I haven't had any luck with a previous post abut will try again. Sometimes, not all the time, my softened water will taste kind of funny. It being intermittent is what is throwing me off. It's not during a regeneration cycle or anything so not sure how else to diagnose other than maybe getting the funny tasting water tested.
Water tastes funny sometimes
- Thread starter kk0710
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MaxBlack
Member
Hmmm tastes "funny" doesn't tell much. When it does, how long does it last? If "funny" in the bathroom, is it "funny" in the kitchen? Other taps? Limited to a specific faucet?
If not, i.e. if the taste comes & goes throughout the house and lasts for days at a time, I'd be inclined to suspect the well water. If city water, ask the city--they may have some knowledge of anomalies in your area.
If you want to make it go away, install an RO drinking water system and use it exclusively.
If not, i.e. if the taste comes & goes throughout the house and lasts for days at a time, I'd be inclined to suspect the well water. If city water, ask the city--they may have some knowledge of anomalies in your area.
If you want to make it go away, install an RO drinking water system and use it exclusively.
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It's definitely not an external issue. I'm on city water with no one else having issues and I tested it by bypassing water softener and it happens at all fixtures. I also have a whole house water filter before the softener and that made no difference on or off and has a brand new filter. I did a manual regeneration and lowered the DO to 10. It seems to have gone away and I'll see if it comes back. I wish I could describe it, it's almost like a plastic taste in the back of my mouth. In fact that's why it took a while to notice as I thought it was from the flexy water bottle I use in the morning to take some medicine, which is the only time I tend to drink straight from the tap. What's interesting is that I still use a Brita water filter and I don't taste it there so whatever it is seems to go away either by sitting for a while or through another carbon filter.
In case any of this is useful to you here are my settings and my water quality report.
I have my settings set to max efficiency:
Capacity = 32k
hardness = 10
Day override = 10
Backwash = 10 minutes
Brine draw = 60 minutes, seems long since brine tank only has 3 gallons of water.
Rapid rinse = 10 minutes
Brine Fill = 6 minutes
Bannerman
Well-Known Member
You didn't state the total capacity for the softener nor the Control Valve brand or model.
If the softener contains 1 ft3 of resin, then the Total Resin Capacity will be 32K, but a 32K Capacity setting will provide the worst efficiency as 20 lbs salt would be needed each Regen cycle. (maximum efficiency: 32,000 / 20 = 1,600 gr / lb).
Assuming your softener is equipped with a 0.5 GPM BLFC (brine line flow control) flow restrictor, then the 6-minute current Brine Fill setting will refill the brine tank with 3-gallons water, which will dissolve only 9 lbs salt.
If the softener contains 1.5 ft3 resin (48K grs Total), then a 31.5K Capacity setting will require only 9 lbs salt, thereby increasing the maximum efficiency to 3,500 gr / lb.
When a softener is installed, the resin should be rinsed for an extended time before being sanitized with a small amount of unscented chlorine bleach added to the brine in the brine tank directly before being regenerated for the 1st time before supplying soft water to the home's fixtures.
The recommended softener startup procedure is described within the short writeup at the following link: Softener Startup Procedure
You said: "Brine draw = 60 minutes, seems long since brine tank only has 3 gallons of water."
The appropriate amount of brine will be transferred from the brine tank within the 1st ~15-minutes of the 60-minute Brine Draw cycle. Once there is little brine remaining in the brine tank, the air check valve at the bottom of the brine tank will close to prevent air from being drawn in during the remaining ~45 minutes of Slow Rinse flow. The Slow Rinse will continue to push the brine downward through the resin bed, while also rinsing away calcium, magnesium and iron released from the resin beads, and will also rinse away chloride and excess sodium resulting from the brine that was just utilized.
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it's a 1.5cu/ft tank. The settings come from the manufacturer for max efficiency. It's a fleck 5600 sxt.
Bannerman
Well-Known Member
Higher salt efficiency settings, result in lower quality soft water due to higher hardness leakage through the resin bed. Since higher salt efficiency requires a lower Capacity setting, this will result in more frequent regenerations per year which will result in lower water efficiency.
9 lbs salt to regenerate 31,500 grains capacity in 1.5 ft3 resin, is equal to 6 lbs salt per ft3. This is not the 'maximum' efficiency setting as 2 lbs//ft3 could be programmed to result in 5,000 gr/lb efficiency, but the soft water quality would be poor with 40 ppm hardness eventually leaking ongoing through the resin bed.
For the best balance of efficiency (hardness reduction efficiency), water quality, and usable capacity, 8 lbs salt per ft3 is usually recommended to achieve 3,000 gr/lb efficiency. Your 6 lbs/ft3 will further increase efficiency to 3500 gr/lb, at the cost of slightly lower water quality, and more frequent regenerations.
Compare the resin capacity chart below.
9 lbs salt to regenerate 31,500 grains capacity in 1.5 ft3 resin, is equal to 6 lbs salt per ft3. This is not the 'maximum' efficiency setting as 2 lbs//ft3 could be programmed to result in 5,000 gr/lb efficiency, but the soft water quality would be poor with 40 ppm hardness eventually leaking ongoing through the resin bed.
For the best balance of efficiency (hardness reduction efficiency), water quality, and usable capacity, 8 lbs salt per ft3 is usually recommended to achieve 3,000 gr/lb efficiency. Your 6 lbs/ft3 will further increase efficiency to 3500 gr/lb, at the cost of slightly lower water quality, and more frequent regenerations.
Compare the resin capacity chart below.
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cool, thanks, it has nothing to do with what I asked and my efficiency is literally maxed out. My regenerations were at the max delay. You literally can't get more efficient than my set up, lol.Higher salt efficiency settings, result in lower quality soft water due to higher hardness leakage through the resin bed. Since higher salt efficiency requires a lower Capacity setting, this will result in more frequent regenerations per year which will result in lower water efficiency.
9 lbs salt to regenerate 31,500 grains capacity in 1.5 ft3 resin, is equal to 6 lbs salt per ft3. This is not the 'maximum' efficiency setting as 2 lbs//ft3 could be programmed to result in 5,000 gr/lb efficiency, but the soft water quality would be poor with 40 ppm hardness eventually leaking ongoing through the resin bed.
For the best balance of efficiency (hardness reduction efficiency), water quality, and usable capacity, 8 lbs salt per ft3 is usually recommended to achieve 3,000 gr/lb efficiency. Your 6 lbs/ft3 will further increase efficiency to 3500 gr/lb, at the cost of slightly lower water quality, and more frequent regenerations.
Compare the resin capacity chart below.
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