Frequently Asked Questions about Water Softeners

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 main valves are fully closed. Older valves, or valves subjected to chlorine may fail to close, resulting 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.

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 ).

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.

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 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.

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 to :
http://www.softenerparts.com/chlorine_valve_damage.htm

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

How much salt should my softener be using?

1. The average is 80 lbs. per month, BUT can vary depending upon the type of valve used and the quality of water being treated.

2. Metered valves will tent to use less salt than a non metered unit ( i.e. one set to regenerate every so many days with no regards for actual water used ).

3. An average softener with 1 cu. ft. of resins ( 32,000 grain, 9" x 48" tank ) should use about 8 lbs. per regeneration to achieve a economical 24,000 grain capacity ( hardness in grains divided into grains of capacity results in the gallons of water that can be treated before resins is exhausted ).

I see ads for "No Salt" needed water conditioners.
How do they work without using salt?

1. Many dealers will advertise a no salt water conditioner. Any brand of water conditioner can be operated without using salt. This is done by using a salt substitute, potassium chloride. It generally cost twice as much as regular salt ( sodium chloride ), and can be difficult to find in some areas. Also, it is recommend to increase the salt setting on your control valve by about 10 % , when using a salt substitute.

2. Some companies offer catalytic filters and/or magnetic devices to soften your water that do not use salt, or anything else to regenerate their product. Buyer beware! If a technology had been developed that could replace a resin based water conditioner, then everyone would be selling it. I know I would. Those salt bags are heavy :)

Will a Water Softener remove the iron from my water?

1. Yes, if the iron is still in solution ( it has not been oxidized ). How much it can remove depends on the size resin tank of your softener. The more iron in the water, the larger the resin tank needs to be to remove all the iron. E-mail us for advice on your situation.

I have a working Water Softener, but I am still getting Iron Staining. Why is that?

There are several things that could cause you to still be getting staining.
1) It is critical that your system never run empty of salt.
2) It is important that the time of day be kept correct and that no one uses water between 2 a.m. - 3 a.m. when the system is regenerating. While the system is in regeneration, any water used would be unconditioned ( coming straight from the well ).
3) In high iron situations it is usually necessary to include a cleaner with the salt. Iron Out ( about 1/4 cup with each 80 lbs of Salt ) is commonly used. So is Tan-X ( Citric Acid, also 1/4 lbs per 80 lbs. ). A cup or two of Chlorine Bleach can be used, if your softener DOES NOT have "white resins" installed for Tannic Acid Color removal ( this is a special layer of resins sometimes added to the regular resin inside your resin tank ).
4) It could be your resin tank is too small to handle all the iron.
A. What size is the resin tank?
B. What is the level of Iron and Hardness of the water?

5) It could be you are not regenerating often enough, or using enough salt per regeneration.
A. How often does your softener regenerate?
B. How many people are using the water?
C. How much salt are you using per month?

6) On rare occasions the iron could be coming from just the hot water tank. I've seen a few old ones ( over 20 years old ) rusting out on the inside, thus putting iron back into the water. This is also true in older mobile homes ( again over 20 years old ) that used galvanized plumbing under the trailer.

Above are the common reasons a working water softener might still be allowing you to get staining. For additional help and recommendations, please send the answers to the above questions. Also, we can test the iron and hardness for you, if you send a Small ( 2 or 3 oz is enough ), Full ( no air in container ), Sample of your Raw water. This service is Free.

I have a Water Softener, but I still have odor in my water.
Why is that?

1. Water softeners do not remove most taste and odor problems ( they can remove the metallic taste of iron in water ).

2. Odors from hydrogen sulfide ( "rotten egg smell" ) in wells or "bleach" smell in chlorine treated water, require an activated carbon filter to be used in conjunction with the water softener. E-mail us for advice on your situation.

3. Sometimes odor in the hot water only, is caused by the self sacrificing rod installed in your hot water heater. Removal of this rod by your plumber could solve this problem.

