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About the water softener system.
Service: Manually Advance Regeneration Check
This check verifies proper operation of the valve motor, brine tank fill, brine draw, regeneration flow rates and other controller
functions. First, make the initial checks and the
Manually Initiated Electronic Diagnostics.
NOTE:
The control display must show a steady time (not flashing).
Press the
TOUCH or HOLD
button and hold in for three seconds.
RECHARGE NOW
begins to flash as the water softening system
enters the fill cycle of regeneration. Remove the brinewell cover and, using a flashlight, observe fill water entering the brine
tank. If water does not enter the tank, look for an obstructed nozzle, venturi, fill flow plug or brine tubing. See
Care and cleaning
of the water softener system
section.
After observing fill, press the
TOUCH or HOLD
button to move the water softening system into brining. A slow flow of water to the
drain will begin. Verify brine draw from the brine tank by shining a flashlight into the brinewell and observing a noticeable drop
in the liquid level over an extended period of time.
NOTE:
Be sure a salt bridge is not preventing water from contacting salt. See
Care and cleaning of the water softening system
section.
If the water softening system does not draw brine, check:
■ nozzle and/or venturi dirty or defective. ■ defective nozzle and venturi seal.
■ nozzle and venturi not seated properly on gasket. ■ other inner valve defect (rotor seal, rotor & disc, wave washer, etc.).
■ restricted drain (check drain fitting and hose).
NOTE:
If water system pressure is low, an elevated drain hose may cause back pressure, stopping brine draw.
Again, press the
TOUCH or HOLD
button to move the water softening system into backwash. Look for a fast flow of water from the
drain hose. A slow flow indicates a plugged top distributor, backwash flow plug, or drain hose.
Press the
TOUCH or HOLD
button to move the water softening system into fast rinse. Again look for a fast drain flow. Allow
the water softening system to rinse for a few minutes to flush out any brine that may remain in the resin tank from the brining
cycle test.
To return the water softening system to service, press the
TOUCH or HOLD
button.
5
4
3
2
1
Care and cleaning of the water softening system.
Checking the Salt Storage Level and Refilling
Brine (salt dissolved in water) is needed for each and every regeneration. The water for making brine is metered into the salt
storage area by the water softening system valve and control.
However, you must keep the tank supplied with salt.
When to refill with salt:
Check the salt level a few weeks after you install the water softening system and every week after that. Refill
when the brine tank is from 1/3 to 1/2 full. In humid areas it is best to fill with less salt more often. Never allow the water softening
system to use all the salt before you refill it. Without salt, you will soon have hard water.
Use clean water softening salts only, at least 99.5% pure. NUGGET, PELLET or coarse SOLAR salts are recommended.
Do not use
rock, block, granulated or ice cream making salts.
They contain dirt and sediments, or mush and cake, and will create maintenance
problems.
CAUTION: Water softening salt with iron removing additives:
Some salts may have an additive to help the water softening system
handle iron in the water supply. Although this additive may help to keep the water softening system resin clean, it may also
release corrosive fumes that weaken and shorten the life of some water softening system parts. GE recommends using only
Diamond Crystal® Red•Out® brand salt.
Your water softening system takes hardness minerals (calcium and magnesium) out of the water. Also, it can control some (see
Specification Guidelines
section) “clear water” iron. With clear water iron, water from a faucet is clear when first put into a glass. After
15 to 30 minutes, the water begins to cloud or turn rust colored. A water softening system
will not
remove any iron that makes the
water cloudy or rusty as it comes from the faucet (called red water iron). To take red water iron out of water, or over the maximum
of clear water iron, an iron filter or other equipment is needed.
GE recommends using only Diamond Crystal® Red•Out® brand salts with Iron Fighter® additive to help keep the resin bed clean of
clear iron. If your water supply has clear water iron, periodic resin bed cleaning is needed. GE recommends using Super Iron Out®
brand resin bed cleaner to thoroughly clean your resin bed if your iron content is high. Clean the bed at least every six months, or
more often if iron appears in the soft water between cleanings.
IMPORTANT:
It is important to mix the resin bed cleaner with water (following the manufacturer’s instructions), pour it into the
brinewell tube
(see page 6) and regenerate the softener immediately. Do not pour the resin bed cleaner in with the salt, as it will not
be as effective in cleaning the resin, and can cause damage to the softener if it is left in the brine tank for an extended period due to
the corrosive gases that are formed.
Cleaning Iron Out of the Water Softening System