Scalemaster 150 Water Leak

[Fad Burty]

Hi guys

I have a water Softner in particular a Scalemaster 150....in the salt tank the water level is considerably high. Does anyone know what the causes could be? Or recommend what could be done?

I feel the salt tank, gets filled with water quite abit resulting water to leak perhaps from the overflow?

Could be the brine doesn't suck in much water or the leaked are from the rubber grommets on the side?

Would appreciate some feedback. Many thanks

 

[Reach4]

Could be the brine doesn't suck in much water or the leaked are from the rubber grommets on the side?

That would be most probable. Your venturi or venturi screen could be clogged. There are other possibilities. I don't know that softener.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[BkE]

Hello

Your safety float is upside down in the brine tank

 

[Fad Burty]

Hello

Your safety float is upside down in the brine tank

Hi, which bit is the safety float?

 

[BkE]

Hello, it's the piece on the first picture with the little black tubing connected to the valve.

It's upside down, you have to take it out and turn it 180 degrees.

 

[Fad Burty]

Hi, which bit is the safety float?

I had another look, you are right the safety float was upside down. Could this have been causing the underlying issue? But then again it's been like that for 7 years....?

Any other ideas guy what I should look at.

 

[Fad Burty]

Hi, which bit is the safety float?

It's ok I figured it out and paced it in correctly now.

Also I notice when the hot water is used, I can see the water is powdery due to the salt I'm assuming. Should this happen?

 

[Reach4]

Also I notice when the hot water is used, I can see the water is powdery due to the salt I'm assuming. Should this happen?

Do you mean when it dries? Yes, a white residue that will wipe off with a damp sponge is normal. The amount of residue would be similar to what would be there after drying your unsoftened water, but is easier to wipe off. However that would apply to both hot and cold water. So maybe you are describing something else?

A softener replaces calcium and magnesium salts with sodium salt.

If the residue is a lot more than with the unsoftened water, it could mean that the slow rinse did not remove the remaining salt from the brining. If that is the case, the effect would be more in the day following the regeneration than during the next day. That would be a problem with the softener.

 

[DetRack]

No, kt shouldn't. In fact, you don't add salt to the water. The water loses all calcium and gets Sodium instead. This happens on a molecular level, and the resulting molecules are dissolved. You can't even filter them out with a sediment filter.

 

[Bannerman]

A water softener utilizes a process called Ionic Exchange. Calcium and Magnesium ions causing hardness within the hard water will be exchanged for sodium ions. The positively charged calcium and magnesium ions will adhere to the negatively charged resin, causing sodium ions to be released into the water stream.

Salt that is commonly placed in the brine tank is Sodium Chloride. 'Salt' will not be added to the softened water as only the sodium ions will be utilized for regenerating the resin capacity whereas the chloride portion will be rinsed to drain during regeneration, along with the calcium and magnesium ions that are released from the resin.

 

[Fad Burty]

Thanks guys that's really helpful.

Is there a way I could test if my Brine float/safety float is pumping the salt water in to the resin?

Could it be because the brine float was installed incorrectly this could be causing issues? What are the consequences of the brine float being installed incorrectly?

After two days of putting a lower level of water in the salt tank, I have noticed the water has risen. Potentially because of a regeneration process?....I guess in the next few days if this level of water roses above the overflow I will know for sure the brine float isn't sucking the water.

How can I disconnect the brine pipe into the raisin? Does it pull off?

 

[Reach4]

Is there a way I could test if my Brine float/safety float is pumping the salt water in to the resin?

Can you see the brine level go down, perhaps by using a dipstick?

During brine draw, the salt passes slowly through the resin. In maybe 10 minutes (varies with design -- faster with a small tank?), that increased salt should be detectable at the output of the brine line. You can detect that by taste, but even easier, you would see a big jump in the reading of a TDS meter. So if you see that rise, you know salt was getting sucked in.

 

[BkE]

You can detach the black tubing at the valve or at the float in the brine tank. It's a kind of john-guest-like fitting: push and pull the tubing.

No doubt that the water level in your brine tank is high because of the safety float being upside down. Normally the water enters the brine tank on the lower part of the safety float, and eventually the floating ball inside will rise and stop the refill process. If you put the safety float upside down, the float is always "hanging" and it pulls the water +- 15 CM higher so IF your softener is working normally, you have 15 CM more water in the brine tank. But imho, the valve doesn't send water in the brine tank anymore and can't really suk the brine as it should either...

Has this really been like that for years and are you still using salt?

 

[Fad Burty]

You can detach the black tubing at the valve or at the float in the brine tank. It's a kind of john-guest-like fitting: push and pull the tubing.

No doubt that the water level in your brine tank is high because of the safety float being upside down. Normally the water enters the brine tank on the lower part of the safety float, and eventually the floating ball inside will rise and stop the refill process. If you put the safety float upside down, the float is always "hanging" and it pulls the water +- 15 CM higher so IF your softener is working normally, you have 15 CM more water in the brine tank. But imho, the valve doesn't send water in the brine tank anymore and can't really suk the brine as it should either...

Has this really been like that for years and are you still using salt?

Thank you for the reply.

Yea, it's been like that since installation as I've never touched it or anyone else. We always had a leak issue but it would only stop if I filled it with salt.

Only recently I have been observing the water level in the salt tank and when you kindly pointed out it was installed incorrectly I have been more observant.

The water in the salt tank has risen up to 6.5cm from 2.5cm. Little while ago I could hear the salt tank making a noise and then it stopped. Assuming it was the regeneration process.

It's bit hard to tell if the brine float is going up or down....

 

[Fad Burty]

Hey guys,


It's been almost five weeks and I've had no leak Albury the salt consumption is higher lol. Just wanted to thank everyone for their help. Much appreciated