Interested in DIY Water Softener Installation

[Reach4]

I installed the water softener earlier today. It was the first time I've sweated copper in 13 years. First joints I sweated weren't pretty, but should hold fine long term. Later joints looked just like I used to make them, but I was definitely not nearly as efficient as I used to be. I ended up using PEX to complete the drain connection. The other end was more difficult. I was originally going to try to desweat the cap in the laundry room, but there was just too much plastic to do so safely even with a heat shield. Tried using a mini hacksaw, but there was too much twist, so ended up blocking the stub to the best as I can and used a sawzall to cut through the cap. Once the air was purged from the drain line, the flow looked good with no splatter.

It looks good. In retrospect, you could have gotten the right angle adapters on the back of the softener instead of the straight. That would have given you a more gentle curve on the stainless lines. But what you have will work well.

I guess those pipes were copper and covered with paint originally.

For cutting copper, the Ridgid 101 Tubing Cutter worked nicely for me . It is small but cuts easily in a tight space.

 

[ditttohead]

One of the best tube cutters made!
The outlet is GFCI protected. While I am certified for certain electrical installations and applications, I am not a licensed electrician so take what I say here with a grain of salt. Notice the sticker on the outlet. Code requires that all outlets in garages (excluding garage door openers... some exceptions...), countertops, bathrooms, outdoor etc. be GFCI protected. You can add multiple outlets to a GFCI and maintain the same protection. The sticker on the outlet is the indicator that it is GFCI protected (from a different outlet). This also helps people realize that their plug does not have power due to the GFCI being tripped somewhere else.
I didn't really want to write out the whole code. I am aware that there are some exception ie snow melter outlets, permanent use applications etc... just trying to point out an important item to consider for people installing a softener outlet or any additional outlets in garages, especially for water treatment equipment.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Bannerman]

Notice the sticker on the outlet.

Zooming in, I couldn't make-out what that label said so as to be certain. As a new home, it should be in full compliance to current code but as I'm not fully aware on codes there, no harm in verifying.

 

[Reach4]

As a new home, it should be in full compliance to current code but as I'm not fully aware on codes there, no harm in verifying.

As I read it, the main purpose of pointing out the sticker is if the outlet stopped working, look to see if a different outlet has the upstream GFI that tripped that is keeping the softener from working.

 

[ditttohead]

 

[Thewolf56]

Thanks everyone.

All 4 circuits on the garage walls are GFCI protected, even the 2 20 AMP and 1 15 Amp dedicated outlets I had installed (I still want to have one of the 20 AMP circuits switched to a single non-GFCI outlet as it only serves a garage fridge), but thanks for the concern. I've seen some very unsafe wiring solutions in the past.

For that cap upstairs, I tried to fit my close quarters mini tubing cutter in the space, but it wouldn't make a full rotation. I even bought one of those round close-quarters 1/2" sepcific tubing cutters, but the distance between the box where that drain pops out wasn't big enough, so the cutter wouldn't fit over the cap. I may have to pick up that Rigid tubing cutter when my mini tube cutter's wheel goes as I can no longer find replacements and I've had mine for a while.

Here are my settings:

BLFC: 0.25
DLFC: 4.0
Injector: 3
DF: GAL
VT: 5810
RF: dF2b
CT: Fd
C: 60.0
H: 31
RS: rc
R: 225
DO: 21
RT: 2:00
B1: 7
BD: 60
B2: 3
RR: 7
BF: 27
FM: t1.2

Thanks for all of the help.

 

[ditttohead]

Looks good. The settings are for higher quality water. I would change the RC to CR if that setting is available on your unit. The CR setting is fairly new to the 5810SXT and may not be available on all boards just yet. The injector is one size larger than necessary but not a big deal, close enough. You could change the BD to 45 minutes if you wanted to save a few gallons of water.

 

[Thewolf56]

I checked the RS settings and CR is not available (although I see that CR is an available selection on the manual I downloaded online). I also changed my BD setting to 45.

