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kendoo_gw

Fleck 5600 question

kendoo
12 years ago

Hi,

I have a United Standard hydro quad with what appears to be a Fleck 5600 head (based on the pics I saw in another thread). The issue I am having is that it does not seem to complete the entire regen. If I manually turn the knob to regen it starts doing it's thing but seems to get stuck at "brine rinse" and doesn't advance any further. A bunch of years back I had to replace the timer motor but I think the symptoms were that the timer would not advance at all. In other words if I manually turned it to regen, it would stay there. Any suggestions? If it is the timer motor, does anyone know where I can get one (I have no idea where I purchased the last one- online somewhere)? Thank You

Comments (12)

  • randy427
    12 years ago

    I found several sources with a Google search

    Here is a link that might be useful: Fleck 5600 Parts

  • justalurker
    12 years ago

    Check the teeth on all the gears but it sounds like a problem in the piston and seals. Since it does advance through some stages the motor and the pin that locates the motor should be OK.

    Here's exactly what you need to know... click here

  • kendoo
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Thanks for the replies and the links. I bought the rebuild kit and replaced the pistons and seals just like instructed in the video. It went real smooth I thought. The knob now moves much smoother. I set the timer to regen and poured a glass of wine thinking I could check this one off the list. No such luck. The timer is advancing, but I do not hear the typical noises associated with a regen...water flowing etc. And yes, I did turn the bypass valve back on. What did I do wrong?

  • justalurker
    12 years ago

    The video is pretty straightforward so you either did something wrong or you missed seeing something that was also wrong.

    Go back to square one and check everything you did... step by step.

    If you can't figure it out hit the Yellow Pages and look for an independent water treatment pro. There's always someone most everywhere who services Fleck control valves.

  • kendoo
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Prior to disassembly, I could manually start a regen with all its associated noises. Only issue was it would stop at brine rinse step. I had a real hard time getting the seals and spacers out due to my hard water (that's what the video said). I actually broke all but one of them. Upon reassembly I actually had to tap these down. I suspect they will break again if I try to remove. Another issue was the water level kept rising as I was replacing the seal and spacers. I had a little sponge I was using to soak the water up. My fear is if I break the spacers, I will not be able to reassemble to stop the water from leaking until I can arrange for a service call.

  • justalurker
    12 years ago

    If you didn't clean out the calcium deposits that caused the seals to fail and simply inserted new seals and piston then you only did half the job.

    If you can't resolve the problem put the softener in bypass until you can arrange a service call.

  • kendoo
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Did the video mention cleaning those deposits? Makes sense though. What should I use, scotchbrite maybe?

  • justalurker
    12 years ago

    White vinegar will dissolve calcium deposits.

  • justalurker
    12 years ago

    You might have damaged the seals and need to replace them again.

    There might be something you're missing cause you don't know what to look for. At this point it might be worth looking into what it would cost to get an expert in there to fix it.

  • kendoo
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    I sucked it up and called the expert. Turns out the plastic gear on the motor was pretty wobbly. As soon as it met resistence (at the brine rinse cycle) it would just spin and not advance the large gear beyond that cycle. So the motor was swapped out with a new one that actually has a metal gear. The other issue of not hearing any water flow etc, was due to something clogging the drain mechanism at some point. Probably pieces of old spacers or seals that broke upon removal. $220 for service call and motor. What can you do, I tried. Thanks for all the advice.

  • justalurker
    12 years ago

    As Clint Eastwood said in Magnum Force... "a man's got to know his limitations"

    In order to do anything one needs the knowledge and the tools. Lacking either the job won't get done.

    There's nothing wrong with paying for prompt expert service from a professional when one needs it.

  • kendoo
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    I could have replaced the whole head for that just about, that is why I try to fix things myself first. You can buy alot of tools and make alot of mistakes for what service calls cost these days. But, in this case I lacked the knowledge and needed this fixed before my boiler clogged up and required another service call. haha happy Holidays to all...Ken