I have a Clack WS1 that is probably 12 yrs old. Recently I noticed that the brine tank is always full. The bottom of the tank was pretty nasty, so I cleaned all of that out. I disconnected the brine tube at the float and ran a manual regen. It was putting water into the tank on every cycle nonstop. So I replaced the spacer stack and the pistons. Then it stopped putting water into the tank when on brine (which I think is a step in the right direction). However it never draws water back out of the brine tank. So then I got a new injector (white one). It still doesn't draw any water. The only time I feel any suction is for a few seconds when it is switching between cycles. If I take the brine tube off at the softener, I can suck water through it with no issues. Not sure where to go next. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Clack WS1 full brine tank (FIXED)
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ditttohead
Water systems designer, R&D
Put the unit into brine draw and remove the drain clip and drain line. Be sure you are doing this in an area where you can get wet. See if it draws brine without the drain line connected.
If that fixes it, you have a problem with the drain line. If not, your next step is to remove the valve and test the resin. Lets start with the drain line.
If that fixes it, you have a problem with the drain line. If not, your next step is to remove the valve and test the resin. Lets start with the drain line.
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Thanks dittohead, I will give that a try. Just to make sure before I start making a mess, my cycles are backwash, brine, backwash 2, rinse, fill, soften (I think in that order). My brine cycle is 60 mins. I'm assuming brine draw is the same as just brine? Should it be pulling water that entire cycle?
Bannerman
Well-Known Member
Yes Brine.
Unless there is substantially more brine in the brine tank than usual, all of the brine should be all transferred to the resin tank within 15-20 minutes. The remaining 'Brine' cycle time will slowly push the brine through the resin and rinse the resin with fresh water.
Bannerman
Well-Known Member
To confirm, when you say 'water came out at a good rate', that was when the controller was in the 'Brine' cycle? Water will flow to drain during every cycle of regeneration except the Fill cycle, in case you expect any flow to drain will cause brine to be drawn.
The flow rate to drain will be highest during BackWash and Rinse. The flow rate will be typically 2.0 - 3.5 gpm depending on the tank diameter.
During the Brine cycle, the flow rate to drain will usually be between 0.4 - 1.0 gpm depending on the injector that is installed.
The flow rate to drain will be highest during BackWash and Rinse. The flow rate will be typically 2.0 - 3.5 gpm depending on the tank diameter.
During the Brine cycle, the flow rate to drain will usually be between 0.4 - 1.0 gpm depending on the injector that is installed.
What color is your injector?
Take a look at the graph for a white injector (page 55 on the manual I looked at).
If no brine is being drawn, you should get the "slow rinse" number, you would expect about 0.35 to 0.40 gpm out of the drain during brine cycle. It might be worth seeing how much water you actually get in 5 minutes, or how many seconds it takes to fill a 1 gallon bucket.
If you actually got close to 1 gpm, I cannot what failure mode could cause that, unless it was a seal or piston leaking.
You did not change the programming I presume or move the plug by the injector, so the upflow or download thing would not have changed. If you did pull the injector and plug, is it possible that you swapped holes? That would cause bad behavior.
I think this symptom occurred before you pulled the injector.
Sucking air could cause not drawing brine also. A small leak might not pass much water out, but could suck air in. Your mouth test would have disclosed a leak anywhere except right where the tube connects to the valve. Shaving cream slathered over that fitting during brine draw would disclose a vacuum leak.
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Could it be that your suck test might not have drawn enough water? There could be a blockage at the float valve or the air check valve, and the resilience of the piping might have let you suck up a small amount. You seem to have already addressed the right things.
Bannerman
Well-Known Member
When you say there is no suction, how did you determine that?
Did you disconnect the brine tube at the brine tank and feel for suction with your finger over the open end, or were you looking for the brine level to drop in the brine tank? Brine draw will be at a slow flow rate so you probably will not see much difference in fluid height after only 1-minute of draw.
Did you disconnect the brine tube at the brine tank and feel for suction with your finger over the open end, or were you looking for the brine level to drop in the brine tank? Brine draw will be at a slow flow rate so you probably will not see much difference in fluid height after only 1-minute of draw.
ditttohead
Water systems designer, R&D
Brine suction should start within a few seconds of getting into the brine draw cycle.
When you rebuilt the valve, did you notice if the piston color was identical? The WS1 valve has several piston options.
There is a good description of the piston options here.
https://view.publitas.com/impact-water-products/2018-catalog-final/page/96-97
When you rebuilt the valve, did you notice if the piston color was identical? The WS1 valve has several piston options.
There is a good description of the piston options here.
https://view.publitas.com/impact-water-products/2018-catalog-final/page/96-97
ditttohead
Water systems designer, R&D
Tear the valve apart again and carefully inspect the seals/spacers etc. Here is a video tutorial.
I did notice last night that there was water dripping out of the drain line elbow. I'm not sure when this started I don't think it always did this, but I've had that piece disconnected a few times. I'm going to order new elbow connectors all around and a new drain button, just because. Eventually I'll have a whole new softener 
Bannerman
Well-Known Member
I anticipate the dripping drain condition is related to an issue with the seal-spacer stack which is as Ditttohead has implied.
I took the spacer stack out and one of the o-rings on the inside wasn't seated correctly. I seated it and put the pistons back in very carefully. This time when I went to brine, it sounded completely different. Before it was running full throttle all the time. Now when it hit brine, it slowed way down. It is also now pulling water!!!!! I'm going to let it go through the full cycle before I call it fixed, but I think we might be good. I'll post back when it is done.
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