One of our customers had this question – we thought it would be interesting to post:

When we built our house seven years ago, the builder ran the discharge tubes for our softener out near an established oak tree, saying the water would be good for it. We live in rural central Texas, where the soil is sandy and drought is the usual climate. This spring, I diverted the water to a point outside the tree’s drip line, and within a few months the oak’s leaves turned brown and began falling off, even though there was ample rainfall. I returned the water to its old discharge site, but with no response from the tree. The grass and weeds, however, show no ill effects from the water, and in fact seem to thrive where the water is.

I have queried the county agricultural agent, master gardeners, a high school science teacher, a nurseryman and ordinary locals, and no two have the same explanation or remedy.

What’s your guess?

Did the tree like the water well enough to ignore the salt, and reacted to the loss of water?
Did it just take seven years for the salt to build up in the soil enough to damage the tree?
Is the ground likely to be so salty now that the tree is lost?
Do I need to flush the soil with (precious) fresh water to dilute the salt and migrate it away from the tree?
Should I keep the water on the tree because the salt content is too low to be a factor?

I realize you can’t do a detailed diagnosis from my brief description, but you know more about it than I do, and everyone here seems to just do a lot of head-scratching.

Thanks for whatever advice you can offer.

Answer: Trees seem not to have any negative response when nearby water softener discharge.  The reason for this may be that while the first few gallons of discharge do contain a significant amount of salt, the remaining discharge volume (~40 gallons to 70 gallons) is fresh water, and this dilutes the salt solution considerably.  Many applications use water softener discharge for irrigation purposes with no apparent ill effects.

However, you can also consider using potassium chloride rather than sodium chloride.  Potassium is a nutrient and fertilizer as well – good for plants.  Our water softeners are able to use either sodium chloride or potassium chloride salt, and work well using a wide variety of salt brands.  If you decide to use potassium chloride, we always recommend that you purchase potassium chloride purified for use in water softeners (available at many supermarkets, plumbing supply and hardware stores). Non-sodium potassium chloride is commonly available and sold under the brand names Morton KCL, K-Life, Softouch and Nature’s Own.

We have a Technetic Plus 1000i water conditioner displaying an error code 3, (improper finsh of regeneration-limit switch closed when it should be open),  and error code 2, (improper start of regeneration-limit switch open when it should be closed), but the manual does not indicate where the limit switch is located.  If anyone has any info., on where the limit switch is located, it will be greatly appreciated.

Answer: Although we never sold this control, we have some familiarity with it. It’s probably not the switch; the switch is correctly reporting that the gear that drives your softener through each regeneration stage is not in the correct position. The problem is probably due to a faulty drive motor. This water softener was discontinued years ago, and it may be very difficult to find any replacement parts for it.  The manufacturer of your control (Autotrol) joined with the Pentair Corporation some years ago, and you might want to talk to them directly to see if they can direct you to a parts supplier.  The website address is http://www.pentairwatertreatment.com. At the end of the day, it may be a better option to replace your unit with a new one.  If you are considering this, be sure to replace it with an Autotrol unit, as the plumbing connections will be in the proper orientation.  We have some of these available on our site  if you would like to take a look at them.

I kave an Aqua Pure S 200me. Was working well on other resin tank but tank cracked I switched it to a new tank now the thing wont draw brime. I checked every thing injector brime line screen will not draw brine. So water is still hard what do I do????

Answer:  You may have an air leak in the brine line – easy to fix - we have a step-by-step document that reviews this problem, and how to fix it at  http://www.caitechnologies.com/images/PDFs/Resolving%20an%20air%20leak.pdf.  Hope this helps!

