Fleck 5600SXT 48K Settings Check

[PeniParker]

Looking for optimal settings for my Fleck 5600SXT 48K. Had it installed a year ago and never cared to check what the settings were until today.
The water currently sits half way in the brine tank with 275lbs capacity. The water has greyish brown scum/bubbles on top. Is this normal?

Info:

2 people
City water
21gpg hardness (measured with Hach 5B)
0 iron
.5GPM 1.5lb salt/min
2.4GPM Drain
10" x 54" resin tank
48000 grain
275lb capacity brine tank

Current settings:

DF: GAL
VT: DF1b
CT: Fd
NT: 1
C: 24
H: 21
RS: SF
SF: 10
DO: 14
RT: 2:00
BW: 10
BD: 60
RR: 6
BF: 12
FM: t1.0 (from what I've read, this should be t0.7 as I have the turbine)

 

[Reach4]

Looking for optimal settings for my Fleck 5600SXT 48K. Had it installed a year ago and never cared to check what the settings were until today.

System info (not programmed)​	​	​	​	​
salt lb/cuft​	=​	7​	;​	A choice ( efficiency vs capacity)​
BLFC​	=​	0.5​	;​	Brine Refill rate GPM​
cubic ft resin​	=​	1.5​	;​	ft3 resin = (nominal grains)/32,000​
Compensated hardness​	=​	23​	;​	including any compensation​
People​	=​	2​	;​	gallons affects reserve calc​
Estimated gal/day​	=​	120​	;​	60 gal per person typical calc​
Estimated days/regen​	=​	12.32​	;​	Computed days including reserve​
​	​	​	​	​
Fleck 5600SXT Settings:​	​	​	​	​
DF​	=​	Gal​	;​	Units​
VT​	=​	dF1b​	;​	Downflw/, Single Backwash, black cam​
CT​	=​	Fd​	;​	Meter Delayed regen trigger​
NT​	=​	1​	;​	Number of tanks​
C​	=​	33.1​	;​	capacity in 1000 grains​
H​	=​	23​	;​	Hardness-- compensate if needed​
RS​	=​	rc​	;​	rc says use gallons vs percent​
RC​	=​	120​	;​	Reserve capacity gallons​
DO​	=​	30​	;​	Day Override (28 if no iron)​
RT​	=​	2:00​	;​	Regen time (default 2 AM)​
BW​	=​	5​	;​	Backwash (minutes)​
Bd​	=​	60​	;​	Brine draw minutes​
RR​	=​	5​	;​	Rapid Rinse minutes​
BF​	=​	7​	;​	Brine fill minutes​
FM​	=​	t0.7​	;​	https://terrylove.com/forums/index.php?attachments/img_fleck5600sxt_flow-png.31592/

Optimized for what? Salt usage? Softer water? You currently use 6 pounds of salt per cuft of resin. 8 pounds of salt per cuft of resin would give softer water. Here is a suggestion for mid-way:

Revised based on numbers from https://terrylove.com/forums/index.php?threads/help-for-programming-fleck-5810.82673/#post-595983
The less salt per cubic ft, the more salt efficient, but more hardness breakthrough.
Revised based on number from https://terrylove.com/forums/index.php?threads/help-for-programming-fleck-5810.82673/#post-595983
BLFC = 0.5
cubic ft resin = 1.5

Alternative C and BF pairs:
lb/cuft ; C= ; BF=
5.000 ; 28.7 ; 5
6.000 ; 31.5 ; 6 ;about what you currently have
7.000 ; 33.9 ; 7 ;**** used above
8.000 ; 36.0 ; 8 ;softer
9.000 ; 37.7 ; 9
10.000 ; 39.3 ; 10
11.000 ; 40.6 ; 11

 

[Sponsor]

 

[PeniParker]

Thank you! This was very helpful. I have made the adjustments and went with the 8 lb/cuft settings for softer water.

