I just had a Clack WS1 water softener installed at my cottage and the tech set the filter to regenerate at 800 gallons or every Monday whichever comes first. My assumption is he used our test results and estimated usage to calculate this frequency? Our water usage can vary considerably depending on visitors and time of year. For example, if we leave the cottage Tuesday morning after using very little water and don't plan to return until the following Tuesday, it seems a waste to regenerate after minimal usage. Isn't it easier to regenerate manually as we can see our usage between regeneration? And, we can pick a regeneration time when we aren't using the water.
Great question. The water softener needs to regenerate at least every 14 days or you will have problems. I would change the 8 to 14 to minmize wasted water and salt.
Hi Gary! I love your videos, they’ve been such a great help in understanding the mystery that is the humble water softener. Just wanted to give another reason why a water softener might not be regenerating that I learned on my own the hard way! If the meter cable gets pulled out, it (obviously) stops calculating how much water is going through, thus stops regenerating. This was one scenario I haven’t seen mentioned in any video or website in my research - I just happened to notice when watching a video about the meter assembly (I was like HEY! Mine’s unplugged! 😂). Now it’s plugged in and finally regenerating on its own. My salt stayed at the same position in the tanks for months until I figured this out. Cheers and thanks again for all the info you give us!
I have a Culligan. It just doesn't seem soft or slimy at all. They increased regeneration and softness is at max. they've been out a couple times but it seems off. Still have calcium build up in some places for sinks and toilets ... I know it's not working the way it should. I compared a local grocery store today when I washed my hands and whomever did their system did the job correctly it felt amazing.
great video! i know NOTHING about my water softener. i am going watch all your videos. you have the best video on youtube so far...and I've warched alot lol!
Hi Gary, Thanks so much for your very informative videos. We had our Clack water softener installed by a professional plumber but I am not sure that the settings are correct. We are a 2-4 person household. His settings are: Hardness 20, Capacity 24,000, Salt usage 9.5 lbs Our well water analysis shows: Hardness - 172 ppm (10 g/gal), Iron - 0.075ppm, Manganese 0.078 ppm The resin tank size is 1054 (10" x 54"), that's 48,000 Grain Capacity, right? What should the settings be for hardness, capacity and salt usage? Thanks.
Your plumber left it at the default settings, bad plumber! With that size tank it could be 48,000 grains but who knows what is actually in the tank, you need to ask the plumber what size water softener you received. This video will show you how to program the correct settings th-cam.com/video/c6r7qUK8to4/w-d-xo.html Assuming it is 48,000 grains the settings should be Hardness 10+1+2=13. Capacity 38,400 Salt 14.
@@water_estore thank you so much for your videos! They're so helpful! My system and needs are similar to Urs' , and my plumber appears to have set things up incorrectly as well. For whatever reason it was set up for regeneration every two weeks and to use 24 lb of salt. We have four people in the house and probably use more than the average amount of water.
Hi Gary, thank you for all this information. I am a little lost on it all. Per our city water it is very hard (36) and we have had trouble trying to set out Clack water softener 10x54. I am sure it is not set correctly as times it taste salty and we have a filter on our refrigerator as well. Would love to hear your thoughts
This video of mine goes through the settings. I suggest watching it and setting your water softener accordingly th-cam.com/users/livec6r7qUK8to4?si=NUa84IXb86UieCgB
_Hi Gary_ We have the Home Despot supplied Ecopure EP42. It continually plugs up, especially with Sifto, that the HD supplied. I emptied it all out, ran hot water through and now even the Windsor from HH plugs, alas... The hardness is 13, mostly from our well here on the North Mtn in NS; which, sits on gypsum. No iron. I don't know 'bout manganese. I had it set for 15. There is no day clock to set this animal by, only hardness. I keep the salt down below 2 on the tank and break the salt up every Saturday with a wooden pole driven in with a dead blow hammer, 'till it bottoms out on the plastic well. I see that the Despot no longer carries this brand. When you call the company you get an immigrant who can barely speak English. When I built these digs, I got sucked into a water conditioner which only minimized the calcium deposits. My black car always looked like a leopard if I did not towel it off. hahaha I really hesitate to purchase a Clack cooked unit. What can we do?
Don't get me started about Big Box store water softeners, remember, you get what you pay for. You might want to have the water tested after the water softener to see if it actaully works or not. Also have the water tested for TDS.
Hi Gary - I’m running into the issue of finding a water softener/whole house filtration for my home which only uses about 50 gallons a day as it is a 1-person home. Using your calculations and the smallest unit I have found online at 32000 grains, it would regenerate every 32 days which is too long for the resin beads to sit without regen, correct. What unit should I be looking for? Most articles and videos factor in the standard 4-6 person household which have not been too helpful!
This is the one I suggest waterestore.ca/products/waterboss-pro-180-high-efficiency-water-softener?_pos=176&_sid=83c510f3e&_ss=r Only 17 gallons of water per regeneration and 18,000 grains.
My regen cycle started at 7pm tonight and it's normally programmed for 1 am....what does that mean? Is it normal for a water regen to start in the middle of the day?
It sounds like the timer on your water softener control is incorrect. Did you have a power outage recently, or unplug the system for a period of time? That might have caused it.
@@ooopticnerveee i had a small power outage 2-3 weeks ago but did not think it was enough to reset it. I will check tonight Thank you for the quick reply! Cheers
Ok so as it turns out, my current time is correct and my timer is set for 11:30 at night because we get up early for work. Now, im getting random regen at 07:30 at night or 11:30 (programmed time) and it's everyday. My current settings for day is every 6 days... this is very confusing
Gary, Excellent video! As a technician in another industry, I really appreciate your detailed explanation, while maintaining simplicity for the average Joe. That said, and I know you'll cringe at this approach, but on our new softener, I simply started at 21 days and reduced by 3 per step until the water remained soft. I know... I know; I'm bad. LOL. I am curious to understand why the complicated math instead of simply taking the actual water usage for the last 6-12 months from the water bills or calling the city, converting from cubic feet to gal (ours is measured in cuft not gal), and then dividing by 30 to obtain the actual usage? Thoughts?
