Monthly Archives: November 2007

Find A Local Dealer

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Without a doubt, the most often asked question from visitors to our web site is “Can you find a local dealer for me?”, but so far as we can tell, there exists no list of dealers throughout the country. We have tried to compile a list of dealers throughout the country but this list requires interaction from the individual dealer. So far, there are only a couple that have participated.

The best way to find a dealer local to you is to use your local phone book. Look under “Water Treatment” and you should have success. You may need to make a few phone calls, but authorized Clack, Fleck and Autotrol dealers are out there. These are the best designed and built water treatment products in the industry. Most, if not all water treatment dealerships will have experience with these products.

Clack WS-1

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There were several very good questions asked last week. Here are a few that should interest everybody.

Question: need to know of a store in the Edmond, OK. area that i can go into and see your Clack WS1 water softener.
thanks

Answer: This may seem like a complicated answer, but when you keep in mind that the Clack WS-1 is a Professional Grade piece of equipment and they are not available in retail stores, it starts to make sense. See, we’re really not even supposed to be using the name Clack to describe these water treatment systems. Yes, they are made by Clack Corp. and they are without a doubt the finest, highest quality water softener/auto-filter controller out there, but they have been, and always will be, designed for the water treatment professional. Clack allows us to market their equipment but under our name only. While these systems are arguably the most popular controller available, you will not find them in the local hardware store; at least not under the name Clack. Note: Now that this has been posted, the pressure is on to come up with our own name for these systems. Look here to see what we come up with.

Question: I have an Autotrol 255 with logic controller. It is a relatively new unit. It regenerates every 3 days. The salt is set at 14 minutes. The total regeneration time is 30 minutes. The problem is that it is not softening the water at all. When I observed the regeneration process I noticed that the Brine draw stage of the process only last for less than 30 secs.(For this 30 secs. it does start to draw up the Brine) It then moves onto the next stage of the regeneration. It is literally using no salt. What is the cause of this? Is there some setting wrong that I can change. Any help would be very much appreciated appreciated.

Answer: The Autotrol Logix controller is very versatile and can be used to control automatic backwashing filter systems as well as water softeners. The 760 Logix controller can mistakenly be set to Filter control mode. Automatic filters do not require a brine cycle, so chances are your softener’s media bed is not getting the brine water needed to exchange hardness ions and regenerate properly. See the Logix service manual for details on how to program the Logix controller.

Question: I need a PURA L-20 #20 UV Replacement Lamp, how long would it take to get to La Quinta CA?

Answer: We are constantly striving to answer common questions and this one is quite common. The best answer to this question is right here on the Water Value blog.

Question: Where are your r o water filters (Aqua Classic or Aqua Elite) made? And where are the filter elements made? As you know water filters are very much a health issue. Thank you for your response.

Answer: This is a very popular question of late, and for good reason. Over the years, Water Value Company has been contacted by countless overseas manufacturers wanting us to distribute their product(s). Because Water Value Company honors the manufacturer’s warranties – and for some other obvious reasons – we will not sell or distribute overseas products. One of the jobs in this office is to browse the World Wide Web and check out the competition’s web sites, sales strategy and products. When comparing prices, one thing that stands out are the systems (Reverse osmosis, softeners, UV filters, etc.) that seem priced at a level that’s too good to be true. That’s because it is too good to be true. We are not allowed to provide links or examples here, but if you find a water treatment system or device online with a highly attractive price, be sure to find out where all of its components are manufactured before buying. We do not have anything online that is not US or Canadian made with one exception: The HM Digital TDS-4 meter. Those are made in Korea.

Question: I have a Model 5600 water softener.  I’ve been using water softener pellets since it was installed but occasionally have problems with what I call salt bridging in the brine tank — the pellets fuse into one big solid, hard mass.  I break the mass up with a broom handle, drain the hot water tank, and things get back to normal for a while.  I had the same problem with my old water softener.  Question:  Can I use rock salt or brine block salt instead to prevent this problem?