How does my water softener actually work?

1. See Water Softener Basics

Why does soft water feel slimy or slick in the shower?

1. Water that has been conditioned by a water softener allows soap to dissolve more completely than in hard water. It is common for first time users of soft water to have a slimy experience in the shower. This is due to using more soap than is necessary. The amount of soap needed to lather up is very small in soft water. This is one of the benefits of soft water ( less soap is needed in the bathing, laundry, and household cleaning ). Also, the pores of your skin will no longer be clogged by the undissolved soap. Once a person has adjusted their soap usage and is used to the smooth clean feeling achieved by bathing in soft water, they will have a negative "ruff" feeling, if they bath in hard water again.

What about Reverse Osmosis?

1. See How Reverse Osmosis Works

2. See Common R.O. Problems

What types of water problems are common?

1. See Common Water Problems

Will a Water Softener make my water safe to drink?

1. No. Your water must be safe to drink before you condition the water with a softener. If you are concerned about the safety of your drinking water, contact your local health department about getting a bacteria test, or full lab analysis on your water.

Can I replace just the control valve head and reuse my resin tank, and salt tank?

1. Yes. See < How to Replace Your Old Valve >

How can I tell what number of backwash plug I need?

1 . Your existing Backwash Plug should have a small number on it. The number matches the diameter ( in inches ) of your resin tank. The most common is 9 ( for 9" x 48" tanks ). Thus the part number would be 25F-9.

How do I know if I have an Autotrol 155 ( 1550-TC ) or a model 255 Valve?

1. The Series 155 was replaced by the Series 255 late 1995 ( early 1996 ). An easy way to tell the difference is, the brine control ( salt dial ) is located on the front ( just beneath the timer housing ) on the 155 and it has been relocated to the right side ( looking from the front ) on the 255. Another noticeable difference is the Injector Cap, and Injector Screen/Cap are the size of a quarter on the newer 255. They are about the size of a dime on the older model 155. Note: The Brine Control and the Backwash Flow Control plugs are identical in size on both the 155 and the 255. The Backwash Flow Control is on the right hand side ( looking from the front ) on the 155 and has been moved to the left side on the 255. See > 255 Upper Valve Body Module

QUESTION Submitted by Customer:

I just order and received an output connector for an Autotrol timer. Great service!

I replaced the output connector last night and I am not sure that the brine actually was pulled out of the tank. I had to dispose of the contents of the brine tank because it had a lot of dark particles in it. I assume this happened when the part broke and valves where opened out of sync.

So I replaced the salt and added about 4 gallons of water to the brine tank. I set the manual regeneration on and observed most of the cycle. When it got to the first brine cycle, I did not see any water being pulled from the brine tank. How do I know that brine is being pulled from the tank?

At one point the ball in the clear cup was pulled to the bottom of the cup but I did not see any water flow on top of it. Late in the cycle I did see brine water in the clear cup, with the ball at the top of the cup, and it appeared to be filling the brine tank.

How do I know the system is working correctly?

Thanks,
Greg L.

ANSWER:

Dear Greg,
The system should work the next time it regenerates. It did not work when you first did it because there would have been air in the brine line tubing from your cleaning of the brine tank. When ever you disconnect the brine tubing or anything that causes the water to come out of the air check or tubing, you MUST put the valve in brine refill for about 15 seconds ( after you have everything reconnected ) to purge any air from the air check and the tubing.
Your system "air checked" too soon because of the air in the tubing. But as I said, it should be okay NOW. You can see the water being pulled into the valve through the air check ( it takes 5 - 15 minutes to empty the brine tank ) and watch the water level drop in the brine tank, when the system is working correctly.

Let me know if you have any further problems, or questions.

Best Regards,
Andrew Cross

For your Question,
please e-mail Andrew at andrewcross@softenerparts.com
A timely response will be forth coming.

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