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Resolving an Air Leak In a Water Softener

October 30, 2006 By Keithbrey Leave a Comment

One of the most common problem found when installing a water softener is an air leak. This occurs when a compression fitting that connects the brine tank to the water softener valve is not properly installed or tightened. You may not have this problem, however, if you do, simple instructions from resolving the problem are below.

First, you need to understand how a water softener functions. Three pounds of salt dissolves into 1 gallon of water. So, a salt setting on your control of 12 pounds (for instance) would mean that about 4 gallons of water would be placed into the tank in preparation for the next regeneration. All of the water in your tank should be drawn back into the softener during regeneration. The brine draw – slow rinse process takes 60 minutes. After all of the brine solution is drawn from the tank, the check valve in your brine tank shuts off so that air cannot be pulled into your piping. During the remainder of the 60 minutes, the resin column is rinsed, but a suction is still placed on the brine line. This suction does nothing, as the check valve is cutting off the draw process, however, if there is a small leak in the air fitting it may be possible that air is being drawn into your piping during the slow rinse portion of the brine draw process.

One way to check functionality is to disconnect the brine line where it attaches to the brine (salt) tank in your cabinet. A 90° fitting is found at the top of the column that contains the safety float – disconnect the brine line tubing at this point. Submerge this line into a bucket of water.

Autotrol control valve
Using a flathead screwdriver, place it in the slot found on the button on the face of your control. Push in on the button with the screwdriver, and rotate the button counter-clockwise until you line up the arrow on the button with the brine draw position (note: always depress the button before moving – also, you can only move this button counter-clockwise, do not attempt to move the button in the other direction.)

Fleck Econominder electro-mechanical control valve
Turn the manual regeneration knob clockwise until “Brine Draw” is displayed

Fleck SE microprocessor control valve
Press the extra regeneration button for 5 seconds. Press extra regeneration one time to advance through each stage to regeneration cycle step number 4 (brine draw)

Fleck 6700, 7000 control valve
Press the extra regeneration button for 5 seconds. Press extra regeneration one time to advance through each stage to regeneration cycle step number 2 (brine draw)

Ensure that the water from the bucket is being drawn into the softener – let this process occur for a few minutes to ascertain correct function – do not permit any air to be drawn into the softener. If you find that water is not being drawn into the unit, you probably have an air leak at the fitting where the line attaches to the softener unit. Remove and re-install this fitting to be sure that it is completely and correctly attached. Repeat above procedure to assure proper function.

If water is being drawn into the softener from the bucket, you probably have a small air leak at the fitting that connects to the top of the float column, or a leak down inside the safety float. Check any connections until all the water is being drawn into your tank during brine re-fill.

By the way, you will notice the there is an overflow connection near the top of your brine tank – to adjust the float in your column, simply move the rubber grommet up or down the rod until the float will be at a point (just below) so that it would stop the re-fill process before water enters this overflow drain connection.

Filed Under: Water softener

Septic Systems

October 30, 2006 By Keithbrey 1 Comment

EFFECTS OF WATER SOFTENER DISCHARGE ON SEPTIC SYSTEMS

There are over 20 million households in the United States currently using on-site septic systems, and that number appears to be growing. We get many questions from our customers as to what effect (if any) water softener discharge has on a these systems. With such a wide range of information and opinions available, we felt that it was appropriate to examine some of the studies on this topic, and try to accurately present an overview of current understanding.

The Septic System and Water Softening Process
Septic system function is very straightforward. Your homes plumbing is piped into a in-ground storage tank. When wastewater enters this tank, the heavier solids settle to the bottom. Bacteria present in the storage tank digest the solids, breaking it down to a liquid. After this process is complete, relatively clear water is discharged from the primary tank into a second holding tank or distribution box. Water then re-enters the surrounding soil through a drainage field consisting of perforated underground piping.

The water softening process is accomplished by a chemical cation exchange that replaces the calcium and magnesium in your water with a equivalent number of sodium or potassium ions. During the softening process, your household water passes through the resin bed, and the magnesium and calcium contained in the water are removed. A given sized resin bed has a fixed capacity to remove hardness before it needs to be regenerated to full capacity in order to continue to provide softened water (for example, one cubic foot of resin has the ability to remove 32,000 grains of hardness from your water). When the resin bed is nearing exhaustion, the control valve washes the resin bed, and draws salt containing solution from the brine tank through the resin. As the salt contacts the resin bed, the process of ion exchange occurs, and the magnesium and calcium (hardness) that was collected in the bed during operation is washed to drain. After a final rinse to remove the excess salt, the resin bed is again ready to provide softened water.

