Replacing a Kinetico 2030s dual tank system and would like some advice

[jgold]

I tried to rebuild my existing one but it works for a month and then seems to stop. I put in new seals and the pistons seem pretty stiff. I think it may be sticking somewhere. I've taken it apart and checked everything three times now. I worry that the screws going into the plastic base are going to strip out. They're not made to be taken apart this many times.

I've gotten tired of trying to fix it and I think I'm going to try replacing the valve with the Fleck 9100 xst. Here are my questions:

1. Will the Fleck 9100 XST screw on to the Kinetico tanks? I just did a bunch of work on them including putting in new resin and carbon media so I want to keep using them. The tanks are 7" in diameter, 41" high and take .47 cu/ft of media. Will the Fleck 9100 work well or does it need bigger tanks? I'm in Scottsdale AZ so the water is fairly hard.

2. I have a carbon filter tank that's identical to the resin tanks. It was installed with the system and doesn't have any kind of backwash. The city water comes through it into the softener. From what I understand, it should be backwashed. I'm thinking of also getting a Fleck bakwash only valve. Any advice on it?

3. I have 1" copper pipe coming in. I know I need a bypass valve. What other connectors and fittings would I need?

4. Finally, who is a good supplier? Price is important but I also want a company that works well with DIY'ers. The main reason I DON'T want another Kinetico is because you can't buy parts! They only sell to their dealers.

 

[Bannerman]

0.47 ft3 media per tank is not much. Regenerating that capacity will not provide efficient operation as they would require frequent regeneration. For efficiency, softeners are typically sized to provide sufficient hardness removal capacity so that regeneration is required at maximum 1X per week, to a minimum of 1X per month.

An online search for Scottsdale water hardness specifies the hardness range is typically 16-25 gpg for the municipal supply.

Suggest obtaining a single larger media tank such as 10" X 54" which is sufficient for 1.5 ft3 resin + 15 lbs bedding gravel. Since your resin has been recently replaced, you could transfer your exisiting resin into the larger tank, plus add additional new resin to equal as close to 1.5 ft3 as possible. Gravel maybe added ontop of the resin as the heavier gravel will settle to the tank bottom during the backwash phase of the first regeneration cycle.

1.5 ft3 resin = 48,000 grains total reduction capacity. To regenerate 100% of the total capacity would be extremely wastefull and inefficient as 30 lbs salt would be required each cycle. (Efficiency: 48,000 / 30 lbs = 1,600 gr/lb)

To improve efficiency while continuing to obtain high quality soft water and a large amount of useable capacity, the recommended Capacity setting for that size softener will be 36,000 grains as only 12 lbs salt will be needed each cycle.

Alternately, 12" X 52" tanks could be utilized, which is appropriate for 2 ft3 media + 20 lbs gravel. 2 ft3 softener resin will have a total capacity of 64,000 grains, but the recommended Capacity setting will be 48,000 grains as that will require only 16 lbs salt each cycle.

A good single tank Fleck valve for both the softener and Carbon filter system would be the Fleck 5800 SXT. The softener would utilize a 5800SXT Metered Downflow Softener configuration, whereas the filter will utilize a 5800SXT Time Clock Backwash Filter configuration.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[jgold]

Thanks for the advice Bannerman! That gave me some things to think about. I was thinking that the amount of salt used would be independent of the size of the tanks. Smaller tanks would need to be regenerated more often but would also take less salt for each regeneration. It sounds like it's more complicated than that. I need to do more research until I understand it.