Since Clack does not want to do business, I am now researching Fleck Valves and have a couple of questions.
Are all Fleck 5600 valves capable of Upflow regeneration?
How much better is upflow regeneration and is it worth the cost?
Yes dealers that know what they are doing can order any 5600 softener control valve in upflow/counter-current configuration. Although it is not a good idea and you don't need upflow in residential softening so don't buy it.
Is it important to specify USA made Resin? (standard size)
Is a particulate filter before the softner wise if water pressure is good.
No prefilter with Fleck or Autotrol control valves. A prefilter reduces flow/pressure during regeneration and that prevents the unit from getting rid of all the 'sediment' the resin has filtered out of the water, which leads to failed resin.
Regarding Sizing: 2 people, 2 bath home. SFR of 12 gpm (Bucket test). 15 gpg and no iron on city water. I am thinking 32000 grain would be an adequate size without being too big.
Measuring water flow at a fixture DOES NOT tell you the SFR size of the softener. It does not tell you your peak demand flow rate either. It tells you the flow rate of THAT FIXTURE only.
The softener's constant SFR gpm is a function of and controlled by only the cubic foot volume of resin in the softener.
If your peak demand gpm, a total gpm of all the water being used at the same time and running through the softener, is higher than the SFR gpm of the volume of resin, you get hardness through the softener every time your flow is higher than the SFR gpm of the volume of resin. And that means that your softener is undersized.
A 2 to 2.5 bathroom house with no big tubs or showers usually can not flow more than 12 gpm. A 1.5 cuft softener has a 12 gpm SFR. A 1.5 cuft softener is called a '48K' but, you can't get 48K regenerated capacity, the max with regular mesh resin is 45K. To get 45K you must use 22.5 lbs of salt per regeneration. That is a 2000 grain per lb efficiency, which is the worst you can get (45000/22.5 = 2000).
Every softener in the world has an adjustable K of capacity. It is controlled/dictated by the cuft volume of resin in the tank and the number of lbs of salt used to regenerate the softener/resin. That volume of resin dictates the size of the tank that has to be used and the size of the tank dictates what control valve can or can not be used to service that size tank and volume of resin. I.E. the 5600 can be used for a softener on tanks from 6" - 12". A 12" tank is a 2.0 cuft softener.
You have 2 people * 60 gals/person/day = 120 * 15 gpg = 1800 * 8 days = 14400 rounded to 15K. 15000/15 gpg = a meter setting of 1000 - any reserve you use for a Fleck valve divided by 120 = the number of days between regenerations based on gallons used.
So, a 12 gpm SFR = a 1.5 cuft softener programmed for 15K requires 4.5 lbs/regeneration for a salt efficiency of 3333 grans/lb; which you should use.
A 1.0 cuft, "32K' has a 9 gpm SFR, usually too small for a 2-2.5 bathroom house unless you want to live with hard water at times. And you can't regenerate more than 30K which requires 15 lbs of salt which gives you a 2000 grain/lb efficiency and for 15K you need the same 4.5 lbs as a 1.5 cuft softener.
Resin is resin like a 5 lb bag of sugar (they are equally as sweet), use the least expensive regular mesh resin you can find.
The chlorine listed by your water company is at their treatment plant, not your house, so test at your house.