Fleck 5600SXT Not regenerating

[Mike Kaz]

Have a Fleck 5600SE (Sorry, incorrect in tile couldn't change the title to SE) that's about 8 years old and used in a cottage. Not much use except for in the summer. I tried to regenerate it and it seemed to get stuck the first time on the 4th mode. Tried to restart the regeneration again and it got suck on the 3rd mode. Both times water would not pass through it and I had to use the by-pass valve to get water.

Also, it didn't do the brine draw in mode 2 either time.

Can someone offer some ideas on what may be the issue?

Thanks

 

[Reach4]

Have a Fleck 5600SE (Sorry, incorrect in tile couldn't change the title to SE)

There is a sticker on the 5600SXT that says 5600SE.

If it looks like this from the front, it is a 5600SXT, softener or filter:

I think you are saying that the unit will not move to the different stages of regen. Looking at the troubleshooting section of the service manual, I think it suggests this could be a bad switch or a bad motor.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Bannerman]

You may require replacement of the seals and spacers. Often the seals will swell or abrade over time , which no longer permit smooth operation but will cause the piston to bind or jam while attempting to slide within.

This maybe easily remedied by installation of a seal and spacer kit along with lubrication. If there is any damage to the piston's Teflon coating (visible flaking, scratches, worn areas), then the piston should also be replaced.

 

[Mike Kaz]

Thanks guys... It is a SE version...

Is there a way to tell if its the valve/motor/switch? Can the valve be manually moved on this model?

 

[Mike Kaz]

Ok, I was finally able to get back up to my father-in-laws cabin and look a bit further into the issue. I unhooked to piston from the motor and the motor seemed to work and cycle through as I manually advanced it. I also ended up trying to pull the piston up and down and it seemed a little difficult to do and didnt seem to have full up and down movement. I then pulled the piston along with the spaces and o-rings. They seemed to look fine, so I cleaned them and the piston up, lubricated, then put it all back together. The piston seemed to move a little better with more up and down movement than before. I hooked everything back up and regenerated it. It seemed to get stuck in mode 3 where I couldnt hear the water anymore. At first I could then it stopped after a few minutes. I manually advanced it to the 4th mode and the same thing. Started then stopped after a few minutes. When it finished, i was getting soft water, but the pressure was down like it was being blocked. I manually cycled through all the modes again, and when it finished, water would not come through at all again. Do i need to swap out the o-rings and spacers or is there some other issue?

Thanks,

 

[ditttohead]

Sounds like you have a couple of issues. Of course a simple rebuild of the valve is a good idea. But low flow to the outlet is usually a symptom of bad resin or something wrong inside the tank. The only modern valve that I know of that stops flow during regeneration is the 7000 and this is only for a second as it cycles through. The valve has a momentary dead spot, the 5600 series... never known them to do that. During regeneration the water should "bypass" the softener and you should have good flow to the house. You may want to remove the head and take a sample of the top of the resin bed. If the media is "mushy" and not solid when you squish it between your thumb and finger, it needs to be replaced.

Worn media may cause the system to regenerate poorly and even not flow to the drain, but it should have nothing to do with the valves ability to change cycles.

 

[Mike Kaz]

Thanks for the feedback... The no and low flow seemed to happen after i had the issue with regeneration. Would the flow stop suddenly with bad resin or is it a gradual process?

 

[ditttohead]

It tends to be sudden. Very common problem with low grade resins or excessive oxidation damage.

 

[Mike Kaz]

Interesting thanks...

 

[Reach4]

Fleck 5600SE controller.

 

[Mike Kaz]

Went up again to work on the softener with no luck...

Checked the resin:

Due to lack of time I ended up taking the electric controller off and moved the piston to the service position and had full pressure and softened water.

Replaced Spacers and Seals:

Replaced both spacers and seals and verified the piston moved prior to reinstalling the metal plate. Once the metal plate was installed, the piston wouldnt move at all. I couldn't move it manually at all and didnt even try it hooked up to the motor. Once I took the plate off, it moved. I pulled the new spaces and seals and replace the spacers with the old ones and reinstalled with the new seals and old spacers. Piston moved as it did before. Not sure what the issue was with those spacers but that seemed odd. I installed the controller and it went through the 1st and 2nd cycle ok. It didn't seem to pull all the brine in, but finished the 2nd cycle and went to the 3rd. Started off fine then seemed to lose water pressure again after about 2-3 minutes. Finished cycle 3 and went to the 4th cycle where it didn't seem to fill the brine level up to the previous level. I pulled the controller again (where it wasn't hooked up to the piston) and cycled through all 4 cycles to make sure the motor was working fine. It was. Reinstalled the controller and cycled through again not running the full cycle, but advancing the cycles but hitting the advance button. After the first run through I had water pressure, but not like when I first moved the piston to the service mode. Ran it again through all cycles and no water pressure again. Remove the controller and moved the piston to the service mode and had pressure.

I also had ordered a replacement motor and installed it. It didn't work (my luck) when I hooked it up. It hummed, but that was it as the gear wasnt moving. Installed the old one and worked as before. I tried the new one thinking the motor may not have the power to move the piston. Since it didn't work, I'm not sure but assume the old moves it enough?

Anyway,during the whole process I noticed the piston didn't move real freely and took a lot more pressure to move it than I though it should. Is that typical? I didnt replace the piston as it looks fine, but now I'm thinking it may need a new piston???

I also pull the brine screen, injector, and spring valve and cleaned them. No difference.

Not sure how to proceed now, with the exception of replacing the piston and maybe getting a replacement motor. The spacers and rubber seals were replaced in order (seal/spacer/seal etc). So I dont think that was the issue.

I'm at a loss and would appreciate any more ideas?

Thanks...