Proper settings for a Clack WS1

[fsguy92]

Hey everyone, I have a water softener with a Clack WS1 valve. It's a single tank softener thats 48,000 grain. My water hardness is 18gpg. We use about 525 gallons on average per week.

Currently it's set to hardness 18, 2am regen, regen day 8, auto regen, p14, capacity 18k, 6lbs salt.

What changes do you recommend making to our settings on the WS1? Thanks!

 

[Bannerman]

You didn't state whether your water supply is municipal or private well. Private well water will not be usually chlorinated and therefore may contain ferrous iron and/or manganese which will also consume resin capacity in addition to hardness.

48,000 grains total capacity typically signifies 1.5 cubic feet (ft3) of softening resin, usually utilizing a 10" X 54" media tank.

For the best compromise of salt efficiency, water efficiency, soft water quality (low hardness leakage), and usable capacity per cycle, the usual recommendation is 8 lbs salt per ft3 resin (12 lbs total for 1.5 ft3), to regenerate 36,000 grains usable Capacity per cycle.

Assuming no iron or manganese, suggest increasing the hardness setting to 20-21 gpg.

Using 20 gpg X 525 gallons average/week = 10,500 grains capacity needed per week or 1500/day .

With 36000 usable grains / 1500 gr per day = 24 days - 1-day reserve = an estimated regeneration frequency of 23-24 days. Hardness reduction efficiency: 36,000 gr / 12 lbs salt = 3,000 gr/lb.

As I anticipate your WS1 will be equipped with a flow meter which will cause regeneration to occur just prior to the 36,000 grains being depleted, again, anticipating no iron or manganese present, suggest increasing the regen day setting to 30 which will cause a regeneration to be performed only when the 36K capacity has not been fully depleted within 30-days following the previous cycle.

You mention a 6 lbs salt setting which will increase salt efficiency slightly, at the expense of lower soft water quality (higher hardness leakage), and since a lower capacity setting will be required, the unit will regenerate more frequently, which will increase the quantity of water that is utilized for regeneration over time (per month/year).

6 lbs per ft3 will regenerate 21K grains Capacity per ft3 = so 9 lbs salt will restore 31,500 grains usable Capacity in 1.5 ft3.

31,500 gr / 1500 gr = 21 days - 1-day reserve = an estimated 20-21 day regeneration frequency.
Hardness reduction efficiency: 31,500 gr / 9 lbs salt = 3,500 gr/lb.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[fsguy92]

You didn't state whether your water supply is municipal or private well. Private well water will not be usually chlorinated and therefore may contain ferrous iron and/or manganese which will also consume resin capacity in addition to hardness.

48,000 grains total capacity typically signifies 1.5 cubic feet (ft3) of softening resin, usually utilizing a 10" X 54" media tank.

For the best compromise of salt efficiency, water efficiency, soft water quality (low hardness leakage), and usable capacity per cycle, the usual recommendation is 8 lbs salt per ft3 resin (12 lbs total for 1.5 ft3), to regenerate 36,000 grains usable Capacity per cycle.

Assuming no iron or manganese, suggest increasing the hardness setting to 20-21 gpg.

Using 20 gpg X 525 gallons average/week = 10,500 grains capacity needed per week or 1500/day .

With 36000 usable grains / 1500 gr per day = 24 days - 1-day reserve = an estimated regeneration frequency of 23-24 days. Hardness reduction efficiency: 36,000 gr / 12 lbs salt = 3,000 gr/lb.

As I anticipate your WS1 will be equipped with a flow meter which will cause regeneration to occur just prior to the 36,000 grains being depleted, again, anticipating no iron or manganese present, suggest increasing the regen day setting to 30 which will cause a regeneration to be performed only when the 36K capacity has not been fully depleted within 30-days following the previous cycle.

You mention a 6 lbs salt setting which will increase salt efficiency slightly, at the expense of lower soft water quality (higher hardness leakage), and since a lower capacity setting will be required, the unit will regenerate more frequently, which will increase the quantity of water that is utilized for regeneration over time (per month/year).

6 lbs per ft3 will regenerate 21K grains Capacity per ft3 = so 9 lbs salt will restore 31,500 grains usable Capacity in 1.5 ft3.

31,500 gr / 1500 gr = 21 days - 1-day reserve = an estimated 20-21 day regeneration frequency.
Hardness reduction efficiency: 31,500 gr / 9 lbs salt = 3,500 gr/lb.

Thanks for your response! We are on city water.

So basically I am interpreting this as I should bump up my hardness to 20/21, 12lbs salt, regen day 30? On the unit, the highest regen day setting I am able to select before it goes back to 0 is 28 - would this be okay?

The capacity setting that the installer used was 18x1000 - does this need to be changed to 48?

Am I interpreting all of this correctly and are there any other changes that you'd recommend making? Sorry for all of the questions - I'm pretty astute but plumbing/water softeners are definitely something that escape me for the most part.

 

[Bannerman]

The capacity setting that the installer used was 18x1000 - does this need to be changed to 48?

48K grains is the total capacity for 1.5 ft3 resin. Regenerating all 48K would be inefficient and wasteful as 30 lbs salt would be needed each cycle. The usual recommendation for a 1.5 ft3 system is 36K Capacity setting as only 12 lbs salt will be needed for regeneration.

Alternately, a 31,500 grain Capacity setting could be programmed as that would require only 9 lbs salt each cycle.

For your water conditions and usage, since either the 36K or 31.5K Capacity setting is estimated to require regeneration in less than 28-days, the 28-day setting will be OK as that setting will only force a regeneration cycle to occur only when less water than usual is utilized so that no regeneration occured prior to 28- days after the previous cycle.