Advice needed reactivating water softener that has been bypassed for one a year

[Charrie]

This system was installed 2.5 years ago and and the installer ran the drain out into the yard which within a years time started killing the grass. another issue is that one of the tanks would sweat and eventually the floor began to weaken and the tank tilt just a little. We were also having strong surfer smell on the hot water side. So we pushed the bypass valve and unplugged the system but left the tank plumbed in.
We have since repaired the floor as well as installed a pan under the tank and also instilled an underground drain for the water softener and ;ac condensation line. We also understand that changing the anoid rod in the water heater will make a big difference,

So we would like to restart the softener. Do you think it would be okay to just let it run itself through a few cycles an then start using it?

Thanks
Charrie

 

[Bannerman]

Suggest adding 1 gallon additional water containing ~1/8 cup of unscented chlorine bleach to the brine tank directly before performing a manual regeneration cycle. The chlorine will sanitize the brine tank, resin and valve internals as there may have been bacterial growth due to stagnant water inside while it was bypassed.

After the 1st manual regeneration cycle has concluded, about 1.5 hrs later, perform a 2nd manual regeneration without additional water or chlorine to ensure all residual chlorine has been flushed out, and to ensure additional resin capacity will have been restored before softened water is supplied to the home's fixtures. These recomendations assume there will be sufficient salt within the brine tank prior to each regeneration cycle.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[MaxBlack]

Do you know Bannerman just how resilient resin is to chlorine contact? I know that even the mfrs suggest chlorine in the brine tank aperiodically, and I know enough about it to know chlorine needs TIME to disinfect, but... is just the brine rinse cycle enough?

I'm guessing that the shortness of the brine rinse cycle is A Good Thing because it limits the time the chlorine is in contact with the resin.

 

[ditttohead]

While manufacturers vary, in general 1 ppm is the maximum continuous chlorine level for most applications except for periodic sanitizing. Since chlorine damage is cumulative, if we put in 1/8 of a cup, this is equivalent to 500 PPM (est.) or the same amount as a standard softener would see in a week, so theoretically you would be taking about 1 week of life off of the resin, this is basically insignificant. Definitely sanitize the unit as stated above, check out a powered anode rod for your water heater.

 

[Charrie]

Thanks for the replies and advice.
I am a bit confused but I stay that way.
You said: "Add 1 gallon additional water containing ~1/8 cup of unscented chlorine bleach to the brine tank directly"
By brine tank, you mean the canister that I add the salt and water to?
Right now that tank is empty from where we cleaned it out when we bypassed the water softener. So I can't just add a gallon of water with 1/8th cup of bleach? I am not sure how much salt and water to add to the tank to fill it.

There is also a peroxide injection system that is turned off right now and that tank is clean. It had mold growing in it before we emptied and cleaned it and shut everything off. No one ever showed us how to care for or do maintenance on the system. We did fund a chemical company who sells food grade peroxide locally but it is, I believe 50%? and would have to be diluted from what I understand. But this is for another thread.. For now we want to get the water softer back up and running.

Below is a pic of the system so you can understand better how it is set up.
L is the peroxide mixing tank and behind tank L is the water inlet pipe, peroxide injection fitting, and a electric flood control shut off valve.
J I believe is a flow switch that turns the injection pump off and on.
C is the brine tank
D is the water softener resin tank? while F is the control panel and G is the bypass valve,
E I think is for filling the brine tank?

B is the peroxide injection pump and tank

If I remember correctly, the water softener control is only once daily and manually when you want to.

So I guess the question is how to start and sanitize the softener since the brine tank is empty.

Thanks
Charrie

 

[Reach4]

Yes, C is the brine tank. D is the softener tank I think -- 9x48 is it? E is not for filling the brine tank. Lift the big gray/tan lid off for that. E may be a sampling port or provision for something to be added.

Which way does the water flow?

Tank L-- does the peroxide injection pump inject around K or where? How big is tank L?

Since the tank is empty, You will add even more water. We can think about an amount. Is there a plastic salt grid at the bottom of the brine tank or can you see the whole bottom of the tank when you look in?