Whatever way you calculate usage is fine. Many of our customers are on well or surface water so they do not have the option of knowing their water usage , the rest cringe when I ask them to check their water bill for their usage.
Garry your tutorials are great. Thank you. My Fleck sxt 9100 is not softening our water. I have inspected and cleaned the injector assembly and manually backwashed 2 or 3 times over a couple of weeks. I have stirred the brine tank numerous times. On backwash it does recycle brine H20. I don't yet know know how to read/interpret the program settings. I am wondering if I should do a reset/re-program. I will need to access my hardness data etc. I will flush my tankless water heater next. I don't know where to go from here. Any direction would be helpful. Thank you again.
Hello, thanks for great information. How do I change my water softener regeneration frequency and time. I think my water softener was set for everyday for family of 3. I couldn't find that information. I have the meter watersoftener. Thank you very much
Gary, I've noticed I have some hard water the morning after regeneration. (I have the WS1 head 3 years old) I checked the settings and my hardness was set at 10. I haven't had my water tested for manganese or iron PPM and was thinking I should change my softener to a longer backwash and rinse cycle as I think it's not doing that effectively. All other times my water is soft. I regen at 2 a.m. and there is no water being drawn into the water heater (or anywhere else) at that time. I've tweaked the hardness up to 12, but found your site and thought I'd ask before I monkey with the other settings. Thoughts? Thanks! OH, and I'm on a residential well. 235 ft deep, with 300 gallons of above ground storage (slow producing well)
If you mean salty water after regeneration, yes adding more time to the 2nd backwash and rinse will help. If your water is hard after regen, increase the hardness settings.
@@water_estore I"m not noticing "salty" water, I"m noticing that tacky feel you get when soaping up in the shower you get from Hard water after generation. I set it up for a longer backwash cycle. I hope that's all it is. Thanks
Great video! Is there a maximum number of days a water softener can go before regenerating? For example, does it need to regenerate at least every 14 days even if the water is still soft? My calculated regeneration total gal is 2100, but at day 14 we have only used around 1200 gal (only 2 people). The water is still soft and there isn't any noticeable issues. I just wasn't sure if the water softener needs to be forced to regeneration earlier or if I should let it go until it hits the total gal amount. For now I reduced the gal amount to 1500 just to be safe ;).
14 days is the maximum. If you let it go longer you will eventually clog the media in the tank. You water softener is oversized. We typically plan to size the water softener so it regenerates every 5 days or so.
Hi Gary. Great Video! My Sterling softener regens every 1000 gal. Is there a way to change that to 900? Our water seems perfect for the first 900, but begins to get worse the last 100 gal. Thanks!
Great video. I'm in a central illinois town. My home gets it's water from municipal water system. The arsenic level is very high. I do not know if the arsenic is #3 or # 5.. we have hard water as well (9gpg) and we are going to add a softener. What else do I need to do to lower the arsenic. Thank you.
I would add a reverse osmosis drinking water system like this waterestore.com/products/hum-water-saver-75-gpd-reverse-osmosis-system-brushed-nickel-faucet
Great video, very informative! I recently bought a house with a water softener. We don’t use much water in my household (1500 gallons a month). So, I would like to prevent unnecessary regeneration on my system. I see that at my current hardness level, my system automatically calculated it will regenerate in 3,700 gallons. So, more than 2 months. My system allows settings for regeneration at those gallons, or at a default number of days (programmed at 1 to 29 days regardless of water usage). However, my softener system will only allow for a default time regeneration at maximum 30 days, or I can turn it off completely so it only regenerates once the gallon usage is completed. My question is: do I lose anything by completely turning off the default days regeneration setting and relying solely on the usage regeneration calculator? Thank you!
Your water softener will stop softening your water. Your water softener is oversized and this is the big problem with oversizing. Bigger isn't better. The water softener needs to regenerate at least every 14 days or you'll get channelling through the media and it will stop softening. Change the over ride to 14 days and when you replace the water softener get one that is the correct size. This video will help. th-cam.com/video/NLUUJCmF_AM/w-d-xo.html
In the Time Calculation portion at 7:06, what is meant by "Softener size"? In the example, I don't know what units we mean when he says "40,000" so i don't know what to look for on my unit to use for that calculation.
30,000 grains is one cubic foot. Thsi video will help although it is for a different topic, if you know the size of the tank the chart will help you determine the size of your water softener th-cam.com/video/-KeuIvIyMis/w-d-xo.html
Hi Gary we have a waterboss 900 model. The meter read 00 x 100 available soft water. Is this something to be worried about? Will it regenerate on its own? Will I run out of soft water? I have salt in tank with water in the tank as well. Some insight would be very appreciated.
What happens if you over estimate water usage in the settings? Is there any issue if the water softener regenerates too often? Or is that just a waste of water and salt? I guess what im asking is can the resin get too clean or something and cause salty tasting water or sodium spots on dishes? I ask because I have water spots on cars and dishes when water dries on them. but hardness water testing shows 0 ppm.
Yes, you can raise the sodium residual by over softening the water but likely the casue of those water spots, assumning the water softener is working, is that you likley have high Total Dissolved Solids in your water. Softening your water does not lower the TDS.
Good video. When you calculate the mg and iron etc. Does that over rule a ppm meter i bought online for this, or is that all I need equipment wise for testing? Faucet is 505 ppm, and filtered water from fridge is 350 ppm.
The meter you bought is probably a TDS meter, which tells you the total dissolved solids in your water. the mg and iron are part of the total but sdo is sodium, calcium magnesium and a whole lot of other minerals. If you want to know specific amopunts of each mineral you need to test the water for just those minerals not tds.
