Could I get some help identifying my water softener?

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Robbversion1

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So I just bought a house with a pre-installed water softener. Its been about a week now and I finally had a chance to take a look at the softener. Lo and behold there are no model numbers are anything of the sort that allow me to identify what model I have.

I did some searching on google and came across clack valves. From the images on the site it looks like what I currently have. There are a few different valves but not sure which I have.

Same for the resin tank. I've checked all around it and cant find anything on the tank itself.

I've included a few pictures. Could anyone take a look and help me out here?
 

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Robbversion1

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Thanks so much I think that one is it.

Here's a picture of the barcode stickers I was able to find on the valve.

Is there any way I can find out the resin tank capacity other then calling a water specialist to come and check for me?
 

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Reach4

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Is there any way I can find out the resin tank capacity other then calling a water specialist to come and check for me?
From http://www.softenerparts.com/Water_Softener_Size_System_Recommendations_s/59.htm
  • 24,000 grain ( 3/4 cu.ft. ) tank ( typically 8 x 44 inches ).

  • 32,000 grain ( 1.0 cu.ft. ) tank ( typically 9 x 48 inches ).

  • 48,000 grain ( 1.5 cu.ft. ) tank ( typically 10 x 54 inches ).

  • 64,000 grain ( 2.0 cu.ft. ) tank ( typically 12 x 52 inches ).

  • 80,000 grain ( 2.5 cu.ft. ) tank ( typically 13 x 54 inches ).
It looks like there is a shroud over the actual tank, so you will want to measure the actual tank.
 

Robbversion1

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From http://www.softenerparts.com/Water_Softener_Size_System_Recommendations_s/59.htm
  • 24,000 grain ( 3/4 cu.ft. ) tank ( typically 8 x 44 inches ).

  • 32,000 grain ( 1.0 cu.ft. ) tank ( typically 9 x 48 inches ).

  • 48,000 grain ( 1.5 cu.ft. ) tank ( typically 10 x 54 inches ).

  • 64,000 grain ( 2.0 cu.ft. ) tank ( typically 12 x 52 inches ).

  • 80,000 grain ( 2.5 cu.ft. ) tank ( typically 13 x 54 inches ).
It looks like there is a shroud over the actual tank, so you will want to measure the actual tank.

Ok so I did a little guesstimation (i'll have to take the shroud off later) with the shroud on and the tank appears to be 48 in. high which matches up with e 32,000 grain tank. After checking through the valve settings I think thats what the capacity was set to as well.
 

Robbversion1

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I guess another question I have is what type of salt lbs settings should I set the softener to? So it appears to be a 32000 grain tank. After running a test on my water it appears to be a hardness of about 25-26. I think currently the softener is set to about 9.5 lbs salt.
 

Bannerman

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How many people live in the house?
Describe the number of bathrooms, multihead showers, whirlpool tubs etc. Your water requirements along with your water's hardness, iron and manganese content are what is used to calculate the size of softener required. With 26 grains hardness, I suspect a 1cu/ft unit is undersized for your needs.

While the salt required to regenerate can be reduced thereby resulting in increased salt efficiency (number of hardness grains treated per pound of salt), that can only be achieved by programming regeneration to occur when a lesser amount of capacity is utilized.

For your 1cu/ft softener, although it has 30K grains total capacity, it would require 15 lbs/salt to regenerate the entire 30K grains which is 2K grains/lb. To reduce your salt consumption to 8 lbs, you would need to program the unit to regen when 24K grains has been used which is more efficient at 3K/ lb. Even better efficiency of 3333 grains/ lb can be achieved using only 6 lbs but regen would need to occur when 20K is used.

While the amount of salt can be reduced per regeneration, having a small softener capacity means frequent regeneration cycles and therefore, increased water consumption. It is most desirable to size a softener to provide your water requirements while not needing to regenerate more than 1X per week while using an efficient salt setting such as 6 or 8 lbs per cu/ft.
 

Robbversion1

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How many people live in the house?
Describe the number of bathrooms, multihead showers, whirlpool tubs etc. Your water requirements along with your water's hardness, iron and manganese content are what is used to calculate the size of softener required. With 26 grains hardness, I suspect a 1cu/ft unit is undersized for your needs.

While the salt required to regenerate can be reduced thereby resulting in increased salt efficiency (number of hardness grains treated per pound of salt), that can only be achieved by programming regeneration to occur when a lesser amount of capacity is utilized.