 

[kozaz]

I would like to tag along on this post.
(FYI I replaced my resin in Oct 2024 and replace the Head unit due to it being 12yrs old)

5600SXT DownFlow (48K)
Brine Tank 18x33 (375lb salt capacity)
Media Tank 10x54
Service Flow Rate 12gpm @15psi drop
1.5 cubic ft Resin
.5 gpm 1.5lb salt/min

Resin
Purolite Ion Exchange (Manufacture = Abundant Flow Water) c100E-15 1.5cuft 48k

2 people
City water
31 gpg hardness (526ppm / 17.1 = 30.7)
0 iron
0 manganese

I calculated settings as follows (but maybe I screwed it up)
75 gallons per person

150 gallons x 31 Hardness = 4650 grains
4650 grains x 7 days = 32,550 grains
32,550 grains x 1.10 reserve capacity = 35,805 grains

Current settings:
DF: GAL
VT: DF1b
CT: Fd
NT: 1
C: 36
H: 31
RS: SF
SF: 10
DO: 7
RT: 2:00
BW: 10
BD: 60
RR: 10
BF: 8
FM: t0.7 (turbine)

Where I get confuse is setting the BW,BD,RR and especially BF (I found a table in this forum on a previous post and that is how I came up with BF at 8mins for 36K).

Confirmation of my calculations would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Reach4]

1. People tend to use 60 GPD/person now for reserve calculations, partly since toilet flushes take less water. You could track how many gallons your display drops in a day to fine tune for your situation.

2. Instead of
RS: SF
SF: 10

I would use
RS = rc ; rc says use gallons vs percent
RC = 150 ; Reserve capacity gallons

With RC being gallons, things are more direct than with a percent.

3. With no iron or Mn, you would usually use DO=28 or DO=30.
4.

BW​	=​	5​	;​	Backwash (minutes) If your water is not going to have much sediment. Go bigger with more sediment​
Bd​	=​	60​	;​	Brine draw minutes​
RR​	=​	5​	;​	Rapid Rinse minutes ; packs the resin back down. 5 is probably enough.​
BF​	=​	8​	;​	Brine fill minutes, with 0.5 BLFC, it gives 8 lbs salt/ cuft.​

 

[Bannerman]

Where I get confuse is setting the BW,BD,RR and especially BF

.5 gpm 1.5lb salt/min

BF: 8

As each gallon of water entering the brine tank will dissolve 3 lbs salt, then a .5 gpm BLFC (brine line flow control = brine tank inflow restrictor) will cause 1.5lb salt to be dissolved for each 1-minute of Brine Fill.

An 8-minute BF setting X 0.5 gpm, will result in 4 gallons to enter X 3 lbs = 12 lbs total salt, which maybe calculated directly as 8-minutes BF X 1.5 lbs/min.

12 lbs salt will regenerate 36,000 grains useable capacity in 1.5 ft3 resin.

Agree with Reach4's recommendations regarding the Day Override and Reserve Capacity settings. The RC setting should typically represent 1-day soft water consumption.

Backwashing will not only remove sediment from the resin bed, but is also to loosen the compacted resin granules, thereby causing the granules to become lifted individually and reclassified (circulated) within the tank. As such, the BW setting should be long enough (typically 10-minutes) to ensure these processes are fully performed.

31 gpg hardness (526ppm / 17.1 = 30.7)

How was hardness measured?
The usual recommendation is to utilize a Hach 5B Total Hardness test kit. The Hach 5B is a titration kit that maybe utilized to measure hardness in both the incoming untreated water and the softened water to ensure the softener is effectively removing hardness. The 5B indicates hardness directly as gpg.

As many municipal systems obtain the water supply from multiple sources, with each often contributing a different hardness amount, hardness will often vary depending on time-of-day usage throughout the city, seasonal water consumption, fire hydrant usage and distribution system repair & maintenance. To anticipate occasions when hardness maybe higher than the level when tested, the general recommendation will be to program the softener's hardness setting 2-3 gpg higher than the Hach test result.

