Water too high

dmendiol · Jan 15, 2012

This forum is great! Thanks for all the help.

This morning I checked everything and the brine tank is too high, about half full. I don't remember it being this high. Here's what I did:

1. I installed the resin.
2. Washed the brine tank
3. Put settings at 20 grains for 5, salt at 12 lbs( previously at 8)
4. Manual regen last night

How high should the water be? Should I empty some of the water? How do I check the brine tank valve?

dmendiol · Jan 15, 2012

It' more like 3/4 full

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LLigetfa · Jan 15, 2012

You don't say what brand/model your softener is and how the brine level is controlled. Many simply time the brine refill. Some regulate the flow. Others have a float in the brine tank.

Has there been more than one regen since the rebed? I know you said you did a manual regen. If the brine is not drawing each regen may jack up the brine level.

Tom Sawyer · Jan 15, 2012

Probably got a leak on the brine suction line somewhere

dmendiol · Jan 15, 2012

It's a turbo soft MT48 (metered timer) and I think it has a brine float assembly. See attached picture. Is there a way to remove water with one of the setting on the wheel, i.e. backwash, rinse, etc.? How do I check the brine valve and or suction line?

Thanks.

Bmaker · Jan 15, 2012

I wouldn't worry about removing the water from the brine tank unless it is in danger of overflowing. If it works the same as mine does, the float in the brine tank should shut off the water when it is refilling the brine tank after the regen cycle. I suggest watching the brine level during the next regen to see if it draws down. That will tell you whether the brine is being drawn properly. Then watch during the brine tank refill to see if it shuts off by the timer or the float. If it keeps running until the timer shuts it off then I would question the float. Also, can you reach in and manually raise the float to see if it shuts off the water while refiling?

Akpsdvan · Jan 15, 2012

The valve looks to be the Fleck 5600.
Make sure that the brine piston is closing , if it is not closing then the water will continue to flow to the brine or salt tank forcing the float assembly in the brine tank to act as the closer.

ditttohead · Jan 15, 2012

Do a quick test, put the system into brine refill and lift the float inside the brine tank. The brine system should pressurize. If you have even the slightest drip anywhere in the brine system, the system will not draw. it is like trying to use a straw with a crack in it. If the brine system is not leaking, check the brine valve by removing the brine line from the valve with the system in service. No water should drip from the brine valve, which is just inside where you remove the tube from the valve. Check it for at least 20-30 minutes, no water at all should come out.

The diagram would seem to be a 5600. The only problem is there are so many bad knock-offs of the Fleck valve. I have over 15 Fake 5600's in my office, none of them pass our quality testing. I guess Fleck knew what they were doing, and still does. The original is definetly worth the extra $50.

LLigetfa · Jan 15, 2012

Tom Sawyer said:
Probably got a leak on the brine suction line somewhere

Could be, but since the OP didn't say whether or not there's been more than one regen since he rebedded it, it's only a guess. For a suction leak to jack up the level, there had to have been more than one regen.

We don't know how much time lapsed and how much water was used between step 1 and 4.

dmendiol · Jan 15, 2012

Only one regen since the rebed. Which part of the cycle is brine refill (backwash, rinset etc.)? The manual that they included three years ago was very limited. I'll post a picture of the valve.

LLigetfa · Jan 15, 2012

Did you put any water in the brine tank before the manual regen or did the brine refill put it all in? If you did put some in and it didn't draw because of a suction leak or plugged venturi, that would account for the high brine level now.

Akpsdvan · Jan 15, 2012

The brine refill is the last on the list of things that the valve does.
The valve is the 5600..
Here is the manual for the Fleck 5600
http://www.pentairwatertreatment.com/PentairFiles/Pentair%20Water%20Treatment/Manuals/5600%20Service%20Manual%2040106.pdf

dmendiol · Jan 15, 2012

I did put in about 5 gallons of water.

ditttohead · Jan 15, 2012

a regeneration would not draw water out, only add it if there were a leak. Do the tests I recommended to determine if there is a leak on the brine line. A plugged venturi injector or a plugged drain line would cause an overflowing brine tank as well. It is common to break the drain line flow control retainer when installing the drain line fitting into the valve. if you use a pvc fitting, it can be overthreaded into the valve breaking the retainer and causing the button to close up causing no water to the drain.

The brine refill cycle is labeled when you turn the valves main handle. It is near the end of the cycle and will be labeled "brine fill"

The 5600 is one of the best valves and simplest design ever made. It is also easy to fix. Give us more information and it will get fixed.

dmendiol · Jan 16, 2012

I performed the first test reco by ditto head and there it was...the brine line was leaking at the connection to brine assembly. Here's the somewhat bad part. The plastic flanged retainer fell into the float assembly. Let me dig it out and I'll keep you posted.

Tom Sawyer · Jan 16, 2012

See post #4

dmendiol · Jan 16, 2012

I found the retainer. I am going through the start up sequence And during the brine rinse cycle I noticed it keeps going and going and does draw from the brine cabinet as described in the manual. I have not added the salt yet.

Water too high

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