A few Fleck valve questions and sizing help

[Gary Slusser]

The quote is full of misinformation. I hope no one relies on it.

Salt and water efficiency is not inherently better with an electronic control. The first sentence is simply misinformation.

A 5600 mechanical metered control valve has no regeneration settings that can be changed by the consumer except for the salt dose lbs and that little cam is not very accurate and I've seen Fleck say so.

The electronic version requires all the settings to be set for that softener installation and the water quality. The 5600 minutes for each of the cycles are long for most installations and that means water runs to drain during the lengthened time. Same for a 2510 mechanical metered control where each pin or hole equals 2 minutes run time. That also applies to the salt dose setting.

Anyone can check that out in the valve's service manual.

The statement about the probability of a lightning strike is also misinformation and simply untrue. Any house can be hit at any time and the fact that a particular house has not been hit in the past doesn't change that fact. /

Yeah yeah yeah and if the house is 30 years old and never struck, it probably won't be although any house can be.

The statement about homeowners insurance assumes some things about the individuals coverage that may or may not be true. One of the most important considerations in determining whether homeowners insurance will cover a particular situation the the deductible. Many people carry insurance with deductibles that would preclude any insurance coverage for damage to a water softener control.

I used to be an insurance agent selling all types of insurance and can tell you that unless there has been a large change in human nature, you'd obviously be surprised at the number of people running around with minimal or only slightly higher deductibles but, I've never seen a homeowners policy that didn't cover lightening strikes.

And if a lightening strike causes damage to a control valve, it will usually also damage other electrical/electronics in the building. That is a fact. And the total of all damages usually will be higher than most insurance policy deductibles on older homes; whether Bob agrees or not.

 

[Bob999]

A 5600 mechanical metered control valve has no regeneration settings that can be changed by the consumer except for the salt dose lbs ....

I agree.

However just because one or two electromechanical valves have limited capabilities doesn't make your sweeping statement true i.e you said "Electronic gets better salt and water efficiency than mechanical metered ..." Your statement was not correct and no amount of blustering and misdirection will change the fact that you post a lot of misinformation. You post so much misinformation that I have had to resort to fact checking and correction on your posts a number of times

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Bob999]

I used to be an insurance agent selling all types of insurance and can tell you that unless there has been a large change in human nature, you'd obviously be surprised at the number of people running around with minimal or only slightly higher deductibles but, I've never seen a homeowners policy that didn't cover lightening strikes.

And if a lightening strike causes damage to a control valve, it will usually also damage other electrical/electronics in the building. That is a fact. And the total of all damages usually will be higher than most insurance policy deductibles on older homes; whether Bob agrees or not.

The statement above is quite different than the one that I pointed out was problematic and really points that my original comment was correct. Specifically the previous statement said: "I'm sure you have homeowners insurance that covers lightening strike damage which will pay (about $100-$125) for a new circuit board if you have a lightening strike, along with other things that would be damaged too. "

The poster acknowledges he has no current knowledge about typical deductibles and has no knowledge about the the insurance coverage of the poster let alone the deductible amounts that may apply.

 

[Gary Slusser]

The statement above is quite different than the one that I pointed out was problematic and really points that my original comment was correct. Specifically the previous statement said: "I'm sure you have homeowners insurance that covers lightening strike damage which will pay (about $100-$125) for a new circuit board if you have a lightening strike, along with other things that would be damaged too. "

Yep that's what I said. And I'll bet he has homeowners insurance, I gave the average price of circuit boards which is the only part of an electronic control valve harmed by a lightening strike (from actual experience with a number of customers) and added that other electronic/electrical equipment will also be damaged which would add substantially to the $100-$125. The larger the house and higher the family income, the more things will be damaged. Which in most cases will go over the deductible.

The poster acknowledges he has no current knowledge about typical deductibles and has no knowledge about the the insurance coverage of the poster let alone the deductible amounts that may apply.[/QUOTE]

 

[tmp9a59]

Still going manual

I am still not persuaded for electronics in this situation. Even though my unit is in the garage, the temp and humidity are very rough on any thing delicate. Washer and Dryers with electronic controls do not behave well in the environment (yes I know they have a few different challenges).

As far as my home being struck by lightening, it does not have to be a direct strike. Any where up the line can find its way to my door. And while you have sold many electronic units, your experience does not in any way translate into any change of the odds for or against a lightening strike. As far as making a claim on Home Owners insurance, ins. companies here are looking for any reason not to cover a home. I am pretty much self insured for anything short of catastrophic. It is the minor surges that we have in abundance that cause so much head ache. I don't need to spend another $60.00+ for a quality surge protector to protect a water softener control.

As far as efficiency, if the electronic head is going to dose to same regimen as described, it would be equal to the mechanical head as far as salt use. The manual head may use a bit more water. Maybe the electronic is more convenient, but how often do I need to change it?

I truly do appreciate your passion and answers. I have learned a good bit.

 

[NHmaster3015]

First of, I like demand metered valves. Have very few problems with them. They are easy to program, service and install but...........not everyone is comfortable with electronics for a variety of reasons, many of which you have elaborated already. So, look into a fleck 5600. These units are bullet proof and time tested. Been around for many years and will give you many years of service. As far as efficiency is concerned, yes it is easier to get maximum salt efficiency from a demand metered head but, salt is cheap and the difference is negligible. Sorry about the nonsense here but unless we all agree with the "god" the "god" becomes angered

 

[Bob999]

Just a point of clarification--electromechanical valves are available in both demand and timer units. The Fleck 5600 is avaialbe in a demand unit and electromechanical controls.

 

[Bob999]

A 5600 mechanical metered control valve has no regeneration settings that can be changed by the consumer except for the salt dose lbs...

There are many electronic units that have no regeneration settings that can be changed by the consumer--including salt dose. The softeners sold in big box stores only allow setting a hardness number and the valve electronics adjust all settings associated with regeneration!

 

[Akpsdvan]

I am still not persuaded for electronics in this situation. Even though my unit is in the garage, the temp and humidity are very rough on any thing delicate. Washer and Dryers with electronic controls do not behave well in the environment (yes I know they have a few different challenges).

As far as my home being struck by lightening, it does not have to be a direct strike. Any where up the line can find its way to my door. And while you have sold many electronic units, your experience does not in any way translate into any change of the odds for or against a lightening strike. As far as making a claim on Home Owners insurance, ins. companies here are looking for any reason not to cover a home. I am pretty much self insured for anything short of catastrophic. It is the minor surges that we have in abundance that cause so much head ache. I don't need to spend another $60.00+ for a quality surge protector to protect a water softener control.

As far as efficiency, if the electronic head is going to dose to same regimen as described, it would be equal to the mechanical head as far as salt use. The manual head may use a bit more water. Maybe the electronic is more convenient, but how often do I need to change it?

I truly do appreciate your passion and answers. I have learned a good bit.

If you would like to totally remove the elect from the unit, Fleck 2510 manual, down side would be that YOU would have to move the handle to each of the steps for a cleaning cycle.