Need some advice on a really old water softener

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DIYNeophyte

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Hi, everyone....

My home has this old - and I mean OLD - water softener unit. The name on the resin tank is Century (it's a dark metallic green.) The water softener must date to the 60s or 70s; I've never used it since I've been in this house.

I'd like to start using a water softener again, but I assume this thing doesn't work and has to be replaced, if for the very least, for energy efficiency (it's got some kind of a timer on it.)

There are a couple of labels on the box, I guess of various companies that serviced the system and provided salt. None of them appear to be in business anymore.

Any advice or ideas? I'm completely dumb on this subject; the other thing is that I'd like something that worked and was reliable and didn't cost a fortune.

Thanks in advance for any help you can give. (And btw, has anyone ever heard of a Century water softening system? I'd like to know how antique this thing is.)
 

DIYNeophyte

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I will...if you can just tell me what a control valve is! (I'm not kidding; I know nothing about these things.)
 

ditttohead

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Post a few pictures of it, especially the timer and control valve.

As I remember, Century sold Schurz valves on their systems. Schurz was bought by Fleck decades ago and obsoleted almost instantly.
 

Mialynette2003

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I will...if you can just tell me what a control valve is! (I'm not kidding; I know nothing about these things.)

LOL The 3 major parts of a water softener are: The brine tank where you put the salt. The media tank where all the house water passes. The control valve sits on top of the media tank which drives the unit through a regen cycle.
 

Tom Sawyer

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I vaguely remember a few schurz valves from at least 30 years ago and they were pretty old then. They are so old that a google search brings up jack squat so............time for a new softener.
 

ditttohead

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I vaguely remember a few schurz valves from at least 30 years ago and they were pretty old then. They are so old that a google search brings up jack squat so............time for a new softener.

It was a unique design. No backwash, no fast rinse, no timed refill, just an upflow brine and slow rinse cycle. We used the old Autotrol flapper drain line timer assembly. I have one of my customers replacing one next week and he is sending me the control valve and drain timer assembly. Rebuilding them was great, I even had the special tool for removing the internal cartridge. What a great valve, only $5 to rebuild it. Fleck bought them out and salvaged the hot water plastic for their 3600 (obsoleted over a decade ago).

That valve is right up their with the "SOLO" valves for simplicity!
 
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