For your 1cu/ft softener, although it has 30K grains total capacity, it would require 15 lbs/salt to regenerate the entire 30K grains which is 2K grains/lb. To reduce your salt consumption to 8 lbs, you would need to program the unit to regen when 24K grains has been used which is more efficient at 3K/ lb. Even better efficiency of 3333 grains/ lb can be achieved using only 6 lbs but regen would need to occur when 20K is used.

While the amount of salt can be reduced per regeneration, having a small softener capacity means frequent regeneration cycles and therefore, increased water consumption. It is most desirable to size a softener to provide your water requirements while not needing to regenerate more than 1X per week while using an efficient salt setting such as 6 or 8 lbs per cu/ft.

Ok this makes sense.

So I have 2 1/2 baths. And there's 4 people living in the house (2 adults, 2 children). From the site Reach provided (http://www.qualitywaterassociates.com/sizing.php) It seems like I should have something closer to the 2-2.5 cu range. So i'm going to say you're right regarding it being undersized.

I did a little test last night and bumped the salt lbs down to 8 and ran a complete regen. Unsoftened the water I was seeing was 450+ ppm, after the regen I was seeing 430 ppm. Is that typical? I figured I should be seeing a lower number then that.
 

Reach4

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I did a little test last night and bumped the salt lbs down to 8 and ran a complete regen. Unsoftened the water I was seeing was 450+ ppm, after the regen I was seeing 430 ppm. Is that typical? I figured I should be seeing a lower number then that.
What kind of test kit were you using? You were not using a TDS meter, were you?

Where are you getting your water. Use the cold water from the bathroom-- not the hot water or the kitchen cold. Let it run before testing.

You might benefit from replacing the resin if the current resin is not softening
 

Robbversion1

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Yes it is a TDS meter. Should I not be using this to test the water hardness?

Tried from several different sinks in the house and after running for a few minutes get readings in the 400's
 

Reach4

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Yes it is a TDS meter. Should I not be using this to test the water hardness?

Yes, you should not use a TDS meter to measure softness. I am a little surprised that the reading of the softened water was not higher than for the softened water. Softening replaces each calcium or magnesium ion with 2 sodium ions.

You want to get a Hach 5-B softness measuring kit. It is well-respected.
 

ditttohead

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Water softening is an ion exchange process. It does not remove TDS, it only exchanges. Calcium and magnesium are replaced with sodium. You will see a reduction in Calcium and magnesium which is replaced with sodium. It is normal to see an increase in tds after water softening.

Hach 5B, simple, reliable, reasonably priced.
 

Bannerman

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As you indicate the programmed capacity is set to 32,000 grains but it has been regenerating with only 9.5lbs/salt, the entire capacity would have been exhausted and needs to be restored. 8 lbs/salt is not going to do that.

Although 32K grains is the stated softener capacity, programming is most often based on 30K grains as total capacity reduces over time due to resin bead loss due to breakage and some capacity is utilized in the regeneration process.

The usual recommendation when resin is exhausted is to regenerate two times back to back with no water use in between using 15 lbs/salt each time. You can either program the softener for 15 lbs brine or leave the settings at 8 lbs and manually add water to the brine tank to total at least 5 gallons water as each gallon will dissolve 3 lbs/salt.

Water should be in the brine tank for 2.5-3 hours before initiating each regen as time is required for the salt to dissolve. You could perform the 1st regen after dinner and initiate the 2nd just before bed.

In addition, the programmed capacity of your softener needs to be reduced to 24K grains if you intend on using 8 lbs per regen.

Estimating 60 gallons water/person/day and no iron or maganese, you require 6240 grains/day (60 X 4 ppl X 26 grains/gallon).

With a usable capacity of 24K grains based on 8 lbs/salt, this calculates as 24,000 / 6240 = 3.8 days before the 24K is consumed and regeneration is required. That is not a true picture as the unit does not regen immediately but waits until 2am so fractional days cannot be counted. In addition, 1 day reserve is required as the 24K usable capacity could be consumed at say 7am, but the unit will not regen until 2 am the following morning. This means that your 1 cu/ft unit will regenerate every 2 days although the .8 fractional day might work as a reserve, but that really can't be relied upon.

You might be best to increase the amount of salt to 10 lbs which will regenerate 27K of usable capacity. Although that will not be as efficient in salt use, the unit will not use as much water as the regen frequency is extended 1 day.

27,000 / 6240 = 4.3 days - .3 (fraction) - 1 day (reserve) = 3 days between regeneration.
 
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