We bought a house that has a Culligan system installed. My wife complains that the water tastes salty and cannot drink it or brush her teeth with it . We have broken lots of glasses because they are SO slippery in dishwater.  Also lots of rust in the tub from a leaky valve. The water pressure is also very low. I’m told the water was not very usable prior to installation. I’m considering switching to an ozone system unless I can troubleshoot this.  Greg

Answer: To really determine the best solution for your problem, we would need to review the data from a water analysis.  We would like to see data from both a raw (before the softener) and treated (after the softener) sample.  If you don’t have this information available, just visit our site for instructions for where to mail a sample of your water for a free analysis.

Rust in the tub indicates that the softener may not be functioning properly – and soft water does not have a salty taste – so this is an indication of a problem with the water softener.  Your comment regarding low water pressure seems to point towards a resin bed fouled with ferric iron (rust) accumulation.  Ozone can work, but may not be the best option for you here – it will really depend on the specifics of your water analysis data.  Again. if you have this information available, please let us know, and we will be pleased to give you our recommendation.  You might try to by-pass the water softener, and see if the water pressure improves dramatically. Off the cuff (and again depending our your water quality), it sounds like you may require an iron specific pre-filter of some type, followed by the water softener with a new resin bed.

I am interested in purchasing a water softener. I’m not sure which model would be best suited for my application. I checked with the water department regarding water hardness and it ranges from 8-15 grains per gal (GPG). Given this information which model would you recommend, single or twin tank? Which is the better unit between Autotrol and Fleck? We have 4 members in our family and have 2 1/2 bathrooms.

In regards to twin tank water softeners, is the water pressure and flow rate affected when the unit regenerates? Looking at the Fleck 9100SE manual, it states that the unit can regenerate immediately when needed. Say, for example, you are showering and the softener calls for regeneration.  Will you be sharing water pressure with water flow to drain the softener every time one of the tanks is regenerating?

My water was tested for chlorine and resulted in 0.8 – 1.0. The water department spec is 0.82 – 1.92 mg/L. Is this amount cause for any health concerns as I was considering installing a de-chlorinator?

Answers to your questions are below:

1) You always use the high side of the reported hardness range, which in your case is 15 GPG (14.9), and with 4 family members you are right on the edge between a 32,000 grain and a 48,000 grain capacity softener, and would be OK using either. Basically, if you feel that you have a “normal to low” water consumption, go with a 32,000 grain unit.  If you have a “normal to high” water consumption consider a 48,000 grain capacity unit.

2) Autotrol and Fleck are both quality control valves, and with this being a mature market, and with the two companies recently joining together, there really is not much performance or quality difference.  However, each control has its niche.  Autotrol are Fleck are about the same in 3/4 inch control valve size, Autotrol is better in 1 inch, and Fleck is better in 1.25”.  We generally prefer the Autotrol design, as there are fewer moving parts, and the unit can be easily disassembled using a screwdriver.  That said, Fleck is pretty simple to work on also – so it’s almost a toss-up.

You should always select a unit that matches your inlet water supply pipe diameter to maximize flow and minimize pressure drop.  In most cases this is either 3/4 or 1 inch.  Do not consider the larger 1″ size if your pipe is 3/4″ in diameter – only costs more and provides you with no real benefit, however, if you have 1″ or 1.25” pipe – get a 1″ or 1.25” system.

3) With either twin tank or single tank water softener design, water pressure may be affected during regeneration.  This is why we normally recommend the Fleck 9100SE control.  With the 9100SE (or the newer 9100SXT) microprocessor based control, you have the option of meter immediate (immediate switch to alternate tank with immediate regeneration) or metered delayed (regeneration occurring at the time of your choosing – most common mode).  Meter delayed eliminates this issue if low household water pressure exists.  However, this said, you normally would not notice the loss of pressure/flow when supplied with higher pressure municipal water using either mode.  If you want 100% without reserve capacity, you use meter immediate mode.

Any of our Autotrol, Clack or Fleck water softener systems would be a good choice.  We recommend that you install a “metered” system for most efficient operation.  The metered systems actually measure the water consumption in your home and regenerate only when necessary.  Our most popular metered system with 3/4″ connections is the CAI model WS1SM (Autotrol 255/460i).  If you have 1″ water supply piping, we would suggest the WS3SM-HC (Autotrol “Performa” 268/460i).  Both of these systems are also available using the advanced “Logix” control (CAI model WS1LN & WS3LM-HC). In twin, consider the SET9100 (3/4” Fleck 9100SE) SET9100-HC (Fleck 1 inch 9100SE).

4) Although the level of chlorine contained in your water does not exceed levels typically found in municipal water, some of our customers find the taste and odor of chlorine distasteful.  If you want to remove chlorine from your water, install a backwashing carbon filter, or an in-line radial flow carbon cartridge filter in advance of your water softener.  Water softeners can be negatively affected by elevated levels of chlorine, so in addition to removing the chlorine for aesthetic or health reasons, you may also be extending the water softener’s service life.

Hello:
We have a Kenmore 70 water softener that has worked great for years. Today I noticed about 1 inch of water above the salt. We use pellet salt. I took a broom handle to break up any salt bridge and the water did not go down. I  unplugged the water softener from electricity to prevent any kind of flood. Any idea what could be wrong? Thank you, Jeff

Answer:  There are a few things that may be causing this problem; a fouled resin bed, a restriction in the drain line, and air-leak in the brine line, or an internal problem with the mechanical components of the valve.  It’s possible that with some additional trouble-shooting you can identify the cause of the problem, but it may require an on-site service call from a professional if you are not familiar with the equipment.