The concern of discharging water softeners into an on-site septic system arises out of a belief that sodium salts used by water softeners during the regeneration stage – or the increased amount of water entering into the system – may be harmful and possibly cause septic systems to fail. Although there is no scientific data available that supports harmful effects, there have been many investigations into the potential for problems to occur.

The Effect of Sodium Salt on Septic Systems
Common knowledge supports that higher levels of sodium salt can have a direct impact on bacterial life forms. For instance, most bacteria usually found in fresh water ecosystems would be unable to live in a high salinity environment like an ocean. For this reason, concern was generated that septic systems that rely so heavily on bacterial action may be effected by high concentrations of sodium.

These concerns seem to be unwarranted. First, a typical residential sized water softener discharges between 40 and 70 gallons of water per regeneration. Through much of the regeneration process, fresh water is discharged, containing no salt at all, so the total concentration of salt is very dilute. However, during some stages of regeneration, the sodium concentration can reach as high a 5,000 to 10,000 ppm for brief periods of time.

To see if this level of sodium effected microorganisms typically found in aerobic on-site septic systems, a study was performed that exposed these microbes to a worst case scenario of 10,000 ppm brine solution. The study concluded that “there were no statistically significant differences in the metabolic activity of the microbial community”, and that it was “unlikely that failures in domestic water treatment system are the result of exposure to the brine from home water softeners.” (1)

Other studies indicate that the effect of putting softened water into septic system can actually be beneficial. There is a very low amount of sodium contained in softened water. For every grain of hardness removed, approximately 8 ppm (parts per million) of sodium is added. Although some naturally occurring water sources have very high sodium levels, softened water normally has a slightly elevated sodium level vs. untreated hard water. While this concentration is normally insignificant at typical hardness levels, these higher sodium levels are more in the optimal range for septic system bacterial growth, and can promote bacterial development.(2,7)

The Effect of Increased Water Volume from Water Softeners on Septic Systems
While the volume of water discharged by a water softener during the regeneration process will vary depending on water pressure, pipe diameter, and softener design, water softeners typically use 40 to 70 gallons of water during regeneration. Questions have been raised as to what effect this increased volume of water (hydraulic load) may have on septic system performance. Did the flow rate and volume of water softener entering the system during water softener regeneration adversely effect the normal settling process, and allow solids to enter the drain field?

Investigations by NSF International determined that the additional volume of water due to softener regeneration is not sufficient to cause any harm to septic tank systems. In fact, water softener regeneration flow rate and volume is lower than the typical discharge from an automatic washing machine.(3) Further, old style “time clock” based water softeners regenerated as set on a calendar basis, normally one to two times per week – the newer generation of metered (on demand) water softeners measure household water consumption, and only regenerate as needed – this further reduces the amount of water discharged into the septic system.

The Effect of Water Softener Salt Discharge on Percolation in Septic Drain Fields
There has been some anecdotal evidence that sodium added to septic systems by a water softener may have negative effects on the ability for the drain field soil to percolate properly.

Many studies have been performed to investigate this issue (2,4,6), and seem to indicate that water softener regeneration discharge does not interfere with drain field percolation, but may actually improve percolation in finely textured soils. This may be due to a higher calcium concentration found in softener regeneration discharge. When this “calcium rich” water enters the drain field, it sometimes increased the porosity of the soil (dependent on the type of soil present), improving the percolation process. To further support this finding, gypsum, another calcium rich material, has long been used for this same purpose.

Conclusions and Recommendations
The results of our review are corroborated by a fact sheet published by the Environmental Protection Agency(5), that points out the following:

- High concentrations of calcium and magnesium in the softener backwash water have no deleterious effect on the biological function occurring in the septic tank and may, in some cases, be helpful.

- The additional volume of wastewater generated is added slowly to the wastewater stream, and does not cause any hydraulic overload problems.

- Soil structure in the soil absorption field is positively affected by the calcium and magnesium ions in water softener effluent.

