Thanks for not taking anything I said as personal. I like your reply too because we can discuss this instead of someone getting their shorts all in a bunch.
You're right about the plumbers staying with Autotrol and not wanting to use anything else; it's that way here in the middle of PA too. All the supply houses tried the 5600 and eventually didn't sell many and dropped them. My opinion of why goes along the same lines as yours, for some reason the plumbers don't want to learn anything new or buy the tools to repair the Fleck line or use something different. Another idea is that the plumbers, well drillers too BTW, like the more mechanical repairs on the Autotrol. Meaning they can see everything on the outside where the 5600 etc. piston, seals and spacers can't be seen until you take them out. Another reason may be that the Fleck costs more and paying less increases the profit in the softener if they sell them for the same price, which here they do. Actually the 5600 is faster and easier to repair; only 3 screws and 3 bolts and the head is off the body. Two screws and the injector body is in your hand with the brine line still on it and the injector is exposed. And that's with the head on the valve. With the power head off, the brine valve lifts right out. To get to the flapper valves in the Autotrol takes much longer than anything on the Fleck.
I'm an independent dealer and not a plumber. I sell a lot of equipment and buy from a number of distributors and ship from a number of locations around the US. I don't do much locally anymore, I think it was 3 softeners all of 2004. Now it's all internet and I don't have any advertising here and haven't for 2 years now. I've always worked out of my house and no signs, or signs on my truck and van now for about 5 years.
My equipment cost is quite low due to my volume and I've approached a plumber or two about supplying them what they are selling at quite a savings compared to what they are paying the supply houses. Would you believe up to half? No takers. I've been asking other plumbers and pump guys to take over my local service of existing equipment. No takers. I really don't understand them! I've been in business now 18 years and have a lot of customers in 7-8 counties. I've had one plumber/heating guy service one UV light customer. The offer is that when I get a call I'll give their name and number to the customer and then call them and tell them what they need for the service. In other words, I'll do the troubleshooting for them and tell them what to look for. They can buy the parts from me or the supply house of their choice, and only one taker! So I've been giving my customer the names of independent water treatment dealers I respect and shaking my head in amazement. I think they think I'm not successful because I don't have a store front, but of all us dealers (about 10 in a 30 mile radius), only Culligan has a store front. And 99% of the plumbers work from home too.
Anyway, Autotrol is heavily marketed to supply houses where Fleck etc. goes the independent water treatment dealer route. Here we don't have your hardness, but my record is 136 gpg with some in the 30-50 gpg range with most less than 15 gpg. But we do have a lot of iron and H2S and acid water.
Yes as long as the rest of the softener is the same, both will use the same salt dose unless we look at the controls that have variable brining. That assumes they are both set up the same. But then the plumbers/drillers don't want to learn that stuff and totally depend on the counter guy in the supply house that knows their softeners. Around here only 2-3 plumbers/drillers have taken the time and put forth the effort to learn water treament, and they pretty good except for the equipment they use. Autotrol chokes on high iron. And they don't have the safety brine system and are famous for overflowing the brine tank.
It's the same with pump work, only a rare few do submersible pumps but most will sell a jet pump replacement. Yet again, they/most won't learn troubleshooting (for 2 line jets) or sizing or get into replacing the foot valves or j-bodies. Frankly they are missing out on a line of profit. Even though most everyone thinks "plumber" when they have no water or "Culligan" and then high price and go back to plumber when they have poor water quality. But they don't show me lazy, they work their backsides off in regular plumbing work and complain how hard and dirty it is and that they can't get what it's worth, and I agree it is hard work and I admire them. But then I'm back to shaking my head.... lol
Gary
Quality Water Associates