4
HOW YOUR WATER CONDITIONER WORKS
Water softeners remove hardness in the water by exchanging particles in the water, or ions. They remove hard ions such as calcium and magnesium in the water by trading it
for sodium ions producing soft water. Unlike the calcium and magnesium, sodium stays dissolved in water and does not form a scale. Sodium also does not interfere with the
cleaning action of soaps. The sodium is released by a charged resin contained in the softener, this resin also traps the calcium and magnesium ions. Eventually this resin releases
all of its sodium and has filled up with other ions, so it then must be regenerated. Regeneration is accomplished by washing the resin with a salt saturated brine solution that
removes the calcium and magnesium while replenishing the sodium. This is why the softener requires a brine tank and salt. The water softener can run for days before running
out of sodium, and when it does, the sodium is replenished in only a matter of a few hours
When using a softener to remove both hardness and dissolved iron it is important that it regenerates more frequently than ordinarily would be calculated for hardness removal
alone. Although many factors and formulas have been used to determine this frequency, it is recommended that the softener be regenerated when it has reached 50–75% of the
calculated hardness alone capacity. This will minimize the potential for bed fouling.
If you are operating a water softener on clear water iron, regular resin bed cleaning is needed to keep the bed from coating with iron. Even when operating a softener on water
with less than the maximum of dissolved iron, regular cleanings should be performed. Clean every six months or more often if iron appears in your conditioned water supply. Use
resin bed cleaning compounds carefully following the directions on the container.
Precision Brining:
Precision brining means that your conditioner calculates the exact
amount of brine required to regenerate saving up to 30% more salt
When your conditioner regenerates it will display 2 numbers for capacity 1 will be total
capacity the other will be 70 % of capacity. The unit counts down to the end of the
70% then calculates how much of the 30% you used (your reserve) it then adjusts the
brine amount accordingly and regenerates that evening. This feature means that your
capacity will always be different after every regeneration therefore maximizing your
salt use.
Soft Water Recharge for High Usage:
Should you reach the 70% capacity and
then go beyond the 30% before it is time to regenerate the conditioner will do a quick
regeneration to restore limited capacity to get it through the remainder of the day.
System Refresh:
If you are away for an extended period of time the Conditioner
does a refresh cycle to prevent any chance of bacterial growth or stagnation inside the
conditioner.
Scrolling Diagnostics:
By pressing any button to light the LCD display the unit will
automatically begin scrolling important information for diagnostic purposes
Date and Time
Total Gallons and Remaining Gallons
Number of People:
in the household as programmed at install
Reserve Capacity
: calculated as 75 gallons per person
Estimated Days to Next:
estimation of days to the next regeneration based on current
consumption, hardness and capacity
Last Regeneration:
the date of the last regeneration cycle by the conditioner
Total Regenerations:
this is the total number of times the conditioner has regener-
ated
Total Gallons:
total gallons treated by the conditioner
Over Run Total:
– how many times Soft water recharge was required due to high
usage
Current Flow Rate:
will only display if treated water is running otherwise it would
read 0
Peak Flow:
maximum flow that has gone through the conditioner.
Delayed Regen OFF:
– generally only used after servicing.
Regen Time:
This is the time of day that the conditioner is scheduled to regenerate
Refill Time:
The current calculated refill time for makeup brine (displays up to 70% of
total brine required)
Valve Mode:
current valve setting EG. Softener UF (up flow)
To stop the scrolling you can unlock the board as directed and press the down arrow to
stop the scrolling. You can then use the down arrow to go to each of the diagnostics as
required.