If you want to try and identify the problem, you can look at the post below called “Autotrol softener not pulling brine”. While the water softener discussed in that post does not use the same control as yours, the theory of operation is the same.  You can also visit our site at www.caitechnologies.com and download the document “Resolving an air-leak problem” under the “Services” menu and “Equipment Installation” drop down.

You mention that the unit has worked well for many years – water softeners have a finite lifetime, and if the unit is over 10 years old, you may want to simply consider replacing the unit with a new one.

I have moved into a house with a General Ionics unit model IQ08208.  The original owner was using potassium.  Can I switch to salt without making any changes to my unit?

Answer:  Yes, most water softeners can use either sodium or potassium based salt interchangeably.  You can “mix & match” – no need to remove all of one before changing to the other.  In some cases, depending on the type of ion exchange resin used in the water softener, potassium chloride will provide a slightly reduced system capacity.  Your capacity may be improved when switching to sodium.

Further to my earlier query. I do have a logix 255 with 700 series control (760 I think). The salt is set at low. Capacity is showing 1 kg. When I set up the softener it asked for the volume resin in the system. The volume of resin is 27.5 litres so I put in a setting of 30 litres which was the closest setting available. The injector and injector screen are clean. Can you see any problems with the above settings that would cause the tank not to refill to same level after regen. Thank you.

Answer: Unless you are at the end of your regeneration, the capacity indicated is very low.  27.5 liters has an exchange capacity of 30,000 kilograins – not 1 kilograin.  It sounds like you may have a programming problem – it is not clear that this is the cause of your problem – but we emailed programming instructions to you for your water softener, and hopefully this will help. 

I am looking for something that will take a low level of iron and a mild sulfur odor from water as well as hardness (lime) deposits.  I am looking for my neighbor who had a Lindsey system that did the job but is it no longer working.  Please advise of what I could get and the cost.

Answer: If the Linsdey system you referring to is a single unit, then it is probably a mixed-bed water softener with a layer of ion-exchange resin (to remove lime/hardness) and also a layer of carbon to remove the sulfur.  We prefer not to offer this design, as unless the unit is serviced in a regular basis, and the carbon is frequently changed, it can become a health hazard.  Carbon has a very high surface area for bacteria to grow on, and it should be replaced on a regular basis to prevent this from happening.  Many times these systems are installed, and not serviced, and while the sulfur problem may be remediated, other problems may develop that the homeowner is not aware of.
In any case, for low levels of sulfur odor, we generally recommend that you instead install a cartridge filter in advance of a water softener.  In normal applications, you would replace the filter cartridge every 4 months, and the problem discussed above would not occur.

We would need a water analysis to recommend the correct sized softener for your application.  Visit our site to get more information about how to obtain a free water analysis (look under the Services menu when you are in the Online store). You should always select a unit that matches your inlet water supply pipe diameter to maximize flow and minimize pressure drop.  In most cases this is either 3/4 or 1 inch.  The supply pipe diameter is the one that comes into your home.  In the case of municipal water supply, this is the diameter of the pipe immediately after the water meter.  If you are on a well, the pipe is the one immediately after your pressure tank (also called an expansion or bladder tank).  Do not consider the larger 1″ size if your pipe is 3/4″ in diameter – only costs more and provides you with no real benefit, however, if you have 1″ or 1 1/4″ pipe – get a 1″ or 1 1/4 inch system.

Any of our Autotrol or Fleck water softener systems would be a good choice.  We recommend that you install a “metered” system for most efficient operation.  The metered systems actually measure the water consumption in your home and regenerate only when necessary.

To give you a general idea of price, our most popular microprocessor metered system with 3/4″ connections is the Autotrol 255/460i (CAI Model WS1SM, 32,000 grain capacity – $610.00 delivered). If you will install the softener on 1″ water supply piping, we would suggest an Autotrol “Performa” 268/460i (CAI model WS3SM-HC, 64K – $735.00 delivered).

If you have larger diameter piping, please let us know, and we will recommend a unit for your application.  You can view and purchase our softeners online at http://www.caitechnologies.com – enter the Water Treatment Systems area, and click on the “Metered Water Softeners” drop-down under the Online Store menu.

As discussed, you can remove low levels of sulfur odor with a whole-house filter installed in front of the water softener.  This filter would also remove any particulate when installed prior to your water softener to protect your softener from sediment buildup.  A good choice would be an Ametek 20″ filter housing with 3/4″ connections. The filter housing, filter cartridges, mounting bracket and filter wrench can all be purchased online.  To remove the sulfur we would recommend a radial flow carbon (RFC) cartridge.  The RFC cartridges are sold in a set of three (3) as it is typical to replace them every 4 months – a set of three cartridges is a year’s supply.  The cartridge will filter sediment down to 7 microns, and also provide improved taste and odor control.  This equipment with RFC cartridges would be priced at $182.00 delivered.  If you have 1″ piping, then go with 1″ the filter housing, RFC filter cartridges, mounting bracket and filter wrench, which would be priced at $228.00 delivered. These can also be purchased online at http://www.caitechnologies.com on our “Cartridge Water Filter” page.

Please let us know if you have any questions, and best regards!