How to use Autotrol By Pass - Old Style

Question:

How do you turn the bypass valve on / off ?

What does 61F do?

 

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The old style Autotrol By Pass Valves use a "push in" method of redirecting the flow.

If you push the knob ( 46F )  IN on the RIGHT ( standing in front of the system ), this will place the valve in "by pass" and cause the knob ( another 46F ) on the left to come out about an inch.

To "restore" flow through the Control Valve and resin tank, you would Push the knob on the Left back IN.

PUSHING the knob can require extreme force. A hard "push" with your fist, or a "tap" with a hammer, may be required.

 

Sometimes engaging the By Pass fails to cut off the valve flow to the Control Valve 100%, because the internal oring in the center of the by pass shaft is not sealing 100%. This common failure is the main reason Autotrol now uses a different design ( double shut off - redirecting valves ) for the "new" style By Pass for their Control Valves.

 

The part labeled 61F does not "do anything". And I've never seen this used for anything.

Rainsoft Amazon Gold Series Seals ( Gaskets ) and Spacers are Fleck Parts

The valve body of the Rainsoft Amazon Gold Series is basically the Fleck 5000 or  newer Pro Flow version of the Model 5000 valve.

Rainsoft has added their own proprietary electronic timer assembly, but the Valve Body Parts, and By Pass Valve are common to other Fleck Valves.

 

The Seals and Spacers ( KIT part number 60120 has a special "end spacer" not found in kit 60125 ).
The Seals are pn 13242 ( quantity 5 ) and the Spacers are pn 14241 ( quantity 4 ) , and the end spacer is pn 18264 ( and this part can normally be re-used, that is why the 60125 Kit will also work as a replacement ).

Here is a link to the 60120 Seals and Spacers Kit:
Seals Kit # 60120

 

Tank Diameter - How to Measure and Why It Matters

Do you just measure the outer resin tank diameter?

* Yes, you measure the fiberglass tank that contains the resins ( or other
media ).
Do not be "fooled" by plastic decorative "jackets" sometimes placed over the
fiberglass ( or polyglass ) tank.
The diameter is the measurement ACROSS the WIDTH of the tank, or the
circumference ( around ) the tank divided by pi ( 3.14 ).
And you should "round down" to the whole number ( i.e. 8.34 would be 8
inches ).

Why do you need this measurement?

* The proper Backwash Flow Rate to be used is determined by the diameter of
the tank.
The larger the diameter, the higher the flow rate required to properly
expand and clean the resin bed.
If your current valve body is an "Autotrol" type, it has a "Backwash" Plug
( PN 25F ) that has a small
number ( and the words "Backwash" ) on it. This number normally corresponds
to
the diameter of the resin tank.
See:
Autotrol Backwash Plug Sizes

* Fleck valves use DLFC ( drain line flow control ) buttons. The gpm is
sometimes marked near the drain fitting outlet.
See:
Common 2 gpm DLFC Button PN 12087

* Also, the injector size used in the Valve is determined by the diameter
of the resin
tank.
Autotrol valve examples,
See:
Common Autotrol Injector Sizes / Colors PN AP28F

And for Fleck Valves,
See:
Common Fleck Injector Sizes / Colors
All these are DIRECTLY based in the Tank Diameter, because the wider the tank, the higher the flow rates need to be for proper washing and rinsing of the media in the tank.

Clearing Memory in Sears, GE, and NorthStar Circuit Board

When you have an unusually high water usage day, your softener's electronic
control will "remember" this for a long time.
In the case of the controllers commonly used in Sears, GE, and NorthStar
this could be 3 or 4 months before things would return to normal.
The problem caused by this "memory" is that the unit will be regenerating
more often than normal, because it is remembering the high usage, and
averages this into it's calculations of capacity remaining.
It "errs" on the side of caution, and ends up regenerating sooner than it
"really" needs to.

To reset this memory:
1 ) Hold "Select" button for 3 seconds, until 000 appears, then release.
2 ) Hold UP Arrow to "see" days the system has been plugged into the
electric, and release.
3 ) Hold DOWN Arrow to "see" number of times the system has regenerated
since it was first installed, and release.
NOW
4 ) Hold "Select" button for another 3 seconds to see the SR, or Model
code.
Write this number down.
5 ) Having released the "Select" button, and recording your actual model
code, then you can use the UP or DOWN Arrow to change your Model Code.
6 ) Press "Select" one time and you will see the time of day flashing 12:00
a.m.
7 ) Use the Arrow keys to move the time a few minutes, thus causing it to
"set" this new time.
FINALLY
8 ) Go back and do 1 - 7 again, only this time, at step 5, reset the
original model code, and at step 7, put in the correct time of day.
* NOTE: The number of regenerations since unit installed will be reset to
Zero. If you want to have this information for future referrence, be sure
to
write this down.