Water Softener having NO effect on hardness

[ScAndal]

I've got a new water softener with a Fleck 5810SXT valve that is not working. It's almost like it's in bypass mode still. I've watched the Brine draw and brine fill appear to be working properly. I've watched it drain and re-fill. What could be causing literally no impact?

Hach hardness test at well: 32GPG
Hach hardness test at faucet: 32GPG

Fleck 5810SXT Settings:
DF = Gal ; Units
VT = 5810 ; Valve type
RF = dF2b ; Downflow, Double Backwash
CT = Fd ; Meter Delayed regen trigger
C = 49.5 ; capacity in 1000 grains
H = 34 ; Hardness grains after comp factor
RS = cr ; Cr = base reserve on recent experience
DO = 30 ; Day Override (typ 30 if no iron/Mn)
RT = 2:00 ; Regen time (default 2 AM)
B1 = 5 ; Backwash 1 (minutes) [3...10]
Bd = 60 ; Brine draw minutes
B2 = 4 ; Backwash 2 (minutes)[3...10]
RR = 6 ; Rapid Rinse minutes
BF = 23 ; Brine fill minutes
FM = t1.2 (usual) ; t1.2 is default flow meter
RE = OFF ; Relay
VR = OFF ; ?

 

[Bannerman]

Disconnect the drain line close to the softener if possible. Advance the controller directly to Brine Draw and taste the water flowing from the drain line to determine how quickly it becomes salty. If the seal at the top of the riser tube where the tube connects to the bottom of the valve is the incorrect diameter, or if the O ring is damaged or missing, the drain flow will become salty very rapidly, usually within 1-minute.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Reach4]

A cheap TDS meter sampling the drain line is an alternative to tasting, tho tasting is perfectly good. When the brine hits, the TDS will soar into the thousands.

Also make sure you are testing the cold after letting the water run long enough to clear any water in the piping. If you test a hot faucet, it can take quite a while for the soft water to make it thru.

Also, if testing from kitchen cold, some run hard water to the kitchen cold. If you are not the one who plumbed that, you could check for that.

With the Hach 5-B, above 30 hardness it is usual to test 50% test water and 50% distilled water. Then multiply the number of drops to turn blue by two.

 

[ScAndal]

Thanks guys. I'm finally getting back to this as i've been so busy.

I did the test and when flipping to Brine Draw phase, immediately salty water and like 800TDS @drain.

Would your first diagnostic check be to try and take off valve and check oring?

 

[Reach4]

Good work there.

Would your first diagnostic check be to try and take off valve and check oring?

Yes, but I would have a digital caliper handy to measure the OD on the distributor tube, in case the problem was not obvious. You would need to get the right adapter to match your distributor tube.

 

[ScAndal]

% chance of pulling the head off without having the tube come with it and having to rebed gravel/resin?

 

[Bannerman]

The riser may pull up slightly but as the bottom basket is buried below ~36" of media, unlikely to pull out much . Continue to rotate the valve while lifting to reduce the upward force on the riser tube.

Since there is no seal between the riser tube and valve, likely due to an incorrect adaptor diameter or missing O ring, there maybe no grip on the riser tube whatsoever.

 

[ScAndal]

Bingo. 1.05" OD riser tube. No adapter on the Valve. grrr.

You guys are great help. So I just need to get them to ship an adapter. Does that come with the gaskets or are they separate part numbers?

The adapter pictured here looks like it has a gasket? 32mm Distributor Adapter for Fleck 7000 (Part# 61419) (afwfilters.com)

 

[Reach4]

So I just need to get them to ship an adapter. Does that come with the gaskets or are they separate part numbers?

Looking at the service manual, page 16 part 61419 does not show a separate o-ring, so I would presume that the adapter includes a seal if needed. But I don't know for a fact.

 

[ScAndal]

Vendor shipped part, installed and hardness immediately went from 30+ to 5.

Now to tweak the settings to get that down a bit. Looks like i'm close.

 

[ditttohead]

Here is a video on how to install the part.