Saturday, November 29, 2008

H2OW TO Softener = Fleck 5600 SE valve on 10 x 19 tank in cabinet

* Customer wrote in looking for replacement tank for HOW TO ( H2ow To ) softener:
Andrew,The hole in the top is approx.2 3/4" across-the overall height is 18 3/4" tall - outer diameter is approx.
10" - and the circumference is approx.32 1/2" around.
 
* After viewing photos of valve and tank, I replied:
 
The Valve is the Fleck model 5600 SE with Fleck's plastic by pass ( 60049 ) and yoke.
All standard design and parts.
The Tank is standard opening ( standard  2 1/2" x 8 NPT opening looks like 2 3/4" ).
The height is unusual. Very short.
Do you have your heart set on a 10" x 18"?
I'd say yours is 10" x 19", judging from the photo.
I found a 10" x 19" fiberglass used for small hot water softeners, and this may be available ( at almost double the cost of the "standard" size tanks we sell ).
 
Your unit only holds 1/2 cu.ft. of resin in it ( 16,000 grains ).
Enough for average city water  or well water with no iron and hardness less than 20 grains.
 
A low cost replacement would be the 10" x 35" tank.
 
It could be shipped with a Base ( no extra charge ), and stand next to your brine cabinet, or without base in the cabinet, but you would have to leave the top off, as the new height would be much taller than your small cabinet.
 
And you could technically double your resin capacity to One Cu.Ft. with this tank ( that is what "normal" size cabinet softeners use, 10" x 35" and 1 cu.ft. resin ).
 
And you could use the free standing ( with base ) 8" x 44" tank and use up to 3/4 cu.ft. of resin.
 
*REPAIR PARTS for How To system:
And if you ever need parts for your valve, they would be listed under Fleck 5600 parts, or some items are "special" for the SE ( simple electronics ) version, and would be best "Searched" using the term "5600SE" in the product search box.
see:
and
 

Friday, November 21, 2008

Autotrol Brine Refill Problem - No water in salt tank

Does the tank float have to touch the bottom of the tank to siginal the autotrol to put water into the brine tank
* No.
or is it metered after the brine is injected into the softener ( I'm wondering if the float is in the wrong position)
* Float is to prevent OVERFLOWING, and does not control refill.
Refill is a "timed" cycle ( at the end of the regeneration process ),
AND
The "flow" rate of this timed refill is controlled by the Brine Control Dial.
This sometimes gets clogged and requires cleaning ( it unscrews from the Valve Body ). * Also, note:
There is one of your two flow control balls ( 4F ) sitting inside behind it ( refer to parts diagram of the valve body ).
And unscrewing is all there is to removing the control from the valve body.
And once removed you will see if there is any debris blocking the small white teeth openings ( they are what "regulate" the amount of water that get past during REFILL Cycle ).
See: