Optimal Settings for Fleck 5600.

WorldPeace · Mar 3, 2022

Hey, Guys,

This is a great forum and I really appreciate the help that's been provided. I've read the posts on the best-recommended settings for a Fleck 5600 control but I just wanted to verify that I have it set correctly since I still am not sure what everything means. Any suggestion is appreciated. Thanks!

BLFC: .50 GPM
DLFC: 3.5 GPM

Tank Size: 2.0 Cu ft (12" x 52")
Water Hardness: 27 GPG (no iron)
4-person family

DF: Gal
RT: DF1b
CT: Fd
NT: 1
C: 37
H: 29
RS: RC
RC: 240
SF: 10
DO: 28
RT: 2:00
BW: 10
BO: 60
RR: 10
BF: 7
FM: p0.7 (I verified that I have a paddlewheel rather than the more common turbine.)

I would like to set the salt efficiency (SER) as high as possible.

Thanks again for any advice!

Reach4 · Mar 3, 2022

You have a 5600SXT (5600 SXT). There is a 5600 with no suffix.

Where did you get the 27 hardness number?

What injector do you have?

#000 Injector – Brown

#00 Injector - Violet

#0 Injector - Red

#1 Injector - White

Sponsor · 2022-01-29T12:20:58-0800

WorldPeace · Mar 3, 2022

Reach4 said:
You have a 5600SXT (5600 SXT). There is a 5600 with no suffix.

Where did you get the 27 hardness number?

What injector do you have?

#000 Injector – Brown
#00 Injector - Violet
#0 Injector - Red
#1 Injector - White

Hey!

I'm sorry. I have a 5600SXT.

The water hardness came from a Hach 5b test.

The injector is a #2.

Reach4 · Mar 3, 2022

No picture made it.

#2 injector is blue. The cover over the area is black, but the round blue plastic beneath the cover could look black under some lighting.

A number 2 will draw the brine in about 12 minutes. I would have preferred a #1 or #0, but #2 is not abnormal.

Adding a little more high-hardness compensation.
Using a gallon-based reserve rather that percentage-based reserve.

========================================

System info (not programmed)
salt lb/cuft	=	7.5	;	A choice ( efficiency vs capacity)
BLFC	=	0.5	;	Brine Refill rate GPM
cubic ft resin	=	2	;	ft3 resin = (nominal grains)/32,000
Compensated hardness	=	31	;	including any compensation
People	=	4	;	gallons affects reserve calc
Estimated gal/day	=	240	;	60 gal per person typical calc
Estimated days/regen	=	6.19	;	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	=	46.1	;	capacity in 1000 grains
H	=	31	;	Hardness-- compensate if needed
RS	=	rc	;	rc says use gallons vs percent
RC	=	240	;	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	=	10	;	Brine fill minutes
FM	=	p0.7	;	https://terrylove.com/forums/index.php?attachments/img_fleck5600sxt_flow-png.31592/

WorldPeace · Mar 3, 2022

Reach4 said:
No picture made it.

#2 injector is blue. The cover over the area is black, but the round blue plastic beneath the cover could look black under some lighting.

A number 2 will draw the brine in about 12 minutes. I would have preferred a #1 or #0, but #2 is not abnormal.

Adding a little more high-hardness compensation.
Using a gallon-based reserve rather that percentage-based reserve.

========================================

System info (not programmed)

salt lb/cuft
=
7.5
;
A choice ( efficiency vs capacity)
BLFC
=
0.5
;
Brine Refill rate GPM
cubic ft resin
=
2
;
ft3 resin = (nominal grains)/32,000
Compensated hardness
=
31
;
including any compensation
People
=
4
;
gallons affects reserve calc
Estimated gal/day
=
240
;
60 gal per person typical calc
Estimated days/regen
=
6.19
;
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
=
46.1
;
capacity in 1000 grains
H
=
31
;
Hardness-- compensate if needed
RS
=
rc
;
rc says use gallons vs percent
RC
=
240
;
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
=
10
;
Brine fill minutes
FM
=
p0.7
;
https://terrylove.com/forums/index.php?attachments/img_fleck5600sxt_flow-png.31592/

Awesome!

If I increased the capacity, would that increase the salt efficiency (SER)? I guess that would increase the risk of hard water but it would increase the number of days between regeneration?

