Thank you for your awesome video. My water softener quit drawing brine and I was shopping for a new system. I then decided to look into possible causes. I watched your video and now have soft water again. My 24 year old softener is working perfectly again. You saved me a boat load of money. THANK YOU!!
Great job all the way around! Women who have to deal with these things are def intimidated by all the gadgets and parts but you've been a Saint being so patient and clear about it all! Please keep making more videos! We need your handy help!
Great job. I redid mine because I was getting the brine in my water lines. My water flow was just about nothing due to filter screens getting plugged. I have a seven year old Kenmore similar to this one. It's a piece of cake to dismantle. Take pictures as you go and reassemble in reverse. My problem was caused by the pick up screen having a hole init and it was letting resin into the water stream. I bought parts on line. It took a couple days to get soft water again but it's working great now. Thanks for the video.
Hi there, i have that problem right now with resin in my water stream..How did you fix it and which filter screen? I had to empty out resin because it was almost filled to the top..thanks
@@jaylaameim5331 - The is the one I bought. It has a screen at the bottom and it had a tube attached to it that is "cut-to-fit" www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01NAKEERV/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_image_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Just follow the directions on this video. It's very easy to do. Take lots of pictures.
Thanks to this video I was able to take the nozzle & venturi apart and clean the clogged screens! My Kenmore softener is working again. Thank you so much‼️🙏😄
To all those with too much water in salt tank. First, there should be only 2 inches of water when you look down ther brine well, that's the black tube. It doesn't add water until it starts to regenerate. If you see water above the salt, it is trying to put more water in every cycle, but not pulling any out. If you have cleaned the nozzle and venturi and that doesn't help, here's what you try next. Take the nozzle apart again. Find the flat black rubber disk. See if it has started to develop grooves and ridges. They will be the same shape a three plastic piece that sits on top of it. The black rubber should be pretty smooth. They swell over time, especially in town water with chlorine. It may seem like the amount of swelling is very slight, but it can be enough. Just replace the rubber disk. They cost about $12 in Canada. Make sure when you put it back, the home is located over top of the little screen Also, if you take the 2 small black flow plugs out, they go number side up. The plug with the larger hole goes at the bottom, small hole is the upper one.
I am going to be at my rental this week and will be trouble shooting my Kenmore with a plumber. It seems like it was stuck in a mode the tenants telling me, so it's offline and I ordered a new Switch and harness wire like Kenmore trouble shoot told me. This is before I found you! you say nothing aboit the switch so now I'm thinking they were trying to sell me parts, I will check back here once I find out more. Thank you High Octane!
@@HighOctane101 Question: EcoPur thought I needed Switch and Harness Wire just via a phone call and the Error 1, so I ordered the parts from them which I just received. I have seen no videos on TH-cam replacing these parts or even no mention that anyone has. Do you think I should try to replace just the Switch, and then see if that does the trick and leave the Harness wire alone for now? I don't understand what the harness wire does? Unless it goes hand and hand with the Switch? Thank you!
You talked about the venturi, but no one ever talks about the turbine flow valve in the out port of the head or the sensor. Those are extremely important also. This is one of the most important parts on this Kenmore system. Took mine apart and the turbine blades just fell apart. It was disintegrated. Had to order a new one for $32. That sensor and turbine tell the softener how much water is being used and how often it should regenerate.
I just changed my venturi valve gasket, and the small rubber plugs in the venturi valve. I also cleaned by ball valve screens at the bottom of the ball valve. This didnt help. Brine tank is still full of water
@@gial8862 You might check the valve that lets the brine into the tank. Mine was stuck and wouldn't come up and open for some reason. I took it apart and cleaned it and put it back together and it has been working ever since. I have also taken the softener apart where I could clean the brine tank. It had so much gunk at the bottom. I had no idea it had gotten so dirty. These things need maintenance once in awhile. Especially when you have a problem. :)
I had one leaking like hell from the bypass valve area. It’s the bypass valve that needs to be replaced. The plastic is thinner than the rotary valve it plugs into, and develops hairline cracks. For a $40 part, it works now.
hey great video.. I replace my own parts on this softener, I gave it a shot a couple years ago & fixed it myself, wow what a great feeling that was : ) I need advice as to where to get a new metal flat plate that sits under the black box thingy on top, may be part of the valve assembly mine is all corroded. This is the model I have cause the new ones have a plastic box encasement.if you know where I can get one please let me know...Thanks
This guy knows what hew doing. My parents had one that wasn't cycling properly, and had gobs of dissolved salt in it, they were getting older and it started leaking at the connection, which I could have fixed. I had no interested in fixing the computer and used that leak as reason to get rid of it. Since then, their appliances (and hair) have been getting rocked so mom was thinking of a service. Meanwhile I see more and more for free, which usually tell me it's something common, that can be fixed. I think this is it!
Great break down of one of these damn softeners so many of us have. Called a local "Water Co." to fix mine. $80 just to come out to the house... but would be taken off the final bill if repairs are done. I quickly foresaw a $300 bill coming, so cancelled the service call. You walked me through how to take my unit apart and I quickly found the SIMPLE problem. A little maintenance ($0 cost) and I'm up and running like new. Thanks!
My Kenmore machine is filling with water but not draining what would cause this unit to stay full of water ive cleaned everything all lines are un plugged and screens what can I do
Okay you have inspired me, I'll go to the next step with my old Kenmore softener. You did do a Great job with the original video, Thanks!!! But we (I) need the sequel!!! Featuring: "The Resurrection of the Resin" and his side-kick "The Cleaner" (products), Thanks again from Pine,AZ. P.S. Maybe the sequel could be a "Well Water Western" called: "The Rise of the Resin" Or "Salvation of the Softener". Starring: You, helping the rest of us keep these old softeners, Alive and Kicking , and out of the valley of death! (the landfills)! Thanks again! DW
After going to a retail store like Lowes and Ace looking for parts and they didn't even know what a valve motor was. Thank goodness for the internet. Got the part ordered already and was looking for cleaning tips since now is a good time to tear it down and clean it up
The tank kept filling with water. I drained it several times. Finally had a service technician come out to fix it. I don't think he knew what he was doing. He adjusted where the ceramic weight was in the well to about 10 to 12 inches above the bottom and said that was the problem. In viewing several videos and yours it appears that has nothing to do with the water level. How much water should be in the tank (approximately) after a recharge? Should it be to the top of that valve that is in the well? And how does the water flow during recharge. Does it flow to the Venturi from the tank? I'm still confused as to which way the water flows. The tank is fairly new and has been working pretty good up until about a month ago. Thanks for your help.
Excuse me, but if how hard should it be to blow air through that black tube into the brine tank? I can blow through it, but I don't think I can suck from the top where I unscrewed it. Should it take extra effort to blow through it? Thanks
you should be able to but make sure the float is down that means the valve is open at bottom. water will go to the tank and if it overfills with time then the float will shut it off so your tank don't overflow. hope this helps.
Dang. This video came out months too late to save my original softener. At least the one I replaced it with was a display and discounted. But now I’m using this video to tear IT apart because lo and behold despite being at least 20 years newer and a totally different brand, SOMEHOW it’s literally identical inside. HMMMM Oh well, now I can maintain the new one at least. I just intuited that I needed to check the little dome with finger holds on it and, let’s just say you couldn’t tell that was a screen under there until I wiped the buildup away. Thanks for this video.
Thanks for the video, I worked with big softeners at a factory so the small one is no problem, changed the resin and rotor and seals, rebuilt the Venturi. Working great again. Kenmore 625.3488. got it in 1998 or so.
Watch the video by LonnieJohnson1 , it was an immense help and how to rebuild a softner valve . Most of the parts are still available from Amazon and Sears . Lonnies video tells you how much resin beads and which kind to use . Eight screws is a 1 inch valve and 5 screws is a 3/4 inch . Be careful disassembling as there is alot of small parts . Note how you remove them and where .
