Constantly trickling water from Fleck5600 mechanical drain line

[Ravens135]

I have a softener system with Fleck 5600 mechanical resin and carbon filter tanks. I can hear constant water running when no water is being used in the house. It sounds like a bubbling, trickel, percolating type of sound. Slow moving water, but i can hear it on the first floor from basement. It appears to be coming from the drain hose that attaches to the resin and carbon filter tanks, and i hear it where it empties out into the larger pvc piping that goes to septic. Is this a seal leak of some sort? I do not recall how long i have noticed this, but it has possibly started or gotten worse when i killed power to it during a regen cycle to allow iron out to sit in the beads per some peocedures ive seen to clean them. I did not put the system in bypass with the bypass lever at that time. Any advice for a DIYer?

 

[Reach4]

You might want to confirm that water is coming from the drain outlet.

If it is, a rebuild kit consisting of piston and seals would be the action. A rebuild kit usually also includes a new brine valve, which while would not cause your symptom, presuming the brine tank brine is not full up to the safety float.

I guess another easy test is to make sure the sound goes away when you put the softener into bypass. That would be to confirm the leaking was from some other place.

If you are continuously leaking water, the water meter leak detector indicator could tell you water was running (or your well pump would be cycling). It is hard to imagine some non-water source of such a sound that sounds like water running.

 

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[Ravens135]

You might want to confirm that water is coming from the drain outlet.

If it is, a rebuild kit consisting of piston and seals would be the action. A rebuild kit usually also includes a new brine valve, which while would not cause your symptom, presuming the brine tank brine is not full up to the safety float.

I guess another easy test is to make sure the sound goes away when you put the softener into bypass. That would be to confirm the leaking was from some other place.

If you are continuously leaking water, the water meter leak detector indicator could tell you water was running (or your well pump would be cycling). It is hard to imagine some non-water source of such a sound that sounds like water running.

Thanks Reach. There is 1 black drain hose from each tank that combine at a T, then go directly to a pvc pipe. This pvc pipe is solely for the softener drain as it has no other inputs and runs directly to and empties into the larger house waste pvc line near foundation exit.

I also posted this on reddit water treatment, and the seal/puston rebuild was recommended. I also believe I need to replace my media as my water has been quite brown and I could not resolve with iron out. It may be a good time to do both. I should also probably address my carbon tank too, and probably should redo that Fleck 5600 seal kit also while at it (not sure which is leaking).

I haven't monitored the well pump, that is a good idea. I was curious as to if I would be able to detect how much water I'm wasting, this may be a good test.

I am not familiar with the water monitor leak detector. Is this a feature on the Fleck 5600 analogs im missing? I tried to learn as much as I can about these, buts it's been difficult finding good sources of info as a non-industry homeowner

 

[Reach4]

I haven't monitored the well pump, that is a good idea. I was curious as to if I would be able to detect how much water I'm wasting, this may be a good test.

One thing to consider for your test is to turn off the breaker to the pump, and check how much pressure you lose in a period of time.

If you had a 40 gallon pressure tank, expect the tank holds about 10 gallons between full pressure and cut-on pressure. Assuming a normal pressure difference of 20 psi, each PSI drop would be about 1 gallon. It is not actually linear, but assuming linear for an approximation is OK. Scale to your pressure tank size.

There is 1 black drain hose from each tank

The tanks are the softener resin tank and brine tank overflow?

Or do you have another tank in the picture?

Water leak detector would be an indicator on a water meter for city water.

 

[Ravens135]

One thing to consider for your test is to turn off the breaker to the pump, and check how much pressure you lose in a period of time.

If you had a 40 gallon pressure tank, expect the tank holds about 10 gallons between full pressure and cut-on pressure. Assuming a normal pressure difference of 20 psi, each PSI drop would be about 1 gallon. It is not actually linear, but assuming linear for an approximation is OK. Scale to your pressure tank size.


The tanks are the softener resin tank and brine tank overflow?

Or do you have another tank in the picture?

Water leak detector would be an indicator on a water meter for city water.