 

[kozaz]

I was really hoping both of you would reply. Your comments on other posts have been a fantastic read and learning experience.

I used a typical TDS tester, I can purchase the Hatch 5B test kit later on and re-adjust accordingly.
I want to make sure my calculation and BF fill time is correct.

Question, if I set the RC to 150, do I skip the following calculation I did below (assuming the head unit is performing this)?
"32,550 grains x 1.10 reserve capacity = 35,805 grains"

 

[dindunuffin]

I have the same setup and settings as OP, except I don't know what my hardness is. I used this water hardness test kit from amazon and it said the hardness was at least 100. I used the same test kit to test the water after the softner and it looks like the water is somewhere between 0-25. The water feels sticky after a while when I am in the shower, which I believe means the water is still slightly hard and it takes a while to notice it. I replaced the resin with 1.5 cubic feet using this product and replaced the distributor tube O ring. I'm afraid if I call a water softner expert they are going to say there is nothing they can do. Do water softners not remove all of the hardness or something?

 

[Reach4]

TDS does not measure hardness. Expect you softened water to have about the same TDS, or a little higher, than your raw water.

 

[kozaz]

Since the TDS meter is no good, I looked up my city's water company and they reported that the hardness is 13.5 grains per gallon.
Re-calculated
75 gallons per person

150 gallons x 14 Hardness = 2100 grains
2100 grains x 7 days = 14,700 grains
14,700 grains x 1.10 reserve capacity = 16,170 grains

Suggest New Settings
DF: GAL
VT: DF1b
CT: Fd
NT: 1
C: 16
H: 14
RS: rc
RC: 150
DO: 28
RT: 2:00
BW: 10
BD: 60
RR: 10
BF: 2
FM: t0.7 (turbine)

I assume the "C" value is capacity I calculated (16,170)?
Since 1min BF = 1.5lbs salt (15,000 grains), I bumped it to 2 BF = 3lbs of salt (? grains).
FYI- I do not know the formula on how to calculate what the resin capacity of a 1.5cubic ft system for 3lbs of salt. I used the Resin Capacity Chart, but it only calculates even number of lbs of salt (2, 4, 6, 8 etc).

If I change the BF to 1, then what setting do I change to make up for the 1,170 grain difference? Or is this value difference to close to worry about?

 

[Reach4]

It would be rare to want BF to be less than 6, which would give 4 lbs of salt per cuft of resin. While that is a salt saver, it gives more hardness leakage. Here is a chart of pairs of C and BF you could consider.

The less salt per cubic ft, the more salt efficient, but more hardness breakthrough.
Revised based on number from https://terrylove.com/forums/index.php?threads/help-for-programming-fleck-5810.82673/#post-595983
BLFC = 0.5
cubic ft resin = 1.5

Alternative C and BF pairs (Round C down):
lb/cuft ; C= ; BF= ; grains/pound of salt

4.000 ; 25.1 ; 4 ; 4191 ; very good salt efficiency. Hardness leakage may be tolerable.
5.000 ; 28.7 ; 5 ; 3820
6.000 ; 31.5 ; 6 ; 3503 ;good salt efficiency and pretty good softening.
7.000 ; 33.9 ; 7 ; 3231 ; Nice compromise
8.000 ; 36.0 ; 8 ; 2997 ;good softening and moderate salt efficiency
9.000 ; 37.7 ; 9 ; 2795
10.000 ; 39.3 ; 10 ; 2617 ;silky softness
11.000 ; 40.6 ; 11 ; 2461
12.000 ; 41.8 ; 12 ; 2323
13.000 ; 42.9 ; 13 ; 2199
14.000 ; 43.8 ; 14 ; 2088 ; extra-soft but low salt efficiency

Since the TDS meter is no good, I looked up my city's water company and they reported that the hardness is 13.5 grains per gallon.

