When I first posted, the cam option was "downflow" - DF. I noticed that there was very little water in the brine tank. In fact, it was literally barely up to the grid or possibly even a tad below it. Is this why I was getting such low salt usage? I do get much reduced hard water buildup at the fixtures, , but still see significant water spotting. To me the water hasn't felt nearly as "slick" as I expect. Has my effective salt dose just been way too little due to the low water level??
"the cam", there is no cam, it is actually the direction of the flow of brine water through the resin bed. Standard is down (flow) through the bed.
The amount of water in the brine tank is dictated by the salt dose and not important and it will be what it is based on your Refill time and the height of the salt grid, and it doesn't have to be above the grid as long as water can get into the cup shaped legs of the grid. They usually have a hole in the bottom.
Anyway, yesterday I changed the settings to "downflow fill first" and did a manual regen. The water level at the end of the fill (step 1) is much higher. I can reach down into the salt and feel "wet" several inches above the grid.
Pre refill or Refill first means add the water for the salt dose lbs at the beginning of a regeneration and then wait for a period of time for the salt to dissolve and then use it instead of at the end of a regeneration where it sits there until the next regeneration. Pre Refill means the brine will be used in the slow rinse/brine draw position and there will only be a couple inches of water in the salt tank between regenerations.
The reason you saw the water level increase is because the valve added your 6 gallons of brine makeup water to what was already in the tank. During the next regeneration it will be sucked out and none added until next week etc..
Here are the "Master Programming Mode" settings:
Format: gallons (U--1)
Regenerant Flow: downflow fill first (dFFF)
Regeneration Type: meter delayed (7--3)
System Capacity: 48000 grains/gallon (C-48)
Feed water hardness: 23 grains/gallon (H-23)
Regeneration time: 2 am (2:00)
Regeneration day override: 7 days (A--7)
Regeneration Cycle Step Programming:
** step 1 - refill: 12 minutes (1--12)
** step 2 - brine making: 60 minutes (2--60)
** step 3 - backwash: 20 minutes (3--10)
** step 4 - brine draw: 60 minutes (4--60)
** step 5 - 2nd backwash: 5 minutes (5 --5)
** step 6 - rapid rinse: 10 minutes (6--10)
Safety factor: 15% (cF 15)
If I understand your earlier posts correctly (no guarantee of that!!) then it seems like I should change cycle step #1, currently 12 minutes, down to 3 minutes? And after a regeneration cycle is complete, where do I want the water level in the brine tank relative to the grid - or does it matter? Right now the water level is above the grid. I would guess that in down flow fill first mode, the fill level should be below the salt after the regen is complete.
It doesn't matter how much water is in the salt tank.
With one person at 60 gals/day times 23 gpg = 1380*8 days = 11040 rounded to 12K, you need to set the salt dose to 4 lbs. Four lbs at the rate of .5 gpm or 1.5 lbs/minute is 3 minutes of Fill time.
Format: gallons (U--1)
Regenerant Flow: downflow fill first (dFFF)
Regeneration Type: meter delayed (7--3)
System Capacity:
12000 grains/gallon (C-12)
Feed water hardness: 23 grains/gallon (H-23)
Regeneration time: 2 am (2:00)
Regeneration day override:
8 days (A--8)
Regeneration Cycle Step Programming:
** step 1 - refill:
4 minutes (1--4)
** step 2 - brine making:
120 minutes (2--120)
** step 3 - backwash:
6 minutes (3--6)
** step 4 - brine draw:
45 minutes (4--45)
** step 5 - 2nd backwash: 5 minutes (5 --5)
** step 6 - rapid rinse:
5 minutes (6--5)
Safety factor: 15% (cF 15)
That gets you 443 gals and 7 days with better than a 24 hr reserve and a calendar override of 8 days and great salt and water efficiency and keeps the salt tank cleaner than Post Refill would.
DO NOT let it run out of salt. If you do you do 2 manual regens one right after teh other with no water use during or between and you do them at 22.5 lbs of salt and then when done, change the salt dose back to 4 lbs.