Based on a detailed evaluation of information and studies performed in this area to date, we conclude that water softener regeneration discharge does not negatively impact common on-site aerobic septic systems. Slightly elevated levels of sodium in regeneration discharge do not seem to effect septic system microorganisms, and may indeed benefit the septic process.

Other matters seem to play a much more important role in proper septic tank function. You should always minimize the amount of household cleaners that enter the waste stream. Whenever possible, reduce the use of soap and harsh chemical cleaners, and consider “natural” products containing low levels of phosphates. If you already have a water softener installed, remember that you can reduce the amount of soap use substantially – by as much as 50%to 75% – soap no longer has to work as hard to remove the minerals already removed by a water softener. Avoid using a garbage disposal with an on-site septic, as minimizing these types of organic wastes will reduce the load on the system. And finally, reduce when possible the amount of water flowing into the system from showers, baths, washing machines and dishwashers.

Work in this area is on-going, and a symposium discussing this issue is scheduled for March, 2006 in Chicago. A joint task force has been established between the Water Quality Association (WQA) and the National Onsite Waste Recycling Association (NOWRA) to plan and oversee joint activities and investigate any future findings. Failures of specific on-site septic systems will also be examined by this task force in order to determine the cause.

In conclusion, and after reviewing a range of scientific studies to gain a present-day understanding of this issue, it appears that owners of onsite septic systems can continue to enjoy the benefits that softened water provides, without concerns of system damage.

Filed Under: Septic Systems

Should I use reverse osmosis in my restaurant?

October 30, 2006 By Keithbrey Leave a Comment
Carol in WI, I own a restaurant, and currently have a water softener. Should I think about treating the water by reverse osmosis instead? Isn’t reverses osmosis water higher purity?

Anwser:
You would not normally treat all of your restaurant water using reverse osmosis for your application. Reverse osmosis is only used when specific water conditions exist (like very high hardness or saliently). While reverse osmosis (RO) does make a high purity water, treating by RO is expensive, and requires post treatment equipment to make the RO water less aggressive. The reason is that RO water is very pure, and does not contain very many impurities – it has a low total dissolved solids (TDS) – water naturally wants some TDS. Low TDS makes the water very “aggressive” and can cause corrosion to materials and equipment not designed to be used with RO water. Most restaurants use a water softener to treat the building water, but use a smaller “point-of-use” reverse osmosis system or water filter for drinking and cooking water applications. Thanks!

Filed Under: Reverse Osmosis

What conditions are acceptable for UV use?

October 30, 2006 By Keithbrey Leave a Comment

Elaine in MD, I’m interested in purchasing a ultraviolet sterilization system for my home to fix a bacteria problem. Can you tell me what my water conditions should be to properly use this equipment?

Answer:
First, you need to be sure that your water meets acceptable UVT (ultraviolet light transmission) and UVA (ultraviolet light absorption) criteria. Most water found in general household application is acceptable, however, you may need to install a water softener of other pre-treatment device if your water conditions exceed the following:

Iron: < 0.3 ppm (0.3 mg/L)
Hardness: < 7 gpg (120 mg/L)
Turbidity: < 1 NTU
Manganese: < 0.05 ppm (0.05 mg/L)
Tannins: < 0.1 ppm (0.3 mg/L)
UV Transmittance: > 75%

Where total hardness is less than 7 GPG (grains per gallon), the UV unit should operate efficiently provided the quartz sleeve and/or sensor probe is cleaned periodically. If total hardness is over 7 GPG, the water should be softened. We recommend that you install a 5-micron sediment cartridge filter upstream of a UV system to remove any sediment that may be in your water. Without a use of a pre-filter, bacteria can “hide” inside sediment, and may not be properly sterilized when passing through the UV reactor. Hope this helps!

Filed Under: Ultraviolet Sterilization

Can I use use chemical injection in a variable flow rate application?

October 30, 2006 By Keithbrey Leave a Comment

Jeffrey in VT, I want to use a chemical injection system to add chlorine into my water for disinfection purposes. The problem is that I cannot locate the equipment between the water pump and well pressure tank. If I install the system after the pressure tank the flow will change depending on household use. Is there any way to do this?