I have this water softener. I woke up a couple hours ago to it running (as it normally does when recharging). Went down and HOLD was flashing on the screen. I was able to reset it after unplugging the electric but it's still running like it's recharging. It's been 4 hours now. Any thoughts as to why its doing that? I can see the water flowing thru the tubes. I tried putting a metal rod down thru it to see if the there is a salt block. There may be because I couldn't get down to the bottom (lacked a few inches). Any thoughts? Should add - it is noisy when it's making this recharging noise and drives me nuts when it runs as it's on my lower level in a closet. Also, given Sears closed, who services these now? I really don't want someone coming in and telling me I need to get a new one. You mentioned they can last 30 years. I bought my house 12 years ago... Believe the former owner put it in which would put it at around 20 years old.
I would pull the power and plug back in and see if it resets. Try that first and go from there. Sometimes electronics can fail on these. Then you have to find the part in google search. Can be bad actuation motor also. I would cycle power first to see what happens. But yeah if you call someone they will more than likely try to sell you a new unit
I could help but wonder who would possibly hate on this video. Gives a great idea of where to look and what to try. Then I thought! Service people who prefer you replace it instead of fix it. LOL!! Always somebody! Thanks a lot. I know mine isn't going to last forever. I trashed my last one and I think I could have fixed it with this video. Thanks again!
Hi, I have a 14 year old version of one of these that came with the house. 12 years ago, it stopped working. Water was pouring out of it. I redirected the water flow line and bypassed the unit. I want to hook it back up now and wondered if it is worth my time to look into it. I am not very handy, but I may try to look at a few things you mentioned in the video. I probably will have to clean out the whole thing. Resin too? I didn't understand that part of the video. Thank you!
Don’t remove the resin, it would be ok yet! Is the water coming out of the top of the unit or the tank. It could be a lot of things vessel cracked like mine or the head needs work or o ring somewhere leaking! Need more info
i have this unit , i recently had my resin beads leak through my plumbing, so i put this on bypass, cleaned all my faucets, shower, washer, drained my water heater etc. Was a pain in the ass, but everything is in working order, I'm debating should i fix this water softener? or should i simply replace it? Im also a DIYer, but i guess my other would question would be, for peace of mind should i install some sort of filter after the water softener? In case this happens again, which some people mention on the internet.
Sounds like you may have a bad mushroom cap that screens the resin out. You would have to take all apart to inspect the screen at the bottom. You could install a filer down steam and put back online after a regen and see if it clears up. Either way something is wrong.
Always open, or turn the water on slowly on a softener. If you smash the valves on full pressure, well, another full on pipe cleaning will have to be done. As a plumber in Arizona, I've had my share of resin clearing and it was soon avoidable by just letting the water pass through the resin beads instead of forcing them into the system
Hey man, great video. Question. As I removed my filter in the resin tank, it was caked onto the black tube and pulled it up about 6 inches. Is that okay to push back down in there or does the tube need to be free of resin?
Hey, I’m back again… so I reassembled everything and put the black tube back in place. I noticed during Fill, the brine tank valve float was not rising. It stopped filling prematurely and switched to Brine. I pulled the valve up and noticed the black seal below the float was suctioned around the hole and was preventing the float from rising. Do you know what the heck would cause that? Also, the soft water is hella salty
Hello, I watched your video, my question is for a kenmore J300 water softener. How do you remove the bypass valve? I have a drip coming out of the IN side of the bypass valve. Thank you
After regeneration my tap water is salty. It tastes fine if I let it run for a few mins and remains fine until next regeneration and then same thing. Water level is between the 3-4 salt level mark. I've pulled apart and cleaned the venturi and float a couple times. Any ideas? Thanks Shaun
Hi. May be you have suggestion. Cleaned my Kenmore 480 to make sure that there is no ice dam. Swapped out the old for new Venturi. The water comes in fine from the cold water pipe. Can the turbines still be an issue if cold water flows in without issues? When I charge, it fills up with briny water and eventually washes. I on purpose did not refill the tank with new salt to see if the salt will dissolve. I have the same amount of salt and water at bottom of the softener tank for the past 3 weeks. It recharges at night. I made sure to wait to hear if its on. It is not on a bypass. What gives? Can it be the float? Thank you for any suggestions!
Good day I live in country, use rain water, my bro. lives in town bought a new softener. I had no idea how they work. I have some understanding of them now. Thanks
I really should have explained the ion exchange process, but I could ramble all day on that! I work in the electric power industry and we have to know our water!! Lol
When I push my valve offline my water pressure goes back to normal on my Kenmore 300. I cleaned out the little tiny filter. Why is my pressure so low ? Any other tricks ?
The bed of resin could have lots of sediment in it, I would try backwashing a lot if it will let you step through and keep it in backwash by unplugging it when it is in backwash. Maybe for and how and then try it again and see if pressure is better
How do you clean out a severely salt clogged/bridge? The water softener in the house we just purchased hasn't been used in years and we're trying to repair it but it's full of rock hard salt all the way down to the bottom
I would use an iron rod to punch through and break it up and then one of those narrow irrigation shovels to get it out. An easier way would be to disconnect if from the bypass valve and dump it over on the side of the driveway in the grass and dig it out. As a rule now I never put more than one bag of salt at a time now. A bag lasts me two months with the two of us in the house.
The brine hose broke off and I bot a new hose but how do you fit it through the collar nut. Also I found small screen in the hose but the new hose doesn't have screen in it. Really appreciate if you can help. Thanks in advance.
So, I have gray sand plugging up my faucet filters; once I bypassed the softener the amount greatly reduced; going on a month now with out a plugged shower... I'm told this is a replace only type failure, true? And the "gray" part throws everybody I talk to, its a Kenmore 420 about 6 years old; however I have very high water pressure into the house (next fix).
Can you tell if it is actually resin beads, they should be round and tiny? Most are dark brown. I highly doubt that the bottom mushroom strainer that keeps resin in would be cracked, it doesn’t take much for resin to get through. It should be serviceable by removing the head.
Not resin then, are you on city water or private well, sounds like mineral build up somewhere in piping. It has to be after water softener unless it is bypassed. The softener should catch any debris before softener
I just got a new home that came with the same water softener unit...currently trying to break up a "salt bridge". I did a regeneration twice after adding cleaning solution for the resin and the water level is REALLY HIGH...I could use some pointers!
You might need to replace the Venturi assembly. You can find it for about $35 on Amazon. It’s very easy to replace with videos on how to do it here on TH-cam
Everything seems to be working on mine but the water pressure gos way down when using the softner. If I bypass it water pressure is great, what do i check next on the softner?
Need to backwash it for along time, sounds like resin is full of debris causing large pressure drop across it. Or there is a valve sticking causing the pressure drop
Awesome video, After a couple years of being on bypass, I cleaned out the tiny screen . Worked like new again. Out of nowhere ,the water pressure is low. I put it back on bypass, pressure fine. Looked at the little filter: clean. Any suggestions? I did,however, put ironout in the tube with the float and it seems like i had issues ever since. Thanks for posting the video.
Make sure it goes through all steps especially the backwash step, make sure there is now restrictions in the drain to waste. Backwashes remove sediment and debris from resin bed, if it is never done it will slowly clog bed up resulting in lower pressure
Ironout did nothing for me. I found a product on Amazon called Rescare that works well. I buy it by the gallon and pour a half a cupful into a jelly jar that I have marked with permanent marker for half a cup. A reminder on my phone alerts every Saturday morning to add the half cup of Rescare. There is a blue dye in it that mucks up the brine tank and stuff but I emailed the company about it and they said it is harmless. I've been using it for over a year and a half now and after a regen you go, wow, it's super soft water. Rescare will keep the iron away. If your resin is iron loaded it may take two or three regens with the half cup of Rescare to get it back to new again. Take care and good day to you!