We purchased the Pelican system 3 years ago and it has been nothing but a nightmare. It ’seemed’ to work for about the first year, but now we have so much rust that the toilets have orange water and our white laundry is ruined with red spots. Our shower water smells like dirt. We have to use a ton of soap and shampoo. The problem, there is no local service that is familiar with the system to help us and Pelican has stopped responding. We paid $2,000. We have made numerous attempts to find something to “fix” on this system, but are finally ready to say it doesn’t work for our very hard water (township says to purchase 45 grain or more softner). Maybe it works for mild hard water, I can’t say that isn’t true. For us, it has been a waste of 2 grand. I wanted this system to work too, because I hate the idea of salt and the pain of buying it and lugging it to the basement and dumping it in. At this point, I’m afraid we are ruining all our fixtures and I’m ready to call it a loss. I’d mail the system back and tell them where to shove it, but the shipping would have to be very expensive.

Answer: We discussed the product claims of the Pelican system in a prior post.  You might search “Pelican” on this blog to review the November 13, 2008 post.  We are sorry you had an unsatisfactory experience, to the best of our knowledge, and to date, the only practical way to soften residential water is with use of a traditional “salt based” cation exchange water softener. There is no barrier to our company for offering “salt free” water softening technology, and as soon as we have any evidence of it functioning as promised, we would offer it immediately.  In the meantime, you might take a look at some of our water softening systems on our site.

Paid Sear’s $35 to have their Plumbing Contractor come out and give me a bid to install a Kenmore 350 water softener.

Imagine my  surprise (and a bit of anger) when the install bid was $1375, three times the cost of the water softener itself.

Our house is new, 9 months old.  The largest line item is $675 for a back flow preventer.  At least 6-7 of my neighbors have water softeners and none have a back flow preventer.   By the same token, a $320 expansion tank was also on the bid.  Do I really need these things?

Answer: It depends on your local ordinance.  In the event there is pressure loss on the municipal water supply side (perhaps due to a broken water main, or excessive use of fire hydrants), a backflow preventer will make sure that water from your household would not travel back into the city water system.  Backflow preventers are sometimes required by local municipal codes, but if they are not required, then they are not part of a typical water softener installation.  We are not sure what the purpose of the expansion tank serves, but it may be there to help maintain line pressure.   If not over-sized, there can be considerable pressure drop across a back flow preventer, and expansion tanks are sometimes installed to help minimize the problem.  Again though, this is not part of a typical softener installation.

I have a Autotrol 255/460i valve on my water softener.  Over the years it has been working great, but one problem that I found is that I never know when it has regenerated.  Is there a way to determine this?

Answer: There is an easy way! Tie a piece of string (or dental floss) around the camshaft that is located on the top of your control. Leave a long tail hanging down in a place where it will not interfere with the operation of the metallic valve tabs that are found below the cam. Check the string in the morning – if it is wound around the camshaft – the unit has regenerated during the night. Hope this helps.

I have the raw water information for you.  Below that info is my original information about the tank size and current tap water information (my original post is from 6/21, if you need to look back at it, but I’ve tried to put all the pertinent info here).  FYI, we have a sediment filter first, then the neutralizer, then the water softener.

Hardness: 4.0000
pH: 5.85
TDS: 152

So – my original question about whether or not to use Corosex II, how much to use, and whether it should be added separately or mixed in still stands. Thank you again for your very kind assistance!

Answer: based on your water analysis, we would recommend that you go with a 5:1 Calcite:Corosex mix media.  It’s available on our site for $89.00 per 1/2  ft3 delivered.  Please let us know if you have any questions, and best regards!

Follow-up; 6/21 Neutralizer/Mag Ox question
June 25, 2010 by tealbingy • 1 Comment

Thank you for a quick response (below) – we have cleaned the tank out before, and have cobbled together a tube that we insert into the tank for vacuuming out the calcite. We did NOT know about the gravel. As it’s been a while since we cleaned out the tank, perhaps we should go the distance and start from scratch.
Another question, if you’d be so kind:

Was your information based on a raw pH of 6.8? The pH and TDS which I gave you were for water out of the faucet: post- neutralizer and softener.

Meanwhile, we’ll check out the products and instructions, too – many thanks

Neutralizer – proportion of Mag. Ox.?
June 21, 2010 by tealbingy • 2 Comments

Our water pH has been recently measured at 6.8 (hardness zero, TDS 219), which is beginning to cause blue staining in sinks.  This is a change from a few years back when the water’s pH was above 7.0, so we currently only have Calcite in the tank.

