Help! I filled my new water softener too fast

[JTROANOKE]

I filled my softener too fast and stirred up the resin I am guessing. I have brown water that I assume is resin escaping. I went on bypass and am running all the spigots to clear the plumbing out, but how long do I need to wait to put it in service and backwash, etc?

 

[Reach4]

Are you finding any resin beads in your water faucets? Some resin is very fine, but would still be see-able as beads or particles. Normal beads range in particle size from 0.3 to 1.2 mm Fine mesh would typically be 0.2 to 0.4 mm beads (http://www.purolite.com/relid/606346/isvars/default/customized/uploads/pdfs/appnotes_watersofteningbasics_9_20_07_js blend.pdf). Sand particles range in diameter from 0.0625 mm (or 1⁄16 mm) to 2 mm (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sand). Check the aerators.

If no beads in the aerators, I expect you should do a backwash. You can monitor the drain line for beads if it is handy. Did your instructions address this? See step 8 of http://www.softenerparts.com/Resin_Replacement_s/54.htm Did your instructions address this?

I am not a pro or expert on this.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[JTROANOKE]

I may have panicked too early. I just think the resin was dirty or contained some fines. I ran some into a clear plastic bottle and nothing is settling down to the bottom. No call back from "Tech Support" so I ran a backflush for about 5 minutes and then put it back in service and it seemed like it cleared up a lot. So I loaded a bag of salt and about 6 gallons of water into it and started a full cycle. Holy Crap the drain is jumpy. A lot more so than I remember from my old sears Softener. It also makes a lot of water running noise while cycling. I will have to come up with something heavier for the drain. I just have it strapped to a foot long piece of 4x4 with an elbow on the end over a floor drain. Hopefully this will clear it all up after a backwash.

 

[Mialynette2003]

New resin will always have a color through. Raising for about 5 min will clear it. The drain will jump with a lot of air. Once all the air is gone, it too will settle down.

 

[JTROANOKE]

Seems to have cleared up after a regen. Water tests zero for calcium hardness so I guess it is all functioning properly. It really scared the crap out of me as it was the color of coffee in a blue bucket more like tea in a clear container. Interesting that one of the other sites startup manuals said to put unit in service immediately when turned on without running anything.

The resin in my unit is very shiny and looks like gold glitter. Is this the normal appearance?

 

[JTROANOKE]

Does it take a few cycles to purge all the air from the valve? It does seem noisy while regenerating as compared to old unit. Even made noise during brine fill which I did not expect at. 125 gpm. Guess I will find out in a week or so!

 

[Bannerman]

Even made noise during brine fill which I did not expect at. 125 gpm.

How much water was placed into the brine tank during BF? Does it correspond to 0.125 gpm X ? minutes?

Although your description of the 'O ring' you found on the floor doesn't appear to describe the BLFC button, perhaps it is the BLFC restrictor. If so, the flow into the brine tank may now be faster than 0.125 gpm. As your softener was pre-assembled and you then took it apart, there should not be any 'spare' parts. Suggest to post a photo of the O ring.

When initially setting-up a new softener, it is generally recommended to manually place the control in Backwash and pull the electrical plug prior to turning on any water. Open the water valve slightly to allow water to fill the resin tank slowly, which will push the contained air to drain. Once water flows continuously to drain, shut off the water to permit the resin to saturate so it is less prone to float. After 30-60 minutes, open the water valve slightly to backwash to push out any further air. Restore power and manually advance the control to Fast Rinse. Turn on the water fully and pull the power plug to rinse and pack the resin. After a 10-15 minute Rinse, restore power and place in Service.

Now that you've already completed a regen cycle, any air should have been ejected to the drain. Since the contained air was compressed, there maybe some remaining trapped air which should be ejected during the next few regen cycles. Alternatively, perform the above as shutting off the water and opening the drain will expand any remaining compressed air, which will make the air easier to eject. You won't need to saturate or rinse the resin as that was already done.

Edited to add: Salt takes 2-3 hours to dissolve into full strength brine. As your initial post suggested that you added salt and immediately performed a regen cycle.

I suspect your new softener is substantially larger capacity than the Sears unit it replaces. If so, the resin tank will be larger diameter which will then require a higher DLFC rate which will probably be always noisier than the old softener during regen.