I just installed a softener yesterday (used off FB marketplace, about 10 years old). I ran a regen cycle and everything seemed normal, but after it was done I tried using the water and the pressure was almost nothing. I bypassed the softener and the pressure went back up to normal. Could it be that top filter is clogged?
I would start and pull head off and check top strainer, if that doesn’t solve it the pull center pipe out with mushroom cap, check it. As long as unit has water in you should be able to twist and turn pipe back into resin. Hope this helps
So how do you clean the "mushroom filter" at 6:32? I pulled it out and it was soooooo filthy. Tried CLR on it and scrubbed it with a brush, this worked on the outside, but was unable to clean out the inside. Any suggestions would helpful.
amzn.to/3JrsVdl This looks like it, you may want to look to make sure this is like yours. Some are pretty standard from kenmore ecowater. Or you can scrape soak and try to clean the one like you are doing. Hope this helps.
Have you run into an issue where the water will not suck out of the holding area and recharge the brine? My tank will fill up no problem but will not suck out. I replaced the Venturi and cleaned everything.
Hello, after my tenant moved out a few weeks ago the water in the house wasnt used much for 2 weeks. The Kenmore water softener had a bridge of frozen crystal salts stuck near the bottom, so I was told to pour a few gallons of hot water over it, and broke it up and hit the recycle button on the lower left. Then "low salt" came up. I added a few bags of crystals up to the midway point #4. I am told to keep half way and not fill it higher. Anyway, I hit cycle button again and the waited for the next day to look and now it reads "Water Flo" and the 8 dots to the left only show #1 darkened, and 2 sunlights ( whatever this means?). How do I get this up and running? Thank you so much !
The water will be up to the top of the head, as for the water in the tub, it probably should be lower. Did you check the eductor screen? Follow the 1/4” tube to the head. There also could be and issue with the head that could be calcified up and stuck.
Great video! I have water dripping from the center cylinder and it eventually fills the tank. I replaced the venture black gasket; removed all the salt, cleaned the tank... but still some dripping from the top center of the tank. Should I open the cylinder and see if there is dirt in the filter you showed under the valve system? It feels I am so close.
You may need to remove the float assembly either the valve below float. It should all come out with it. Flush and clean it up could be clogged. Run though a cycle and see if water level go down.
Hello thank you for the detailed information. I just moved out to a new house and when I'm troubleshooting my kenmore demand water softener I found out that there is no AC Plug in socket. Just wondering where can I buy those plug in socket? Thank you
I have a Kenmore 350. It was installed in January 2012. I recently let it run down to no salt. Is there a platform that the salt pellets sit on or should there be just the bottom of the tank? I added fresh salt @ recycled. When through the tank was about 1/2 full of H2O. Next I cleaned all connection & opened & cleaned the venturi-does that black rubber washer that fits over the tiny filter need to be replaced if there are indentations in it? It seems to cycle ok but there is too much H2O still in tank & H2O is not real soft. Any suggestions, perhaps replace venturi? Any help will be appreciated-thanks.
I ordered a new venturi & cleaned the salt tank. Put the new venturi in, added fresh salt & hit the recycle button. Seems to be working fine. If it had not been for your video I would have bought a new softener for about $700 so thanks very much.
The gears inside the motor housing broke. I can order a replacement but the one thing I was worried about is when I tried to rotate the valve manually and it’s very hard. That is probably why the motor gears inside the housing broke. Is it possible that the valve is bad? Can I open it and clean or look inside?
@@HighOctane101 Whirlpool is sending me a new one under warranty. I was curious what happened and what can cause this issue or is it a manufacturing defect.... because luckily we are home this time.. otherwise, we would be in deep trouble.
Question , the nozzle that u took first off, when I turn my pay bass on water is leaking out of it .any suggestions. Repair is way to expensive . Anyway I can have ur email so I can send u picture to show you my stugglw . Thanks brandy
I have a Kenmore Demand Water Softner. a storm knocked the power out and now the tank is full of water. Is there an easy way to get the water out of the tank? I also have water dripping out of the head. I'm hoping it hasn't ruined my water softner. Also, how do I turn the water off going to the water softner? Any help you could give me would be much appreciated!
I would open the bypass on back for sure so the head stops leaking, and for the water a wet dry vacuum works best. Then you will have to investigate the leak on head. See if the electronics still work and go from there
My tank is filling up with water. I have a drip I can't find. Can it leak from the head? O ring replacement needed there? When is started a recharge, a little water was coming in over top the resin tank into the tank of salt. Thanks
Yes sounds like it is coming from the head, get a light and try to see for sure. Maybe unplug for a day to let dry and then plug in and do regeneration to see where leak is coming from
OK, I've got a new solution and another diagnostic test for you all. I was getting an error message #1. This says there is some electrical problem, like a wire that has been pulled and broken inside the insulative tubing where it cannot be seen. I put my attention on the little microswitch that rides on the timing cam which is driven by the motor. I had an old style LED display, which uses P/N 7286306, which is a Kenmore 420 series part (which my model is). And that display's diagnostic setting DOES NOT tell you whether the microswitch is open or closed. The new one does. It won't work with that outer shell/cowling/exterior, by the way. OK, So I had overlooked the switch as bad. After all, when I took it out of its location, and put my ohm meter on it, it would switch open and closed like a champ, but what I didn't realize was that the tip of the switch that physically rides on the cam was WORN DOWN, to where it was not actually being activated/deactivated when in actual service!! Now you can get one of these for $20 on Amazon, but you can also get it for $5 at Grainger! The switch with the longer "nose" was marked V7-1B17D8 and is Grainger's part number 24A240. You can order 4 for the price you'd pay on Amazon, and then you can sell three of them on eBay, and buy yourself a tank of gas for your car with the profits!
My water softener started to drip drain when NOT recharging. So I unplugged it thinking the power outage we recently had made it stuck in between cycles. I also cleaned the venturi valve. When I plugged it back in I recharged it. After it finished the water softener was draining running water, so worse than before. Do you have any advise on what might be wrong?
Thx for posting the vid. I have a GE model and looks like they share most parts. I have too much water in the salt tank. I tried cleaning and replacing the Venturi and it didn’t help. I’d like to check the float assembly. How do you get it out of the brine well? A lot of videos show it just being pulled out but I have two units and both won’t budge when pulled up. Much appreciated!
Alex D you will have to get all the salt out first by adding fresh water to dissolve and then pump it out! Salt gone it should come out easy there is one wingnut on the side of the brine tank holding it in
My display panel says "HOLD" I am unable to clear it. I left it unplugged for about 36 hours and it still said "HOLD" when plugged back in. I was told by Sears repair to press the select button until it displayed regen. It never did. I believe the control board is hung up. Do you know if there is a way to reset it? Thanks for your help and the video.
My tank stopped filling up, venturi looks clear. Float had a some salt on it, cleared it off, still won't fill. Does the tank fill with water through that tube to the float? Where do I start? Thanks for the help.
My Kenmore water softener doesn't seem to be regenerating automatically. I noticed water in the salt and brine tank that is up to the bottom of the #3 mark on the brine tube. Is this normal? Any suggestions? Appreciate your video.
Hello Thanks for the video I noticed sand coming out the drain tube that goes to the floor drain. Any thoughts on where that came from? Thanks Jesse Thanks
@@HighOctane101 City water We've been here 30 years and never had this happen. The unit was purchased in 03 the sand is confusing. Maybe an 1/8 cup if that.
@@HighOctane101 I took all the guts apart and everything, including filters were fine. The problem was a spinning thing ( for lack of a better term) in the drain. It was broken. I wound up purchasing a new unit.
What troubleshooting could I do for my softener. It will not recharge on its own as its supposed to on its own. When I push the button it recharges but it will not automatically do it. Its a kenmore and my screens are clean.