What does the writing on F say? Can you lift cover F off, and take a photo under the cover?

 

[Charrie]

Close,, 9x40.

The water inlet pipe is behind tank L. It comes through the floor and has an electric flood protection valve that is supposed activate if a sensor on the floor gets wet. Above that shut off valve is the injection valve from the injection tank. From there the inlet pipe goes into the top of the tall mixing tank. There is no media in that tank from what I was told. It is simply to give the peroxide time to aerate the water. From there the supply goes to the bypass valve on tank D. From there on to the hot water tank supply.

Tank L is a 10x54

There is no grind in the bottom of the brine tank. It is just smooth and then there is the float valve with a piece of pvc pipe sleeved over it. There is a small black water line that comes from the softener tank control and goes into the brine tank float valve. It is the small black line just below G

Pics of the cover, cover tag, and tank specs.
It is an Ecowater 1500 series EEC1502R40

 

[Reach4]

When you draw the brine, the level will go down to about the middle of the air check valve in the brine tube (that big pipe in the brine tank). So from there, I would want about 2 more gallons initially. When you add salt, the level of the water will roughly double.

So I guess I am thinking with no salt yet to add water until the water is a little over half way up to the middle of the air check valve. Then add another 3 gallons. Maybe that could be 5 gallons total, but that is going to depend on how high the air check valve is. And also add that bleach.

Then add salt. I am thinking 3 40 lb bags initially, and let it sit 2 hours before starting your regen.

Keep some salt above the water line. After you think things are working, feel free to add a lot of salt so you don't have to fill so often.

I don't know how much H2O2 (peroxide) to mix with water. Have you located H2O2? What strength and volume? When you do add water when filling the solution tank, use soft water if available.

 

[Old]

That unit fills the brine tank with water as the first step in it's regen cycle. No need to add additional water. Add bleach and salt then hold the "regeneration" button for about 5 seconds. You will hear the motor start to run and the brine tank will automatically fill with water. After the tank fills with water it will pause to make brine. After the pause it will draw brine, backwash, then rinse. Normally there will only be an inch or two of water at the bottom of the brine tank (up to the air check) when the unit is in service.

 

[Charrie]

I found a parts and technical manual in a cabinet. It is written for folks with experience!

I think what you refer to as "brine tube", the manual is referring to as "brinewell"? See pic below.

Inside of that piece of PVC is what I thought was a float valve that I think you are calling " air check valve" seen in pic below as #16

The brine tube goes all the way to the bottom of the tank and the air check valve sits down inside the brine tube. The brine tubing is connected to the top of that air valve.

I also noticed that the installer did not install a overflow drain hose for the brine tank. If something were to go wrong and the tank overflow, water would run all over the floor.

So how do i fill the brine tank? In the picture of the system set up, valve E is right over the brine tank and the installer left a elbow and short piece of pipe that can connect to valve E and fit into the brine tank. That is why i assumed valve E was for that. Does the control on the top of the 9x40 media tank keep the water level full in the brine tank?

Sorry for being so slow here. I know very little about how this works but am learning thinks to all of the help here.

Thanks again
Charrie.

 

[Charrie]

That unit fills the brine tank with water as the first step in it's regen cycle. No need to add additional water. Add bleach and salt then hold the "regeneration" button for about 5 seconds. You will hear the motor start to run and the brine tank will automatically fill with water. After the tank fills with water it will pause to make brine. After the pause it will draw brine, backwash, then rinse. Normally there will only be an inch or two of water at the bottom of the brine tank (up to the air check) when the unit is in service.

So when I turn the system back on, it will automatically fill to the proper water level?
After it fills up, how much bleach do i add and do I add the extra gallon of water?
After it runs through the first cycle, there is no need to worry about the bleach in the system? It will work its way out through the second regeneration cycle?
We do not drink the water here yet because it is real high in manganese and iron is at the upper level.

Thanks
Charrie

 

[Reach4]

Bleach gets rinsed out of the media tank during the first regen cycle. Any small residuals in the brine tank get rinsed from the media tank each regen.