@@water_estore Thanks. I spoke to the manufacturer earlier today and it rung a bell lol. I don't think i will have much time to do and learn individual tests for now, but was wondering, if i buy a test strip test and just check hardness, will that number be good enough to tune the hardness level on the system?
We bought a 2 yr old house that already had a water softener system installed. It came with a 20 pages report detailing all kind of stuff. The original owner was a single occupant, and the system was setup for regeneration every 14 days. Since we are now 2 adults, should I set regeneration to every 7 days?
It depends. Manmy water softeners are metered but they have a 14 day over ride. In that case you would not change it. If it is not a metered water softener you would need to calcluate how often it needs to regenerate but you would need to know the hardness and iron dontent of the water.
What do I do in summer when don’t care about using water softener for cleaning cars and filling pool .. I like to use usually for 5 months a year in winter .. does it need to regenerate even if I have it on bypass mode
We just got a Rain Soft EC5 water softner. My system is regenerating almost daily and im re-filling the salt tank with the required salt level ( 4 ) almost every two weeks. I think perhaps we either got sold a system thats too small or a defective one?
Or more than likely it isn’t programmed correctly or you have a water leak somewhere in your home and since it is a metered softener you are going through much more water than you think you are
We just installed a water softner (NOVO) we typically turn off our water to the house incase of an leaks when we are in Palm Springs for 2 months. Given the new Water Softner what do we do put it in by pass Mode?? There will be no water coming into the house given its turned off at the main?? Any procedures you recommend Gary? Thanks Steve and Julie
Gary, I have really learned a lot from watching your videos. Thanks! I have a Fleck 7000 that after 14 years of regeneration it used to show ~1,400 gallons filtered before regeneration. Last time I regenerated it only showed 220 gallons before the next regeneration. I did some troubleshooting you recommended and found that salt in my brine tank was somewhat solid, so I dumped it out and started with a fresh load of salt crystals. I also found a blockage in the drain line. I also checked and cleaned the brine tank float. Unfortunately none of those fixed the problem. Right now the water level is 6-8" above the salt. Would adding more salt fix the problem? What should I check next? Thanks in advance for your help!
Did I miss how you set HOW OFTEN for a metered water softener? You only showed the hardness--what about the flow number? Does the controller automatically set the number of gallons? Thanks. PS I have a Fleck 6500SE.
@@water_estore Thanks. I've been trying to do this using your formula (as I understand it). For the numbers I got from the local water quality person, hardness 9.2 ppm, iron 121 ppb, magnanese 9.2 ppb and adding 2 gpg I get 11.684 ppm. The problem I have is with the units. Some of them are ppm but maybe my water softener uses gpg for the hardness factor (I think) AND you also have added 2 gpg to the number so we are adding ppm and gpg together. Any comments? Thanks.
I have a 6200 SXT Automatic Meter Initiated Water Softener. It started "clicking" early this morning. I unplugged an the screen just showed the letters PF. It sounds like it is continuously running. Also my well pump runs without shutting off.??? Help !!! I am pretty...very ignorant and need any assistance ASAP--Happy Easter!!!. Thanks for the consideration, Robb.
My softener has Salt efficiency mode that can be turned on/off. The manual says it may regenerate more often with this enabled. It also says Salt Efficiency enabled will use more water, less salt. Disabled it uses less water, more salt. My concern about having it on is, if its using less salt will it still soften my water to correct setting as well as it would when it's disabled?
Hi Gary! I like your useful vides very much! I have a 32k Clack softener and I use around 450 gallons of water every two weeks. The pre-set capacity on the valve head screen is 1250 gallon, but the capacity remaining is still over 800 gallons every time when the 14-day regeneration comes. Is it normal? By the way my water hardness is 20gpg. Based on my situation, Do you think it is necessary for my whole house softener to regenerate every 14 days? Can the time be increased from the current 14 days to 28 day? Thank you for your professional advice in advance!
It depends on a number of factors but you need to make sure you have correct info and your water softener is programmed correctly. Something definitely doesn't sound correct, as you are saying you use only 32 gallons of water per day. This video will help th-cam.com/video/XMY69hdhX44/w-d-xo.html
As the water softener's medium slowly saturates with the minerals (hardness), does it absorb less and less of those minerals over time? Meaning, is the water super soft right after regeneration, and then slightly more hard over the next few days until it regenerates again? Finally, if the tank hasn't been regenerated (due to wrong settings, maybe Hardness set very low) and the medium is saturated, I suppose that it's not catching any more minerals and your output is basically the raw water (as if the softener was bypassed)?
If this is true, can you use this effect (slightly lower your Hardness setting) to control the average water hardness, making is slightly less soft on average?
no, then softening is constant and consistant. Yes, if the media is compromised you will need to clean the media before it works properly. waterestore.com/products/pro-res-care-water-softener-resin-cleaner
Is it normal for a metered set on auto regen water softener to go 18 days without regenerating? Will it cause problems with the softener if it does not regenerate often enough? There's 2 of us in household. It would regenerate every 3 to 4 days at first when set up in garage but found out there was an older softener inground so it was moved to that location (buried). Thanks Gary love you videos.
I have the 30000 grain HUM with the manganese filter purchased through your estore - it just did it's first regen after 14 days. This is the softener that was suggested and looking at comments below, this is oversized? I set the hardness at 20 which is a bit more than required. Is there a way to adjust so that maybe7 days in max? Thanks again for all the info you pass along - vids are great
My softener is metered, and it is my understanding that it will regenerate once the remaining capacity starts approaching 0. However, i have noticed that the softener will regenerate even when 600-700 gallons of capacity is remaining. Is this normal?
Most water softeners regenerate when you run out of capacity or every 14 days, which ever comes close. So it could be you are getting close to the 14 days.