Hey man, thank you for the information, I have a Kenmore Elite 38520 Hybrid, and it is not softening the water, it is 6 years old, it was working for the last 6 years and it stopped working last month. Now the brine tank is full of water, I drained it couple times and it is still get full, I already cleaned the nozzle and I don't have a salt bridge, I just can't figure out what is the problem and I'm stuck now, I called Kenmore and they gave me a hard time and they schooled a check for $100 and it is about 6 weeks from now, and this is not going to work for me because probably they are going to charge me a lot of money to fix it. I also called other companies but they all want to sell me a new system that cost around $4000 which is crazy. I hope you can help me to find the problem. Thank you
Hello, I have a whirlpool WHES44 and it has been in service for over 4 years only but now water is salty after every regeneration, even after I do a manual recharge. I made sure we did not use any water during the recharge process. I have checked the nozzle/venturi, the main drain line, check for the correct model code (LL44), and checked the Distributor O-Ring Kit(3 O-rings) and they all seem to be fine. What could be the cause of this issue and how to fix it? Thanks!
Thanks for the response. I opened the top and I watched the whole regeneration process: fill took 20 minutes, brine took almost 80-90 minutes, backwash took about 8-10 minutes, rinse took about 5 minutes(maybe this step is too short but there is no way to change it, and also the issue started only about 4 months ago). And I can see the valve advance into each position correctly, and there is fast water flow via the drain line during backwash and rinse step. I did not set salt level on high, it is actually at very low level currently. I noticed that after I checked the 3 O-rings and they seemed ok, I started another regeneration and it seemed the water was not as salty as before, but I had to let the water run longer(over 5 minutes) to get normal non-salty water. Before this the water was very salty but normal water came after 2-3 minutes. Any other idea? Would replacing the 3 O-rings resolve it? Thanks.
After the regen check the line that pulls the salt up see if there is a vacuum on it when it is rinsing! If so then something is leaking by and putting water through the eductor! Then o rings should be changed
Probably not, sounds like it is filling the brine tank but nothing is getting sucked back up for a regen, check that strainer in the back for the educator like in the video. Some other models might be different but follow the line that goes from the tank to the top of the valve head assembly
I had that happen to mine. It was a slightly different unit, but the venturi assembly looked the same. I found a venturi rebuild kit online and some of the pieces inside my unit, basically, disintegrated. I rebuilt it in about 10 minutes and it worked perfectly again.
Mine keeps saying recharge now. I hold it down to do it, makes a noise but still nothing. The salt hasn't moved. I have well water. All my water is dirty right now. Trying to find how to fix. Its an old kenmore too
The float just controls the water going into the salt tank, the bottom should be flooded with water probably 6-12” of water that will dissolve the salt to the point of saturation. Then during regen the salt water is sucked up through this same area. Hope this helps
Hi my kenmore ultrasoft 880 water softener seems to be leaking from the bottom. I noticed it a few months ago where there was like a film of hardened salt around the bottom of it. I cleaned the floor refilled with salt and reset salt level and now it's doing it again. Do you think it needs replacing? Any suggestions would be very much appreciated. Thanks in advance....
Is there a crack somewhere! Check out this vid it actually had the vessel cracked! Are you taking the brine tank or the vessel with the water to it? Looks like and woven tube out of fiberglass! Water Softener Resin Vessel Disassembly SEE WHAT IS INSIDE!
It would not hurt anything especially if your water has a lot of iron in it. It will help loosen particles in between the resin and then they will leave during backwashes
You mentioned Victaulic couplings, have you used them in the past? I worked for them in their Engineering Lab for 25 years. Victaulic is pronounced ( Vic---tall----lick )
Typically the vessel should be about 1/2 full of resin! 1.5 cubic feet normally but it is all depending on how big your unit is! And resin type Cation resin which removes calcium and magnesium the best!
My Kenmore water softener is making a "foaming" very salty flow through my various faucets in the house. It doesn't happen all the time and not always the same faucets. Can anyone advise on this? Thanks
@@HighOctane101 no, I think I found like leak not sure how to fix. It seems there is a pinhole in the housing of the valve. Is there something I can glue this with? I think it’s the white pvc.
Does anyone know the size of the o-ring for the lower distributor. That's the cone shape filter part going into the resin neck opening under the head unit. There are 2 o-rings. Could anyone tell me the dimensions of the lower one (nearest resin). I think it is 73mm inside diameter x 2mm cross section. Is this correct?
I was enjoying this so much until you said chlorine was hard on the resin. OOPS!!! About a year ago my brine tank stunk so much and looked moldy that I put some bleach down there...
Thank you for your awesome video. My water softener quit drawing brine and I was shopping for a new system. I then decided to look into possible causes. I watched your video and now have soft water again. My 24 year old softener is working perfectly again. You saved me a boat load of money. THANK YOU!!
Glad to help, your welcome
Great job all the way around! Women who have to deal with these things are def intimidated by all the gadgets and parts but you've been a Saint being so patient and clear about it all! Please keep making more videos! We need your handy help!
Thank You
Great job. I redid mine because I was getting the brine in my water lines. My water flow was just about nothing due to filter screens getting plugged. I have a seven year old Kenmore similar to this one. It's a piece of cake to dismantle. Take pictures as you go and reassemble in reverse. My problem was caused by the pick up screen having a hole init and it was letting resin into the water stream. I bought parts on line. It took a couple days to get soft water again but it's working great now.
Thanks for the video.
Hi there, i have that problem right now with resin in my water stream..How did you fix it and which filter screen? I had to empty out resin because it was almost filled to the top..thanks
@@jaylaameim5331 - The is the one I bought. It has a screen at the bottom and it had a tube attached to it that is "cut-to-fit"
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01NAKEERV/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_image_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Just follow the directions on this video. It's very easy to do. Take lots of pictures.
Thanks to this video I was able to take the nozzle & venturi apart and clean the clogged screens! My Kenmore softener is working again. Thank you so much‼️🙏😄
Great to hear you fixed it 👍
How difficult is it to replace the cam/gear would you say? Great video btw ❤️@@HighOctane101
To all those with too much water in salt tank. First, there should be only 2 inches of water when you look down ther brine well, that's the black tube. It doesn't add water until it starts to regenerate. If you see water above the salt, it is trying to put more water in every cycle, but not pulling any out. If you have cleaned the nozzle and venturi and that doesn't help, here's what you try next. Take the nozzle apart again. Find the flat black rubber disk. See if it has started to develop grooves and ridges. They will be the same shape a three plastic piece that sits on top of it. The black rubber should be pretty smooth. They swell over time, especially in town water with chlorine. It may seem like the amount of swelling is very slight, but it can be enough. Just replace the rubber disk. They cost about $12 in Canada. Make sure when you put it back, the home is located over top of the little screen
Also, if you take the 2 small black flow plugs out, they go number side up. The plug with the larger hole goes at the bottom, small hole is the upper
one.
We did all of this and it still holds water to level 3 😩
@@amandawhite4143
Same issue here, did you find a fix?
You make it look so easy to take apart. Good Job. My water flow meter is not working. How do I go about fixing this issue.
I am going to be at my rental this week and will be trouble shooting my Kenmore with a plumber. It seems like it was stuck in a mode the tenants telling me, so it's offline and I ordered a new Switch and harness wire like Kenmore trouble shoot told me. This is before
I found you! you say nothing aboit the switch so now I'm thinking they were trying to sell me parts, I will check back here once I find out more. Thank you High Octane!
Good Luck
@@HighOctane101 Question: EcoPur thought I needed Switch and Harness Wire just via a phone call and the Error 1, so I ordered the parts from them which I just received. I have seen no videos on TH-cam replacing these parts or even no mention that anyone has. Do you think I should try to replace just the Switch, and then see if that does the trick and leave the Harness wire alone for now? I don't understand what the harness wire does? Unless it goes hand and hand with the Switch?
