No Brine Draw Clack WS1

[Glenr]

I am not getting any brine draw from my brine tank. For troubleshooting, I eliminated the brine tank and its valves by putting the 2 ft brine line into a bucket of water. When I do a regeneration, there is no suction during any of the cycles and in fact there is water coming into the bucket when it should be coming out. Water does come out when it should. Putting my finger over the end of the tube I feel no suction or perhaps a very tiny amount. Things I have tried:
Removed drain line and poured water down it.
Replaced the injector.
Replaced the O rings on the brine line elbow fitting and the drain line fitting.
Checked for air leaks.
Motor is turning.
Ordered (but not received) spacer stack and pistons.

Any ideas?

 

[Reach4]

I expect that you already cleaned the injector screen under the injector cap.

I would check the rate that water comes out of the drain during brine draw/slow rinse. Compare that to the slow rinse flow rate on the appropriate graph.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Glenr]

If this is off one way or the other, what would it tell me?

 

[Reach4]

If no flow, I would suspect a blockage in the screen or injector area preventing flow. If there is normal flow, I would tend to suspect a vacuum leak.

 

[Glenr]

I don't have a meter to check the flow but there is definitely a strong flow. The screen has been checked and the injector checked and replaced since I had one. I have replaced the O rings on the drain, fill valves, injector cover and the fittings on the ends of the brine line.

 

[Reach4]

I don't have a meter to check the flow but there is definitely a strong flow.

There should not be a strong flow during brine draw.

What color is your injector?

To measure flow, flow into a container of known volume and time how long it takes to reach the volume. Alternatively, weigh a container empty, flow water for a known period of time, and weigh the container after.

 

[Glenr]

The original and replacement are both violet. I had judged strong flow by feel, sound and comparison to my neighbors. I will dig up a 5/8 piece of tubing to measure the flow. Since there is definitely a decent flow, that would leave a vacuum leak. If it isn't in the brine tube/fittings or the O rings, where could it be?

 

[Reach4]

A violet injector not sucking brine would be expected to cause you to send about 0.16 to 0.3 gpm to the drain line during brine draw.

Sucking the tube to the brine tank from the disconnected softener end would be expected to suck brine without air. I think, but am not sure, that sucking on a tube hooked to the brine line port while you are in service would let you suck a vacuum (not suck air). There are other people who would know for sure.

 

[ditttohead]

Replace seal/spacer stack, and the two pistons.