Answer:
As you indicate, a chemical injection system is normally installed so that the point of injection is between the well pump and pressure tank. The chemical feed pump turns on/off at the same time as the well pump. As water flow is always the same at this point, the concentration of injected solution is the same as well, and you can use a standard fixed rate chemical injection pump. If you need to install this system after the pressure tank, you will need to use a proportional feed design. The reason is that the household water flow after the pressure tank is variable, and you need to inject your chlorine at different rates – this design will allow this. A proportional feed design includes a pump control module, that will vary the pumping signal rate to the chemical injection pump, and contacting water flow meter, to measure the water flow (send a signal to the pump control module). Hope this answers your question!

Filed Under: Chemical Injection Systems

Sulfur odor in water

October 30, 2006 By Keithbrey Leave a Comment

Janet in TX, I purchased a home recently and there is a strong smell of sulfur in the water. I also notice that there is a slimy material in the salt tank of our water softener. Can you suggest a possible solution?

Answer:
Your odor may be due to sulfur present in the form of sulfur bacteria. This material is not a health hazard, but creates a nuisance, and can build-up in water treatment equipment (like the water softener you mentioned), and potentially cause performance failure.

To check for the presence of iron or sulfur bacteria, open any toilet tank that has been in service for at least a few months – if you have iron or sulfur bacteria present, this material can sometimes be found as a yellow, black, or red material “growing” on the sides of the tank. If you find this material, take a small amount of it, and allow it to dry for about 30 minutes on a non-porous surface (like a porcelain countertop). If it remains “sticky” after a reasonable amount of drying time, then it may be sulfur or iron bacteria – if it dries to a powder, then it is most likely normal ferric iron or some other type of deposit.

If you feel iron or sulfur bacteria may be present, then chlorine injection is the best solution. The chlorine first kills the bacteria present on the outside of the iron or sulfur particle, and then with the bacteria destroyed, the chlorine oxidizes the iron or sulfur into a precipitate. If you need to go this route, continue to use your backwashing carbon filter downstream of the chlorine injection system. The carbon filter will remove the chlorine from your water, and also filter out any precipitate formed during the chlorine oxidation process. A liquid chlorination injection system meters liquid chlorine right into your water supply. This system is composed of a chemical feed pump, static mixer, and 80 gallon retention tank. When your well pump comes on, the chemical feed pump adds chlorine solution into the static mixer (which aids in the uniform mixing process) and enters the retention tank where the disinfection/oxidation process occurs. You typically use a starting mix of 1/2 gallon household chlorine bleach to the 15 gallon chemical solution tank to start. You then vary the pump feed rate until you obtain the desired residual chlorine concentration (about 0.5 ppm free chlorine) – typically a setting of 50% works well (using our Stenner peristaltic type chemical injection pumps). You can obtain a chlorine test kit locally from most plumbing supply stores (and many pool supplies) – they are very inexpensive.

Filed Under: Chemical Injection Systems

Green staining problem

October 27, 2006 By Keithbrey Leave a Comment

Brian in CA, I have some questions. Our bath tub slowly gets a pale green water-line. What does the green indicate? And how can I eliminate that?

Answer:
Sounds like a low pH problem. Low water pH causes corrosion of copper piping and/or fixtures, and can result this type of staining (copper oxide is green). The correct method of pH correction is dependant on the level of TDS (total dissolved solids) in your water. The least maintenance intensive and most inexpensive way to proceed is with use of an automatic backwashing calcite based pH neutralizer. However, if your TDS is high, you may need to use a chemical feed neutralizer.

To explain this we need to go into a little background chemistry. The way in which a calcite neutralizer works is that the media (calcite – calcium carbonate, or Corosex – magnesium oxide) slowly dissolves into your water over time. The rate at which the calcite and/or Corosex can dissolve into you water is determined by your TDS. Dissolved solids are normally composed of your hardness constituents , and iron, manganese and sodium. If you already have a high amount of material already dissolved into your water, the neutralization process will not work effectively using calcite based neutralizer technology, and you would need to use a soda ash chemical feed neutralizer.

The disadvantage of a chemical injection system is that it is more expensive, and requires the addition of new soda ash solution to the supplied solution storage tank every one to three months. However, a chemical injection system does not add any hardness to your water. A backwashing neutralizer does add 4 to 5 grains of hardness to your water, and depending on your initial hardness value, you may want to install a water softener after the backwashing neutralizer.

Filed Under: pH neutralizers & Filters

Programming a Clack WS1 water softener control

October 27, 2006 By Keithbrey Leave a Comment

Andrew in NJ, I just purchased a 48K water softener with a Clack Corporation WS1 control valve. I have a problem with salty water after regeneration. Can you help?