Thank you!
Great video, just bought a new to me house and my system is not functioning.
Question: can the regen tank be replaced if I find that its bad?
it sure can if you can find a new or used tank
You talked about the venturi, but no one ever talks about the turbine flow valve in the out port of the head or the sensor. Those are extremely important also. This is one of the most important parts on this Kenmore system. Took mine apart and the turbine blades just fell apart. It was disintegrated. Had to order a new one for $32. That sensor and turbine tell the softener how much water is being used and how often it should regenerate.
Very good point, I’ll look back I think I might have a detailed video of this but never put it up. Thanks for comment
@@HighOctane101 Would appreciate it. A bad turbine appears to be my issue.
I just changed my venturi valve gasket, and the small rubber plugs in the venturi valve. I also cleaned by ball valve screens at the bottom of the ball valve. This didnt help. Brine tank is still full of water
@@gial8862 You might check the valve that lets the brine into the tank. Mine was stuck and wouldn't come up and open for some reason. I took it apart and cleaned it and put it back together and it has been working ever since. I have also taken the softener apart where I could clean the brine tank. It had so much gunk at the bottom. I had no idea it had gotten so dirty. These things need maintenance once in awhile. Especially when you have a problem. :)
@HighOctane101 did you upload that video? I have done everything and still having an issue with water in the tank to level 3!
I had one leaking like hell from the bypass valve area. It’s the bypass valve that needs to be replaced. The plastic is thinner than the rotary valve it plugs into, and develops hairline cracks. For a $40 part, it works now.
hey great video.. I replace my own parts on this softener, I gave it a shot a couple years ago & fixed it myself, wow what a great feeling that was : ) I need advice as to where to get a new metal flat plate that sits under the black box thingy on top, may be part of the valve assembly mine is all corroded. This is the model I have cause the new ones have a plastic box encasement.if you know where I can get one please let me know...Thanks
Thanks for the video. My problem is the water overflows from the side drain hole. I’ll check the gaskets & hopefully that will resolve my problem.
This guy knows what hew doing. My parents had one that wasn't cycling properly, and had gobs of dissolved salt in it, they were getting older and it started leaking at the connection, which I could have fixed. I had no interested in fixing the computer and used that leak as reason to get rid of it. Since then, their appliances (and hair) have been getting rocked so mom was thinking of a service. Meanwhile I see more and more for free, which usually tell me it's something common, that can be fixed. I think this is it!
Thanks
Getting ready to tear one like this down and your video has helped reassure me that I am capable of doing it. Thanks.
Hope it turns out well for you
Great break down of one of these damn softeners so many of us have. Called a local "Water Co." to fix mine. $80 just to come out to the house... but would be taken off the final bill if repairs are done. I quickly foresaw a $300 bill coming, so cancelled the service call. You walked me through how to take my unit apart and I quickly found the SIMPLE problem. A little maintenance ($0 cost) and I'm up and running like new. Thanks!
That’s awesome, I’ll keep sharing what I know so many people have the ability to fix things on their own. Thanks
My Kenmore machine is filling with water but not draining what would cause this unit to stay full of water ive cleaned everything all lines are un plugged and screens what can I do
Okay you have inspired me, I'll go to the next step with my old Kenmore softener. You did do a Great job with the original video, Thanks!!!
But we (I) need the sequel!!!
Featuring: "The Resurrection of the Resin" and his side-kick "The Cleaner" (products),
Thanks again from Pine,AZ.
P.S. Maybe the sequel could be a "Well Water Western" called:
"The Rise of the Resin" Or
"Salvation of the Softener".
Starring: You, helping the rest of us keep these old softeners, Alive and Kicking , and out of the valley of death! (the landfills)!
Thanks again! DW
Thanks very much for this video! Any idea what can cause excessive salt in the water lines?
After going to a retail store like Lowes and Ace looking for parts and they didn't even know what a valve motor was. Thank goodness for the internet. Got the part ordered already and was looking for cleaning tips since now is a good time to tear it down and clean it up
Yeah the stores will not have any parts other than a new one, internet is great for fixing your own stuff
The tank kept filling with water. I drained it several times. Finally had a service technician come out to fix it. I don't think he knew what he was doing. He adjusted where the ceramic weight was in the well to about 10 to 12 inches above the bottom and said that was the problem. In viewing several videos and yours it appears that has nothing to do with the water level. How much water should be in the tank (approximately) after a recharge? Should it be to the top of that valve that is in the well? And how does the water flow during recharge. Does it flow to the Venturi from the tank? I'm still confused as to which way the water flows.
The tank is fairly new and has been working pretty good up until about a month ago. Thanks for your help.
Excuse me, but if how hard should it be to blow air through that black tube into the brine tank? I can blow through it, but I don't think I can suck from the top where I unscrewed it. Should it take extra effort to blow through it? Thanks
you should be able to but make sure the float is down that means the valve is open at bottom. water will go to the tank and if it overfills with time then the float will shut it off so your tank don't overflow. hope this helps.
Dang. This video came out months too late to save my original softener. At least the one I replaced it with was a display and discounted. But now I’m using this video to tear IT apart because lo and behold despite being at least 20 years newer and a totally different brand, SOMEHOW it’s literally identical inside. HMMMM
Oh well, now I can maintain the new one at least. I just intuited that I needed to check the little dome with finger holds on it and, let’s just say you couldn’t tell that was a screen under there until I wiped the buildup away. Thanks for this video.
Our water pressure is really low. Would doing the things you suggested in this video help with that?
Very possible, you need to see the pressure before and after softener while water flowing see if you have any pressure drop across the softener
Thanks for the video, I worked with big softeners at a factory so the small one is no problem, changed the resin and rotor and seals, rebuilt the Venturi. Working great again. Kenmore 625.3488. got it in 1998 or so.
Nice 👍
Watch the video by LonnieJohnson1 , it was an immense help and how to rebuild a softner valve . Most of the parts are still available from Amazon and Sears . Lonnies video tells you how much resin beads and which kind to use . Eight screws is a 1 inch valve and 5 screws is a 3/4 inch . Be careful disassembling as there is alot of small parts . Note how you remove them and where .
I have this water softener. I woke up a couple hours ago to it running (as it normally does when recharging). Went down and HOLD was flashing on the screen. I was able to reset it after unplugging the electric but it's still running like it's recharging. It's been 4 hours now. Any thoughts as to why its doing that? I can see the water flowing thru the tubes. I tried putting a metal rod down thru it to see if the there is a salt block. There may be because I couldn't get down to the bottom (lacked a few inches). Any thoughts? Should add - it is noisy when it's making this recharging noise and drives me nuts when it runs as it's on my lower level in a closet. Also, given Sears closed, who services these now? I really don't want someone coming in and telling me I need to get a new one. You mentioned they can last 30 years. I bought my house 12 years ago... Believe the former owner put it in which would put it at around 20 years old.
I would pull the power and plug back in and see if it resets. Try that first and go from there. Sometimes electronics can fail on these. Then you have to find the part in google search. Can be bad actuation motor also. I would cycle power first to see what happens. But yeah if you call someone they will more than likely try to sell you a new unit
I could help but wonder who would possibly hate on this video. Gives a great idea of where to look and what to try. Then I thought! Service people who prefer you replace it instead of fix it. LOL!! Always somebody! Thanks a lot. I know mine isn't going to last forever. I trashed my last one and I think I could have fixed it with this video. Thanks again!
Thanks Glad I could help
Hi,
I have a 14 year old version of one of these that came with the house. 12 years ago, it stopped working. Water was pouring out of it. I redirected the water flow line and bypassed the unit. I want to hook it back up now and wondered if it is worth my time to look into it. I am not very handy, but I may try to look at a few things you mentioned in the video. I probably will have to clean out the whole thing. Resin too? I didn't understand that part of the video.
