Switching to potassium

[Robert Wolfe]

I'm considering switching to potassium would I need to change any settings on my fleck5600sxt other than increasing BD?
Reason for the change Id rather use waste water from regen to water plants instead of just running it down the drain.

 

[Reach4]

You may want to switch to switch to brine first, and that seems to be associated with upflow. Upflow calls for a new piston, I think, for the 5600SXT. See VT=UFbF Upflow Brine First in your manual. That cuts down on the bridging that KCl is prone to -- especially if there is a lot of temperature changes. If the softener is in the air conditioned space, that may not be needed. If the brine tank is in the garage, brine first would be important.

You will also need to increase the BF (brine fill) by a factor... ... 10%???


https://terrylove.com/forums/index.php?threads/fleck-7000sxt-potassium-setting-help.56294/

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Robert Wolfe]

Softener is outside in a shed so it will see different temps. According to the manual I would need to change valve type to ufbf to set brine first. Then increase bf by 10% and increase brine draw from 60 to 80 correct? Changing the valve type doesn't require any hardware change does it?

 

[Reach4]

Changing the valve type doesn't require any hardware change does it?

I am not a pro. I am not at all sure

 

[Robert Wolfe]

I am not a pro. I am not at all sure

Sorry was on my phone missed where you said piston change.

 

[Reach4]

Sorry was on my phone missed where you said piston change.

Yes, but a piston change may not be needed. I am not sure.

 

[Robert Wolfe]

Yes, but a piston change may not be needed. I know a piston change is needed for double backwash, but that may not be the case with brine first.

I have emailed Pentair about it since the manual doesn't specify if a piston replacement is necessary and am awaiting response.

 

[ditttohead]

5600SXT does not offer fill first, regardless water ing the plants with the brine waste is not recommended. We have experimented with that for many years, it pretty much always ends in failure. The chloride load on the plants is simply too much. Even the potassium load eventually becomes too much. You don't fertilize every week, you do it a couple of times per year. KCL and NAcl both have chloride...

Double backwash does not require a piston change, just a microswitch cam change.

 

[Robert Wolfe]

5600SXT does not offer fill first, regardless water ing the plants with the brine waste is not recommended. We have experimented with that for many years, it pretty much always ends in failure. The chloride load on the plants is simply too much. Even the potassium load eventually becomes too much. You don't fertilize every week, you do it a couple of times per year. KCL and NAcl both have chloride...

Double backwash does not require a piston change, just a microswitch cam change.

Bummer Pentair responded stating I would have to change to upflow piston for brine first upflow setting