We have a 10″ diameter, approx. 4.5′ tall neutralizer tank.  Please help with these questions:
We assume that we need to add Corosex II, but:

What is  the proportion of Corosex to Calcite?
Can we just add Corosex II on top or do we need to clean out the tank and replace all media? (Last cleanout was about 6 years ago.)
How high should we fill the tank?
Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Answer: You should not use a Calcite (calcium carbonate) to Corosex (magnesium oxide) mix media in this application.  With a pH of 6.8 and TDS of 219 you will be fine with straight Calcite.  A good neutral pH range is between 7 and 7.8, and your level of 6.8 units is just below what is preferred.  With your level of TDS, a calcite only media will work fine to correct pH to within this range.  Corosex is too powerful an agent for these conditions, and may result with a pH above normal range.

One thing to remember is that about every 5-years, all of the media contained within the tank should be removed and discarded, and replaced with fresh media,  so you are ready to completely re-bed the system.
You have a 10 inch diameter by 54 inch tall tank, and this sized tank contains 1.5 ft3 of calcite media.  18 pounds of gravel should be placed in the tank first, with three ½ ft3 containers of calcite on top of the gravel.  Do not over fill!  No more than 12 inches from the top of the tank!  Calcite and gravel is available on our site, and you can download pH neutralizer installation instructions under the “Services” menu also.  Use a wet/dry shop vacuum to remove the spent calcite and gravel – it works well.

I have an Autotrol water softner and cannot find the model number on it.  I need to find a manual online if possible.  Does anyone know where to find the model number on this type of water softner?  Thanks

Answer: The exact location of the label depends on what valve you have, but normally the model and serial number information is located on a silver label found on the back of the control valve near the inlet/outlet connections. You will need to remove the valve cover to find the label.  You can also take a picture of the control and email it to us at info@caitechnologies.com – we will be pleased to identify it for you.  Manuals for Autotrol controls are available in our online store under the “Services” menu.

We did this a few years back, but it’s been busy lately, and we have been amiss.  But as many of you have asked for more, here are some of the messages left with our after hours answering service during 2009-2010. We hope these will bring a smile to your face. As always, the names are changed, but the original messages are untouched. We added comments…..Enjoy!

CAI Technologies Answering Service Messages- Best of 2009-2010

1.ALBERT XXXXX RE:WATER SOFTENER FELL OUT OF TRUNK/SON FOUND AND WON’T GIVE IT BACK/IS THIS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY? We thought there was some miscommunication when we received the message…but no…their son found the softener in his parent’s driveway, and refused to give it back.  Kid’s putting it in his house, and the customer wanted to know if the loss was covered under warranty…looks like thanksgiving dinner might have a limited guest list this year….

2. TAMMY XXXXX RE:PURCHASED WATER SOFTENER/CAT SITS ON SALT TANK & DOG BARKS AT IT/IS THIS COMMON?  Yes, dogs bark at cats sometimes…..

3. FELIX XXXXX RE:HAVE WATER SOFTENER AND FELL IN SHOWER/SHOWER WAS WET BUT STILL HIT VERY HARD/IS WATER SOFTENER WORKING PROPERLY? Person thought that a soft water might make for a better landing I guess….

4. JOSHUA XXXXX RE: WANT TO CURE MEAT/OK TO PUT MEAT IN MY BRINE TANK?/WILL WATER SOFTENER OPERATION BE AFFECTED? Wow….would not want to drink this water……

5. CALVIN XXXXX RE:WANT TO CURE WIFE’S BAD BREATH WITH CARBON FILTER/PLEASE CALL ASAP.  This guy’s wife had an issue with bad breath, and it bothered him when they watched TV together in the evening.  He got the idea to have her wear a gas mask connected to a flexible tube leading to a tank filled with carbon….no kidding….and his wife was OK with this idea.