Thank you!
Don’t remove the resin, it would be ok yet! Is the water coming out of the top of the unit or the tank. It could be a lot of things vessel cracked like mine or the head needs work or o ring somewhere leaking! Need more info
@@HighOctane101 not sure. i will look at it hopefully this week. I will be in touch.
i have this unit , i recently had my resin beads leak through my plumbing, so i put this on bypass, cleaned all my faucets, shower, washer, drained my water heater etc. Was a pain in the ass, but everything is in working order, I'm debating should i fix this water softener? or should i simply replace it? Im also a DIYer, but i guess my other would question would be, for peace of mind should i install some sort of filter after the water softener? In case this happens again, which some people mention on the internet.
Sounds like you may have a bad mushroom cap that screens the resin out. You would have to take all apart to inspect the screen at the bottom. You could install a filer down steam and put back online after a regen and see if it clears up. Either way something is wrong.
Always open, or turn the water on slowly on a softener. If you smash the valves on full pressure, well, another full on pipe cleaning will have to be done. As a plumber in Arizona, I've had my share of resin clearing and it was soon avoidable by just letting the water pass through the resin beads instead of forcing them into the system
Hey man, great video. Question. As I removed my filter in the resin tank, it was caked onto the black tube and pulled it up about 6 inches. Is that okay to push back down in there or does the tube need to be free of resin?
You can work it up and down and maybe twist a little if there is water in it it should work to get back in place
@@HighOctane101 okay, and to make sure, no resin will enter through the bottom?
@@DYLANANDRE there is a mushroom type strainer on bottom that should not let resin in
@@HighOctane101 perfect! Thank you!
Hey, I’m back again… so I reassembled everything and put the black tube back in place. I noticed during Fill, the brine tank valve float was not rising. It stopped filling prematurely and switched to Brine. I pulled the valve up and noticed the black seal below the float was suctioned around the hole and was preventing the float from rising. Do you know what the heck would cause that? Also, the soft water is hella salty
Great video. I have an issue with my unit. It keeps running water and draining. Any suggestions? Just started doing that. I noticed the drain sounds.
Sounds like the head valve could be stuck, one thing you could do is unplug it for and bit so the computer board resets
Hello,
I watched your video, my question is for a kenmore J300 water softener.
How do you remove the bypass valve? I have a drip coming out of the IN side of the bypass valve.
Thank you
After regeneration my tap water is salty. It tastes fine if I let it run for a few mins and remains fine until next regeneration and then same thing. Water level is between the 3-4 salt level mark. I've pulled apart and cleaned the venturi and float a couple times. Any ideas?
Thanks
Shaun
Can try to extend rinse time, not sure if you can adjust on this model, either that there is a leaking seal in the head
Hi. May be you have suggestion. Cleaned my Kenmore 480 to make sure that there is no ice dam. Swapped out the old for new Venturi. The water comes in fine from the cold water pipe. Can the turbines still be an issue if cold water flows in without issues? When I charge, it fills up with briny water and eventually washes. I on purpose did not refill the tank with new salt to see if the salt will dissolve. I have the same amount of salt and water at bottom of the softener tank for the past 3 weeks. It recharges at night. I made sure to wait to hear if its on. It is not on a bypass. What gives? Can it be the float?
Thank you for any suggestions!
Good day I live in country, use rain water, my bro. lives in town bought a new softener. I had no idea how they work. I have some understanding of them now. Thanks
I really should have explained the ion exchange process, but I could ramble all day on that! I work in the electric power industry and we have to know our water!! Lol
When I push my valve offline my water pressure goes back to normal on my Kenmore 300. I cleaned out the little tiny filter. Why is my pressure so low ? Any other tricks ?
The bed of resin could have lots of sediment in it, I would try backwashing a lot if it will let you step through and keep it in backwash by unplugging it when it is in backwash. Maybe for and how and then try it again and see if pressure is better
How do you clean out a severely salt clogged/bridge? The water softener in the house we just purchased hasn't been used in years and we're trying to repair it but it's full of rock hard salt all the way down to the bottom
Al you can do is flush with fresh water it is the universal solvent
I would use an iron rod to punch through and break it up and then one of those narrow irrigation shovels to get it out. An easier way would be to disconnect if from the bypass valve and dump it over on the side of the driveway in the grass and dig it out. As a rule now I never put more than one bag of salt at a time now. A bag lasts me two months with the two of us in the house.
The brine hose broke off and I bot a new hose but how do you fit it through the collar nut. Also I found small screen in the hose but the new hose doesn't have screen in it. Really appreciate if you can help. Thanks in advance.
So, I have gray sand plugging up my faucet filters; once I bypassed the softener the amount greatly reduced; going on a month now with out a plugged shower... I'm told this is a replace only type failure, true? And the "gray" part throws everybody I talk to, its a Kenmore 420 about 6 years old; however I have very high water pressure into the house (next fix).
Can you tell if it is actually resin beads, they should be round and tiny? Most are dark brown. I highly doubt that the bottom mushroom strainer that keeps resin in would be cracked, it doesn’t take much for resin to get through. It should be serviceable by removing the head.
@@HighOctane101 Honestly, I cannot; I've never seen resin beads, I saved some from the filters; I have a picture
they are not round, but look like gray/white sand
Not resin then, are you on city water or private well, sounds like mineral build up somewhere in piping. It has to be after water softener unless it is bypassed. The softener should catch any debris before softener
@@HighOctane101 City water, and once I bypassed softener I have not had a plugged shower head
I just got a new home that came with the same water softener unit...currently trying to break up a "salt bridge". I did a regeneration twice after adding cleaning solution for the resin and the water level is REALLY HIGH...I could use some pointers!
You might need to replace the Venturi assembly. You can find it for about $35 on Amazon. It’s very easy to replace with videos on how to do it here on TH-cam
Everything seems to be working on mine but the water pressure gos way down when using the softner. If I bypass it water pressure is great, what do i check next on the softner?
Need to backwash it for along time, sounds like resin is full of debris causing large pressure drop across it. Or there is a valve sticking causing the pressure drop
I have a Kenmore 350
Low salt light is on. And the screen is stuck on present time set up
I can’t get past that. Any advise
It’s full of salt now
My guess the flow meter could be stuck or something wrong with the board!
Awesome video, After a couple years of being on bypass, I cleaned out the tiny screen . Worked like new again. Out of nowhere ,the water pressure is low. I put it back on bypass, pressure fine. Looked at the little filter: clean. Any suggestions?
I did,however, put ironout in the tube with the float and it seems like i had issues ever since. Thanks for posting the video.
Make sure it goes through all steps especially the backwash step, make sure there is now restrictions in the drain to waste. Backwashes remove sediment and debris from resin bed, if it is never done it will slowly clog bed up resulting in lower pressure
Ironout did nothing for me. I found a product on Amazon called Rescare that works well. I buy it by the gallon and pour a half a cupful into a jelly jar that I have marked with permanent marker for half a cup. A reminder on my phone alerts every Saturday morning to add the half cup of Rescare. There is a blue dye in it that mucks up the brine tank and stuff but I emailed the company about it and they said it is harmless. I've been using it for over a year and a half now and after a regen you go, wow, it's super soft water. Rescare will keep the iron away. If your resin is iron loaded it may take two or three regens with the half cup of Rescare to get it back to new again. Take care and good day to you!
I just installed a softener yesterday (used off FB marketplace, about 10 years old). I ran a regen cycle and everything seemed normal, but after it was done I tried using the water and the pressure was almost nothing. I bypassed the softener and the pressure went back up to normal. Could it be that top filter is clogged?
I would start and pull head off and check top strainer, if that doesn’t solve it the pull center pipe out with mushroom cap, check it. As long as unit has water in you should be able to twist and turn pipe back into resin. Hope this helps
So how do you clean the "mushroom filter" at 6:32? I pulled it out and it was soooooo filthy.
