I have an issue where, for a given efficient setting, my softener consistently stops producing soft water until the next regen. Having a 2.5 cu ft unit running 10 lbs/per cu ft. (25lbs per regen total) at 65,000 grain capacity, it stops producing soft water with around 300 gallons of capacity remaining. When I should be getting ~ 1,250 gallons I'm only getting ~ 950. Once I even added 3 more minutes of BF and still ended up with hard water with ~ 250 gallons remaining.
No matter what setting I set it to, there is a proportionate point where the unit stops producing hard water. I've had the water tested 3 different ways (NTL/local county/Hach 5b) and all produce the same result for hardness.
There is an iron filter present and the water tests were AFTER the iron filter so the tests represent the water that's entering the softener.
The only way I've gotten it to stop producing hard water is to set the unit to 74 grains hardness which just "cuts out" the area where the unit would naturally begin producing hard water which significantly eats well into my capacity, causing the unit to regen 25% more as a result. It's not a fix but it keeps the unit from passing hard water.
Basically, is there ANY idea why it's not anywhere close to the capacity it should have? I have to increase the hardness setting by 30% just to get it to not start making hard water which is killing my salt usage.
Thank you so much everyone!
System info (not programmed)
salt lb/cuft = 10 ; A choice ( efficiency vs capacity)
BLFC = 0.5 ; Brine Refill rate GPM
DLFC = 4 ; Drain (backwash and RR rate GPM)
cubic ft resin = 2.5 ; ft3 resin (each tank)
Hardness = 52
Estimated gal/day = 200
Fleck 5600SXT Settings:
DF = Gal ; Units
VT = dF1b ; Downflw/Upflw, Single Backwash
CT = Fd ; FI=Meter Immediate,Fd=Delayed regen
NT = 1 ; Number of tanks
C = 65 ; capacity in 1000 grains per tank
H = 52 ; Hardness
RC = 200 ; Can use 0 for no reserve
DO = 14 ; Day Override (shorter with iron)
RT = 2:00 ; Regen time matters after DO days or CT=Fd
BW = 10 ; Backwash (minutes)
Bd = 60 ; Brine draw minutes
RR = 12 ; Rapid Rinse minutes
BF = 17 ; Brine fill minutes
FM = t0.7 ; flow meter
Water Results:
Aluminum ND mg/L 0.2 EPA Secondary 0.1
Arsenic ND mg/L 0.010 EPA Primary 0.005
Barium ND mg/L 2 EPA Primary 0.30
Cadmium ND mg/L 0.005 EPA Primary 0.002
Calcium 181.6 mg/L -- 2.0
Chromium ND mg/L 0.1 EPA Primary 0.010
Copper 0.015 mg/L 1.3 EPA Action Level 0.004
Iron ND mg/L 0.3 EPA Secondary 0.020
Lead ND mg/L 0.015 EPA Action Level 0.004
Lithium 0.017 mg/L -- 0.001
Magnesium 107.39 mg/L -- 0.10
Manganese 0.032 mg/L 0.05 EPA Secondary 0.004
Mercury ND mg/L 0.002 EPA Primary 0.001
Nickel ND mg/L -- 0.020
Potassium 3.2 mg/L -- 1.0
Selenium ND mg/L 0.05 EPA Primary 0.020
Silica 12.8 mg/L -- 0.1
Silver ND mg/L 0.100 EPA Secondary 0.002
Sodium 143 mg/L -- 1
Strontium 4.377 mg/L -- 0.001
Uranium ND mg/L 0.030 EPA Primary 0.002
Zinc 0.004 mg/L 5 EPA Secondary 0.004
Alkalinity (Total as CaCO3) 80 mg/L -- 20
Hardness 890 mg/L 100 NTL Internal 10
pH 7.5 pH Units 6.5 to 8.5 EPA Secondary
Total Dissolved Solids 1500 mg/L 500 EPA Secondary 20
Turbidity ND NTU 1.0 EPA Action Level 0.1
Bromide ND mg/L -- 0.5
Chloride 6.6 mg/L 250 EPA Secondary 5.0
Fluoride 0.6 mg/L 4.0 EPA Primary 0.5
Nitrate as N ND mg/L 10 EPA Primary 0.5
Nitrite as N ND mg/L 1 EPA Primary 0.5
Ortho Phosphate ND mg/L -- 2.0
Sulfate 1000.0 mg/L 250 EPA Secondary 5.0
No matter what setting I set it to, there is a proportionate point where the unit stops producing hard water. I've had the water tested 3 different ways (NTL/local county/Hach 5b) and all produce the same result for hardness.
