Fleck 9100SXT Regeneration problem

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rdsnake

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I have a twin tank 40K water softener with a fleck 9100SXT valve. I think I've been having issues with it since day one but never really looked into it.

I have been having regenerations problems only while on tank 1 It says "ER" in the top left and flashes with tank 1.

I've noticed the problem when doing manual regenerations and while the valve commands it.

I usually unplug the softener and it will switch over to the other tank. At that point I will start a regeneration. When that tank is done, I will do another regeration on the other tank.


Regeneration problems seems to come and go so it's hard to pin point it.

I bought the unit about 4 years ago and had it "professionally installed." I know the valve has a 5 year warranty on it so I'd like to get this taken care of before the warranty is up. How do I go about fixing this?
 

Reach4

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I have not seen an SXT error code. I wonder if that is error code 1.

---1 Motor Run-On Error /Cycle Sense Error

An undesired optical sensor state change occurred.

Non-critical error. Extra optical sensor pulse detected. Press any
button to clear the error. Press extra cycle button to advance motor to
clear error.
Maybe post a photo of the screen with the error.
 

rdsnake

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I have not seen an SXT error code. I wonder if that is error code 1.

---1 Motor Run-On Error /Cycle Sense Error

An undesired optical sensor state change occurred.

Non-critical error. Extra optical sensor pulse detected. Press any
button to clear the error. Press extra cycle button to advance motor to
clear error.
Maybe post a photo of the screen with the error.

Hard to get a good picture while it is flashing. Says ER in the top left. Timer in the bottom left and number 1 to the right. Everything flashes.
 

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rdsnake

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I read a suggestion that it could be a loose/bad mirco switch holding the cycle open. Any chance that the drive motor itself could be faulty? I'm open to suggestions.
 

ditttohead

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Remove and reinstall the micro-switch wires. These can be problematic and removing/reinstalling can correct this error.
I have also seen this error with the 9100 if the microswitch cam flexes. Watch the valve go through a regen and see if the white micro-switch cam operates smoothly.
 

rdsnake

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I removed the wires for the micro switches. I can see why you said they might an issue. Not a good design however I didn't notice a problem with mine.

I also check resistance on the switches. They were not equal resistance but I didn't notice one way off from the other. They also opened and closed correctly while I checked them. All seemed normal.

I did a cycle on it and checked the cam for flex. Nothing to report.

I did notice the bottom timing gear looked ever so slightly cocked than the middle and upper gear. Maybe it was just me looking for a problem. All the teeth on all 3 gears looked top notch.

Anything else I should look for. How do I know when the pistons need to be replaced? How can I check them?
 

Reach4

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Nothing to report.
Error indication did not come back I presume. Maybe your wiggling the connections cured the problem for a while. Are those spade terminals?
 

rdsnake

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Error indication didn't return. However, it's not a constant problem. Only happens every so often. So it's even harder to fix and makes me not trust that the softener is working correctly.

Are these Fleck valves usually pretty reliable?
 

ditttohead

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Probably the most reliable valve on the market. I have worked in the field for nearly 30 years and would chose a Fleck or a Clack over any other valve available.
 

rdsnake

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Update as of 1/4/17.

I haven't any issues since I pulled the connectors off the mirco switches. I usually regen a tank every 4 days or so on the softener so it has gone through a number of cycles on it's own with no issues.

Reach also helped me out dial in the sittings on the WS since I've added an KL iron filter. WS barley uses any salt! annnnnd the water has been the best I've ever had! So So So HAPPY with it!
 

rdsnake

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Update about 2 years later. Good old Error Code 1 came back...I also noticed there was no water in the brine tank. Maybe it sucked up all the water then shut off before it had a chance to refill the tank? What is the correct way to fill the brine tank with softened water and to the correct level?

Also, any ideas with this error code? This Fleck valve seems unreliable.
 

Reach4

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rdsnake

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The exact amount of water isn't a huge concern? Any issue with using unsoftened water? or should I run to the store and get a few gallons of drinking water?
 

Reach4

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The exact amount of water isn't a huge concern? Any issue with using unsoftened water? or should I run to the store and get a few gallons of drinking water?
Not concerns. Many softeners for years used unsoftened water to refill the brine tank. If you use unsoftened water to refill the brine tank every time, you might have to clean your brine tank every 5 years instead of every 10.... (that statement was just made up, but it could be right on the numbers.)

Regarding the amount, 3 gallons would be plenty. That corresponds to using 9 pounds of salt for the next regen.
 

rdsnake

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I put it through 2 cycles and didn't have an issue. I'm going to remove the micro switches and use a little dielectric grease on the connectors.

Any other suggestions to look into? Ditttohead, you mentioned the cam shaft flexing. How noticeable is the flex? Enough for the micro switch not to be tripped?

Being only me in the house, the softener only cycles once a week and I will admit, I don't check on it for a month or 2 at a time. Usually just add salt and go. Seems these dual tank valves have a bunch of moving parts. Honestly, I don't even need a dual tank setup since I installed my iron filter. But I would hate to buy a new Fleck valve since this one is only about 5 years old or so. The situation is rather disheartening.
 

Reach4

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I'm going to remove the micro switches and use a little dielectric grease on the connectors.
That might be fine. I think the point is to exclude oxygen. I still wonder if that is a good idea, given what the word dielectric means.
 

rdsnake

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The plot thickens.

Was farting around with the softener yesterday and noticed the Upper plunger had some wear on the shaft and leaking. See attached 1st and 2nd picture.

After that I took a close look at the gear seats. Originally, it looked as if the lower gear was on a angle but that seems weird since the lower plunger looks to be in good condition. However, I believe the lower gear set is in fact straight but the upper set is the one on the angle due to the plunger issue. (Picture 3, upper gear set angle. Picture 4 lower gear set angle). Anyone want to agree or disagree with me? All the teeth look great and in good condition.

Finally the middle drive gear has some wear on the end of it. I will probably replace it along with a upper/lower plunger set with seals. I thought about replacing the upper/lower gears but that look fine to me. Any advice on that? (Picture 5)
 

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