Tried CLR on it and scrubbed it with a brush, this worked on the outside, but was unable to clean out the inside. Any suggestions would helpful.
amzn.to/3JrsVdl
This looks like it, you may want to look to make sure this is like yours. Some are pretty standard from kenmore ecowater. Or you can scrape soak and try to clean the one like you are doing. Hope this helps.
Very helpful video. The automatic recharge feature on our softener no longer functions because of a surge. Would replacing the timer help?
Possibly if it was an electric surge
How does the salt level monitor work. My light doesn’t change.
i believe it goes off of total gallons since last regen, not sure though on specific model
@@HighOctane101 I’ll just lift the lid when I go by it. Thanks
Thx. Would love to try fix mine. A little intimidated. Where do you live. I’ll pay you to come fix mine. Exact same unit.
From Nebraska
Have you run into an issue where the water will not suck out of the holding area and recharge the brine? My tank will fill up no problem but will not suck out. I replaced the Venturi and cleaned everything.
Hello, after my tenant moved out a few weeks ago the water in the house wasnt used much for 2 weeks. The Kenmore water softener had a bridge of frozen crystal salts stuck near the bottom, so I was told to pour a few gallons of hot water over it, and broke it up and hit the recycle button on the lower left. Then "low salt" came up. I added a few bags of crystals up to the midway point #4. I am told to keep half way and not fill it higher. Anyway, I hit cycle button again and the waited for the next day to look and now it reads "Water Flo" and the 8 dots to the left only show #1 darkened, and 2 sunlights ( whatever this means?). How do I get this up and running? Thank you so much !
Yr video was great and easy to do myself, but when I took the head off it’s full of water and so is my float and tub half full what to do?
The water will be up to the top of the head, as for the water in the tub, it probably should be lower. Did you check the eductor screen? Follow the 1/4” tube to the head. There also could be and issue with the head that could be calcified up and stuck.
Great video! I have water dripping from the center cylinder and it eventually fills the tank. I replaced the venture black gasket; removed all the salt, cleaned the tank... but still some dripping from the top center of the tank. Should I open the cylinder and see if there is dirt in the filter you showed under the valve system? It feels I am so close.
Yes I would and replace o rings, probably leaking from supply
Have the exact model...... water high in tank and is unable to exit unless I syphon. I have cleaned multi times all of the filters. Any suggestions??
You may need to remove the float assembly either the valve below float. It should all come out with it. Flush and clean it up could be clogged. Run though a cycle and see if water level go down.
Hello thank you for the detailed information. I just moved out to a new house and when I'm troubleshooting my kenmore demand water softener I found out that there is no AC Plug in socket. Just wondering where can I buy those plug in socket? Thank you
I would maybe check eBay and Amazon might have one
I have a Kenmore 350. It was installed in January 2012. I recently let it run down to no salt. Is there a platform that the salt pellets sit on or should there be just the bottom of the tank? I added fresh salt @ recycled. When through the tank was about 1/2 full of H2O. Next I cleaned all connection & opened & cleaned the venturi-does that black rubber washer that fits over the tiny filter need to be replaced if there are indentations in it? It seems to cycle ok but there is too much H2O still in tank & H2O is not real soft. Any suggestions, perhaps replace venturi? Any help will be appreciated-thanks.
I ordered a new venturi & cleaned the salt tank. Put the new venturi in, added fresh salt & hit the recycle button. Seems to be working fine. If it had not been for your video I would have bought a new softener for about $700 so thanks very much.
The gears inside the motor housing broke. I can order a replacement but the one thing I was worried about is when I tried to rotate the valve manually and it’s very hard. That is probably why the motor gears inside the housing broke. Is it possible that the valve is bad? Can I open it and clean or look inside?
my resin (yellow sand) got into my softener tank, cause big flood in my basement. Do you know what's the cause? thx
I would say the resin fiberglass vessels is cracked and there is no fix other than replacement of vessel. Probably better off buying a new one
@@HighOctane101 Whirlpool is sending me a new one under warranty. I was curious what happened and what can cause this issue or is it a manufacturing defect.... because luckily we are home this time.. otherwise, we would be in deep trouble.
Question , the nozzle that u took first off, when I turn my pay bass on water is leaking out of it .any suggestions. Repair is way to expensive . Anyway I can have ur email so I can send u picture to show you my stugglw . Thanks brandy
Moparcan@hotmail.com
I have a Kenmore Demand Water Softner. a storm knocked the power out and now the tank is full of water. Is there an easy way to get the water out of the tank? I also have water dripping out of the head. I'm hoping it hasn't ruined my water softner.
Also, how do I turn the water off going to the water softner?
Any help you could give me would be much appreciated!
I would open the bypass on back for sure so the head stops leaking, and for the water a wet dry vacuum works best. Then you will have to investigate the leak on head. See if the electronics still work and go from there
My tank is filling up with water. I have a drip I can't find. Can it leak from the head? O ring replacement needed there? When is started a recharge, a little water was coming in over top the resin tank into the tank of salt. Thanks
Yes sounds like it is coming from the head, get a light and try to see for sure. Maybe unplug for a day to let dry and then plug in and do regeneration to see where leak is coming from
OK, I've got a new solution and another diagnostic test for you all. I was getting an error message #1. This says there is some electrical problem, like a wire that has been pulled and broken inside the insulative tubing where it cannot be seen.
I put my attention on the little microswitch that rides on the timing cam which is driven by the motor. I had an old style LED display, which uses P/N 7286306, which is a Kenmore 420 series part (which my model is). And that display's diagnostic setting DOES NOT tell you whether the microswitch is open or closed. The new one does. It won't work with that outer shell/cowling/exterior, by the way.
OK, So I had overlooked the switch as bad. After all, when I took it out of its location, and put my ohm meter on it, it would switch open and closed like a champ, but what I didn't realize was that the tip of the switch that physically rides on the cam was WORN DOWN, to where it was not actually being activated/deactivated when in actual service!!
Now you can get one of these for $20 on Amazon, but you can also get it for $5 at Grainger!
The switch with the longer "nose" was marked V7-1B17D8 and is Grainger's part number 24A240. You can order 4 for the price you'd pay on Amazon, and then you can sell three of them on eBay, and buy yourself a tank of gas for your car with the profits!
My water softener started to drip drain when NOT recharging. So I unplugged it thinking the power outage we recently had made it stuck in between cycles. I also cleaned the venturi valve. When I plugged it back in I recharged it. After it finished the water softener was draining running water, so worse than before. Do you have any advise on what might be wrong?
Thx for posting the vid. I have a GE model and looks like they share most parts. I have too much water in the salt tank. I tried cleaning and replacing the Venturi and it didn’t help. I’d like to check the float assembly. How do you get it out of the brine well? A lot of videos show it just being pulled out but I have two units and both won’t budge when pulled up. Much appreciated!
Alex D you will have to get all the salt out first by adding fresh water to dissolve and then pump it out! Salt gone it should come out easy there is one wingnut on the side of the brine tank holding it in
High Octane , thx for the reply. Do I need to take out the brine tube to take out the float assembly inside?
What this part Water Softener Resin Vessel Disassembly SEE WHAT IS INSIDE!
Water Softener Resin Vessel Disassembly SEE WHAT IS INSIDE!
th-cam.com/video/wwHFMlHX-m8/w-d-xo.html
Hi. Is the water softener sound in this video a sign that I need to get a new unit or I can fix it (but how?)
@
Thanks.
Where does this go. It looks like a little helicopter white propeller that's been around
Believe that could be the flow transmitter maybe in the inlet side
@HighOctane101 , you are correct sir. Thank you very much. I found a layout online.👍
My display panel says "HOLD" I am unable to clear it. I left it unplugged for about 36 hours and it still said "HOLD" when plugged back in. I was told by Sears repair to press the select button until it displayed regen. It never did. I believe the control board is hung up. Do you know if there is a way to reset it? Thanks for your help and the video.