@@water_estoreHi Gary, I essentially have the same question but my tank is metered at 4000Gal and by the time it is 14 days, my two occupant household had only used 900-1000Gal of softened water. My question is, should I be letting it use much more softened water before it regens? Possibly by changing regen cycle to every month or longer? I've read some of your comments that I may have been sold a tank too big for our usage but this was the smallest one you guys had at 30k grain. My understanding is that it's regenerating too early due to our usage hence increasing salt usage but at the same time it can damage the media beads if not done every 2 weeks?
Hi Gary! I recently installed a rain fresh 30t at my work, standard setting was delayed regen off. Seems to work great for a few weeks, however now I notice it says usable left 0 and over run 5500 and the delayed regen set to on ? One, could the system do this on its own and two, why would delayed even be an option. It's ran so much through now past its regen limit ?
Varies widely between makes, models and size. Kind of like asking about gas mileage on cars. Anywhere from 13 gallons to old technology (but still sold today) very inefficeint ones that use over 100 gallons of water.
It seems like everyone in the industry recommends 14 days as the maximum between regens. Why? After 14 days my Fleck still says I have 2400 gallons of soft water left. Seems like a waste of salt and water????
If you don't you'll damage the media. If you still have 2400 gallons remaining either your meter isn't working or someone sold you a water softener that is much too big for your application.
I'm new to water softener systems but the one we have in our new home produces water that just feels "slimy" to me. (I've heard this described as "silky" by folks who like it.) The hard water here in Minnesota where we've relocated definitely beats up our laundry when there's no softener, so I understand the need for some softening, but is there a way to dial it back a bit so my showers don't feel slimy? With my eyes closed I honestly can't tell if I've washed all the soap off my face some times. There has to be some middle ground...any suggestions? Thanks, I appreciated the knowledge in your video.
I'm 57 and have grown up with water softeners my whole life. That "slimy" feel is what softened water feels like. the "squeaky clean" you feel from your hard water showers is actually the residue of the soap still on your skin.
Sorry if this is off topic but I need this question answered. Can you run a regeneration cycle on a water softener using only water? I would like to run a regeneration cycle using only the recommended amount of water (2.25 gallons, "Refill" feature) and a sterilizer (bleach, commercial sterilizer). I would do this after emptying and cleaning the brine tank. My manual says only to use "Crystal" salt and all the crystal salt available to me comes with additives. I emailed Pro Products and they told me not to mix there sterilizer with salt that contains additives.
Hey :) Cooles Video! Thanks. ;) Hast du eigentlich jenes Jungbrunnenwasser aus so einem Aquacentrum Gerät jemals kennengelernt? Dieses Wasser ist richtig richtig gut! :D Es hilft einem echt fit zu bleiben !! 👍🏻
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I'll bet you don't know! Check it out to learn more.
I just had a Clack WS1 water softener installed at my cottage and the tech set the filter to regenerate at 800 gallons or every Monday whichever comes first. My assumption is he used our test results and estimated usage to calculate this frequency? Our water usage can vary considerably depending on visitors and time of year. For example, if we leave the cottage Tuesday morning after using very little water and don't plan to return until the following Tuesday, it seems a waste to regenerate after minimal usage. Isn't it easier to regenerate manually as we can see our usage between regeneration? And, we can pick a regeneration time when we aren't using the water.
Great question. The water softener needs to regenerate at least every 14 days or you will have problems. I would change the 8 to 14 to minmize wasted water and salt.
Hi Gary! I love your videos, they’ve been such a great help in understanding the mystery that is the humble water softener. Just wanted to give another reason why a water softener might not be regenerating that I learned on my own the hard way! If the meter cable gets pulled out, it (obviously) stops calculating how much water is going through, thus stops regenerating. This was one scenario I haven’t seen mentioned in any video or website in my research - I just happened to notice when watching a video about the meter assembly (I was like HEY! Mine’s unplugged! 😂). Now it’s plugged in and finally regenerating on its own. My salt stayed at the same position in the tanks for months until I figured this out. Cheers and thanks again for all the info you give us!
Thanks for the input! Yes, that is another thing to check while troubleshooting!
I have a Culligan. It just doesn't seem soft or slimy at all. They increased regeneration and softness is at max. they've been out a couple times but it seems off. Still have calcium build up in some places for sinks and toilets ... I know it's not working the way it should. I compared a local grocery store today when I washed my hands and whomever did their system did the job correctly it felt amazing.
What are your hardness level before and after the softener?
This is literally the question(s) that I needed answered.
Perfect! Please share with friends and family.
great video! i know NOTHING about my water softener. i am going watch all your videos. you have the best video on youtube so far...and I've warched alot lol!
Glad to hear they are helpful, this video on how a water softener works would be a great start th-cam.com/video/udmE-hhh084/w-d-xo.html
I had just cleaned the clog salt from the brine tank. Should I add water first before pouring in the salt or what should I do? Please help.
Great question. Before or after does not matter.
Hi Gary,
Thanks so much for your very informative videos.
We had our Clack water softener installed by a professional plumber but I am not sure that the settings are correct. We are a 2-4 person household.
His settings are: Hardness 20, Capacity 24,000, Salt usage 9.5 lbs
Our well water analysis shows: Hardness - 172 ppm (10 g/gal), Iron - 0.075ppm, Manganese 0.078 ppm
The resin tank size is 1054 (10" x 54"), that's 48,000 Grain Capacity, right?
What should the settings be for hardness, capacity and salt usage?
Thanks.
Your plumber left it at the default settings, bad plumber! With that size tank it could be 48,000 grains but who knows what is actually in the tank, you need to ask the plumber what size water softener you received. This video will show you how to program the correct settings th-cam.com/video/c6r7qUK8to4/w-d-xo.html Assuming it is 48,000 grains the settings should be Hardness 10+1+2=13. Capacity 38,400 Salt 14.
@@water_estore Thanks for the reply. I will talk to the plumber. I was hoping to use as little salt as possible. Maybe a smaller tank would be better.
@@water_estore thank you so much for your videos! They're so helpful! My system and needs are similar to Urs' , and my plumber appears to have set things up incorrectly as well. For whatever reason it was set up for regeneration every two weeks and to use 24 lb of salt. We have four people in the house and probably use more than the average amount of water.