Answer: Yes, a salt block would prevent this salt bridging. Actually, the pellet-style salt is the best and if your brine tank has a salt grid in it to help prevent salt bridging, then it is best to stick with those pellets, but a salt block will work just fine. I have heard from someone in Ecuador that the rock salt is more popular there. Something about the heat and humidity that causes the pellets to fuse together too easily.

Information Overload

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With the advent of the Internet, information abounds. I was able to tune my guitar yesterday using a tone produced on a website – http://www.onlinetuningfork.com/ – to international concert pitch. I was able to pay my electric bill. We also looked up how much formula a 1 to 3 month old baby should be consuming (multiple sources). You can literally find answers to any question you can think of online. But who writes those answers? Are they accurate? Can you depend on them?

One way to help ensure accuracy is to get your information from multiple sources as was the case with the baby formula amount. But what about water treatment? What is the best item, device, appliance, method, configuration or system for your water treatment needs? Why should you trust Water Value when another water treatment web site disagrees?

I’ll begin with an example. A couple of weeks ago, I was emailed a water test result. This is the best way to start your quest for answers. Find a web site or two that appear to have what you need and get their recommendation. A water test is the most accurate way to convey your water’s problems to someone else. But the water test I received was inaccurate. It listed very few high readings. The iron content was almost non-existent and hardness was 0.25 mg/L which is nearly non-existent. Yet the email sender was complaining of “iron stains” on fixtures and toilets. Because the test results did not list bacteria, I had to assume it was a bacterial infection. There was no chlorine present so it was likely a private well as the source water. I asked the customer a few questions about the low readings and he later admitted the hardness reading must be a mistake, but we still did not know how much hardness there was in the water.

Several days later, the customer gets back with me. This time he’s got a recommendation from an online competitor. The competitor is recommending a softener and iron filter system along with sediment removal. Wait a minute, the water test showed no appreciable iron. What is going on here? The customer wants me to let him know what I think of this recommendation. Well, it’s obvious the competitor is throwing equipment at the customer based on what he wants rather than based on the facts. I suppose we could take this approach as well, but that’s not how we operate. Neither sediment nor turbidity were mentioned, so why the sediment filter? It never hurts to filter for sediment when on a private well, but if it’s not an issue, why treat for it? Also, a standard softener can handle iron up to 3 mg/L, so why the iron filter? The iron in this water was only 0.20 mg/L which while annoying, is easily treated with a standard softener.

It’s always a good idea to research before making an investment in water treatment equipment solutions, but be careful when approaching online suppliers with restricted resources. Read closely what they claim their equipment or system will do. It is illegal to make claims that are false. Any company that does will not stay in business very long. Water Value Company has never claimed to be water treatment experts, rather we are water treatment equipment experts. We know our products inside and out. Everything on the web site is tested by us before it is made available. If a product or system does not live up to its claims, we do not sell it, it’s as simple as that.

So when you know what you need to correct problems with your water, we are here for you. We are not going to recommend any treatment method or system just because. For example: we do not sell chemical feed pumps online. If your water requires chlorine injection from a chemical feed pump instead of the WellPro dry chlorine pellet dropper we sell, we’ll tell you. There is no point in making a sale if it is not the correct solution to the problem.

More Questions And Answers

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The questions and answers post from last week was enlightening, so we’ll do a few more this week. Again, as per the terms of our privacy statement, no identities will be revealed, but these are real questions sent in by real people in need of answers. Chances are good that most of our visitors can benefit from these answers.
Question: How often does the resin tank materials need to be replaced? How can you tell when it is necessary? My system is large for my house and use but I haven’t done anything but add potassium chloride tablets since it was installed. I live in southern California where the water isn’t too hard.

