Time to replace Rainsoft water softener?

[mcgeggy]

I have an old Rainsoft Apollo that is no longer draining the water out of the salt hopper. I can't find anything wrong with the hoses and air check valve. Water does drain out the drain hose from somewhere - but the water does not drain out of the salt area.

This system operates on a timer. I think a system that operates on a meter would be best to go with now. So....

Can I just add a new valve assembly to the existing unit that is metered, or is it not worth it? (Resin too old)?

How should I go about figuring out what to replace the Rainsoft with? All I seem to read is how awful Rainsoft is (high pressure sales, expensive, etc). Can I buy a new system and would a plumber come in and hook it up, or is this not the type of thing they generally do?

I don't want to get ripped off, and I want to get something that is low maintenance and reliable.

I also have a another tank with calcite to raise pH, which I replaced myself 10 years ago (new tank & media, new Fleck 5600 valve). The space I have where the softener is is pretty tight - so I'd like a whole new setup to be right around the same footprint as the Apollo system that I have now (hopper with resin tank in hopper).

I have not gotten my water tested yet. Well and septic, family of 4 in a single family 2 bathroom house.

Thanks for ANY advice you can give!!

 

[Reach4]

You could try cleaning the screens, injector etc on the Rainsoft softener. A clogged injector or screen or other thing could stop the brine fill operation I think.

How big is your current softener tank? Was it adequate? That could tell you what size worked, but you do want to get that water test. I like kit 90 from http://www.karlabs.com/watertestkit/ It take about 2 weeks to get results from the time that you order, since that includes 2 trips in the mail -- kit to you and filled kit returned.

It seems to me that the water you would want to test for selecting a softener would be from the output of the calcite, since that is what the softener would see.

Is your plumbing 3/4 inch copper, or what? The 5600SXT controller would be good for that I think.

Another possibility is to get a new controller for your present tank. But a new softener also gets you new resin.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[mcgeggy]

You could try cleaning the screens, injector etc on the Rainsoft softener. A clogged injector or screen or other thing could stop the brine fill operation I think.

How big is your current softener tank? Was it adequate? That could tell you what size worked, but you do want to get that water test. I like kit 90 from http://www.karlabs.com/watertestkit/ It take about 2 weeks to get results from the time that you order, since that includes 2 trips in the mail -- kit to you and filled kit returned.

It seems to me that the water you would want to test for selecting a softener would be from the output of the calcite, since that is what the softener would see.

Is your plumbing 3/4 inch copper, or what? The 5600SXT controller would be good for that I think.

Another possibility is to get a new controller for your present tank. But a new softener also gets you new resin.

Thanks for the quick reply. I really don't know where I would find screens or injectors on this unit? The current unit was adequate in the sense that it prevented staining, but we never really get that slick feel from the water during bathing. I don't care for that so much anyway - makes it seem like all the soap has not rinsed off, lol.

The copper pipes feeding the unit are 1". I found an $800 Northstar unit - this brand seems to be fairly well reviewed. I could probably squeeze it into the same place.
North Star 18" x 18" x 49" Water Softener with Salt Storage Capacity of 200lbs and 30,200 Max. Grain Capacity - NSC30UD

 

[ditttohead]

I would recommend a Fleck or Clack based unit, nuff said...

 

[montelatici]

I replaced a Rainsoft softner with a big box store Whirpool demand softener. It is installed after a katolox light filter now, so it gets much cleaner water than the old Rainsoft, but it has been working for over 2 years and uses very little salt, being a demand based filter. Both units use Chinese valves, but they seem to work fine.

 

[ditttohead]

Ask any of the guys on this site who service equipment in the field if they should save $100 and buy the lowest bid priced piece of water treatment equipment for the big box stores. I am quite confident it will be a huge no. Is that how you buy your cars or your clothes? You simply look for the lowest price?

I prefer to support the US manufacturers that have had every opportunity to run their products to China but when possible, they have kept the manufacturing here in the US. Even when companies run the Fleck and Clack products to China and make much cheaper (and awful quality) knockoffs, Fleck and Clack have done what it takes to keep a considerable portion of their manufacturing here.

 

[mcgeggy]

I purchased a water test kit and will hopefully post the results up today or tomorrow and go from there. Thanks!