Leak on new gxsh40v GE softener

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Billthedummy

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Hi. New here.
I bought and installed a new ge gxsh40v water softener and when I turned on the water it leaks where the wire harnes/sensor plugs in. Any idea what could be wrong?
Seems to me, since water flows out when you pull the sensor that it should have an o-ring. But it doesn't.
The harness is number 146 on the list.
 

Billthedummy

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Thought I'd add that I went back to HD where I bought it and they had one with missing parts and they let me trade my sensor for the one on it. No good.
 

Mialynette2003

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They made an oring for the meter sensor but found that condensation would build and corrode the sensor. If it leaking out of the sensor port, you have a bad valve.
 

Akpsdvan

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The leak is where the sensor is going in. The hole that it goes into is closed and dry or the sensor does not come in contact with the water. If there is water coming out of that hole then the main base of the system is bad and needs to be replaced, not a thing to do but replace the lower part of the valve body.
 

Bannerman

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This is a brand new unit. I gather, the softener has not yet supplied water to the home.

As it is new and under warranty, the owner should not be tinkering and changing parts at risk of voiding the warranty but should be disconnecting and exchanging it for another unit or returning it for full refund to buy a higher quality softener.
 

Billthedummy

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I found the problem, I think. I was told that ge used to put an o-ring or rubber seal of some kind on the sensor shaft. Did that and stopped about 95% of the leak. So now i'm programing it to cycle.
 

Akpsdvan

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Every one that I have worked on, seen , that hole has been dry.. take the senor out and no leak. Now just in my simple view, leak out the sensor hole means bad valve bass..... and I would not be paying even their cheap price.
 

Mialynette2003

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I install 10-15 of these units a month & not one leaks from the sensor port. Whether you stopped the leak by adding an oring, the valve is still bad. It's your system, do what you want.
 

Billthedummy

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Ok, the GE is gone. HD offered me a full refund.
What's the best for just my wife and I with occasional overnights by 8 grandkids. One bathroom.
What would the members here recomend?
I'll have $450 back from the GE plus I can scrounge up another $200-400.
 

Reach4

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You want to know about your water. If it is city water, the water department probably publishes hardness information. If it is your own well, get a test. I suggest Test60 from http://www.karlabs.com/watertestkit/ if your well is deep.

A softener with a separate brine tank is usually a better choice than an all-in-one if you have room.
 

Billthedummy

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I used to keep koi so I know how to check water. A test strip was done when I bought it. ( I knew to take a water sample). Pretty much as always...~385-400. But I don'T trust test strips. 385 was what I usually got using drops of chemicals,tho.

I've been hearing a lot of good things about Fleck. Do they have a model that would work well for me or do any of you think another is better? I don'T mind spending $800-1000 to get just the ideal unit for my home.
 

Bannerman

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So your 385-400 number is either ppm or mg/l (identical measurement). Since your tests resulted in a hardness range, always use the higher number. 400 / 17.1 = 23.39 grains. Since it is more than 23, round up = 24 grains per gallon.

Using the sizing chart that R4 linked to, for 2 persons, the chart recommends a 1.5 cu/ft system which is 48,000 grains total capacity, assuming no iron or manganese. If your Grand children are expected to stay over often, you may want to obtain a 2 cu/ft (64,000 grain) system instead.

If your water contains iron or manganese, that will skew your requirements even higher. Each ppm of iron is equivalent to an additional 4 grains/gal hardness whereas each ppm of manganese is equivalent to 2 grains/gal hardness. Since it is inefficient for the softener to remove iron especially, it is generally recommended to use other, more efficient iron removal methods prior to softening.

Whatever system you decide, a very high amount of salt would be required to regenerate the entire capacity. Salt efficiency can be drastically raised by programming each regeneration to occur when a portion of the total capacity has been consumed.

The lower section of the chart shows different salt settings and regeneration capacities as well as the expected number of days between regenerations. It is generally considered to be salt and water efficient to regenerate no more than 1X week.

On a 1.5 cu/ft system, using a very efficient salt setting of 9 lbs salt every regeneration (6 lb/cu.ft), 30,000 grains of usable capacity would be provided with an expected regeneration frequency of 10 days for 2 people.

If a Grand child only occasionally stays over, she/he will consume some capacity so instead of 10 days between, a 1.5 cu/ft unit may need to regenerate within 8 or 9 days, but with a metered system, that will occur automatically based on the actual water consumed.
 
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Billthedummy

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Would you recomend going with a fleck SXT5600? Or is there a unit you'd prefer were you in my situati
You want to know about your water. If it is city water, the water department probably publishes hardness information. If it is your own well, get a test. I suggest Test60 from http://www.karlabs.com/watertestkit/ if your well is deep.

A softener with a separate brine tank is usually a better choice than an all-in-one if you have room.
 
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