Answer: The resin media is quite durable and designed to last a very long time. Really, the only way to test it is to monitor its output water. Hardness test strips are available online here, but you can also pick them up at any pool or spa supply store. If any hardness is getting through, then there’s a good chance the resin needs replacing. You can get replacement media resin here.

Question: we just bought a 16 year old house with a 5600econominder water softener system. On the tank it says “80%calcite & 20% corasex”. What are these chemicals, where can I find a company to add them to my system as needed, can I do it myself, how do I learn how to do it or get it done?

Answer: It’s a shame the previous owners did not go over that with you. The Calcite and Corosex are acid neutralizing agents. The system is not a water softener nor an Econominder. The Econominder term for the Fleck 5600 designates a metered water softener control valve. A standard Fleck 5600 control valve is the right choice for an acid neutralizer or automatic backwashing filter system. Calcite will raise the pH level of water less than the Corosex will. A blend of the two acid neutralizers is common for water with a pH of less than 6.0. You need to be careful when using Corosex though. It can raise the pH drastically. The mix ratio that is written on your tank is no doubt the result of some diligent water monitoring. To find out more about Calcite and Corosex, go to our Documentation section.

Question: I’m looking to order a Injector Assembly for Fleck 5600 water softener control valves – FL60084-01. Its asking me for a tank size, 9in, 10in. etc…. What exactly is this?

Answer: Fleck 5600 water softener control valves can be used on several different sized tanks. In order for the control valve to backwash a tank properly, the injector has to be the correct size. Fleck provides us with a chart and color coding for these injectors. All you need to do is tell us the diameter of your media tank, and we can send the proper sized injector assembly.

Water Treatment Questions & Answers

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The following are quotes from our Contact form with answers to real questions. All personal information has been omitted and some spelling and grammar mistakes were corrected.

Question: Do you ship to Canada?  Ontario specifically?  I have tried and tried to source a system like your 56MR400 or a 70MR400 locally but despite living in a “hard water” area, choices are few and “wholesale” is non-existent.
I appreciate your feedback

Answer: There certainly are water treatment dealerships in Ontario. Their prices are higher than ours because of the import duty applied to US made products when they cross the border. Also, local “hands on” water treatment has more of a cost over-head but it’s usually worth it. Your system is installed and set up for you and if there are any problems, all you need to do is call the dealer. If you are handy and can install and setup one of our systems, then you’ll be very happy with our service, but be sure to add the cost of the import fee to the cost of your order. And yes, we are now shipping to most parts of Canada.

Question – Regarding the size of the by-pass valve tube connectors. The diameter of the pvc pipe connecting the component parts of our water system (from bladder tank to inline filter and house)is 1 9/32″. Should I be ordering the 1 1/4″ connectors? Thank you

Answer: Choose the tube connector that is equal to or larger than your water pipes. It is better to end up with a larger connector than a smaller one. If you choose a smaller one, then you could possibly restrict the flow of your water system. And it’s important to keep in mind that with most of our water softener/filter systems, the connector is either brass/copper sweat or standard pipe thread. In either case, you will be required to obtain some sort of fitting/adapter from a plumbing supply store to complete the connection. The manufacturers of the equipment we carry provide a wide range of tube connectors, but with rare exceptions, you will need an adapter.

Question: I’m building a new home (7 months out) before I need a system. We have very hard water here. I was going to go with a Water Softener unit. Will the FLECK carbon system remove or reduce the hard water deposits a well as a water softener(salt) system. Also if so do I need to install a pre filter for a whole house system? Since it’s a carbon based system I don’t have to consider a RO unit, Right?

Answer: A whole-house carbon filter is a great idea. It enhances even well water and improves the taste, but it does not remove the contaminants that a reverse osmosis system will, and it certainly will not do anything to remove hardness. A carbon filter system is best used to remove chlorine and reduce fluoride. Chlorine is great for keeping municipal water supplies free of bacteria and algae, but it makes water taste bad. The activated carbon media will greatly improve the taste of the water. A reverse osmosis system will remove all contaminants and usually requires a softener as pre-treatment to remove hardness.