Hi Gary, thank you for all this information. I am a little lost on it all. Per our city water it is very hard (36) and we have had trouble trying to set out Clack water softener 10x54. I am sure it is not set correctly as times it taste salty and we have a filter on our refrigerator as well. Would love to hear your thoughts
This video of mine goes through the settings. I suggest watching it and setting your water softener accordingly th-cam.com/users/livec6r7qUK8to4?si=NUa84IXb86UieCgB
Great video but it would have been nice to have showed how to actually program the days.
This video shows you basic settings like the days th-cam.com/video/qrnARW88Rc4/w-d-xo.html
@@water_estore wow thanks for the quick reply!
_Hi Gary_ We have the Home Despot supplied Ecopure EP42. It continually plugs up, especially with Sifto, that the HD supplied. I emptied it all out, ran hot water through and now even the Windsor from HH plugs, alas... The hardness is 13, mostly from our well here on the North Mtn in NS; which, sits on gypsum. No iron. I don't know 'bout manganese. I had it set for 15. There is no day clock to set this animal by, only hardness. I keep the salt down below 2 on the tank and break the salt up every Saturday with a wooden pole driven in with a dead blow hammer, 'till it bottoms out on the plastic well. I see that the Despot no longer carries this brand. When you call the company you get an immigrant who can barely speak English. When I built these digs, I got sucked into a water conditioner which only minimized the calcium deposits. My black car always looked like a leopard if I did not towel it off. hahaha I really hesitate to purchase a Clack cooked unit. What can we do?
Don't get me started about Big Box store water softeners, remember, you get what you pay for. You might want to have the water tested after the water softener to see if it actaully works or not. Also have the water tested for TDS.
Water can have Trump derangement syndrome? Never knew that explains a lot.
Hi Gary - I’m running into the issue of finding a water softener/whole house filtration for my home which only uses about 50 gallons a day as it is a 1-person home. Using your calculations and the smallest unit I have found online at 32000 grains, it would regenerate every 32 days which is too long for the resin beads to sit without regen, correct. What unit should I be looking for? Most articles and videos factor in the standard 4-6 person household which have not been too helpful!
This is the one I suggest waterestore.ca/products/waterboss-pro-180-high-efficiency-water-softener?_pos=176&_sid=83c510f3e&_ss=r Only 17 gallons of water per regeneration and 18,000 grains.
@@water_estore What is the difference in the 700 vs pro 180?
My regen cycle started at 7pm tonight and it's normally programmed for 1 am....what does that mean? Is it normal for a water regen to start in the middle of the day?
It sounds like the timer on your water softener control is incorrect. Did you have a power outage recently, or unplug the system for a period of time? That might have caused it.
@@ooopticnerveee i had a small power outage 2-3 weeks ago but did not think it was enough to reset it. I will check tonight
Thank you for the quick reply! Cheers
No likely your current time is incorrect
Ok so as it turns out, my current time is correct and my timer is set for 11:30 at night because we get up early for work. Now, im getting random regen at 07:30 at night or 11:30 (programmed time) and it's everyday. My current settings for day is every 6 days... this is very confusing
Gary, Excellent video! As a technician in another industry, I really appreciate your detailed explanation, while maintaining simplicity for the average Joe. That said, and I know you'll cringe at this approach, but on our new softener, I simply started at 21 days and reduced by 3 per step until the water remained soft. I know... I know; I'm bad. LOL. I am curious to understand why the complicated math instead of simply taking the actual water usage for the last 6-12 months from the water bills or calling the city, converting from cubic feet to gal (ours is measured in cuft not gal), and then dividing by 30 to obtain the actual usage? Thoughts?
Whatever way you calculate usage is fine. Many of our customers are on well or surface water so they do not have the option of knowing their water usage , the rest cringe when I ask them to check their water bill for their usage.
@@water_estore All class Gary - thanks for that answer.
Garry your tutorials are great. Thank you. My Fleck sxt 9100 is not softening our water. I have inspected and cleaned the injector assembly and manually backwashed 2 or 3 times over a couple of weeks. I have stirred the brine tank numerous times. On backwash it does recycle brine H20. I don't yet know know how to read/interpret the program settings. I am wondering if I should do a reset/re-program. I will need to access my hardness data etc. I will flush my tankless water heater next. I don't know where to go from here. Any direction would be helpful. Thank you again.
I would go through the trouble shooting steps outlined in this video th-cam.com/video/Lr3jyGiJdC0/w-d-xo.html
Hello, thanks for great information. How do I change my water softener regeneration frequency and time. I think my water softener was set for everyday for family of 3. I couldn't find that information. I have the meter watersoftener. Thank you very much
This video goes over the settings th-cam.com/users/livec6r7qUK8to4?si=JBit-6fTYYrgq-Zm
Thanks Gary. It is a very clear explanation.
Glad it was helpful! Please share with friends and family!
Gary, I've noticed I have some hard water the morning after regeneration. (I have the WS1 head 3 years old) I checked the settings and my hardness was set at 10. I haven't had my water tested for manganese or iron PPM and was thinking I should change my softener to a longer backwash and rinse cycle as I think it's not doing that effectively. All other times my water is soft. I regen at 2 a.m. and there is no water being drawn into the water heater (or anywhere else) at that time. I've tweaked the hardness up to 12, but found your site and thought I'd ask before I monkey with the other settings. Thoughts? Thanks! OH, and I'm on a residential well. 235 ft deep, with 300 gallons of above ground storage (slow producing well)
If you mean salty water after regeneration, yes adding more time to the 2nd backwash and rinse will help. If your water is hard after regen, increase the hardness settings.
@@water_estore I"m not noticing "salty" water, I"m noticing that tacky feel you get when soaping up in the shower you get from Hard water after generation. I set it up for a longer backwash cycle. I hope that's all it is. Thanks
Great video! Is there a maximum number of days a water softener can go before regenerating? For example, does it need to regenerate at least every 14 days even if the water is still soft?