6. DON XXXXX RE:NEED REPLACEMENT WATER SOFTENER/WAS BLOWN UP AGAIN/PLEASE CALL.  I guess this is what’s called “war bonus” – three times now.  Forward military base overseas in a war zone uses a water softener to soften some extremely hard water so they can do troop’s laundry more cost effectively. Every time the huge water softener tanks are taken off the plane, and temporarily stored on the runway, the local insurgents blow them up.  Six million dollar Blackhawk helicopter sitting there and the target is a water softener….go figure…

7. DONNA XXXXX RE:WASHED MY CAR WITH SOFT WATER AND NOW IT WON’T START/LATE FOR WORK/PLEASE CALL.  Hmmm..after speaking with this customer, we identified the problem……turns out some cars need gasoline to work…

8. JODY XXXXX RE:HUSBAND IS TOO DRUNK TO INSTALL WATER SYSTEM/NEED RECOMMENDATION FOR LOCAL INSTALLATION/CALL ASAP I’M DRINKING TOO. Sounds like quite a party…we’ll tell the plumber to make sure he grabs a six-pack on his way over….

9. BARRY XXXXX RE:UV SYSTEM WONT TURN ON/WORKED ALL DAY TO TRY AND GET IT TO TURN ON/FED UP/CALL RIGHT AWAY.  Is it plugged in?  Oh….sorry….have a nice evening….

10. ROSEMARY XXXXX RE:GRANDMOTHER BOUGHT WATER FILTER 10 YEARS AGO/SHE DIED AND NEVER USED IT/NOW SHE WANTS TO RETURN IT…sounds like a horror movie…old zombie lady carrying a filter into a retail store….maybe you could call it “Rosemary’s Filter”.

AND THE MILLION DOLLAR WINNER FOR THIS YEAR IS:

11. MINNIE XXXXX RE:HUSBAND DUG HOLE FOR WATER SOFTENER IN YARD AND STRUCK OIL/HE LEFT FOR CASINO/HOW TO FINISH INSTALL?  Yes…this guy actually thought he struck oil, and went into town to celebrate..turns out that he had dug into his underground oil storage tank…this is true…hard to believe…but true

I am trying to help a friend out with his whole house carbon tank. It is well water with peroxide injection. His well is a slow recovery. He has been having problems with the current fleck 5600 backwash system. I thought about rebuilding the fleck 5600 and replacing the carbon, gravel and tube. I then noticed this up-flow no backwash system which would obviously be suited for a slow recovery well. Any thoughts of their reliability and effectiveness?

Answer: If the well has a slow recovery, it may not have the ability to deliver the required flow for proper operation of a filter system using a 5600 automatic backwashing control.  Up-Flow non-backwashing systems are not as effective as a system with an automatic backwash, but with a slow recovery well, it may be a better solution.  If sufficient flow is not available for proper function of the 5600, the carbon will not be cleaned and reorganized correctly, and this can lead to bed failure over time.  Up-Flow systems do not require backwashing, and are very appropriate for low flow applications.

My US Filter Water Softner – Model USF938 – hasn’t been working well.  Today, my daughter turned the water on in the bath tub and had bright yellow water pour out- full of bright yellow granules.  It ran yellow for maybe 5 minutes – and then started running clear – but still has granules in it.  It looks like normal water, but with small grains of  probably potassium (I use Potassium instead of salt) any idea what is going on here?

Answer – We are not familiar with this specific model from US Filter, but depending on the age of the system it might use a Fleck 5600 control – which is a good one – and if so, it’s worth repairing the system.  The material that you are finding in the water is actually the cation exchange resin that is contained within the resin tank.  When you say that the water runs “yellow” for a few minutes, it is likely that the resin has deteriorated, and bleeding into the water supply.  Our guess is that you are using municipal water that contains chlorine – if so – chlorine (or chloramines) can have a detrimental affect on cation exchange resin, and it may break down over time.  It is easy to replace this material with fresh resin, available on our site in 1 ft3 bags for $130.00 delivered.  Use a wet/dry shop vacuum to remove the old resin after you unscrew the control valve.  NOTE: be sure to relive the pressure from the softener by placing it into by-pass and then into the backwash position.  If you don’t know how to do this, it best to hire a plumber or water treatment professional.