Question: I have a customer who bought 2 Fleck 5600 tanks instead of a dual 9000 unit and wants me to connect them together, parallel should work I think, any suggestions?

Answer: No, two softeners in parallel will not work like a Fleck model 9000, but they will work. The Fleck 9000 automatically alternates between its two media tanks so that one is always in use and available while the other is in standby mode. One media tank can be regenerated while the other is in use. With a two softener parallel system, you are using both softeners at the same time. If they were to both backwash at the same time, you would be out of treated water. The Fleck 5600 is designed to schedule its regeneration at 2am. You would need to offset the time on one of them to prevent this from happening.

Question:  Any recomendations for a well water system with 5 family members?  Will the Clack system work?  Regardless of which system I purchase, can I get replacement parts from you?

Answer: The Clack system will certainly work, but you would first need to know how much hardness is in your water before you can properly size the system. Once you know your water’s hardness content, the number of people using water in the home and iron content (if any), then you can use our softener sizing chart to determine the size you’ll need. Beyond that, check for flow rates. The Fleck 5600 has lower flow rates than the Clack WS-1. If you need higher flow rates, go with the Clack. Because the Clack systems are relatively new (to us), we do not have repair parts listed for them at this time. Rest assured that we fully support any product we have listed on the web site.

Question: Info: Autotrol 55-MR-320
-Total height I will need to install/maintain unit (understairs) of my home
-there is a toilet right behind the wall, can I just drain the brine line into the tank or toilet?
-also if I have to go up high and over a hallway to drain the brine line, I need to go up ten feet or so.  Is there enough pressure to do that?

Answer: All of the dimensions for all of our softener/filter systems are listed right next to the item. There are also plenty of links to the owner’s manual, specifications and for most products, installation instructions. Please be sure to read those. They do not recommend draining the system to a toilet. The drain line (not the brine line) is under pressure. The pressure comes from your water system. Only you can determine your water pressure. While is is always more desirable to run a drain line down, in certain cases these drain lines can actually run up hill, but 10 feet sounds like quite a run, so it would be best to try and find some other solution first.

Question: Fleck, Clack, Autotrol: how do I pick which brand?  And are they all made in the USA?  I don’t want any made in China products in my house.  Finally, who honors the five/ten year warrentees?  How do you get a hold of the right people?

Answer: None of our products are made in China. Some components may be manufactured in Canada, but everything else is made in the US. These products – Fleck, Clack and Autotrol – are professional grade and the absolute best you can buy. There is nothing better. To help you choose which one of these brands, go to our “What’s The Best Water Softener” section. Warranty is simple, we support the manufacturer’s warranty. You can go through Water Value Company if you have a problem, or the manufacturer. An important point to make here is that this equipment is designed for the water treatment professional and quite simply does not break down. We have been contacted for what were perceived as warranty issues, but after evaluation – either by return or troubleshooting – were not found to be manufacturing defects.

Examples of perceived warranty issues include, a leak that developed due to impact with an automobile mirror frame. Sorry, that’s not a defect. Another interesting issue involved a radically low pH feed water problem. After about 2 years, a Fleck 5600 was returned because of a leaking piston. The pH level of the supply water was well below the specifications for that controller. Fleck covered the piston and seal kit replacement anyway, but the customer was warned that unless he treated the water for low pH, the controller would probably start leaking in another 2 years. Finally, no Autotrol warranty issues have occurred since the introduction of the Logix controllers. The older 460i models did tend to burn out in electrical storms (which is actually not a defect, but it was covered anyway).

Fleck, Clack, Autotrol, Microline, Nimbus, HM Digital, GE Water & Process Technologies, Structural and Nelsen Corp. all maintain very solid warranties against defects. When you purchase from us, you can rest assured that there is no better equipment available.