Overtightened fitting?

[BobN]

My Fleck 5600 is used on a calcite tank for acid neutralization. The backflush port is a fitted with a brass adapter to 1/2" PEX (photos below) which goes through long pipe to an air-gap, then into the house septic feed.

The female threaded port of the Fleck 5600 is split, and water gushes out when it's backflushing. Ouch!

I assume this is not repairable, so I just ordered a new off-brand 5600-clone.

On the web, I see plastic barb fittings on the 5600 flush port, not brass fittings. Is this brass adapter incorrect for this purpose? If so, what is the right thing to use to adapt this port to 1/2" PEX?

Or was it simply overtightened? How can I avoid this in the future? Is there a specific tightening torque or procedure?

I will need to remove this hose periodically so I can remove the 5600 and refill the tank with calcite.

By the way, does anyone here have enough experience with off-brand 5600s to recommend for or against them? There's still time for me to cancel that order if it's a mistake.

The only thing I've found on the web negative about off-brand 5600s is that they come with a 6-gallon discharge-port orifice, but it would possible to swap in my old 2-gallon orifice. I'm also going to have to cap the salt inlet, as this is just an acid neutralizer. Is there anything else I need to configure?

Thank you for your help!

 

[Bannerman]

I see plastic barb fittings on the 5600 flush port, not brass fittings. Is this brass adapter incorrect for this purpose?

The fittings utilized for a control valve's Drain Line connection, are usually plastic, either Jaco compression style, or John Guest quick connect fittings. Either will be equipped with a male NPT fitting for the control valve's drain socket, and will be paired with polyethelyne tubing instead of PEX. Plastic Drain Line fittings

Your image seems to show too much T-tape wrapped around the brass male nipple, therefore enlarging the diameter of the male nipple, which contributed to why the Fleck's Fiber-rienforced polymer (Noryl) socket became overstressed and fractured.

I just ordered a new off-brand 5600-clone.

Plenty of Fleck 5600 'clones' produced off-shore, which are sold for a fraction of the cost of a geniune Fleck 5600. As frequently cautioned on this forum, clones are often produced using cheap, sub-par materials which may not necessarily conform to material safety, longevity or pressure test requirements that would be required to obtain WQA and other North American safety and QA certifications. Clones may also not nessessarily conform to identical internal designs and tolerances as genuine 5600's, so you may find genuine Fleck 5600 parts may or may not fit properly.

I'm also going to have to cap the salt inlet, as this is just an acid neutralizer.

The correct Fleck 5600 for your acid neutralizer application, is a FILTER valve, not a Softener valve. A filter valve is normally equipped with a 12-day Time Clock controller, to control 3-programs (Service, Backwash & Rapid Rinse), not a meter initiated controller and 5-6 programs utilized for a water softener.

found on the web negative about off-brand 5600s is that they come with a 6-gallon discharge-port orifice, but it would possible to swap in my old 2-gallon orifice.

You didn't state the size of your acid neutralizer, or at least the media tank diameter.

To provide sufficient media lift to loosen and reclassify the media, the recommended Backwash rate for Calcium Carbonate (Calcite) is 8-12 gpm per square inch. Even for a small diameter 9" media tank, this calculates to be 3.5 - 5.3 GPM, so a 2 gpm DLFC flow restrictor, would provide too little flow to properly backwash the calcite media.

need to remove this hose periodically so I can remove the 5600 and refill the tank with calcite.

To eliminate needing to periodically remove the control valve to refill media, a tank utilized for Acid Neutralization, will usually be equipped with a separate Fill port located on the upper dome.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[bigb56]

A long time ago I learned from an old timer
Never screw metal into plastic but OK to screw plastic into metal.

A schedule 80 close nipple into a female pipe to PEX adapter could have prevented that.

 

[Reach4]

I assume this is not repairable, so I just ordered a new off-brand 5600-clone.

That would be Fleck part #13163 Injector Body

 

[BobN]

@Bannerman @bigb56 @Reach4 - Thank you all for the very helpful replies!

@Reach4 - Replacing the injector body sounds like a very good idea. I didn't realize it wasn't part of the main housing. Thank you!

That still leaves the question of how to couple it to the 1/2" PEX. The present brass fitting swivels, making disconnection practical. Should I stay with this and tighten it very gently?

@bigb56 writes "Never screw metal into plastic..." That makes a lot of sense and explains this problem.

