Monday, March 30, 2009

Follow up on Culligan Valve Replacement Question

Does the resin tank come with the tube that goes into it?
 
* Valve comes with new Bottom Distributor to make a new center distributor pipe,
see:
 
and how do you know what valve fits what tank?
 
* All Fleck and Autotrol Valves fit "standard" tanks ( which all tanks are standard unless you own a Culligan or Sears water softener ).
see:
 
and for more about Resin replacing and Sizes of Tanks, and Quantity of Resins,
see:
 

Culligan Valve Replacement Question

QUESTION: I got a Culligan Medallist Series water softener and i want to get away from culligan. What valve would replace the one I got.
* Sorry, none ( directly ).
All true Culligan Valves and Tanks have threads that are Proprietary.
Nothing else will fit on the tank. They designed everything about their systems to be proprietary ( thus requiring all parts and service to come through only their authorized Culligan Dealers ).
You can buy a new Valve ( The Fleck 5600 is our recommendation ).
5600 12 day softener control
AND a new Tank ( common one cu.ft. size would require a 9 x 48 tank ).
And then dump the resins into the new tank, and then screw the new valve onto the new tank.
The brine tank can be re-used ( only requiring purchase of 3/8" brine tubing and an adapter
Elbow, 1/4 f x 3/8 c Fitting Plastic Jaco - our PN 584564NO .
For additional help guides on Valve Replacement and Resin Replacement ( or re-use ), please refer to our Website www.softenerparts.com ( and the "Do It Yourself Repairs" section ).
QUESTION: Does the resin tank come with the tube that goes into it?
* Valve comes with new Bottom Distributor to make a new center distributor pipe,
see:
and how do you know what valve fits what tank?
* All Fleck and Autotrol Valves fit "standard" tanks ( which all tanks are standard unless you own a Culligan, Ecowater, or Sears type water softener ).
see:
and for more about Resin replacing and Sizes of Tanks, and Quantity of Resins,
see:

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Water Soft WSCB-32D water softener = Autotrol Valve Links

To my knowledge the Water Soft units ( WSCB-32D water softener ) use the Autotrol Valve made by the GE Water Treatment / Autotrol division.
The "CB" stands for Cabinet.
The "32D", stands for 32,000 grain capacity ( one cu.ft. of resin used ) and Demand regeneration timer assembly ( typical the 460i ).
And the most common valve is the Autotrol 255 with the 460i Timer Assembly ( made after 1995, prior years would be the 155 valve ).
For Helpful guides On our website ( www.softenerparts.com ),
see:
and
and for manuals in pdf form for downloading on valve manufacturer's website;
See: http://www.geappliances.com/service_and_support/literature/
Look at the 255 Valve / 400 Series Controls
and the 460i Electronic Control System Operation

Saturday, March 21, 2009

How and Why to use Acid Neutralizing Media Calcite and Corosex ( Mangnesium Oxide )

If the water's pH is less then nuetral ( 7.0 ), then correction is required to prevent the water from corriding the metal in your plumbing.
Most common "symptoms" are blue stains from dissolved copper pipes, and iron staining problems from the water dissolving any iron ( in pipes or pumps or well casings ) that is has come in contact with.
A filter tank ( usually 10" x 54" ) is filled with either Calcite or Corosex ( Magnesium Oxide ).
Both are used to "raise" the pH of water that is acidic.
Which one and how much to use depends on the pH of your water. Calcite ( which is really just cushed marble ) dissolves slowly and is used when the pH is between 6.0 - 6.8 to raise to 7.0 - 7.5.
If the starting pH of the source water is less then 6.0, then Corosex may be needed as it dissolves faster.
And it is common to use a "mix" of 50/50 Calcite and Corosex.
These are media that must be ADDED to the Filter Tank every year ( anywhere from 6 months to no more than 2 years ).
And the way to "tell" is by checking the pH before and after the filter tank.
Also, you can measure the amount of media in the tank.
Normally the tank should be "filled" to about 60% full ( and not more, or you end up with media clogging the Valve during Backwash ), and not less than 30% full.
And note, there is always 5 - 8 inches of gravel used at the bottom of the tank as an "under bedding".
Occasionally the media becomes hard, and must be dumped and refilled with "fresh" media.
Or it becomes iron "fouled" and a complete re-bedding is the best way to improve the water quality.
This type of filter tank is almost always followed by a water softener used to remove the "hardness" added by the filter tank ( as the media dissolves it increases the hardness in the water ), and the softener can help remove iron that is often in the water.
see:
and
 
Common Tanks sizes and amount of media to use are:
9" x 48" = 15 lbs. Gravel and 1.0 cu.ft. media
10" x 54" = 20 lbs. Gravel and 1.5 cu.ft. media

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Why We Prefer Email Inquiries Over Phone Calls

For the fastest assisting with trouble shooting your water softener / filter problem, we strongly encourage you email us. Please include your brand or valve type, and a description of the problem and what you have tried so far to solve it.

* Please email if you need additional product information before ordering.
Email will be answered daily ( Our staff of technicians answer the emails through out the day and late into the night ), so please send your questions.

******************** Emailed questions works well, because we can usually provide a WRITTEN answer quickly by referring to answers on the website. So expect to get one or more LINKS to the information you need. These also include video guides. 95% of all inquiries are similar, and we have the ANSWER already somewhere on the website. These thought out answers to common problems and questions will be supplied to you by email, and you will have plenty of time to absorb the information and then write back if you have specific questions or you require additional information.



Frequently Asked Questions


The Second reason email is prefered, is time factor ( much quicker - allowing us to respond to the needs of more people in any given day ). It is easier to answer a question once in written form as opposed to repeating the answer 3 times on the phone ( as has sometimes been the case ).

Again, we prefer you email us as oppose to phoning us, because the volume of inquiries otherwise becomes impossible to properly manage.
* All customers are instantly given our customer support phone number with their online receipt at the end of Check Out.

* So, I encourage you to email your questions or concerns. You'll generally be surprised how fast you get a reply.

Click Here to E-mail Questions, support@softenerparts.com > * If you have questions about a particular order, please include your order number.