That unit fills the brine tank with water as the first step in it's regen cycle. No need to add additional water.

OK, it fills first. But prefilling up to the brine check would still make sense. Plus adding maybe an extra gallon or two could make that first regen use a stronger salt dose for the first time to catch up the depleted resin.

 

[Old]

So when I turn the system back on, it will automatically fill to the proper water level?
After it fills up, how much bleach do i add and do I add the extra gallon of water?
After it runs through the first cycle, there is no need to worry about the bleach in the system? It will work its way out through the second regeneration cycle?
We do not drink the water here yet because it is real high in manganese and iron is at the upper level.

Thanks
Charrie

Only after you start a regen cycle will it fill the brine tank with water. You don't have to wait for it to fill to add the bleach. Just pour the bleach down the brine well and press the regeneration button. The tank will fill with water then suck the same water back in again. Add 1/8-1/4 cup of bleach to the brine well before the first regeneration.

If you want to add a gallon or two of water to the brine tank before the first regeneration that would be fine. If you do a back to back regeneration the extra salt (or slightly smaller amount of salt if you don't add the water) won't make much difference.

One thing to check on this particular system- The float/air check mechanism (#16 in the diagram above) should be resting on the bottom of the brine tank. The brine tubing clips into a cutout on the side of the brine well. It is common for the tube to get pulled up so that the float/air check is hanging on the brine tube elevated above the bottom of the brine tank.

 

[Charrie]

Alright! between you guys help and my reading in the instillation manual I found, I think I pretty much understand what to do now.
There are a couple of things that may not matter but i wanted to ask about. The instructions below are assuming one is sanitizing a new system, not one that has been sitting full of water for a year or two. Basically though they are the same directions ad you all outlined except they say: 2 to 3 table spoons of bleach. you all recommend 1/8th cup which is 1 fluid ounce. 2 tablespoons equal one ounce. Would it be safe to add the 3rd tablespoon since it has sat so long with stagnant water in it?

On initial fill the directions say to add 3 gallons of water to the brine tank. The sanitizing instruction section does not say to add any more water before adding bleach. You all recommended adding an extra gallon and then the bleach.

I know you guys have experience with doing this so i am just verifying what you all think..

The directions say to run 50 gallons of water through the pipes to remove the residual bleach but as you all recommended doing a second regeneration, that seems much better idea. We are on well water and i hate to run 50 gallons of water.

On a different subject while w are here. below is the test results we had taken last summer. how much can a water softener reduce the hardness and can it remove any of the manganese or iron. Perhaps I should start a new post in a different area of the forum for how to straighten out the water quality.

Again thanks for all the help
Charrie

 

[Charrie]

I just wanted to say sorry Old for asking the same question over as you answered it for me. I started writing the reply and was busy with several other things so it took a couple of hours before I completed and posted my last reply. You must have posted in the mean time.

I will defiantly keep an eye on the float/air check mechanism and understand what you are saying about how the line clips onto the brine well pipe. That Styrofoam float is supposed to be free to float all the way to the top of the float/air check mechanism? It is just loose and slides on that center rod.

I've got this down now thanks to you guys great explanations. I am going to try to get ti going Saturday. Since the installer never connected a overflow drain, we are going to have to do that.
Again thanks for all the help you have given me.
Charrie

 

[Charrie]

Well It isn't going quite so well I think!
I thought the system had been in bypass mode all this time but it was only unplugged and the valve in service made, not bypass.
So water was running through the softener for a year and a half or so without regenerating.

So we cleaned the brine tank, added 80 lbs of salt and 3.5 gallons of water and then 1/8th cup of bleach and turned it on.
Here is what it looks like. What do you guys think? It is very bubbly with a tank foam and dark brownish edges around the foam.
What to do from here?

Ok so I took a wire strainer and the foam came off of the top of the water. I took a clean cloth and wiped around the inside of the brine tank after removing the foam and the water had receded a little. Still has a brown tent to it but looks much better.

Help
Charrie