any other minerals that are dispersed from the water through the ion exchange.
SPECIFICATIONS AND PERFORMANCE CLAIMS
- Product type: salt based cabinet
- Measurements: 44 inches high, 22 inches wide, 19 inches deep
- Weight: 79 pounds
- Water required for regeneration: 30 gallons
- Iron reduction rate: 7 parts per million (ppm)
- Hardness removal: 95 grains per gallon
- Salt storage capacity: 175 pounds
- Special features: city water, well water, and demand regeneration
- Plumbing connection size: 1 inch.
- Flow rate: 11 gallons per minute (gpm), 30 pounds per square inch (PSI) pressure drop, 6.5 gallons per minute at 12 pounds per square inch pressure drop
- Regeneration time: 120 minutes
EASE OF USE & RELIABILITY
The Morton 27,000 Grain Water Softener is easy to install because it comes with an installation kit that has a step by step setup manual.
The control panel is also user-friendly, making the device very easy to understand and handle. This means that you can install the softener as soon as you buy it, without waiting for expert installation.
Once the transformer is connected to power outlet, you can set the hardness level, the time of day, the regeneration time, and with the correct salt efficiency, it immediately begins the regeneration process. It is also possible to set the backwash and engage the demand regeneration to regenerate water only when it is needed.
Once set up, the only thing you’ll need to do, however, is check the salt level and refill as needed (approximately every 2-3 weeks under normal use).
How Much Does the M27 Cost?
Water softeners can range widely in price. The Morton 27000 grain water softener is unbelievably inexpensive considering its efficiency. It is one of the most affordable water softeners on the market.
Who is the Morton 27,000 Grain Water Softener For?
The M27 is ideal for small households and small businesses. With a 27,000 grain capacity and 6.5 gallons of water a minute, it cannot be used in a household of more than three people as it probably won’t be able to keep up with higher water demands. It wouldn’t be an economical choice for larger applications, either, because it would need to regenerate more often, using more salt and water in the process.
Our Opinion

We like the Look-Ahead technology. The M27 looks for the right time to regenerate so that it avoids sending you hard water but also doesn’t interrupt your water supply when you need it.
There aren’t many high-end features on this softener, but it comes at a very low-end price while still being very durable, reliable, and effective.
Other Options Worth Looking At
Besides the M27, there are other options from Morton you could consider, especially if you have a larger household. They are fairly priced and efficient at the same time.
The Morton System Saver 30,000 Grain Water Softener and the Morton 34,000 Grain Water Softener are both worth checking out. The 30,000 water softener is designed for medium households or companies. It has a flow rate of 7 gallons per minute.
The 34,000 Grain Water Softener is also highly rated. It has a flow rate of 8 gallons per minute, making it ideal for households of 4-5 people.

About the Author
George Simms is a Salt Lake City based plumber and contractor, with a focus on aiding homes and businesses (particularly farm) solve problems with hard and contaminated water. Walter is here to share his wealth of job experience and a knowledge of both modern and antique plumbing.
Last Updated on January 9, 2023