I just purchased and installed a fleck 5600sxt water softener unit. 48000 grain, 1.5 cu. ft. resin.
The instructions said to set the brine refill to 14 minutes. It also had me start with 5 gallons of water in the brine tank. I watched it run through the entire regeneration routine and, during the brine draw, I noticed the 5 gallons was almost exactly finished emptying but it was still draining water (maybe about 1 or 2 inches still left in bottom....hard to say exactly). However, the problem came when I watched it refill. Remember, the instructions had me set the refill at 14 minutes. At 8 minutes I had clearly exceeded the 5 gallons that were in there before. So I stopped the brine refill automatically.
The next time, I didn't watch it do the regeneration, but I went downstairs and checked the next day and it filled all the way to the float valve cut off. I'm assuming this is not right.
1. How to I determine how long the refill should last? Are the instructions correct at 14 minutes? I would think it would depend on many factors, like the size of the brine tank, pressure of the water in my house, etc?
2. Is it possible that the brine line has a leak and is drawing air during the brine draw? It kind of sounds like air might be sucking, but it's hard to say. It might just be the water rushing through the fleck valve. Is there a way to test?
3. I read somewhere that the water level in the brine tank should not be above the salt. Is that true?
Anything else I should know? This is my first experience ever using a water softener. I did calculate the proper size of the softener before purchasing. I read that this is important.
The instructions said to set the brine refill to 14 minutes. It also had me start with 5 gallons of water in the brine tank. I watched it run through the entire regeneration routine and, during the brine draw, I noticed the 5 gallons was almost exactly finished emptying but it was still draining water (maybe about 1 or 2 inches still left in bottom....hard to say exactly). However, the problem came when I watched it refill. Remember, the instructions had me set the refill at 14 minutes. At 8 minutes I had clearly exceeded the 5 gallons that were in there before. So I stopped the brine refill automatically.
The next time, I didn't watch it do the regeneration, but I went downstairs and checked the next day and it filled all the way to the float valve cut off. I'm assuming this is not right.
1. How to I determine how long the refill should last? Are the instructions correct at 14 minutes? I would think it would depend on many factors, like the size of the brine tank, pressure of the water in my house, etc?
2. Is it possible that the brine line has a leak and is drawing air during the brine draw? It kind of sounds like air might be sucking, but it's hard to say. It might just be the water rushing through the fleck valve. Is there a way to test?
3. I read somewhere that the water level in the brine tank should not be above the salt. Is that true?
Anything else I should know? This is my first experience ever using a water softener. I did calculate the proper size of the softener before purchasing. I read that this is important.
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