My calculated regeneration total gal is 2100, but at day 14 we have only used around 1200 gal (only 2 people). The water is still soft and there isn't any noticeable issues. I just wasn't sure if the water softener needs to be forced to regeneration earlier or if I should let it go until it hits the total gal amount. For now I reduced the gal amount to 1500 just to be safe ;).
14 days is the maximum. If you let it go longer you will eventually clog the media in the tank. You water softener is oversized. We typically plan to size the water softener so it regenerates every 5 days or so.
Hi Gary. Great Video! My Sterling softener regens every 1000 gal. Is there a way to change that to 900? Our water seems perfect for the first 900, but begins to get worse the last 100 gal. Thanks!
Yes, you can either add 2 to the hardness settings or change the default gallons to 900.
Thank you! I looked for the gallon adjustment but couldn't find anything. I'll try adding 2 to the hardnss, that I did see.
Great video. I'm in a central illinois town. My home gets it's water from municipal water system. The arsenic level is very high. I do not know if the arsenic is #3 or # 5.. we have hard water as well (9gpg) and we are going to add a softener. What else do I need to do to lower the arsenic.
Thank you.
I would add a reverse osmosis drinking water system like this waterestore.com/products/hum-water-saver-75-gpd-reverse-osmosis-system-brushed-nickel-faucet
Great video, very informative!
I recently bought a house with a water softener. We don’t use much water in my household (1500 gallons a month). So, I would like to prevent unnecessary regeneration on my system. I see that at my current hardness level, my system automatically calculated it will regenerate in 3,700 gallons. So, more than 2 months. My system allows settings for regeneration at those gallons, or at a default number of days (programmed at 1 to 29 days regardless of water usage).
However, my softener system will only allow for a default time regeneration at maximum 30 days, or I can turn it off completely so it only regenerates once the gallon usage is completed.
My question is: do I lose anything by completely turning off the default days regeneration setting and relying solely on the usage regeneration calculator?
Thank you!
Your water softener will stop softening your water. Your water softener is oversized and this is the big problem with oversizing. Bigger isn't better. The water softener needs to regenerate at least every 14 days or you'll get channelling through the media and it will stop softening. Change the over ride to 14 days and when you replace the water softener get one that is the correct size. This video will help. th-cam.com/video/NLUUJCmF_AM/w-d-xo.html
Are there any other metals that should be compensated for? Although mostly I only have copper which is from pipes after the softener.
Just iron and Manganese.
During brining, will the Clack WS1 CI valve allow salty water to pass through the system? The user is drawing water at that time.
Great question, yes it certainly will.
In the Time Calculation portion at 7:06, what is meant by "Softener size"? In the example, I don't know what units we mean when he says "40,000" so i don't know what to look for on my unit to use for that calculation.
30,000 grains is one cubic foot. Thsi video will help although it is for a different topic, if you know the size of the tank the chart will help you determine the size of your water softener th-cam.com/video/-KeuIvIyMis/w-d-xo.html
Hi Gary we have a waterboss 900 model. The meter read 00 x 100 available soft water. Is this something to be worried about? Will it regenerate on its own? Will I run out of soft water? I have salt in tank with water in the tank as well. Some insight would be very appreciated.
Yes it will regenerate on it's own. No you will not run out of soft water.
What happens if you over estimate water usage in the settings? Is there any issue if the water softener regenerates too often? Or is that just a waste of water and salt? I guess what im asking is can the resin get too clean or something and cause salty tasting water or sodium spots on dishes? I ask because I have water spots on cars and dishes when water dries on them. but hardness water testing shows 0 ppm.
Yes, you can raise the sodium residual by over softening the water but likely the casue of those water spots, assumning the water softener is working, is that you likley have high Total Dissolved Solids in your water. Softening your water does not lower the TDS.
Hi Gary! hoe to repair water coming out of the top of the tiny part on the top of the tank?
email us a picture of where the water is coming out and we should be able to help. info@waterestore.com
Good video. When you calculate the mg and iron etc. Does that over rule a ppm meter i bought online for this, or is that all I need equipment wise for testing? Faucet is 505 ppm, and filtered water from fridge is 350 ppm.
The meter you bought is probably a TDS meter, which tells you the total dissolved solids in your water. the mg and iron are part of the total but sdo is sodium, calcium magnesium and a whole lot of other minerals. If you want to know specific amopunts of each mineral you need to test the water for just those minerals not tds.
@@water_estore Thanks. I spoke to the manufacturer earlier today and it rung a bell lol. I don't think i will have much time to do and learn individual tests for now, but was wondering, if i buy a test strip test and just check hardness, will that number be good enough to tune the hardness level on the system?
Every night sounds like a big mistake and a waste of water
Who said it is every night? Typically it's about once a week.
@@AnoniNH-og1kd and bother your neighbors in the middle of night
We bought a 2 yr old house that already had a water softener system installed. It came with a 20 pages report detailing all kind of stuff. The original owner was a single occupant, and the system was setup for regeneration every 14 days.
Since we are now 2 adults, should I set regeneration to every 7 days?
It depends. Manmy water softeners are metered but they have a 14 day over ride. In that case you would not change it. If it is not a metered water softener you would need to calcluate how often it needs to regenerate but you would need to know the hardness and iron dontent of the water.
What do I do in summer when don’t care about using water softener for cleaning cars and filling pool .. I like to use usually for 5 months a year in winter .. does it need to regenerate even if I have it on bypass mode
Good question! It should regenerate at least once a month, so I would just put it into service then to regenerate.
We just got a Rain Soft EC5 water softner. My system is regenerating almost daily and im re-filling the salt tank with the required salt level ( 4 ) almost every two weeks. I think perhaps we either got sold a system thats too small or a defective one?