@bigb56 writes "...schedule 80 close nipple into a female pipe to PEX adapter..." I'll go to my local plumbing supplier and see what they have. Will this also swivel?

@Bannerman suggests that there is too much teflon tape. Is thread seal tape even necessary in this situation? Perhaps just one thin wrap?

I can't comment about the knowledge or analysis that went into the installation, but it was done by a professional water treatment contractor 40 years ago. The tank is 9". They marked 2gpm on the injector body, so I assume that there is a 2gpm restrictor in there. I don't know why they used this particular unit rather than a filter valve. I don't know why they installed a one-port tank rather than a tank with a separate fill port. But that's what I have. It has been this way for 40 years and seems to be doing the job. But that doesn't make it right, optimal, or even convenient.

Installing the PEX discharge line was done recently by a new plumber because the original discharge line air-gap was bubbling over. He replaced a long length of drain pipe with larger diameter pipe and replaced thinner flex pipe with PEX.

 

[Reach4]

That still leaves the question of how to couple it to the 1/2" PEX. The present brass fitting swivels, making disconnection practical. Should I stay with this and tighten it very gently?

Tightening gently should work. This is a low pressure point.

I can't comment about the knowledge or analysis that went into the installation, but it was done by a professional water treatment contractor 40 years ago. The tank is 9". They marked 2gpm on the injector body, so I assume that there is a 2gpm restrictor in there. I don't know why they used this particular unit rather than a filter valve. I don't know why they installed a one-port tank rather than a tank with a separate fill port. But that's what I have. It has been this way for 40 years and seems to be doing the job. But that doesn't make it right, optimal, or even convenient.

There is a marking on the DLFC drain line flow control washer that identifies the gpm. A 2 gpm DLFC would be marked 200. This washer is directional.

Your valve is probably set up as a filter version. The filter piston would have a black cap. https://www.softenerparts.com/Fleck...Types--Softener--Filter--Low-Water_c_310.html

 

[Reach4]

delete

 

[Fitter30]

Will a stainless hose clamp fit around the female plastic thread that's cracked? What to gamble wlth less that $10 if the hose clamp will work? In plumbing dept they have plumber expoxy smallest tube. Its like clay cut off small piece mix it in your fingers with push it into the crack pull the fitting wet your finger smooth the crack and put the hose clamp on just don't go past snug. Give it a hour put it back together.

 

[Reach4]

Good idea. Maybe loosen the thread a fraction of a turn so that the gap can close. Not even sure the epoxy would be important, since the pressure will be low, and the flow will be for a short time. I am concerned that the epoxy could do more than close the gap, but could also glue the fitting in place.

I could see a couple tightish wraps of tape with the clamp over the top.

Maybe good electrical tape. Maybe the more expensive self-fusing silicone tape.

 

[BobN]

@Fitter30 That's a great idea. @Bannerman said that the Fleck is made from Noryl. I just checked a few website and they say that PPO and PS (the components in Noryl) are bondable by epoxy. And as @Reach4 said, it isn't a high pressure situation, so super-strong bonding is not essential.

PPO Plastic | Material Series for Product Design

Learn the main properties, applications, modifications, design tips, and processing challenges of PPO plastic for your project.

firstmold.com

How to bond polystyrene?

Many types of adhesives bond polystyrene, but care should be taken in the adhesive selection. Click here to learn more.

permabond.com

At this time, I've got a new no-brand 5600 and a new Fleck injector body on order. When they come in, I'll decide which way to go and return the unused stuff. Right now, I'm leaning towards the new injector body, just for the peace of mind. I don't want to repair this again next year.

 

[BobN]

@Bannerman @bigb56 @Reach4 @Fitter30 Thank you very much for all of the help.

The new injector body arrived. I spent a few hours the morning installing it. It was a bit messy until I realized that there were three o-rings to swap.

I also put a hose clamp around the injector body, just for a little extra safety. It's barely snug, not tight. Same for the discharge port nipple.

Note the brine-tank connection "plug". I guess the installer used what they had rather than doing it correctly.

By the way, the top of my 5600 valve end-plug is white, not black. I guess that means that this is NOT a filter unit. Again, the installer probably just used what they had.

Is there any reason for me to be concerned about this?

 

[Reach4]

By the way, the top of my 5600 valve end-plug is white, not black. I guess that means that this is NOT a filter unit. Again, the installer probably just used what they had.

You may be right about the motivation. It could be to get the 10 minute backwash and fast rinse, rather than 15 minutes. But your "plug" supports the "what they had" theory.