Kinetico Model 30 not drawing brine from 1 tank

[Thomas Briggs]

Hi everyone...

I own a Kinetico #30 water softener. A few weeks ago, I noticed 1 tank not drawing brine, while the other tank does, so we only have soft water half the time.

My local dealer came out and replaced the head unit and adjusted the float, but the problem still occurs.

I'm looking for ideas as to what the problem could be. I'd assume not the head unit since it was replaced, unless they did something wrong.

Thanks in advance...

 

[Bannerman]

As you have recently paid the local Kinetico dealer to correct the problem, why would you now accept their failure to correctly diagnose and resolve the issue?

I expect there will be some measure of warranty for their repair, at least for the labor portion, so if you now interfere by performing adjustments or repairs as a DIY project, that could potentially void any warranty the dealer may have otherwise honoured.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Thomas Briggs]

I'm definitely going to contact them next week to let them know the problem still exists. Just looking for an idea of what might cause this issue so I can be better informed when I speak to them. Could it be a problem with the new head unit? Or could it be something else? Just in case they try to give me the runaround or suggest I buy a new unit.

 

[Reach4]

I own a Kinetico #30 water softener. A few weeks ago, I noticed 1 tank not drawing brine, while the other tank does, so we only have soft water half the time.

I don't know what would cause brine to not be drawn out of the brine tank when regenerating one tank only.

However a leak at the top inside of one of the brine tanks could stop/reduce the drawn brine from circulating through the resin. It would also bypass the water being treated from going through the resin, causing hardness to stay in the treated water.

 

[Bannerman]

Normally, replacing the head should have resolved the issue since the only components remaining are located within the brine tank. Since brine is correctly being drawn for one tank and not the other, that makes it apparent the issue is not with brine tank components.

Were any components from the original head transferred to the new head? If any components were transferred, then one of those are likely the problem. Perhaps there is a problem within the tank that is not being regenerated, but I don't know what that would be.

In any event, it seems obvious that replacing the head was not the correct repair. As they are the authorized Kinetico dealer for your area, I would expect their technicians to be thoroughly trained to diagnose and repair Kinetico equipment. If it were mine, I would expect the correct repair as well as a discount for the new head, or reinstallation of my original head and an appropriate credit.

 

[Reach4]

I own a Kinetico #30 water softener. A few weeks ago, I noticed 1 tank not drawing brine, while the other tank does, so we only have soft water half the time.

How long was this working correctly?

 

[Thomas Briggs]

I've had the unit since 2003. The brine draw issue is only in the past few weeks.

 

[Reach4]

've had the unit since 2003. The brine draw issue is only in the past few weeks.

Let's be clear. You know that no brine is being drawn when you regen one of the tanks because you watch the brine level during the regen. What I was wondering was whether you had inferred no brine draw because of the lack of softening.

 

[Thomas Briggs]

I have watched a lot of regen cycles
I don't have test kits, but I can tell when the water is hard/soft and have correlated the hardness to the cycle that doesn't draw brine.
When the tech came, he confirmed the water coming from the bad cycle was hard.

 

[Reach4]

I have watched a lot of regen cycles
I don't have test kits, but I can tell when the water is hard/soft and have correlated the hardness to the cycle that doesn't draw brine.
When the tech came, he confirmed the water coming from the bad cycle was hard.

Not clear enough. Are you saying that you can watch a cycle, and the brine level does not go down during the brine draw cycle for one tank, but does for the other?

If just going by hardness, suppose, for example, that the distributor tube on one tank was just a little short, was sitting on some resin or gravel initially, which held the basket up, and then the basket settled.. Or the bottom basket crushed down a bit. Now there is a leak up top of the tank which bypasses the resin. That could explain hard water from one tank only.

 

[Thomas Briggs]

To clarify, when watching the regen cycles, I have noted that one cycle reduces the amount of brine in the bin and then replenishes it, while the other cycle does not change the brine level at all.

 

[CK3685]

To clarify, when watching the regen cycles, I have noted that one cycle reduces the amount of brine in the bin and then replenishes it, while the other cycle does not change the brine level at all.

Did you find a solution? I have the exact same problem with my Kinetico 50 softener.

 

[JD-SD]

Cleaning head did not work for me, but completely replacing Level 4 seals and piston o-rings solved the problem and returned functionality to like new.