Softener has black particles and water oily in salt tank

[Tigtag]

Anyone can help please! We installed Pentair fleck 5800 lxt on around Oct 2018, and was told it’s normal when we found there were some black particles like coal floating in the black salt container on the installation day. When we added salt later on we found the water in salt container was a little bit dirty and oily with many black particles till today. We called the local agent and they suggested us to clean the salt container, we did it multiple times today and found the black particles come out again and again...we are confused. By the way the tap water is clean and looks normal. Now we have following questions:
1: What is the black particles? Reasons? Any risks to health?
2: Why the water in salt container is so oily? All salts were from local big retailer such as Costco or Home Depot etc.. Any risks to health?
3: We need to add about 40-60kg salt. Is it too much? Our water usage is about 0.7 cubic meters per day.

Thanks!

 

[Tigtag]

We need to add about 40-60kg salt every month. Looks too much?

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Reach4]

We called the local agent and they suggested us to clean the salt container, we did it multiple times today and found the black particles come out again and again...we are confused.

Braided supply line to the softener? I would not expect it to deteriorate so soon, however.

Solar salt?

allation day. When we added salt later on we found the water in salt container was a little bit dirty and oily with many black particles till today. We called the local agent and they suggested us to clean the salt container, we did it multiple times today and found the black particles come out again and again...

You are saying that you removed all of the salt, and kept wiping down, or other method, and keep getting black particles as you scrub, right? Sounds like the material is sloughing off black stuff-- not that I have heard of that.

By the way the tap water is clean and looks normal.

Look at your aerator screens.

We need to add about 40-60kg salt. Is it too much? Our water usage is about 0.7 cubic meters per day.

Whoever might go through the math will want to know your hardness, and what your salt dose setting is. Also how big your tank is. And maybe other settings.

 

[Water Pro]

salt is mined from the earth so it will sometimes contain dirt. Also single tank softeners fill the salt tank with untreated water, so if you raw water contains iron, manganese or sediment, it will end up in your brine (salt) tank. you may want to consider installing a cartridge sediment filter prior to the softener. are you using a well? or is your municipal supply particularly bad? In regards to salt usage, more information is needed. how much hardness? iron? manganese? how many people in the home? newer (more efficient) fixtures/appliances installed?

 

[Tigtag]

Thank you guys for your ideas, very very helpful!! I appreciate it.

I deinstalled the salt container, found a lot of dirty stuff including the black particles inside the white cylinder...totally cleaned everywhere of the salt container, added new salt and did the regeneration 3 times, now everything looks ok inside the salt container, will continue to watch...

I remember the installer said the softener will be cleaned automatically every night, maybe that is the reason to use so big amount salt, will continue to watch...

I trusted the installer and the supplier very much and didn't think too much about this softener system, just added salt on time. Happened to discuss with friends and realized that my softener is not normal...By the way, it is municipal who supplies the water. Regular softener salt was added into the salt container, few times added the salt which can remove more irons etc...


Thank you guys and will update here if any further problems...

Happy new year!