Answer:
Try changing the ‘p-setting’ to “P32″. Be sure that you have also properly programmed the unit for your 48,000 grain sized unit, and also with your correct water hardness value. This will extend your 2nd backwash and rinse cycle to more effectively remove the sodium in your resin bed. Also make sure that there is no restriction in your drain line – be sure that the drain line is at least 1/2″ inside diameter or greater, and there are no bends or restrictions to flow. Let me know if this helps.

Filed Under: Clack, Water softener

Identification of parts for a 5600SE softener

October 27, 2006 By Keithbrey Leave a Comment

Vincent in OR, I have a water softener with a Fleck model 5600SE Downflow control. The manual that came with it describes the valve as a 2310 Safety Brine Valve. But then there was a loose instruction sheet entitled “Installation Instructions for 474 Safety Brine Valve Elbow” so that made me wonder if I had the right pieces. Also, there is a tube shaped white plastic item that I’m not sure where it is supposed to be located. Thanks!

Answer:
You have the correct parts. The Fleck manual refers to a brine valve assembly manufactured by Fleck – your unit is configured with a similar valve manufactured by the Clack Corporation. The part you describe is an insert that goes into the end of your plastic brine line – in high pressure applications, this will prevent the tube from collapsing. With typical normal water softener brine draw vacuum pressure, it is normally unnecessary. Please let us know if this helps.

Filed Under: Fleck, Water softener

How do I program a Fleck 9100EC water softener

October 27, 2006 By Keithbrey 1 Comment

Bill in FL, I recently purchased your model ECT9100 (Fleck 9100 Econominder metered valve) 48,000 grain twin tank water softener. I misplaced the programming instructions, and you explain to me how to do it?

Answer:
Sure! We normally pre-set the unit up at our factory, but to make sure, the calculation and procedure for proper setting is below. Setting the brine refill time depends on the color label (sticker indicating the installed injector size) that you will find placed on the rear of the valve head. You should have a black label.

Blue label – 0.25 GPM
Black label – 0.50 GPM
Red label – 1.00 GPM

You should have a 0.5 GPM black label, so let’s try resetting your unit for brining at 12 pounds per cubic foot. 48,000 grain = 1.5 cubic feet of resin. Three (3) pounds of salt will dissolve into a gallon of water – so to have 18 pounds of salt (9 pounds x 1.5 cubic feet) you need to have brine refill at 12 minutes to refill the brine tank with 6 gallons of water (6 gallons at 3 pounds of salt per gallon = 18 pounds).

Each pin hole = 2 minutes, so to check for correct brine refill setting, there should be 8 holes in the wheel before the last two installed pins.

Step#1 = 8 minutes (backwash position, flushes/cleans the resin bed – first set of pins, 4 pins)

Step#2 = 60 minutes (brine draw/slow rinse, draws brine solution into the resin bed – first set of holes, 30 holes)

Step#3 = 8 minutes (rapid rinse, rinses excess brine from resin bed – second set of pins, 4 pins)

Step#4 = (5 gallons water, second set of holes) Black = 12 minutes – 6 pin holes

Step#5 – 4 minutes (re-set, 2 pins)

Thanks, and let us know if you have any other questions!

Filed Under: Fleck, Water softener

running out of soft water

October 27, 2006 By Keithbrey Leave a Comment

Mike in AZ, I recently purchased a Autotrol 268/460i metered softener from your organization, and have been having problems running out of soft water and having to manually regenerate the softener. I also talked to your technical support and in that discussion, we talked about the possibility of a leak in the brine line. The regeneration was already too far along, on that day, to repair any leaks. Subsequently, I disassembled, cleaned, and reassembled all fittings in the brine line, including those in the brine well. After a manual regeneration, we had relatively soft water for a week. By calculation, that should be the correct time for the softener to automatically regenerate, but it apparently did not regenerate as the water was hard again. I need your advice on how to proceed to get this softener to operate properly.

Answer:
We are assuming that your unit has not metered enough water to require an automatic regeneration, as the manual regeneration function seems to be working. To determine if the metering function is working correctly (and to confirm an automatic regeneration) perform the following:

1) Confirm that there is a “flashing” LED indicating water flow when water is being used – this light can be seen on the front LCD display of the softener – run your bathtub and confirm metering.

