Both our old Greensand Iron Filter and Sears Water Softener broke down at the same time. The Sears was only 5 years old! We wanted to stop using the purple permanganate powder, and wanted something better for iron removal. The Iron Curtain Junior has been great. No orange iron stains, and no chemicals. The ProMate 6.5 softener uses a lot less salt, and there’s no more hard water film on our counters.