Water softener

[BB59]

I have a twin tank water softener system. I noticed recently that during a wash cycle, brine solution was coming out the wand. At first I thought it was only happening during regeneration, but noticed another time salt water coming out in the bay when it wasn't regenerating.
I don't know much about water softeners and haven't been able to find someone who knows much about them in this small rural community. Any ideas?

 

[Overachiever]

Maybe someone can help you fix it on here but just a warning as the same thing happened to me once except a whole bunch of resin went into the all the plumbing and clogged it all up, and broke the ro machine pump. Might be worth bypassing it until you figure it out. I took the opportunity to replace mine with one that was better sized for my wash.

 

[OurTown]

Maybe someone can help you fix it on here but just a warning as the same thing happened to me once except a whole bunch of resin went into the all the plumbing and clogged it all up, and broke the ro machine pump. Might be worth bypassing it until you figure it out. I took the opportunity to replace mine with one that was better sized for my wash.

Was yours too small or too large?

 

[Overachiever]

Everything was on soft water except the weep, so it might have been actually sized correctly but when I decided to go smaller I switched the automatics to hard water for rinse. I think I'm using around 75% less salt now.

 

[OurTown]

Everything was on soft water except the weep, so it might have been actually sized correctly but when I decided to go smaller I switched the automatics to hard water for rinse. I think I'm using around 75% less salt now.

 

[MEP001]

I have a twin tank water softener system. I noticed recently that during a wash cycle, brine solution was coming out the wand. At first I thought it was only happening during regeneration, but noticed another time salt water coming out in the bay when it wasn't regenerating.
I don't know much about water softeners and haven't been able to find someone who knows much about them in this small rural community. Any ideas?

How are you certain it's brine?

With a twin tank system there should never be brine in the water flow even during regeneration. What model is it?

 

[PaulLovesJamie]

I'm also curious, how did you "notice" brine in the bay, I'm not sure I'd see that.
If it is in fact brine, the only cause I can think of would be if the tank selector valve is stuck open, then you'd be pumping brine into both tanks at the same time that water is being drawn for washing, also from both tanks. (I'm mostly speculating here, but that seems to make sense to me.)

I dont think there is a big risk of the resin coming out, thats a different problem, but yeah I'd be nervous about it so I'd heed Overachiever's advice and bypass the softener because its not working right anyway.
Me - I'd bypass the softener, & depending on its age/condition either replace or do repairs.
I've used a couple online sites for softener parts, one that comes to mind at the moment is SoftenerParts.com

 

[STXCW]

If its a Fleck style head check your seals and pistons. If its a Clack check your MAV. Either way the tank that is regenerating may not be closing completely and allowing brine and rinse water to get through to the tank in service.

 

[BB59]

Seeing salt was not hard , it almost looked like soap. I put some on my finger and tasted it- sure enough it was salty. I was first alerted when a customer after rinsing went home and noticed the salt film when it dried and did the same thing, wiped off and tasted with finger suspecting that it looked like salt.
Good advice to by pass for now and check seals and pistons.
Thanks

 

[MEP001]

Seeing salt was not hard , it almost looked like soap. I put some on my finger and tasted it- sure enough it was salty.

I figured I'd ask, figured most wouldn't taste it.

Can you post a picture of the softener? Fleck units don't have a model number on them, but I can tell you which it is and where to start looking for the problem.

 

[water guy]

Fleck Softener heads do have a Model Number on Them.

 

[OurTown]

Fleck Softener heads do have a Model Number on Them.

Where do they put them?

 

[water guy]

Remove cover and they are usually a small white label up on top left it's a bunch of numbers 2900 or 9000 or 2850 etc

 

[MEP001]

No label on mine, never seen one on a Fleck.

 

[water guy]

Here's the label that's a 9000

 

[MEP001]

That's part of the serial number, 0009C00.

 

[water guy]

It's a Fleck 9000

 

[BB59]

I figured I'd ask, figured most wouldn't taste it.

Can you post a picture of the softener? Fleck units don't have a model number on them, but I can tell you which it is and where to start looking for the problem.

It is a Braswell system. I will have to check later today when I'm at wash for model number

 

[MEP001]

You'd be better off replacing the head than trying to fix it.