Great breakdown video, thank you!
Thanks
My tank stopped filling up, venturi looks clear. Float had a some salt on it, cleared it off, still won't fill. Does the tank fill with water through that tube to the float? Where do I start? Thanks for the help.
My Kenmore water softener doesn't seem to be regenerating automatically. I noticed water in the salt and brine tank that is up to the bottom of the #3 mark on the brine tube. Is this normal? Any suggestions? Appreciate your video.
I would say it is normal, did you test the water does it feel slippery with soap and water?
Hello
Thanks for the video I noticed sand coming out the drain tube that goes to the floor drain. Any thoughts on where that came from?
Thanks
Jesse
Thanks
Probably getting sand in from water supply and then it could be getting backwashed out during a regen, are you on well water or city
@@HighOctane101
City water
We've been here 30 years and never had this happen. The unit was purchased in 03 the sand is confusing. Maybe an 1/8 cup if that.
Is it sand or resin, sometimes they can appear the same
I have this exact water softener. It appears that it is not draining the water from the salt tank. Your thoughts?
The eductor could be plugged it has small screen, that needs to be cleaned
@@HighOctane101 I took all the guts apart and everything, including filters were fine. The problem was a spinning thing ( for lack of a better term) in the drain. It was broken. I wound up purchasing a new unit.
What troubleshooting could I do for my softener. It will not recharge on its own as its supposed to on its own. When I push the button it recharges but it will not automatically do it. Its a kenmore and my screens are clean.
Does yours go off of water usage to trip the recharge? Some do
Hey man, thank you for the information, I have a Kenmore Elite 38520 Hybrid, and it is not softening the water, it is 6 years old, it was working for the last 6 years and it stopped working last month. Now the brine tank is full of water, I drained it couple times and it is still get full, I already cleaned the nozzle and I don't have a salt bridge, I just can't figure out what is the problem and I'm stuck now, I called Kenmore and they gave me a hard time and they schooled a check for $100 and it is about 6 weeks from now, and this is not going to work for me because probably they are going to charge me a lot of money to fix it. I also called other companies but they all want to sell me a new system that cost around $4000 which is crazy. I hope you can help me to find the problem. Thank you
Could be the float is stuck/rusted, or full of salt. The float controls how much water is being fed into the brine tank.
Hello, I have a whirlpool WHES44 and it has been in service for over 4 years only but now water is salty after every regeneration, even after I do a manual recharge. I made sure we did not use any water during the recharge process.
I have checked the nozzle/venturi, the main drain line, check for the correct model code (LL44), and checked the Distributor O-Ring Kit(3 O-rings) and they all seem to be fine.
What could be the cause of this issue and how to fix it? Thanks!
Sounds like it is not going through the rinse step properly! Does the head actuate all the way around? Or do you have the salt setting on high
Thanks for the response.
I opened the top and I watched the whole regeneration process: fill took 20 minutes, brine took almost 80-90 minutes, backwash took about 8-10 minutes, rinse took about 5 minutes(maybe this step is too short but there is no way to change it, and also the issue started only about 4 months ago).
And I can see the valve advance into each position correctly, and there is fast water flow via the drain line during backwash and rinse step.
I did not set salt level on high, it is actually at very low level currently.
I noticed that after I checked the 3 O-rings and they seemed ok, I started another regeneration and it seemed the water was not as salty as before, but I had to let the water run longer(over 5 minutes) to get normal non-salty water. Before this the water was very salty but normal water came after 2-3 minutes.
Any other idea? Would replacing the 3 O-rings resolve it?
Thanks.
After the regen check the line that pulls the salt up see if there is a vacuum on it when it is rinsing! If so then something is leaking by and putting water through the eductor! Then o rings should be changed
Great job, the problem with mine is , my water level is too high (5) is that normal ?
Probably not, sounds like it is filling the brine tank but nothing is getting sucked back up for a regen, check that strainer in the back for the educator like in the video. Some other models might be different but follow the line that goes from the tank to the top of the valve head assembly
I had that happen to mine. It was a slightly different unit, but the venturi assembly looked the same. I found a venturi rebuild kit online and some of the pieces inside my unit, basically, disintegrated. I rebuilt it in about 10 minutes and it worked perfectly again.
Tanks so much.
Any time
Mine keeps saying recharge now. I hold it down to do it, makes a noise but still nothing. The salt hasn't moved. I have well water. All my water is dirty right now. Trying to find how to fix. Its an old kenmore too
I have the same problem now. What did you do to fix it?
Thanks.. is the Sears made by whirlpool?
Not sure
Ecodyne
Enjoyed very helpful
Thanks
What about the float part, mine is filled w water and so is the other part of the tank that has salt in it
The float just controls the water going into the salt tank, the bottom should be flooded with water probably 6-12” of water that will dissolve the salt to the point of saturation. Then during regen the salt water is sucked up through this same area. Hope this helps
Where is the shut off valve? I have this softener and I can’t see a blue valve? I’ve unplugged it but now don’t know what to do!please help!
He doesn't have all the pcs for the water softener. The push shut off valve is missing from this video.
Hi my kenmore ultrasoft 880 water softener seems to be leaking from the bottom. I noticed it a few months ago where there was like a film of hardened salt around the bottom of it. I cleaned the floor refilled with salt and reset salt level and now it's doing it again. Do you think it needs replacing? Any suggestions would be very much appreciated. Thanks in advance....
Is there a crack somewhere! Check out this vid it actually had the vessel cracked! Are you taking the brine tank or the vessel with the water to it? Looks like and woven tube out of fiberglass! Water Softener Resin Vessel Disassembly SEE WHAT IS INSIDE!
Do you recommend using Iron Out to clean our the resin?
It would not hurt anything especially if your water has a lot of iron in it. It will help loosen particles in between the resin and then they will leave during backwashes
You mentioned Victaulic couplings, have you used them in the past? I worked for them in their Engineering Lab for 25 years. Victaulic is pronounced ( Vic---tall----lick )
Yes I have, and yes I suck at English 😆
GREAT VIDEO THANX
You are welcome
Great job, thank you
How do I swap out the entire tank leaving only the top portion on a new tank
I believe you will have to take the head off and put it on the new tank
cant get my venturi cap off any suggestions??
How do I know how much resin and what type my softener takes? I don't have a manual and they're is no branding on it.
Typically the vessel should be about 1/2 full of resin! 1.5 cubic feet normally but it is all depending on how big your unit is! And resin type Cation resin which removes calcium and magnesium the best!
My Kenmore water softener is making a "foaming" very salty flow through my various faucets in the house. It doesn't happen all the time and not always the same faucets. Can anyone advise on this? Thanks
What could be leaking on the floor. There is no salt in the tank. But I hear it continually running and there is water on the floor
John Dellrocco does the tank run over?
@@HighOctane101 no, I think I found like leak not sure how to fix. It seems there is a pinhole in the housing of the valve. Is there something I can glue this with? I think it’s the white pvc.
I never see anyone take the magnetic flow wheel that's on the water outlet.
What?
My valve assembly is leaking. I'll feel safe just replacing the unit
Does anyone know the size of the o-ring for the lower distributor. That's the cone shape filter part going into the resin neck opening under the head unit. There are 2 o-rings. Could anyone tell me the dimensions of the lower one (nearest resin). I think it is 73mm inside diameter x 2mm cross section. Is this correct?
We have outside residue around tub
Thank you! this really helped me out to fix my water softener
I was enjoying this so much until you said chlorine was hard on the resin. OOPS!!! About a year ago my brine tank stunk so much and looked moldy that I put some bleach down there...
thanks
Thank you help me a lot
My kenmore just keeps draining for days
are you high ? good vid 5 stars
😂 no