2) Tie a small piece of string (tightly) around the cam shaft that can be found on the top of the unit. When the unit regenerates, the string will wrap itself around the cam – in this way you can tell if the unit regenerated.

3) Set the capacity to “1″

4) Set the hardness to “99″

5) Make sure you return the jumper pin to “time” when you have completed re-setting the softener (if you do not return the jumper to the “time” pins the unit thinks it is still in program mode and will not function).

6) Now the softener thinks that it has a very small capacity and is using very hard water. Allow your bathtub to run excessively (maybe 5 minutes) to ensure that you have used enough water so as to require an automatic regeneration.

7) When you inspect the softener the next morning (assuming that you time is set correctly to the closest hour) the string should be wound around the cam – indicating that the unit automatically regenerated. If this is the case, we have now confirmed that the metering is functioning and the regeneration (as indicated by the water analysis) is also functioning. We may have to adjust the salt dial setting so that you always have a supply of soft water. By the way, please make sure that you return the softener settings to the correct values.

Filed Under: Autotrol, Water softener

Problem with water softener brine draw

October 27, 2006 By Keithbrey Leave a Comment

Tim in PA, I emailed with a low water pressure problem several weeks ago. The problem was with an Autotrol 255/460i water softener. When ever the softener was in service the pressure was reduced almost 50%. I checked everything else on the softener before ordering resin from you. I ordered new from you, recalling that you had told me in a previous email that pressure losses were sometimes due to chlorine contamination that swells cation resin (I am city water that contains chlorine). I received the resin yesterday and replaced with new. The old resin would not come out of tank. I had to fabricate a puller made from a maple ¾” x ¾” stick with a large fender washer at the end. The resin was clumped and would not flow. I then proceeded to clean and inspect all the components. I filled the tank with resin and restarted the softener. Water pressure was returned to normal immediately.

Now the problem is brine draw. I can manually take the head through the steps and watch. The brine starts at full force and I can see it through the inspection glass. After about 20 seconds the air check ball starts to fall and shuts down the brine flow. I tried this many times and it continues to repeat the same steps. Now the question becomes what is causing the brine check to drop?

Answer:
Looks like you have an air leak problem. Three pounds of salt dissolves into 1 gallon of water. The salt dial is found on the left front side of your control valve. A salt dial setting of 12 pounds (for instance) would mean that about 4 gallons of water would be placed into the tank in preparation for the next regeneration. All of the water in your tank should be drawn back into the softener during regeneration. This would mean that any extra amount of water that may be in the tank (causing a temporary overflow ) would be removed, with only the correct amount re-entering the tank. If you have a substantial amount of water in the tank, it would mean that you have an air leak somewhere in the brine line or float assembly that is preventing all of the water from being drawn completely back into the tank. One way to check functionality is to disconnect the brine line where it attaches to the brine (salt) tank. A 90° fitting is found at the top of the column that contains the safety float – disconnect the brine line tubing at this point. Submerge this line into a bucket of water. Using a flathead screwdriver, place it in the slot found on the button on the face of your control. Push in on the button with the screwdriver, and rotate the button counter-clockwise until you line up the arrow on the button with the brine draw position (note: always depress the button before moving – also, you can only move this button counter-clockwise, do not attempt to move the button in the other direction.) Ensure that the water from the bucket is being drawn into the softener – let this process occur for a few minutes to ascertain correct function – do not permit any air to be drawn into the softener. If you find that water is not being drawn into the unit, you probably have an air leak at the fitting where the line attaches to the softener unit. Remove and re-install this fitting to be sure that it is completely and correctly attached. Repeat above procedure to assure proper function. If water is being drawn into the softener from the bucket, you probably have a small air leak at the fitting that connects to the top of the float column, or a leak down inside the safety float. Check any connections until all the water is being drawn into your tank during brine re-fill. Do not over-tighten fittings! Hand tight, and then a little more. Make sure that the NPT (threaded) connection on clear plastic check-valve housing is wrapped well with Teflon tape, and also that the housing is screwed onto the valve properly, with the O-ring correctly installed. By the way, you will notice the there is an overflow connection near the top of your brine tank – to adjust the float in your column, simply move the rubber grommet up or down the rod until the float will be at a point (just below) so that it would stop the re-fill process before water enters this overflow drain connection.

Filed Under: Autotrol, Water softener