There is an iron filter present and the water tests were AFTER the iron filter so the tests represent the water that's entering the softener.
The only way I've gotten it to stop producing hard water is to set the unit to 74 grains hardness which just "cuts out" the area where the unit would naturally begin producing hard water which significantly eats well into my capacity, causing the unit to regen 25% more as a result. It's not a fix but it keeps the unit from passing hard water.
Basically, is there ANY idea why it's not anywhere close to the capacity it should have? I have to increase the hardness setting by 30% just to get it to not start making hard water which is killing my salt usage.
Thank you so much everyone!
System info (not programmed)
salt lb/cuft = 10 ; A choice ( efficiency vs capacity)
BLFC = 0.5 ; Brine Refill rate GPM
DLFC = 4 ; Drain (backwash and RR rate GPM)
cubic ft resin = 2.5 ; ft3 resin (each tank)
Hardness = 52
Estimated gal/day = 200
Fleck 5600SXT Settings:
DF = Gal ; Units
VT = dF1b ; Downflw/Upflw, Single Backwash
CT = Fd ; FI=Meter Immediate,Fd=Delayed regen
NT = 1 ; Number of tanks
C = 65 ; capacity in 1000 grains per tank
H = 52 ; Hardness
RC = 200 ; Can use 0 for no reserve
DO = 14 ; Day Override (shorter with iron)
RT = 2:00 ; Regen time matters after DO days or CT=Fd
BW = 10 ; Backwash (minutes)
Bd = 60 ; Brine draw minutes
RR = 12 ; Rapid Rinse minutes
BF = 17 ; Brine fill minutes
FM = t0.7 ; flow meter
Water Results:
Aluminum ND mg/L 0.2 EPA Secondary 0.1
Arsenic ND mg/L 0.010 EPA Primary 0.005
Barium ND mg/L 2 EPA Primary 0.30
Cadmium ND mg/L 0.005 EPA Primary 0.002
Calcium 181.6 mg/L -- 2.0
Chromium ND mg/L 0.1 EPA Primary 0.010
Copper 0.015 mg/L 1.3 EPA Action Level 0.004
Iron ND mg/L 0.3 EPA Secondary 0.020
Lead ND mg/L 0.015 EPA Action Level 0.004
Lithium 0.017 mg/L -- 0.001
Magnesium 107.39 mg/L -- 0.10
Manganese 0.032 mg/L 0.05 EPA Secondary 0.004
Mercury ND mg/L 0.002 EPA Primary 0.001
Nickel ND mg/L -- 0.020
Potassium 3.2 mg/L -- 1.0
Selenium ND mg/L 0.05 EPA Primary 0.020
Silica 12.8 mg/L -- 0.1
Silver ND mg/L 0.100 EPA Secondary 0.002
Sodium 143 mg/L -- 1
Strontium 4.377 mg/L -- 0.001
Uranium ND mg/L 0.030 EPA Primary 0.002
Zinc 0.004 mg/L 5 EPA Secondary 0.004
Alkalinity (Total as CaCO3) 80 mg/L -- 20
Hardness 890 mg/L 100 NTL Internal 10
pH 7.5 pH Units 6.5 to 8.5 EPA Secondary
Total Dissolved Solids 1500 mg/L 500 EPA Secondary 20
Turbidity ND NTU 1.0 EPA Action Level 0.1
Bromide ND mg/L -- 0.5
Chloride 6.6 mg/L 250 EPA Secondary 5.0
Fluoride 0.6 mg/L 4.0 EPA Primary 0.5
Nitrate as N ND mg/L 10 EPA Primary 0.5
Nitrite as N ND mg/L 1 EPA Primary 0.5
Ortho Phosphate ND mg/L -- 2.0
Sulfate 1000.0 mg/L 250 EPA Secondary 5.0