Pressure Very Low Through Softener System

When do the resins in the softener tank need to be changed?

1. The average water softener will not need it's resins replaced in it's life time ( 20 + years ). However, chlorinated "city" water is known to break down the resins in as little as 5 years

2. Water softening resins need to be replaced if the unit has developed a high level of bacteria that does not respond to a cleaning with chlorine. Odors from units left in a not working mode with no water flowing through them for months at a time can develop this problem. Also, units in direct sunlight ( Florida ) can develop a layer of algae that requires complete resin replacement.

3. An excessive amount of sand in resin tank, due to a well starting to collapse, can necessitate resin replacement.
For more Info:
Check out the Resin Replacement Guide

Can the softener cause pressure loss, if so what do I look for, and what do I need to fix it? 
Yes, a softener can cause pressure loss in the home due to resistance from the resin bed caused by one of the following.
1. On well water, this is usually due to fine sand coming from the well.
 2. On softeners installed in the open sunlight ( mostly in Florida ), a layer of algae can grow and thick pieces of this growth clog the lower distributor tube screen when they start peeling off the inside of the resin tank.
 3. On chlorinated water supplies, sand can get into the tank from new construction or work on water lines in the area. All of these situations are rare. 
4. The most common cause of pressure loss occurs on chlorinated water.
The resins can be damaged by high chlorine levels and turn to mush. This has the same effect as having fine sand at the bottom of the resin tank. 

The solution for all of the above problems is to dump the resin tank, clean and rebed with new resins. One cubic foot of high capacity ( 8 % cross link ) softening resins is enough to properly fill the average residential softener. We can calculate the amount for you, if you provide exact resin tank dimensions. And we have common tank sizes and capacity chart on our Resin Replacement Guide web page
The second most common reason for pressure loss occurs with Autotrol control valves. 
The flapper valve discs swell up when used on chlorinated water. This causes the holes in the valve to become block, resulting in pressure loss at high flow rates. To see an example go here
The solution for this problem is to replace the valve discs set and the backwash flow control ball ( this part also swells up ). See Autotrol Parts Page

High Water in Brine Tank - Problems and Solutions

My softener does not remove the water from my salt tank when it regenerates.
 What should I check?

1. Make sure all the fittings are tight. Also check the tubing going to the salt tank for small cracks. Any air leak will cause the valve to not draw the water out during the regeneration cycle.

2. Make sure the drain line is not clogged or restricted. This also can cause the valves normal suction to fail.

3. Check the injector and injector screen for debris or clogging.

4. On Autotrol valves, check that the two large main valves ( # 2 and # 3 ) are fully closed during the Brine Rinse ( Draw ) cycle. If they fail to close, it results in no suction. In fact it will result in the valve attempting to fill the salt tank during the time it should be removing the salt water. This could be caused by something near the metal "tab" blocking the "tab" from standing straight up ( closing the rubber valve underneath, inside ), OR you could have something inside preventing full closure. On older valves, this can be caused by chlorine damage to the rubber valve discs.
See the Rebuild guides on our Do It Yourself ( DIY ) Repairs page for more about the Valve Discs functions and how to replace them.
For Piston Assembly or Rotor Disc Valves, the problem can be caused by internal leaks due to wear or damaged Pistons, Rotor, and especially the Seals they contact with in the control valve. Replacement guides for common types will be found on our DIY repairs page.

5. If your Resin Tank is INSIDE the Brine Tank ( one piece "cabinet" design popular in Europe and the U.S.A. ), you may have a leak in the RESIN TANK.
Try unplugging the electric, so the Valve can NOT regenerate, and see if the water level continues to Rise from one day to the next.

6. Also check for leaking of the Brine Valve, which should be closed after the Brine Refill is completed.
You can disconnect the Brine tubing at the Control Valve end to make sure the Valve is not sending any water to the Brine Tank area ( this could occur if the # 1 Valve Disc ( on Autotrol Valves ) or Brine Piston Assembly ( on Fleck Valves ) or Internal Seal leak ( on Rotor Disc type valves ) is being held open by debris of some kind or is very worn due to age.

Be sure to check out the Do It Yourself page on our website, and read more on this BLOG for additional helpful information.

And WatermanAndy's YouTube Channel Videos

Why is new Venturi Nozzle Assembly wet and label coming off?

Yesterday I received my order. I was happy with the speedy

delivery. However, when I open the package it certainly looked like this is a

used part. The paper label on the venturi nozzle assembly 7187065 is

not readable. Also some water was still inside the assembly (is that from

testing the part?). When I opened the assembly the gasket has "visible

channels" which the Kenmore troubleshooting web site says is a sign of a bad

gasket (see attached document - screen shot from www.kenmorewater.com/website/animations/product-animation/ts_index.html ). Am I out of line on these questions?

* I can understand your concerns, but the product is not used, only "tested".

Ecowater ( the manufacturer for all the "brands" that sell this type valve ) Tests Every Nozzle Venturi Assembly prior to shipping to us.
They come to us WET and 1/2 full of water EVERY TIME.

The result is damage to paper label. And we try to shake the water out as best we can before shipping to you. Not much else we can do about the labels ( may be we should remove them completely? ).

*** And the "channels" form in the rubber gasket shortly after assembly. They are not a defect. We sell hundreds of these, and they all come the way you describe.

The cracked, brittle, and deep channeling as described in the document you attached is not the same a the minor grooves in the new rubber gasket.

The older gaskets were actually pressed card board like material, and did not hold up well. That is why ( many years ago ) they switch to the Duro 70 rubber gasket materials ( holds up much better / longer ).

*** The part is NEW.