Or more than likely it isn’t programmed correctly or you have a water leak somewhere in your home and since it is a metered softener you are going through much more water than you think you are
We just installed a water softner (NOVO) we typically turn off our water to the house incase of an leaks when we are in Palm Springs for 2 months. Given the new Water Softner what do we do put it in by pass Mode?? There will be no water coming into the house given its turned off at the main?? Any procedures you recommend Gary? Thanks Steve and Julie
Good question. Since you have shut off the water nothing will happen with the water softener, no need to bypass.
My WHES33 softener keeps recharging - goes through one cycle then recharges again. I have repalced the valve motor switch, but the problem continues
Sorry, I know very little about those water softeners so I can't help you.
Gary, I have really learned a lot from watching your videos. Thanks! I have a Fleck 7000 that after 14 years of regeneration it used to show ~1,400 gallons filtered before regeneration. Last time I regenerated it only showed 220 gallons before the next regeneration. I did some troubleshooting you recommended and found that salt in my brine tank was somewhat solid, so I dumped it out and started with a fresh load of salt crystals. I also found a blockage in the drain line. I also checked and cleaned the brine tank float. Unfortunately none of those fixed the problem. Right now the water level is 6-8" above the salt. Would adding more salt fix the problem? What should I check next? Thanks in advance for your help!
I am not an expert on Fleck but did you recently chnage the hardness, capacity or salt content settings?
If I used strips do I need to do the compensated hardness calculation? For example if I have a hardness of 3 how many gallons in between regeneration?
Yes, you still need to do the calculation. The gallons depends on the size of your water softener, the salt dosage and a number of other factors
@@water_estore yikes.
Gary do you have a tutorial video how to install a water softener with not plumbing licenses
My water softener installation playlist is here th-cam.com/play/PLmnBltD77jBUYlUN9sWzkMkrLQ2VOURUn.html
Did I miss how you set HOW OFTEN for a metered water softener? You only showed the hardness--what about the flow number? Does the controller automatically set the number of gallons? Thanks. PS I have a Fleck 6500SE.
Metered water softeners calculate the frequency themsolves IF the correct settings are programmed into the softener.
@@water_estore Thanks. I've been trying to do this using your formula (as I understand it). For the numbers I got from the local water quality person, hardness 9.2 ppm, iron 121 ppb, magnanese 9.2 ppb and adding 2 gpg I get 11.684 ppm. The problem I have is with the units. Some of them are ppm but maybe my water softener uses gpg for the hardness factor (I think) AND you also have added 2 gpg to the number so we are adding ppm and gpg together. Any comments? Thanks.
I have a 6200 SXT Automatic Meter Initiated Water Softener. It started "clicking" early this morning. I unplugged an the screen just showed the letters PF. It sounds like it is continuously running. Also my well pump runs without shutting off.??? Help !!! I am pretty...very ignorant and need any assistance ASAP--Happy Easter!!!. Thanks for the consideration, Robb.
It sounds like the piston is stuck in the seals and it needs to be rebuilt.
My softener has Salt efficiency mode that can be turned on/off. The manual says it may regenerate more often with this enabled. It also says Salt Efficiency enabled will use more water, less salt. Disabled it uses less water, more salt. My concern about having it on is, if its using less salt will it still soften my water to correct setting as well as it would when it's disabled?
I really do not know. None of the water softeners we use has that mode.
Hi Gary! I like your useful vides very much! I have a 32k Clack softener and I use around 450 gallons of water every two weeks. The pre-set capacity on the valve head screen is 1250 gallon, but the capacity remaining is still over 800 gallons every time when the 14-day regeneration comes. Is it normal? By the way my water hardness is 20gpg. Based on my situation, Do you think it is necessary for my whole house softener to regenerate every 14 days? Can the time be increased from the current 14 days to 28 day? Thank you for your professional advice in advance!
It depends on a number of factors but you need to make sure you have correct info and your water softener is programmed correctly. Something definitely doesn't sound correct, as you are saying you use only 32 gallons of water per day. This video will help th-cam.com/video/XMY69hdhX44/w-d-xo.html
@@water_estoreHi Gary! Thank you so much for your help! I use little water because I'm the only one living in my house.
So if it’s Metered do we need to Only set the hardness? How do we figure out the hardness? Do we have to bring it somewhere to get tested? Thanks!
Yes, you only need to set the hardness. This video will help th-cam.com/video/rLXlIK1MJ9s/w-d-xo.html
As the water softener's medium slowly saturates with the minerals (hardness), does it absorb less and less of those minerals over time? Meaning, is the water super soft right after regeneration, and then slightly more hard over the next few days until it regenerates again? Finally, if the tank hasn't been regenerated (due to wrong settings, maybe Hardness set very low) and the medium is saturated, I suppose that it's not catching any more minerals and your output is basically the raw water (as if the softener was bypassed)?
If this is true, can you use this effect (slightly lower your Hardness setting) to control the average water hardness, making is slightly less soft on average?
no, then softening is constant and consistant. Yes, if the media is compromised you will need to clean the media before it works properly. waterestore.com/products/pro-res-care-water-softener-resin-cleaner
No, that won't work. You need to have the hardness setting set correctly based on your waters hardness.
Gary, I've had water with some white powder/flakes after sitting there for some time. Is it because of hardness (calcium)?
Likely yes, but the only way to know for sure is to have it tested.
Is it normal for a metered set on auto regen water softener to go 18 days without regenerating? Will it cause problems with the softener if it does not regenerate often enough? There's 2 of us in household. It would regenerate every 3 to 4 days at first when set up in garage but found out there was an older softener inground so it was moved to that location (buried).
Thanks Gary love you videos.
You should set the over ride for 14 days. Does not make sense that it was 3 - 4 days before and now is 18 days. Something changed.