Hey guys, I spoke to Bill the other day and he recommended that before i add more salt to my softener, I regenerate it three separate time with a 1/2 cup of iron out diluted in a half gallon of cold water and add it to my brine tank. We are currently getting help with you for helping us solve out iron problems as my birm tank is not working as it was a bad purchase.

OK. So we did this three times and then added salt and regenerated it to soften the water. Now the water is really bad. Our bath water is really not even clear and the water in out toilets is yellow. What is going on? Did we jar the system so bad with the iron out that it is cleaning our pipes now? Please help as we thought by doing this we would actually help the condition of our water temporarily until we get the right iron removal equipment from you.

We have had a few posts so you can preview them before answering if need be. There are a lot of details in them you may need to know. Any help here would be very much appreciated. You should have our water samples Friday. Thanks guys. -G

Answer: The coloration in your water is due to iron that was fouling the resin bed.  The Iron Out treatment loosened some of this iron, and the residual that was not removed during backwashing is passing into your household water supply.  This will clear after time, or you can place the unit into backwash (normally stage 1 of the regeneration cycle), unplug the unit, and leave it in backwash for about 30 minutes.  Reconnect the power, and allow the softener to complete the regeneration cycle.  Then run both your hot and cold water until the line are clear.  We’ll look for your samples.

This is the letter we are including in out water sample we are sending you. If you had time look this over and give us any feedback that would be great. I know it will depend on the water test, but some of these could be a yes or no answer.

—————————-
Dear CAI Technologies, Please take a minute and read this whole letter BEFORE giving us a solution. Enclosed you will find two samples of our water. Bottle “A” is from the outside hose that is untreated and bottle “B” is from the kitchen sink after running it for a few minutes with Softened water. Can we have the results from this test and is this a good test that you do? We have had cheap city test done, and they are not accurate.

I spoke with Bill on Tuesday and have submitted two questions to the forum and thank you for answering them.

We are looking for the right solution to fix our water problem. There is too much iron in our system. We need a financially reasonable solution with long-term benefits and cost effective upkeep. We will soon have a 2700 sq. ft house with three full baths, a air bubble bath tub, and a new kitchen with new appliances. We also have an older hot tub outside that we stopped using because we could not control the iron in it. We would like to use it again. The problems we have with our water is:

1. Dirty rust stained dishes from the dishwasher. Dishes are ruined as well as the inside of the dishwasher is discolored. We use iron out a lot there.
2. My wife’s color treated hair lasts about two weeks and the salon products do not work at all.
3. We can no longer buy white clothes and they do not stay white.
4. We do not have clean bath/shower water. It is always questionable and discolored and gross. It smells like heavy iron.
5. Our hot tub has too much iron in it so we no longer use it.
6. Our small child’s pool water last about 2 days in the summer.
7. From time to time we have a horrible egg smell when we use the washing machine (not every time).
8. We have whitish brownish calcium(?) deposits around our shower heads. It can be scraped off, but it is hard to do and is a pain in the butt.

Can you provide a “fluoride treatment plan option” so we can add fluoride to our reverse osmosis system so my kids can have fluoride? Is it cheaper to have delivered water? We do have a radon issue that we are currently going to fix. Does this affect our water? We look forward to hearing from you. Thanks in advance.

OK. I have been told to put the atomizer valve back into the system so the iron can get bigger with the air being entered into the system. This will help my style of iron trap really pull the iron out better than it is now because it will be bigger and easier for the iron trap to grab.

I have also added a 1/2 cup of “iron out” to my salt tank and regenerated my softener to help pull any iron out that the iron trap was letting through. I may add a 1/2 cup every two months or so to help keep my softener clean. Just an extra step to help. Is this worth it?

I was told that the “Iron Breaker” would not solve my problem by another company that sells them in my area. He also told me that my copper pipes are really old and that I was the first homeowner to address the iron problem, so, the pipes have iron in them on the walls. This has built up over many years. I can attest to this build up. I have had to remove copper pipe and they were coated with iron. It flushed out easily so I do not know why it does not flush out on its own. “Maybe it is” he said.