 

[JTROANOKE]

The Oring is a standard rubber oring, just tiny. I measured it with dial calipers (machinist by trade, so I know how to read them!), and if I had to make a very educated guess it would be a dash 007 which corresponds to 5/32 ID x 9/32 OD x 1/16CS. I did not disassemble the blfc, I just removed it as an assembly to connect the line. The nut for the line and the 2 piece compression ring, spare clip, and brass reinforcement tube to go inside brine tube were in a bag marked "Brine Kit". I wonder if it was part of that but it does not appear to be leaking. I did disconnect the tube at the brine tank during brine fill and it filled a pint cup in exactly a minute, (corresponding to .125 blfc) so I don't think the restrictor is missing. I also gaged the drain flow with a graduated bucket during rapid rinse and got just under 2.5 gal/minute, so that seems to correspond to the 2.4 DLFC as indicated on the valve. I think I need to come up with a better (heavier) method of restraining the drain hose at the floor drain. It is currently strapped to a piece of 4x4 with an elbow on the end of the tube to direct flow down into the drain

I took a water sample of what I was getting, (initially in a blue bucket so hard to see) into a clear bottle, and nothing settled out, so I am guessing that the resin had some fine sediment in it. No gold glitter, and all remained suspended, nothing settled in the bottle, so I don't think I lost a bunch of resin.

As far as the noise goes, it sounds like water flow with a touch of air, not just like water running. The drain hose jumps at cycle change. It undoubtedly has much more flow than the Sears unit which is 1 CF and claims 40k grains capacity per the manual. The old unit (compact all in one) has an approximately 8-9 x 40 tank and the control valve is about half the size of the new unit.

All is clear this morning and tested at 0 for calcium hardness so all seems to be working well. will try air purging as recommended above to see if I can get anything out of it.
Thanks Bannerman!

 

[Bannerman]

This forum has all levels of knowledge and experience. Sometimes, what a poster describes or calls a component, is nothing close to what it actually is. For that reason, it's often preferable to view a photo.

As you confirmed the brine refill flow is 0.125gpm, it appear the BLFC button is in place.

Since you mention less than 2.5 gpm DLFC, I expect your softener is a 1.5 cuft unit as 2.4 gpm corresponded to a 10" diameter tank as a 10"X54" is common for that size softener.

 

[JTROANOKE]

This forum has all levels of knowledge and experience. Sometimes, what a poster describes or calls a component, is nothing close to what it actually is. For that reason, it's often preferable to view a photo.

As you confirmed the brine refill flow is 0.125gpm, it appear the BLFC button is in place.

Since you mention less than 2.5 gpm DLFC, I expect your softener is a 1.5 cuft unit as 2.4 gpm corresponded to a 10" diameter tank as a 10"X54" is common for that size softener.

Correct, it is a Fleck 7000 SXT, 00 injector, .125 BLFC, 2.4 DLFC, on a 1.5 CF 10 x 54 Structural (brand) tank. I don't have a camera phone, and a picture of an O-ring seemed a little redundant as they pretty much all look the same. Also, being a new member, I haven't taken the time to figure out how to post pics.

For the last 15 years I have parlayed my machining experience into Mechanical design work so I basically function as a non-degreed engineer. Although the design work I currently do involves primarily laser cut and formed sheet metal, such as tanks and mountings, it can require chemical injection pumps and all is hydraulically driven, since it is mobile equipment. Only part of it I am not involved with is the PLC controls, other than figuring out how to mount them. I research things and figure them out on an as needed basis, rather than relying on college experience from 30 years ago. I also work as a CAD/PLM software administrator for the company. I basically operate by figuring out how things work, instead of how to work things. This has proven invaluable to me in a lot of ways. I have 4 cars in my driveway over 10 years old, and other than wheel alignments, recalls, etc. none have seen a shop since warranty ran out. I have always been able to diagnose and repair any issues, as well as being stringent on PM.

 

[JTROANOKE]

Bannerman, post: 473616, member: 64443How much water was placed into the brine tank during BF? Does it correspond to 0.125 gpm X ? minutes? I would guess it is correct. I am not sure how much it leaves in the bottom of the well before the air check closes off the brine flow.


Edited to add: Salt takes 2-3 hours to dissolve into full strength brine. As your initial post suggested that you added salt and immediately performed a regen cycle.

I wasn't too concerned about the brine being full strength, as I assumed (correctly or not?) from what I had read that the resin was pretty much precharged. Of course, I also assumed the resin would be clean, and we all know what assume means! Do I need to recharge again?