Fleck 5600 Econominder delivers hard water after rebuild and new resin

[lsnow]

I've had this system (32,000 grain) for nearly 20 years and had to rebuild it with new pistons and O-rings after about 10 years then had to replace the resin about a year after that. It's been working fine since until recently I noticed that my showers felt like hard water so I decided to replace the resin and rebuild with all new O-rings using silicone grease (including the on for the distribution tube and the insert for the bypass) main and brine pistons, seals and spacers.

My water still felt hard and I'm seeing hard water deposits on fixtures so I ordered a Pentair Hardness Test Kit.

First test: bypass in service I get 9 drops or 26 gpg,
Second test: bypassed, flushed the line for several minutes and get the same results.
Third test: I disconnected the the unit from plumbing and take raw city water from before the bypass and still same results, 26 gpg.
Fourth test: This is where it gets crazy, I did nothing to the unit while it was disconnected. Reconnected everything, bypass in service, flushed and got 0 gpg. The water felt soft again then today it started to feel a little hard so I retested, 2 drops call it 6 gpg.

Everything appears to work normally, it does regenerate automatically and manually, it does draw brine from the tank.

Does anyone have any ideas? Should I just replace the entire system? Am I going insane?

Thanks for any suggestions.

Larry

 

[Reach4]

Where do you test the water? It may take a while for the soft water to make it to where you test.

The day after it regenerates, is the water nice and soft? And then after a time, there is a lot of hardness leakage? You may not have the valve set to regen often enough.

If you regen with 8 pounds of salt, with two people, if you have a x100 setup, I would put the white dot next to 6.86, but round down to where there is a detent.

If you use 6 lbs of salt, then I would set the white dot next to 5.6.

If more or less people, increase or decrease the gallons by 60 gallons, or on the dial 0.6 x 100 for each person extra.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[lsnow]

Where do you test the water? It may take a while for the soft water to make it to where you test.

The day after it regenerates, is the water nice and soft? And then after a time, there is a lot of hardness leakage? You may not have the valve set to regen often enough.

If you regen with 8 pounds of salt, with two people, if you have a x100 setup, I would put the white dot next to 6.86, but round down to where there is a detent.

If you use 6 lbs of salt, then I would set the white dot next to 5.6.

If more or less people, increase or decrease the gallons by 60 gallons, or on the dial 0.6 x 100 for each person extra.

Thanks Reach4,

I tested water from cold tap in a bathroom faucet except for the third test which raw city water was taken directly from the bypass after disconnecting from the Fleck. Then magically after I reconnected it I got 0 gpg out the same tap as the first two tests and the water felt soft. I agree this doesn't make sense but this is what I'm seeing and feeling.

My water still felt hard after the rebuild and new resin, regen had no effect (this was before I got the test kit and the reason I bought it). I found no debris inside the unit when I rebuilt it. I've had this system for nearly 20 years, the hardness tests the same today as I did then, 26 gpg, so I believe the settings are good.

It's as if there is something internal other than pistons, seals, spacers and O-rings that is letting untreated water through. Is it possible that 20 years of hard water has damaged the plastic inside the Fleck allowing untreated water through?

I'm at a loss and figuratively banging my head against the wall with this one. Maybe a new system is my best option.


Thanks again for the post.