Reach4 · Mar 3, 2022

Here are the options, but you should round C down:

Alternative C and BF pairs:
lb/cuft	;	C=	;	BF=	;	grains/pound of salt

5.250	;	37.2	;	7	;	4727
6.000	;	40.0	;	8	;	4445
6.750	;	43.1	;	9	;	4252
7.500	;	46.1	;	10	;	4097
8.250	;	48.9	;	11	;	3951
9.000	;	51.3	;	12	;	3804
9.750	;	53.4	;	13	;	3651
10.500	;	55.1	;	14	;	3497

More salt per pound of salt gives less hardness leakage-- softer water.
Less causes less salt per gallon, but less time between regens.

WorldPeace · Mar 4, 2022

Reach4 said:
Here are the options, but you should round C down:

Alternative C and BF pairs:

lb/cuft
;
C=
;
BF=
;
grains/pound of salt

5.250
;
37.2
;
7
;
4727
6.000
;
40.0
;
8
;
4445
6.750
;
43.1
;
9
;
4252
7.500
;
46.1
;
10
;
4097
8.250
;
48.9
;
11
;
3951
9.000
;
51.3
;
12
;
3804
9.750
;
53.4
;
13
;
3651
10.500
;
55.1
;
14
;
3497

More salt per pound of salt gives less hardness leakage-- softer water.
Less causes less salt per gallon, but less time between regens.

Although it's too late, I'm wondering now if I should have gotten an even bigger tank. Maybe 2.5 cubic feet instead. It would cost about $150 more, but I might achieve an SER of 3,333 while still having very soft water. I'm wondering if I would end up saving money on salt as well as spending less time lugging back bags of salt back home.

In any case, thank you for your help. I really appreciate it.

I really wish there was a way that I can compensate you for your advice. Please consider providing your PayPal name. I can pay for a meal or something. In any case, thanks.

Zenon2cubed · Mar 8, 2022

Tank size doesn't directly effect the salt efficiency, the secondary effect tank size has is reducing the residual capacity. For example if you regen each day and you leave 1/2 day of capacity in the resin your actual efficiency will be quite different than theoretical.

At your hardness 2 cu-ft should be plenty large, you don't want to trigger regenerations on day override, that also drops actual efficiency.
Extending day override can lead to stale water taste or degrade the resin if the softener is removing iron.

WorldPeace · Apr 10, 2022

zenon2cubed said:
Tank size doesn't directly effect the salt efficiency, the secondary effect tank size has is reducing the residual capacity. For example if you regen each day and you leave 1/2 day of capacity in the resin your actual efficiency will be quite different than theoretical.

At your hardness 2 cu-ft should be plenty large, you don't want to trigger regenerations on day override, that also drops actual efficiency.
Extending day override can lead to stale water taste or degrade the resin if the softener is removing iron.

Hey, Zenon,

I just noticed your response. Are you sure that tank size doesn't affect salt efficiency? The literature out there is confusing. But, there is stuff that a company called Aquatell has put out and it implies that efficiency increases with the resin tank size. They explained how water softener installers would historically push for smaller tank sizes because it would lower the total cost. However, the result was lowered efficiency. The total installation cost was less but homeowners had to contend with frequent regeneration and massive amounts of salt use. Homeowners ended up using 18 lbs of salt.

I also notice that when you lower the capacity settings on the Fleck controller, you are supposed to use less salt which makes the system more efficient. However, I noticed that when you do this, you actually end up regenerating more often. (The amount of gallons that must be softened to trigger a regeneration goes down, rather than up.) So, I'm speculating that you end up using less salt because when you do regenerate, the amount of brine water drawn from the tank is less? Is that right?

So, if tank size doesn't affect efficiency, why does tank size matter? For example, why not just have a smaller tank that simply regenerates every daI but for a shorter time?

Reach4 · Apr 10, 2022

When you will regen, you usually wait until 2am (or whatever you set). On average you will leave about 1/2 day of capacity unused.

So with a smaller tank, 1/2 day is a bigger deal.

If you use a dual tank system, then you don't wait. No loss due to the reserve.

There is another advantage to bigger tanks. They can soften more gpm without the water moving thru the resin too quickly to get softened well (avoid significant hardness leakage). There is a number called SFR. https://terrylove.com/forums/index....acity-and-future-proof-valve-a-dilemma.41412/

Optimal Settings for Fleck 5600.

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