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WATER SOFTENER DISINFECTION
The materials of construction of your water softener will not
support bacterial growth nor will these materials contaminate a
water supply. However, the normal conditions existing during
shipping, storage, and installation indicate the advisability of
disinfecting a softener after installation, before the softener is
used to treat potable water. In addition, during normal use a
softener may become fouled with organic matter or in some
cases, with bacteria from the water supply.
Therefore, every water softener should be disinfected
after installation, some will require periodic disinfection during
their normal life. Disinfect as follows:
SODIUM HYPOCHLORITE (household bleach)
5.25% SODIUM HYPOCHLORITE solutions are available
under such trade names such as Clorox, Linco, Bo Peep,
White Sail and Eagle Brand Bleach. If stronger solutions
are used, such as those sold for commercial laundries,
adjust the dosage accordingly.
1. Dosage:
a. Softening resin; 1.2 fluid ounce per cubic foot of
mineral (see page 18).
2. Add the required amount of hypochlorite solution to the
brine well of the brine tank.
a. Proceed with the normal regeneration. Press regen
and allow the water softener to go through a normal
regeneration.
1. Salt Usage: See your water conditioning professional for a
recommendation on the best type of salt for your application.
2. Brine Tank Cleaning:
a. Remove brine tank cover.
b. Scoop out as much old salt as possible.
c. Disconnect brine tubing from safety brine valve at brine well.
d. Remove safety brine valve from brine well.
e. Place one hand in brine well to hold overflow nut and
remove 2 piece overflow.
f. Remove optional brine well and grid plate, if used, from
saltkeeper.
g. Remove any remaining salt and/or impurities from brine tank.
h. Using clean water and a brush or rag, wipe and rinse inside of
brine tank. Also wipe and rinse the grid plate and brine well.
i. Reassemble brine tank reversing steps c - f. Note: If grid
plate is used and it is damaged or cracked, replace with new one.
j. Put brine tank in place making sure there is no debris or
foreign material beneath it.
k. Reconnect brine tubing to safety brine valve.
l. Manually add 6 inches of water to the saltkeeper (or to
approximately 1” above the grid plate, if used).
m. Add new salt. Important: Do not add the old salt which was
removed earlier unless it is clean and not mushy. We
recommend using new salt.
n. Follow the disinfection instructions found on page 8.
o. Put on brine tank cover.
MISCELLANEOUS
WATER SOFTENER DRAINING PROCEDURE
In cold weather climates it is common for plumbing systems that
are not in use to be “winterized“ or drained of all water to prevent
any damage that may be caused by the excessive expansion of
water when it freezes. To prevent damage to a water softener
it must be properly drained also. A simple way to properly drain
or winterize a water softener is to use compressed air to force
all of the water out of the softener mineral tank. The following
procedure will explain the process:
1) Initiate the softener into a manual regeneration cycle. After
the refill cycle, advance control to backwash and allow it to
complete the backwash cycle (this will clean the media) and
start into the brine-draw cycle. Allow the regeneration to
continue in the brine draw cycle until the brine is drawn out
of the salt keeper and the air check at the bottom of the brine
pick-up tube shuts off. At this time no more brine is intro-
duced into the softener and the slow rinse process begins.
2) Turn the water supply inlet and outlet valves off to the water
softener as soon as the air check shuts off and no more
brine is being drawn into the softener (at the beginning of the
slow rinse process).
3) Unplug the electric power leaving the softener control valve
in the brine draw cycle.
4) Disconnect the brine tube at the top of the salt keeper and
force air into the brine tube toward the softener mineral tank
and control valve. The air will force the brine/water solution
that was drawn into the mineral tank out to drain through the
control valve drain line. (An air compressor blow gun attach-
ment with a portable air compressor works well.)
CAUTION: You do not want to apply any more pressure than
necessary to force the brine/water out of the mineral tank.
The small amount of brine/water that may be left in the
mineral tank will not expand enough to cause any damage
to the softener when it freezes.
If your softener is equipped with an optional bottom drain on
the mineral tank, you will have to follow all of the same
procedures with the exception of the need for compressed
air. With the brine tube disconnected from the salt keeper,
raise it to a level above the softener control valve and
temporarily secure it in this position. Now open the drain
valve at the bottom of the mineral tank and allow all brine/
water to drain from the mineral tank.
CAUTION: If a hose is connected to the drain valve to direct
the brine/water to a floor drain be sure it runs downward and
is unobstructed. When brine/water quits running at the drain,
be sure to leave the drain valve open until you start the
system up again.
5) At this time the salt keeper has very little water left in it. What
liquid is left in the salt keeper is saturated brine, provided that
there is still salt left in the tank. Saturated brine will not freeze
solid and cause any damage and does not have to be drained
any further from the brine tank.
If there is no salt left in the salt keeper when the system is
drained we recommend dumping all of the water out of the
brine tank at this time. See brine tank cleaning instructions.
(#3 in miscellaneous section, below)
6) CAUTION: It is important at this time to be assured that the
inlet/outlet water supply piping is properly drained. Depend-
ing on how the water supply piping was routed to the water
softener control valve, a water loop or trap may have been created.
Sometimes drain valve(s) are installed at the bottom of the
loop to assure all water can be drained out. If not it may be
necessary to disconnect the control valve from the piping
system and open the inlet/outlet valve(s) to allow all the water
to drain from the piping. This should be done when the rest
of the plumbing system is drained.
7) Draining or winterizing of your softener is complete. Refer to
the start-up procedures on page 6 when you are ready to start
your softener.