OK. With this done and my media in the iron tank changed about a year ago, am I on the right track? We are going to be doing an addition and the copper pipe work will need to be replaced. I am trying to get it all replaced so we can start fresh.

I was also told to “not shock the well” as this is the last resort and iron is not bacteria, so the shock treatment will not help that.

Any recommendations on what I can do or is there anything that will help make my system better and the iron go away for good, other than what I was planning an above?

Last question, I am going to send you two water samples for testing. One from the “Y” screen that will have iron in it and one from the water source after the iron trap and softener. Are these the two areas you would want me to take the samples from? If not, where should I take them from?

What will you test for? There was one guy on here who had his water tested for 12 different things. Can you do that for me so we have a complete test to rule out any other problems or concerns?

Thanks in advance for your time. I do really appreciate it. –G

Answer: The inline atomizer (venturi) may be causing the oxidized iron particulate to agglomerate and form larger particles that are easier for your “iron trap” to capture, but these devices can cause other problems.  Inline venturies (also called micronizers) severely restrict the internal pipe diameter at the point of installation, creating substantial backpressure, and possibly causing well pump failure over time.  Precipitated iron may clog the well supply line and pressure tank.  It is also likely that the iron deposits you are finding within your piping are due to the heavy precipitation caused by this device, and not just that the pipes are older.

We would recommend that you continue to treat your softener with Iron Out as this will aid in the removal of accumulated iron from the resin bed.

We are not sure why you were told the Iron Breaker would not resolve the problem, but proper application of this system depends on the available flow rate, iron concentration, type of iron present, and pH level of your water.  It is possible that one of these variables would prohibit the use of an Iron Breaker, but it is important to remember that this system works in the same way as your atomizer (oxidation by air), but without any the disadvantage as mentioned above – possibly your pH or available water flow rate is too low.

If you send our laboratory a sample of your water for our free analysis, we will measure, hardness, iron (and iron species), pH level, and total dissolved solids (TDS).  Instructions for sampling your water and the mailing address are available on any of our websites.  Based on this analysis, we will be pleased to make an equipment recommendation for your application – be sure to let us know what equipment is already installed, your pipe diameter, and the number of residents in your home. Take a sample of your raw water with all treatment equipment (including the atomizer) off line. Thanks!

I purchased a Kinetico Quad 50 approximately 11 years ago in Las Vegas, NV.  The unit was installed and serviced by Kinetico for 4 years that I lived there.  I removed the unit myself and took the softener with me to Martinsville, IN for future use.  The house I moved into had well water so the unit was of no use to me at this time.  I stored the unit in my garage with the water drained, I THOUGHT, and the openings plugged.  About three years later the County started installing Rural Water in my area so I figured it was time to start getting the Quad 50 ready for install.  After carefully inspecting the tanks, I noticed the bottom tank on the secondary unit was cracked and seeping black resin/beads.  I took the tank to the nearest Kinetico dealer which was 55 miles away.  They seemed kind of hesitant about fixing my softener since I never purchased it from them.  They replaced the bottom tank and resin for $325.  Seemed kind of high to me but I had no other choice.  I finally completed the install after several snafus.  When I turned the water back on, the bottom tank on the primary unit was leaking this time.  Back to Kinetico I go and another $225 dollars down the tube.  I put off completely installing the water system until I got heat in the garage where the softener is installed.  Almost two years later I finally have a heated garage.  According to the water company in my area the hardness of the water is 22 GPG.  The control head has a number 4 disk installed and the float assy/adjuster tube in the brine tank has the tabs broken off down to the H mark.  I don’t know a whole lot about the system and the local Kinetico dealer acts like any information giving out is top secret stuff.  It is almost impossible to find any kind of information or operating manuals on the Quad 50.  I am afraid with all the movements this unit has gone through that the float positions and any other adjustments have been knocked out of whack.  My questions are these!  With the water softener configured the way I have described, is this the correct setup for the water system I am currently on? Will the water be to soft/salty or not softened enough with these settings?  There are five marks on the float rod that the float rides on inside the brine well.  What mark is the float supposed to be set at?   Does the float move up and down the float rod or does it remain where you set it?  Is the adjuster tube supposed to move up and down the shaft during different phases of the cycle or does it remain seated on the float seal?  During the brine draw is all the fluid supposed to be transferred to the resin tanks?  I know I have rambled on and on but I want all the information I can get about the Quad 50 so I can get a better understanding of how the system works. I don’t see spending the kind of money that I have spent on this system if I am not getting the optimum performance out of it. All answers from anyone familiar with the Kinetico systems would be greatly appreciated.  I am grasping for information about this systems.  Thanks to all in advance.

