How to Install a Fleck 5600/9100 SXT Water Softener - Softener Intro, Plumbing, & Programming
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 13 มี.ค. 2021
- #softener #fleck #DIY
So you have the audacity to try installing a water softener on your own? As did I, but it was tough stuff honestly. Here I'm installing a Fleck 9100 SXT water softener, this is the model with two tanks so you never are at the mercy of the regeneration cycle.
Honestly, for my small household, it was probably completely overkill -- for most households the single tank Fleck 5600 SXT is more than enough:
amzn.to/3s9YEGB
Here is a quick procedure if you prefer text format:
1) Hard water consists of minerals such as magnesium, calcium, and chlorine. All of these will in the long term corrode your pipes and destroy your appliances/boilers. It's also bad for your health and skin.
2) Softened water is without those harsh minerals. It also has trace amounts of sodium in it as a result of the softening process
3) The way a water softener works is through a chemical reaction -- the tank contains negatively charged resin beads, which attracts and traps calcium and magnesium ions (and to a lesser extent chlorine)
4) Eventually the tank becomes saturated and inneffective, and that's where the 'regeneration cycle' comes in. It will draw brine solution from your salt bucket. The sodium displaces the magnesium and calcium from the resin, and gets flushed out
5) Before beginning your install, make sure that you have a plumber in mind in case this goes south. Also helps to start really early in the day
5.5) Assemble your water softener, preferably the day before your install. Every minute will count.
6) Locate your whole house water inlet. The softener must be located FIRST IN LINE BEFORE EVERYTHING. This may be tricky to find if you have a finished basement.
7) Plan where you will plumb and install the softener, and make sure you have ample supplies. Don't be that guy/gal running to the store x100 times for an extra fitting. Buy more fitting and supplies than you think you'll need.
8) Shut off your water main, and drain all the water out of your plumbing by turning on the faucet that's at the lowest point in your house. This is also a good time to shut off your boiler, and close the water supply valve to your boiler -- because your expansion tank will have residual
pressure and water left in it, which can complicate your attempts to drain the water out of your system
9) Once you are absolutely certain that your faucet is no longer putting out water (this proves that your water shut off valve is FUNCTIONAL), you may begin the plumbing exercise
10) You need to plumb a water inlet, outlet, drain, and shut off valve for the softener. If you have copper piping, use protective fire cloth to protect your walls/studs from the heat. HAVE A FIRE EXTINGUISHER HANDY.
11) You also need to have an outlet available for the softener. If installing a new outlet, make sure that it's GFCI, because we're installing it next to water
12) Plumb everything up. Inlet to controller, outlet to controller, brine line to brine bucket, and drain line to a sink/drain
13) Turn your water back on. Check for leaks, but leave the softener in bypass
14) If no leaks found, turn the bypass valve off, let the softener fill up and check for leaks
15) Fill the brine bucket with 1 bag of salt, and 2-4 gallons of water
16) Enter programming mode in the Fleck controller by setting the time to 12:01 PM, then holding the up and down arrow for 5 seconds
17) Most settings here should have been already programmed by your supplier
18) You'll be changing hardness (H), safety factor (SF), and day override (DO) if you have high iron amounts in your water
19) Once finished, set the correct time
20) Start a manual regeneration cycle by pressing and holding the regen button for 5 seconds
21) This will take 90 minutes
22) Once finished, if you have a model with two tanks, repeat the regeneration cycle. The unit will automatically switch to the next tank
23) Softened water will not reach it's full potential for up to two weeks because it has to permeate your entire plumbing system, including the tank in your boiler
24) Don't forget to turn your boiler back on, as well as its water shut off valve
25) Enjoy!
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"Hey, Culligan Man!" ... you're a great teacher!
And speaking of Culligan, I'm thinking I'd like to install one of their chlorine filters, really get this project completed.
your video saved so much time.. great, thanks for making it
So you have the audacity to try installing a water softener on your own? As did I, but it was tough stuff honestly. Here I'm installing a Fleck 9100 SXT water softener, this is the model with two tanks so you're never at the mercy of the regeneration cycle.
Honestly, for my small household, it was probably completely overkill -- for most households the single tank Fleck 5600 SXT is more than enough:
amzn.to/3s9YEGB
Good video
Thank you!
At 8:46 when you had to redo the joint due to a leak, did you just reheat the joint and add more solder, or did you have to reheat then separate the joint, clean it, then re-solder it?
I reheated it and added more solder -- but the hard part is always trying to get that last bit of water out so it doesn't instantly wick the heat out. So I drained the water, then attached a vacuum to the sink to prevent any water from getting there, and that seemed enough to do the trick.
I’m on city water. Do I need to use an upflow carbon tank, or is a resin tank sufficient?
I couldn't tell you - probably depends on water quality. But doing a water test should point you in the right direction.
so how does the magic happen in the tank?
thats a big install bootman, good work.
Idk science - resin yoinks mineral ions, then flushes them with salt water down the drain.
@@Bootstrappin concentration gradients.... Now I understand the salt water part.
It's like cell biology. Pretty cool
I live in Australia and have never heard of hard water nor a device that softens it. But fuck me if I aint gonna watch another Bootstrappin.
Thanks man - here's a water hardness map of Australia. You probably live in a 'soft water' zone. The higher the number, the harder the water. fluoridationqueensland.com/?page_id=40468
so how do you like fleck? im thinking of getting fleck upflow system.
No complaints - it has been reliable, and I can control how soft the water is, which is cool.
Awesome, worse than some but better than most
Did you bypass the pipe going to an outside faucet?
Yes and no -- where I placed the softener was after first outside faucet, but before the second one. So half and a half.
Isn’t the overflow drain a gravity drain? Looks like the drain line hooked to it went higher than the drain outlet.
No he was hooking the other drain to that line that goes to the sink. Yes the overflow is gravity fed and he sent that to the sump pump for the humidifier.
The backwash is pressure-driven and can be installed over the head. I have seen many dealers install it that fashion
Youre using your channel locks backwards
I think that water pump u connected the drain to will not have the capacity to drain the regeneration cycle. You will have a flooding problem. That softener drain needs to go to a proper drain.
That's not for regen, that's for overflow. Which doesn't make it much better, but for the regen I plumbed it right into a sink.
Sounds like Alton brown lol