Hi John,

First, do you know that this softener and carbon filter was/is operating correctly? The brine level in the brine tank should be reduced during the BRINE cycle and water will run to drain during this cycle. Water is replaced in the brine tank during the BRINE FILL cycle. Could be a plugged brine valve in the 5600 or brine pickup in the brine tank. Could be salt mushing or bridging in the brine tank.

Second, is the filter and softener correctly sized for your water conditions, water usage, and plumbing requirements?

Need to know other things besides just hardness... iron, manganese, TDS, PH?

How many people in the home and how many bathrooms? Any water hog appliances like a monster shower or Jacuzzi?

What model or size is the softener? any number like 948 or 1054 or 7x33 anywhere on the softener or resin tank?

You realize that with the softener plumbed the way you describe you still have hard water at every appliance, fixture, and in most pipes? You're paying for soft water and not getting it.

sorry for the late response. I am learning more and seem close to operating the system but need help programming the 5600. The manual is hard to understand if I want to set this up in demand mode inorder to save on water and salt.

As a FYI, I diagnosed my previous issue. I hooked up the unit incorrectly and the piston shaft was bent so screw holding holding it in place kept slipping out of position.

I picked up a rebuild kit, installed new injector, replaced the piston and seals and the "O" ring on the brine intake.

Works smoothly now... I am on municipal water with 10 -10.3 hardiness. I have two showers with low flow shower heads. (4) members in the household. I have inserted more Water Softener component information below in the following questions.

1) The Fleck 5600 econominder clock dial is set for current time. What time will it start the regeneration cycle? Seems most units have a built in default of 2am. My autotrol 740 carbon filtration unit is scheduled to activate at 2am every 7 days. It has a 48 x9 tank with 1.25 cu ft of carbon. I need to make sure they both do not regenerate at the same time.

2) I have an older Fleck 5600 contoller with gpg x 100 and number of people in the house. My resin tank is 10x54 with 1.5 cuft of media. I know it is oversized for my application. There is a white dot on the wheel.

I calculated my useage which is 4 people x 75 gallons x 10.3 (gpg) =3090 grains per day. I programmed the unit for 12 pounds of salt during regeneration.

I am confused by the programming dial and want to set the regeneration frequency based on the size of the unit and the demand placed on it. However, the largest setting is 21 x100 or 2100. Does this mean it is generating more frequently than necessary since the capacity of this system is 48000?

Obviously, I am not thinking correctly to solve this riddle.

If the 5600 econominder can not regenerate to accommodate the size of my system, does Fleck offer another controller that works with the existing piston, injector, brine connector?

Thanks in advance

John

1. 5600 Econominder regenerates at 2AM. You can fool it by setting the clock off time or change the Autotrol.

2. Use 60 gpd per person not 75. Use the white dot, not the people.

The hardness capacity of the resin volume is determined by the salt dose.

1.5 cubes of resin is never 48k in the field, only on paper, and only when fresh. 1.5 cubes of resin @ 12 lbs of salt = 36k. Don't forget to calculate a reserve in.

Ideally you want a softener to regenerate every 6 or 7 days fro best resin life. More often if there is iron or manganese.

If the 5600 Econominder is working properly that is a reliable valve. You have too large a softener and that will cause you problems.

All this isn't going to help you because as I've already pointed out, you are only softening your HOT water so you have to calculate only the HOT water use and not the total water use by 4 people for the entire house.

You are going about this in about as wrong a way as can be done. Let us know how it works out.

A 1.5 cube softener is too big for whole house use with your water conditions and it is TOO HUGE for hot only use and channeling will be a problem.

Why don't you plumb the softener correctly and get soft water? Too difficult to intercept the water service and EZ to intercept to the cold feeding the WH?

Is there a reason you installed the carbon filter? Did the filter and softener come together in a deal and you figured you's install them both?

I plumbed the carbon filter for the whole house water except the sprinkler system and the water softener to the hot water after reading different articles. Not sure what you mean by "plumb the softener correctly and get soft water."

From other blogs, it sounds like the 21,000 is the correct setting which the white dot is currently set for. I will monitor how often it generates.

The person sold the carbon filter with the water softener together.

In your original post you said "I have it plumbed to send filter water to the cold water and filter water/soft water to the hot water".

That means that you are ONLY softening the water supplying your water heater and NOT SOFTENING all the water entering your house which then splits off to be hot and cold.

You have soft hot water and hard cold water... when they mix at any faucet or appliance you have... HARD WATER. Softening only the hot water is a trick that snake oil softener salesman or lazy people looking to make a quick buck do. When you go to the expense and effort of installing a water softener you should get soft water.

When you carbon filter all the water entering your house you are eliminating the anti-bacterials in the municipal water.

I plumbed the carbon filter for the whole house water except the sprinkler system and the water softener to the hot water after reading different articles. Not sure what you mean by "plumb the softener correctly and get soft water."

From other blogs, it sounds like the 21,000 is the correct setting which the white dot is currently set for. I will monitor how often it generates.

The person sold the carbon filter with the water softener together.