Answer: Well, we will try to answer as best as we can…we are not intrinsically familiar with the Kinetico product. But the way that a water softener functions is the same for any system. Depending on the size of the unit, the “programming” determines the amount of water that is added to the brine tank.  This water dissolve the salt contained in the brine tank to saturation, and then during regeneration, the (now brine) solution is pulled back into the softener resin column where the ion-exchange process occurs. To the best of our knowledge – as long as you did not change the size of the tanks when you replaced them – you should be able to put the unit on line, and go with it.  If you were using city water in the past – and are again using city water – the difference in hardness between the two would hopefully not make too much of a difference.  Worst case, you might run out of soft water from time-to-time, or possibly you won’t get the maximum efficiency from the unit.  Either way – it will still work for you. We believe that the #4 “program” disk controls the time the unit spends in each regeneration stage, and the float assembly “H” setting controls the brine tank refill volume.  Could be wrong about this – maybe a Kinetico person out there can help if we are incorrect?

I have a 32,000 grain capacity WS with a Clack WS1-EE. There are four people in our home but data from water company for last two years shows and average use of 137 G/day. Our water hardness is 19 GPG per Water Quality Report from water company. I put 1 cu.ft. of SST-60 resin in tank at time of install–did all work myself–to save on salt cost because I am using potassium salt instead of Na.

After I got it all set-up and turned it on I checked the control’s programming and found it was set to regen every 1,350 gals or every ten days, whichever is first. When I do the calculation 32,000 / 19 GPG I get 2,000 gals for number of gals that can be softened, so why do they want me to do it after only 1,350 gals?

Next, if I take 90% of that 2,000 gals, which is 1,800 gals, and divide it by 130 gals/day I get a regen around every 14 days, so why do they want me to do it every ten days? Even 130 G/day is probably more than we use inside ( i.e. needs to be softened) because we have been under an exceptional drought for the past two years and all of my exterior hose bibs for watering outside tap off of my supply before it gets to the softener.

Is there any reason I can’t change regen to 1,800 gals or 14 days, whichever is first, when setting up my controls? I would just really like a second opinion or some explanation of why I am incorrect in my thinking. Please advise, thanks.

Answer:  The acutal capacity of your water softener depends on your salt dosage setting – and this is adjustable depending on your program settings.  Using Purolite SST-60 resin, you would need to have your salt setting (using sodium chloride) at approximately 15 pounds per cubic foot  to obtain a full 32K capacity (using potassium chloride capacity would be slightly lower).  Check the salt setting on your control.  A more typical setting would be at 9 pounds per cubic foot, and this would yield a capacity of about 27,000 grains.  This is because the brining curve is logarithmic and not linear – in other words you need a substantial amount of salt to obtain full capacity – but you get a significant amount of capacity using a much lower dosage.  Doing this saves salt, especially when using expensive potassium chloride.

So in your case,  with 130 GPD x 19 GPG = 2470 GPD to be removed/27,000 grains = regeneration every 10 to 11 days, which is a normal setting.  You should have a regular regeneration in order to insure an acceptable water softener lifetime.  You can read more about this on our site at the “Selecting The correct sized water Softener” page.

Follow up question: I don’t see the Option for the Salt Setting in the Programming Manual for the WS1EE, so I have no idea what it is set at. What’s the point in getting a 32,000 grain capacity WS if it’s not set to function at full capacity?