Cities that even report a hardness level may have more than one water source. They blend, and that blend can change with season and neighborhood. They often report an average.

So the point is, go with what you have, but be alert to signs of hardness. If that occurs, look at the gallons remaining on the display, and use that to adjust the H level to a higher level.

 

[kozaz]

Reach4 - It does not make sense to me if 1.5lbs of salt in a 1.5cubic ft system = 15,000 grain treatment, to change it to 4-10lbs of salt when my calculations state I need to only treat 16,170 grains.

 

[Reach4]

Reach4 - It does not make sense to me if 1.5lbs of salt in a 1.5cubic ft system = 15,000 grain treatment, to change it to 4-10lbs of salt when my calculations state I need to only treat 16,170 grains.

Maybe. How do you get your 16,170 grains number? Is that a month, week, or what?

Here is that table I posted with the low end numbers:

Alternative capacity (C) and brine fill (BF) pairs. Round C down.​	​	​	​
lb/cuft​	C=​	BF=​	grains/pound of salt​
0​	0.0​	0​	0​
2.0​	15.0​	2​	5011​
3.0​	20.7​	3​	4610​
4.0​	25.1​	4​	4191​
5.0​	28.7​	5​	3820​
6.0​	31.5​	6​	3503​
7.0​	33.9​	7​	3231​
8.0​	36.0​	8​	2997​
9.0​	37.7​	9​	2795​

However when you go to the less-salt settings, there is more hardness breakthrough. But try it. It is not a big deal to try ultra-lean, and then going to a more-salt setting later.

Bleed-thru will not be immediate, but if at some point the softening is less than you want, move up.

 

[kozaz]

Reach4 - It was for a week (how I came up with it below):
75 gallons per person (2 people)
150 gallons x 14 Hardness = 2100 grains
2100 grains x 7 days = 14,700 grains
14,700 grains x 1.10 reserve capacity = 16,170 grains

My goal is to take known values such as my system and water hardness and fully understand how to size my treatment needs then input those needs into the values identified by by fleck head unit. The instructions describe the value range but do not explain how to determine the required value to input which is why I'm here.

Still trying to understand the "C:" total capacity value. I thought it should be my calculated weekly value (16,170), but now believe it should be my system value (48k). Because when I changed from 16 to 48, my total gallons of water usage before regeneration is required increased dramatically.

Then I was trying to figure out the BF time requirement for my treatment needs and system size.

 

[Reach4]

Since you changed DO to 28, you might go 4 weeks with before regen.

For most planning, you want a minimum of a week, and not a maximum of a week. The reason for the minimum for the target is that you will use capacity until you have consumed the capacity and do not have enough predicted capacity to go more than a day. At that point, you regenerate at 2AM.

If you hit the decision point at midnight, you will probably regen with most of a day's capacity unused. On average, you will leave about a half a day unused. 1/2 day out of 5 days is a lot. 1/2 days out of 14 days is not a lot. So sizing a softener to give a week or more between expected regens is an efficiency compromise.

If you have significant iron, then the considerations change in sizing changes the consideration. That is not you.

So anyway, consider going to 6 (BF = lbs/cuft for you) if you want to save salt. This does not mean you should not experiment with 4. That would be a worthy experient But 6 is as low as is commonly recommended for most people.

 

[kozaz]

Well obviously I'm easily confused because I thought I needed to calculate the amount of salt (in lbs) to add via BF for my calculated weekly need of 16,170 and then regenerate every week. But now I'm lost. lol

I would like to be able to take the 14 hardness number and plug it into my calculation below (Assuming my calculation is correct and if not, then looking for help on my calculation).