Will the larger injector size have any negative impact on my system?

 

[Reach4]

For the automatic, RS = cr . Cr says base reserve on recent experience. I tried that for a while, but looking at the resulting RC in the Diagnostic mode over many days did not give me what I expected. I expected the number to drop until it was at about the right level. It did slowly drop for a while, but when I saw the number increase, I went to the RS=rc. I did not think it should increase unless I used more than the number in a day. I am pretty sure it did not, since the number was like 300. Since I understood the manual gallons method, I did not think that I would benefit from the automatic mode.

So for the manual gallons method, I did the
RS = rc, that says use gallons to determine the reserve. If you choose that, the
RC = nn choice ,where nn is the Reserve capacity gallons, becomes available.

 

[ditttohead]

The settings will be fine.

Cr takes about6 weeks to build an accurate algorithm.it won't do it ia few days. It is based on a 7 day history over the course of 6 weeks. Give it time. It is the most accurate way to regenerate. Its maximum change is 10% daily. So after6 weeks it should have a strong and reliable history that allows it to estimate your next days water usage.

 

[Reach4]

So after6 weeks it should have a strong and reliable history that allows it to estimate your next days water usage.

It would be nice if the software would build that history, even if RS=rc. Then if you later changed to RS=cr, it would already be at a good number.

 

[ditttohead]

The CR programming is simply 1/3 of the total capacity off the top day one. 7 day algorithm with an adjustment of no greaten the +/- 10% daily. After about 6 weeks the algorithm is usually within 95% accuracy. The internal programming is already complex enough and I doubt the vast majority of dealers would want to go out and reprogram the valves a couple months later in order to save a regeenration or two. Considering a bag of salt is $5, the cost to reprogram the valve, service call, time etc would far outweigh the potential for $2 in salt savings. It is kind of weird to see the meter count up sometimes as the algorithm builds.

 

[Thewolf56]

Now I am kind of wishing that I had the RS = cr option on my 5810SXT. My RC is programmed at 225, but as of right now, my meter has only gone down from 1710 to 1104 since Saturday evening, so we are definitely not using close to 225 gallons per day. I may adjust the RC down after giving it a few weeks.

Thanks again for all of the help. My wife even noticed a huge difference when she ran a bath for our daughter the first time, so the softener is definitely doing it's job.

One thing though, we may be considering a filter now that my wife read the EWG.org database results on our tap water, but that does not seem as daunting now that I know I can sweat copper without too much issue.

 

[Reach4]

RS = cr option on my 5810SXT

That is a programming choice for the 5810SXT.

 

[intel2020]

So I have a tech question, coming from someone in the technology/wireless/networking world. It is extremely common to release software or firmware updates during the life of a device (while in production + some time after end of life). How does this industry handle firmware for controllers that are electronic. Is there a way to update firmware on board during the life (or to some point) into the future, even if for an additional cost -- like a software support plan? Or, is the option to really order/install a new controller board (e.g. some new rev/version), Or really there is no option to stay current.

 

[Thewolf56]

That is a programming choice for the 5810SXT.

Unfortunately, the option is not available on mine. I only have FS and rc as available options. The manual that came with mine also only lists those options, but the manual I found online does show rc as a third programming choice for RS.

 

[ditttohead]

Typically it requires a new board since the updates are usually very specific to a new need and often incorporate some hardware changes. The SXT boards are now shipping with a simple programmable output relay to send a signal to an RO or other to control a solenoid for separate source/no hard water bypass capability. Updating the software will not work as it requires the integrated relay and having to deal with backward compatibility issues would not be worth the time and effort.

The recent addition of pulsed output on a relay based on flow for the XTR2 came out of the desire to be able to control chemical injection pumps and other items with the control valves meter rather than an external third party meter. Updated leak detection algorithms, etc. All of these are minor changes and since some of them are hardware based the updates would create conflicts that would simply not be worth the effort considering how few people would actually have a real need to update.