The Best Softener for Water Metering in the Industry
On the top: the advanced Minimax metering system - designed for precision, able to detect even the slowest trickle of water for truly complete softening.
On the bottom: a version of the paddle meter used in many traditional softeners - small, simple, and limited in low-flow accuracy.
All high-quality water softeners use meters to track water usage. But no system measures with more accuracy than the Harvey Minimax.
The Minimax’s metering is so precise, it can detect flow as low as a slow dripping tap. That level of accuracy means it always knows exactly how much capacity it has left - avoiding the blend of hard and soft water that many softeners suffer from as they approach regeneration.
You’ll feel the difference in the water immediately. For customers upgrading from older softeners, the improvement in softness is often described as “night and day.”
In contrast, many American, European, and Chinese softeners use paddle-style meters - tiny components about the size of a 20p coin, often compared to a miniature propeller. These meters struggle to detect low flow rates below 10-litres per minute consistently, which allows trickle flow to occur. That’s when softened and hard water blend - often resulting in cosmetic staining on shower screens, taps, and sanitaryware.
Just because a product carries a “water softener” badge and technically produces softened water doesn’t mean it delivers the highest quality of softened water. The soft water scale is wide - ranging from 0 to 120 parts per million (ppm) - and many softeners operate at the higher end of that range. For customers, that can lead to ongoing frustration: water that’s “technically soft” but still leaves marks, dries the skin, or doesn’t feel soft enough.
The Minimax is different. Its precision metering and unique up-flow design help ensure that every drop is completely softened - giving you the clarity, smoothness, and lasting results that lesser systems can’t match.
This short clip shows the extraordinary precision of the Minimax metering system - able to measure even the slowest drip. It uses the same type of meter trusted by UK water authorities to track household usage - and they certainly don’t miss a drop when it comes to billing. So if you’ve got a dripping tap, they’ll charge you for it!
That same level of precision sits right at the heart of the Harvey Water Softener valve, giving it the power to track your usage from the tiniest trickle up to flow rates exceeding 60 litres per minute - and helping to deliver consistently softened water with zero slippage.