Hard water = 13.5, (no iron or manganese)

75 gallons per person (2 people)
150 gallons x 14 Hardness = 2100 grains
2100 grains x 7 days = 14,700 grains
14,700 grains x 1.10 reserve capacity = 16,170 grains

Then use the above results (per my system configuration and the Resin Capacity Chart for 1.5 that you linked to in post 10 above) to figure out the required values for C, DO and BF.
5600SXT DownFlow (48K)
Brine Tank 18x33 (375lb salt capacity)
Media Tank 10x54
1.5 cubic ft Resin
.5 gpm 1.5lb salt/min

I was able to confirm my C value should be my system size (48k).
i also have a better understanding of the RC setting per below:

• • Reserve Capacity: Consider setting a reserve capacity (RS) if desired, which allows the softener to regenerate before reaching full capacity.

I changed the DO from 7 to 28 per your recommendation in post 5 above.
I changed the BF to 6 like you mentioned, but that does not explain how I get there using the info I provided above and the Resin Capacity Chart for 1.5. Unless there is some other table/calculation I'm missing out on.

If 12 lbs salt will regenerate 36,000 grains useable capacity in 1.5 ft3 resin and this is the ideal setting, then why bother calculating my needs if I just need to input the C, H, DO and BF settings for 36K? And if I do this, then do I change the C from 48 to 36?

DF: GAL
VT: DF1b
CT: Fd
NT: 1
C: 48
H: 14
RS: rc
RC: 150
DO: 28
RT: 2:00
BW: 10
BD: 60
RR: 10
BF: 6
FM: t0.7 (turbine)

 

[Reach4]

Still confused if the C value is for my system size (48k) or for my weekly calculation of 16,170.

Let me say that you should not use 48000 in any calculation. Consider that code for you having 1.5 cuft of resin.

While it is possible that fully-regenerated resin could soften 48k grains, it would be very salt-inefficient.

So what is your motivation? To learn how to put the right numbers into the controller, or to understand the underlying concepts?

Look at table pointed to by post #6. See the right-hand column of the 1.5 row. It says 48000. Now look at the column heading: 20 lbs/cuft. So if you wanted 48000 grains of softening, you would use 30 pounds of salt for every regen. Not suggested.

 

[kozaz]

Let me say that you should not use 48000 in any calculation. Consider that code for you having 1.5 cuft of resin.

While it is possible that fully-regenerated resin could soften 48k grains, it would be very salt-inefficient.

So what is your motivation? To learn how to put the right numbers into the controller, or to understand the underlying concepts?

Look at table pointed to by post #6. See the right-hand column of the 1.5 row. It says 48000. Now look at the column heading: 20 lbs/cuft. So if you wanted 48000 grains of softening, you would use 30 pounds of salt for every regen. Not suggested.

Thanks for your patience! My motivation is To learn how to put the right numbers into the controller, but am realizing using factory settings as you pointed it out is not recommended. And if I'm deviating I would like to better understand why I'm changing the numbers.

Thanks so much, I did look at the table many times, but as I learn from you I have a better understanding (At least I think I do).

So if I understand you correctly, and 6 BF is not recommended, I should use the following values?
C= 36
DO=28
BF=8 (12lbs of salt)

 

[Reach4]

BF 6 is good. 8 is good. 5 might be worth a try.

If I change the BF to 1, then what setting do I change to make up for the 1,170 grain difference? Or is this value difference to close to worry about?

You had proposed BF =1. That was the one that I thought would be a bad idea.

There is another factor called High Hardness Compensation.

http://media.wattswater.com/F-WQ-EngineeringGuide.pdf calls that Compensated Hardness on "page 11". That document will give you a lot to study if you are interested.

 

[kozaz]

I will keep the BF=8 for now since it is recommended to treat 36k via 12lbs of salt.
Appreciate the info, according to that document if my hardness is truly 13.5 and multiplying it by 1.1 it comes to 14.85. Which means I should round up from 14 to 15 for H value.

As for DO, my current calculation on the meter head states 2421 total gallons available until regeneration. Assuming I used 150 gallons a day, should I change the DO to 16 (150x16 = 2400) so the variable is not so large?