water softner problem

I have a 2 cube fleck 5600 backwash filter and softner filter. The softner filter regenerates every sixth day with 18lbs. of salt, backwash every second day. The following morning after the softner does its process to revive itself I get salt water for about 10 minutes while taking a shower or running a faucet. Its quite concentrated also. The system is new. What could be going wrong or is this normal. Greg

"The softner filter regenerates every sixth day with 18lbs. of salt, backwash every second day."

Which is it, every sixth day or every second day?

How much water is in your brine tank before regeneration occurs? That is if the tank isn't full of salt so you can't tell.

bob...

It, the softener and filter, may not be setup right.

What type of filter is it?

Is there any restriction in the drain line from the softener?

Do you have the filter and softener drain lines connected together?

Do you have a toilet leaking, or any water use happening during regeneration?

Who did you buy it from and what do they say about this?

What time is the filter set to backwash at? What control valve is on it?

Gary
Quality Water Associates

There are no leaky toilets or restriction in the drain lines. Its a fleck 5600 2 cube softner. It regenerates on the sixth day. It regenerates at 1:00am. The water height in the brine tank is half way up inside the tank with the salt. Of course I can only see this when the tank is half full of salt. Greg

That could be way too much water. If the unit is set at 18lbs of salt, there may be something wrong, letting too much water into the brine tank during regeneration. Or for some reason the unit isn't rinsing long enough. It's hard to trouble shoot a unit without being in front of it. The only actual adjustments that can be made on the 5600 is basically when to backwash and how many lbs. of salt are to be used within limits.


bob...

What time does the filter backwash?

A 2 cuft softener using regular mesh resin and 18 lbs of salt regenerates just over 48k of capacity. How much capacity do you need?

Eighteen lbs is 6 gallons of water. Depending on how much salt is in the tank, the water level will vary. So why do you think there's too much water in the brine tank? The water level stays the same except for going up and down with the volume of salt in the tank except during regeneration. The brine is sucked down to the air check height and then as the last step on the 5600, the water for the next regeneration is put back into the tank.

You filter should backwash first at say 1 am or 1:30 am if it is backwashed only, not regenerated, and then the softener at 2 am; the factory setting if the time of day is set correctly. If the filter control doesn't' allow a different time for the backwash/regeneration, lie to it and set it from 30 minutes to an hour fast; so it gets to 2 am sooner.

Check the water level in your toilet tanks and make sure they all shut off at the Water Level line; usually an inch below the top of the overflow tube. Either the tube or the back of the tank will have the water level line on it.

Gary
Quality Water Associates