Sorry, I should have clarified better. I have well water. Pressure tank leads to large holding tank that gets chlorine injection via stenner pump. I believe this is to treat for iron. Then it's leads to carbon tank with Fleck 5600, then to resin tank with Fleck 5600. These are the tanks that share the drain line in question, so a coin toss on which one has leaking seals if so. i may have to isolate via bypass to test. The brine tank over fill is simply a hose they ran out the side of it to a French drain on foundation that leads to sump pit.

 

[Reach4]

Then it's leads to carbon tank with Fleck 5600, then to resin tank with Fleck 5600. These are the tanks that share the drain line in question, so a coin toss on which one has leaking seals if so. i may have to isolate via bypass to test.

Yes.

I have well water. Pressure tank leads to large holding tank that gets chlorine injection via stenner pump. I believe this is to treat for iron.

Chlorine treats for iron and more, including H2S.

You ideally should have sampling valves, such as "boiler drain valves", before and after the carbon tank that lets you sample residual Cl. The one before helps tweak the injection rate, and the one after confirms that the coconut carbon is still working. Life on that carbon varies, but I think 7 years might be typical.

 

[Ravens135]

Yes.


Chlorine treats for iron and more, including H2S.

You ideally should have sampling valves, such as "boiler drain valves", before and after the carbon tank that lets you sample residual Cl. The one before helps tweak the injection rate, and the one after confirms that the coconut carbon is still working. Life on that carbon varies, but I think 7 years might be typical.

I'm guilty of using the prescribed "mix" of 15:1 water to bleach given to me by prior homeowner. I can also adjust the stenner pump rate, which was maxed. I believe prior homeowners and water company decided on this as best. I do have the post residual chlorine test port as well. I should be testing here, but put faith in their prior setup.

I think my best course would be to rebuild both piston/seals and replace the resin and the carbon. I've owned the home for 5 years, and I know the system was installed 2011 from prior owner receipts. This may give me my best baseline to then try to troubleshoot brown water, while addressing the leak at the same time. I did the tannin/iron test. I did not have precipitate, but I'm still not convinced. I did have much darker water after using iron out afterall upon initial flush.

 

[Reach4]

You can get some low-range free chlorine strips pretty cheaply and easily. I have LAMOTTE 2963LR-G in my notes as looking useful. If you wanted higher precision, there would be more expensive options. I have not used low-range chlorine strips. I use high range for well sanitizing.

I am thinking you might want 2 to 6 ppm residual before the carbon, but I could be wrong on that.

You would want much lower after the carbon, although in city water the common spec is between 0.5 and 4.0 IIRC.

Changing media is not trivial work.

Is your Stenner pump rate fixed (on when the well pump is on) or proportional where there is a flow sensor telling the pump how fast to pump?

 

[Ravens135]

Stenner pump is fixed rate. Turns on when water is running, regardless of how much is being used. I actually had to troubleshoot and replace the relay last winter. What a pain.

My residual test spigot prior to carbon says 2-4 Ppm.

Also, I just pinpointed the leak to the carbon tank head. Putting it in bypass instantly stopped the water/noise. I also tried the resin head and there was no change. Looks like I get to learn how to replace piston and seals!

 

[Reach4]

Also, I just pinpointed the leak to the carbon tank head. Putting it in bypass instantly stopped the water/noise. I also tried the resin head and there was no change. Looks like I get to learn how to replace piston and seals!

Note you probably need a filter piston. https://www.softenerparts.com/Fleck...Types--Softener--Filter--Low-Water_c_310.html

Stenner pump is fixed rate. Turns on when water is running, regardless of how much is being used.

I expect it turns on when the well pump is running, even if no water is being currently used. So the injector will be before the pressure tank.

Flush your pressure tank periodically.

Precharged Pressure tank flush:
1. Connect a hose to the sediment drain valve, and run that to where you plan to drain the water. I suggest filtering the output through a cloth if you suspect the sediment may include sand.
2. Turn off the pump.
3. Open the drain valve, and let it drain until the water stops. It would be possibly interesting to watch the first water that comes out.
4. Close the valve, and turn the pump back on, and let pressure build.
5. Repeat steps 2, 3 and 4 as needed.