I have the 30000 grain HUM with the manganese filter purchased through your estore - it just did it's first regen after 14 days. This is the softener that was suggested and looking at comments below, this is oversized? I set the hardness at 20 which is a bit more than required. Is there a way to adjust so that maybe7 days in max? Thanks again for all the info you pass along - vids are great
Sure thing! Just sey the days over ride to 7 instead of 14. This video shows you how th-cam.com/users/livec6r7qUK8to4
Thank you so much for your great vídeos 👍
Glad you like them! Please share with friends and family!
My cold and hot water are both on soft water, but with a hardness test strip the cold water says hard, hot water says soft.
Got any ideas to help me
Yes, check your settings you may be running out of soft water before it regenerates
great video explained all thanks!
Glad you enjoyed it! Please share video with friends and family!
Hey Gary my bleach bar got stuck under my toilet flapper it ran 8100 g during the time I sleep and woke up is it gonna damage the softener?
No, it will not.
@@water_estore thank you Gary
Why is my water softener eating too much salt Gary it’s a 35,000 grain and set to 17 gpg
My softener is metered, and it is my understanding that it will regenerate once the remaining capacity starts approaching 0. However, i have noticed that the softener will regenerate even when 600-700 gallons of capacity is remaining. Is this normal?
Most water softeners regenerate when you run out of capacity or every 14 days, which ever comes close. So it could be you are getting close to the 14 days.
@@water_estoreHi Gary, I essentially have the same question but my tank is metered at 4000Gal and by the time it is 14 days, my two occupant household had only used 900-1000Gal of softened water. My question is, should I be letting it use much more softened water before it regens? Possibly by changing regen cycle to every month or longer?
I've read some of your comments that I may have been sold a tank too big for our usage but this was the smallest one you guys had at 30k grain. My understanding is that it's regenerating too early due to our usage hence increasing salt usage but at the same time it can damage the media beads if not done every 2 weeks?
Hi Gary! I recently installed a rain fresh 30t at my work, standard setting was delayed regen off. Seems to work great for a few weeks, however now I notice it says usable left 0 and over run 5500 and the delayed regen set to on ? One, could the system do this on its own and two, why would delayed even be an option. It's ran so much through now past its regen limit ?
Sorry, not familiar with Rainfresh equipment. Call them.
Do you have an idea of how many gallons of water go down the drain during a regeneration cycle?
Varies widely between makes, models and size. Kind of like asking about gas mileage on cars. Anywhere from 13 gallons to old technology (but still sold today) very inefficeint ones that use over 100 gallons of water.
If 120 m³ water is using in a day means how regeneration should be done.Twice in a day?
Depnds on the size of water softener and the hardness of the water. 120 cubic meters is a lot of water!
Maybe this is a dumb question but I have to do this or this something the system do it by itself?
The water softener is programmed to this automatically.
Would have been helpful to step through the menu with those settings.
Yes, but it does differ for every brand of water softener. For Clack valves check out this video th-cam.com/video/-xgOm21ydEo/w-d-xo.html
My concern is that when my water softener regenerates once a week, it only uses 4 gallons. What possible reasons for this?
Incorrect settings. Check here th-cam.com/video/c6r7qUK8to4/w-d-xo.html
I wish we had a Gary the water guy..... in Jax Florida.
We have lots of customers in Florida. We help them remotely and they order from our US website waterestore.com/
It seems like everyone in the industry recommends 14 days as the maximum between regens. Why? After 14 days my Fleck still says I have 2400 gallons of soft water left. Seems like a waste of salt and water????
If you don't you'll damage the media. If you still have 2400 gallons remaining either your meter isn't working or someone sold you a water softener that is much too big for your application.
What E 2 code Mean?
On which brand of water softener valve?
@@water_estore Culligan medalist water conditioner
I'm new to water softener systems but the one we have in our new home produces water that just feels "slimy" to me. (I've heard this described as "silky" by folks who like it.) The hard water here in Minnesota where we've relocated definitely beats up our laundry when there's no softener, so I understand the need for some softening, but is there a way to dial it back a bit so my showers don't feel slimy? With my eyes closed I honestly can't tell if I've washed all the soap off my face some times. There has to be some middle ground...any suggestions? Thanks, I appreciated the knowledge in your video.
Depends on the type of water softener but htis video may help th-cam.com/video/i0-ZvXEyWz8/w-d-xo.html
I'm 57 and have grown up with water softeners my whole life. That "slimy" feel is what softened water feels like. the "squeaky clean" you feel from your hard water showers is actually the residue of the soap still on your skin.
How to maker backwash the softener
Hold down the regeneration button for 5 seconds.
Excellent explanation. Any particular water softener that you could recommend?
Our HUM brand is what I recommend waterestore.ca/products/hum-deluxe-water-softener-30-000-grain?_pos=1103&_sid=419ab3855&_ss=r
Great video.
Glad you liked it! Please share with friends and family.
Thanks Gary
I’m looking for an installer in Brampton
Sorry I don't know any in Brampton.
Sorry if this is off topic but I need this question answered. Can you run a regeneration cycle on a water softener using only water? I would like to run a regeneration cycle using only the recommended amount of water (2.25 gallons, "Refill" feature) and a sterilizer (bleach, commercial sterilizer). I would do this after emptying and cleaning the brine tank. My manual says only to use "Crystal" salt and all the crystal salt available to me comes with additives. I emailed Pro Products and they told me not to mix there sterilizer with salt that contains additives.
Yes you can. If you are trying to disinfect your water softener this video will help th-cam.com/video/hQ1EDFzSJJE/w-d-xo.html
@@water_estore Thank you for answering my question :)
Your awesome!
Thanks, please share with friends and family
Well my installer didn't put in enough regen. Now he won't come back out
Not sure what you mean by "enough regen"
Hey :) Cooles Video! Thanks. ;)
Hast du eigentlich jenes Jungbrunnenwasser aus so einem Aquacentrum Gerät jemals kennengelernt?
Dieses Wasser ist richtig richtig gut! :D
Es hilft einem echt fit zu bleiben !! 👍🏻
My German is very rusty but I think you said you like it.