Installed new softener wrong, help?

[Sandrews]

Good morning! So, I purchased a Fleck 5600 SXT online and just installed it two evenings ago. Got most of it done right. Shut off the water, drained it, cut out the old one, installed the new one. Where I realized I missed the directions was in the actual opening up of the new softener bypass valve. I turned it slowly for about 30 seconds, but then I just opened it to service all the way, letting the tank fill. Two days later, I still have milky water throughout the home (all those tiny air bubbles) and the occasional spitting at the kitchen faucet. Did I harm the system, or is this an easy fix?

Thanks,
Steve

 

[Reach4]

I don't think how you opened the bypass caused the milkiness.

Did you add water to the brine tank and do a regeneration? If no, I am thinking I would do 2 immediate regenerations to get things rinsed out. To do an immediate regeneration, push the Extra Cycle button

, and hold it in for 5 seconds.

If yes, I would still do one more immediate regeneration.

I don't know if an air leak in the brine tube connections could make water milky.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Sandrews]

I added 5 gallons to the brine tank, and three yellow bags of salt. It has not done a regeneration cycle yet. But I can certainly give that a go when I get home from work!

 

[Reach4]

You could expand the initial backwash time by starting the regeneration, and then after maybe a minute, unplug the power for 30 minutes or so. Then plug the power back in, and let the cycles continue.

 

[Bannerman]

In following your description, air will have be trapped within the media tank. The incoming water will be entering through an air bubble at the top of the tank which then adds air to the water.

When I start-up a new system, I advance the controller to the Backwash cycle while the incoming water is still shut-off. Once in Back-wash, slowly open the main incoming water valve so that the resin tank slowly fills with water, pushing air trapped inside the tank out to drain. Once water flows continuously to drain without sputtering, then the majority of air will have been eliminated from the tank. Some air will initially remain trapped within the resin bed but that will be ejected during the next regeneration cycle or two.

It is often recommended to perform a regeneration soon after a new install. Even as the new resin is at full softening capacity, the cycle helps to clean out any debris from manufacturing and also helps to eliminate any initial air.

 

[ditttohead]

New resin is manufactured in such a way that rinsing it prior to use is highly recommended. A couple of complete regnerations is very important as is sanitizing the system after the installation.

Be sure to purge the water very slowly during the initial backwash. Air in the system will cause the resin to rise very quickly possible damaging the top screen.

 

[Reach4]

Be sure to purge the water very slowly during the initial backwash. Air in the system will cause the resin to rise very quickly possible damaging the top screen.

I think that would be done by throttling the incoming water to a trickle, probably with the whole-house valve or the bypass, before starting that first regen?

 

[Sandrews]

So am I hearing this correctly? I should go home, toggle the bypass maybe halfway shut, and start a regeneration cycle. Once that finishes, get it to regenerate again, and then fully reopen the bypass once the second regen finishes. Would that be a good way to proceed?

 

[Reach4]

So am I hearing this correctly? I should go home, toggle the bypass maybe halfway shut, and start a regeneration cycle. Once that finishes, get it to regenerate again, and then fully reopen the bypass once the second regen finishes. Would that be a good way to proceed?

Half way could be a lot. Sounds to me as if you want to start more slowly.

I would think the house valve would be easier to modulate, since the action of turn-off valves is more familiar to most of us than bypass valves.

 

[Sandrews]

So maybe a quarter turn on on the main house line, but leave everything else as is, and then run two regens?

 

[Reach4]

So maybe a quarter turn on on the main house line, but leave everything else as is, and then run two regens?

I would open a faucet and close the house valve until I had a slow stream of water (1 gpm?) from that faucet. Then I would start the regen. Then pull the power to the softener a minute or two into the backwash (first cycle of regen). Close the faucet. Run that way for 20 minutes. Turn on the house valve fully. Turn the power back on to the softener, and let the regen continue. That is probably way too cautious. No penalty for overly cautious, other than time.

House valves vary. Some may be barely a trickle at 1/4 turn. Some will be full on at 1/4 turn.

 

[ditttohead]

The object is to get the air out of the tank. This is done during the startup procedure.

Close the inlet water, cycle the system to the backwash cycle and unplug the power.

Crack the inlet valve until you hear a small amount of air coming out the drain. If done correctly this should take no less than 10 minutes to get the air out. Slower is better. As soon as water comes out the drain plug the power back in, cycle the valve to the rapid rinse cycle and unplug the power again. Open the inlet valve to full open and allow the system to rapid rinse for at least 10-20 minutes depending on the media. Once this time has elapsed, plug the power back in and run the system through a complete regeneration cycle.