Kinetico alternatives?

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big dripper

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You guys make it sound like it's not realistically possible to have an outdoor softener, even though people do it all the time around here. The plumbing is on the north side of the house, maybe that's enough.

Installing outside IS typical in your area. I have seen many that are semi buried for any number of reasons. A reconditioned/rebuilt Kinetico can be available for between $1200 and $1800 depending on your hardness. What were your water test results? It can easily be done if you have basic plumbing skills.
 

Jadnashua

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As I said, if on the north side, it will probably be fine, although air temps in the shade can still easily get over 100-degrees in Tucson. I've lived in the desert, and you just don't expect cold water out of the tap most times of the year unless you can run it for a long time, but an above ground tank makes it worse.
 

Mastiff

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Installing outside IS typical in your area. I have seen many that are semi buried for any number of reasons. A reconditioned/rebuilt Kinetico can be available for between $1200 and $1800 depending on your hardness. What were your water test results? It can easily be done if you have basic plumbing skills.

Where do I go for a reconditioned unit? Dealer still? We had a Kinetico at our old house and we liked it, but I also like the idea of being able to do my own maintenance and repairs. The Kinetico guy tested out water but I'm blanking on the details. It was like "10", but I don't know what scale that's on. Does that make sense?
 

big dripper

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Where do I go for a reconditioned unit? Dealer still? We had a Kinetico at our old house and we liked it, but I also like the idea of being able to do my own maintenance and repairs. The Kinetico guy tested out water but I'm blanking on the details. It was like "10", but I don't know what scale that's on. Does that make sense?

Well, it could be 10 grains per gallon, but other results would be needed as well. Well/city? iron, TDS, etc. Getting one should not be difficult.
 

Mastiff

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Well, it could be 10 grains per gallon, but other results would be needed as well. Well/city? iron, TDS, etc. Getting one should not be difficult.

City water. I got the impression that the guy did the measurements and asked questions, but in the end he had one unit to sell anyway. Maybe I misunderstood. If I could find a Kinetico for $1200 right now, I'd buy one. Just don't know where to go.
 

Akpsdvan

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There are some sites that we know, seen the adds on TV over the years...

There is a list site that has one in Mesa..
 

Mastiff

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This is a little off-topic, but wouldn't an on-demand system (Fleck 5600 SXT) with only one tank virtually guarantee that it would try to regenerate in the middle of a shower or load of laundry, thus passing through hard water? Or am I missing something?
 

Akpsdvan

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If you set up a 5600 SXT to clean when the gallons is up , yes it would clean or regen when water is getting used. The only time that I set up either the 5600 SXT or 2510 SXT to clean when gallons are up is when that unit is feeding a 300 + gallon holding tank, mainly because the well is only doing 2gpm and that is where the backwash is set , so well is happy, and tank is happy and the softener is happy..

Did you find the unit in Mesa?
 

Mastiff

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What else does an on-demand meter do? Do you just use it like a timer?

No, I didn't find the Mesa one.
 

Akpsdvan

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I use the on-demand meter set like 1/2 of a twin.
On the twin it changes from tank A to tank B when the meter gets to 0, but a single set up on the regen when meter gets to 0 works just fine when water is going from well to softener to holding tank, the twin could be used but it is over kill in that case.

There is a list that Craig as out, there might still be one in Mesa... a Kinetico..
 

Skip Wolverton

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Is low voltage the norm, or will I have to shop for that specifically? Running skinny low voltage wire from my roof would be pretty simple.

Most softener manufactors offer motors in different voltages. 12v, 24V, 120v and even 220v (seen last Saturday for the 1st time). When buying a softener, simply ask for a 12v or 24v system.
 

Gary Slusser

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This is a little off-topic, but wouldn't an on-demand system (Fleck 5600 SXT) with only one tank virtually guarantee that it would try to regenerate in the middle of a shower or load of laundry, thus passing through hard water? Or am I missing something?
That can only happen IF it was not programmed correctly; which means it was not programmed with a 24 hour reserve as it should have been.

All twin tank type softeners regenerate while you are using water, normal softeners do not. Both types meter the water usage (count down gallons) and when the meter gets to zero on a twin the control valve swaps the in service tank with the standby tank and immediately starts regenerating the tank that was just taken off line - out of service. Which means you normally are still using water during at least part of the regeneration so you get to share your water flow with the flow out the softener's drain line.

A normal two tank softener has a 24 hour reserve programmed into the K of capacity but not put on the meter so when the meter runs down to zero gallons remaining, you get to run on the reserve capacity until the next 2 AM when the regeneration starts. Done right you will rarely to never use up all the reserve capacity before the unit regenerates at 2 AM. All twin tank softeners use softened water (capacity=salt) to regenerate with softened water.

The only time a household needs a twin tank type softener is with shift workers etc. that are up'n about consistently using water at night from 2AM- 3:15 or 3:30 AM when a regular softener would be regenerating about once every 7-9 nights.
 

Gary Slusser

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If you set up a 5600 SXT to clean when the gallons is up , yes it would clean or regen when water is getting used. The only time that I set up either the 5600 SXT or 2510 SXT to clean when gallons are up is when that unit is feeding a 300 + gallon holding tank, mainly because the well is only doing 2gpm and that is where the backwash is set , so well is happy, and tank is happy and the softener is happy..

Did you find the unit in Mesa?
I'm not up on the SXT timer but I do not think it offers immediate regeneration (as the Clack does).

You have to program a time of day that regeneration is to start. Usually that is 2 AM and factory default on all regular two tank control valves that I've seen over like 24 years.

So how do you get one to regenerate immediately whenever the gallons count down to zero gallons remaining?
 

Gary Slusser

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You are correct--you are not up on the SXT timer.

The 5600 SXT offers a choice of meter immediate or meter delayed regeneration--as posted by AK.
Well then thanks for the correction that I was looking for in case I was wrong.

And AK should learn not to use immediate regeneration and program a reserve with delayed regeneration; don't you agree?
 

Akpsdvan

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There is no reserve when programing the SXT for the immediate regen, if the unit can treat say 1000 gallons then the meter would be set for 1000 gallons.
When the 1000 gallons is used then the unit with a no hardwater bypass piston goes into a cleaning cycle or regen then no untreated water will go into the holding tank while the unit is regen, when the unit gets to the rapid rinse and brine refill treated water will then be able to go into the holding tank.
 
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