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Water Softener Installation Guide
General Installation Guide for water
softeners using Fleck valves
Overview
This installation guide gives a
basic step-by-step, start to finish procedure for
installing a basic water softener.
All steps provided herein are for a typical
installation only. If you would
require additional plumbing to install your softener,
simply contact a person or company
who is knowledgeable in residential plumbing, to
help you install, or to install the
unit for you.
Installation of this unit does
require basic residential plumbing skills, tools
and
knowledge. Installing this unit is
very simple and should not be a problem, especially
if the person doing the installation
uses common sense along with studying and
following these recommendations as
well as the "Service Manual" for the specific
control valve for your unit. Take
time to carefully read the instructions, look at the
service manual, get all of your
plumbing parts together before you start. The typical
installation should take no more
than a couple of hours.
Pre-Installation
Position your new unit making sure there is a
1 ½ " minimum drain opening within 20’ of the
unit.
The unit requires a ½" ID flexible plastic
drain line (not supplied) running from the
softener. There will be a fair amount of
pressure on this flexible plastic drain line
when the softener is in the regeneration mode,
so make certain it is secured in place! Always
leave an air gap between the end of this
flexible plastic drain line and the point at
which it enters the waste line. The air gap is
for the prevention of possible back siphoning.
An air gap space of 1-2" should be plenty!
(Local codes should always be followed).
A grounded 3-prong 120v, electrical outlet is
required. The unit comes with a 5’ power cord.
(Extension cords may be used, per local
electrical/building/safety codes).
These units have an operating water pressure
range between 25-95psi. (45-55psi is an optimum
pressure range).
Locate the softener in a dry, level protected
area where it cannot freeze!
You can also place the larger tank, (brine
tank for salt or potassium chloride), up to 20
feet from the softener mineral tank. So, make it
easy on yourself and position it where it will
be easy to access when filling the tanks with
salt. (When the softener is going to be
installed within 20’ of an attached garage, we
recommend setting the brine tank in the garage
for easy filling.
*IMPORTANT* IF you decide to set the brine
tank in your garage, remember that the water in
the brine tank will not freeze but the small
plastic water line running from the softener to
the brine tank will. Make certain the garage is
warm enough to prevent this line from freezing!!
Make a list of all the plumbing fittings you
will need to completely install the unit.
Assemble all tools needed to install the unit
Start the installation process by turning off
the main water supply valve.
Installation
Open all plumbing fixtures in the house
including all outside faucets in order to drain
the lines of all the water you possibly can.
Cut and remove a section of water line where
the unit is to be installed if you have a
typical straight in and out, ¾" or 1" copper
pipe installation. If a water well bladder tank
is in the line, place the softener on the
discharge side of the tank.
Remove the brass yoke from the back of the
valve, by loosening the two small stainless
steel clamps on either side of the rear valve
assembly. Pull it off the back of the meter. *NOTE*
(If you ordered our optional brass bypass
valve assembly, then remove it instead of the
brass yoke).
Leave the meter in place which is still
attached to the back of the valve body by an
identical set of these stainless steel clips.
If there is a bypass valve assembly already
in place in your home, then simply utilize the
standard brass yoke to make your plumbing
connection to and from the water line.
We do not recommend applying intense heat,
such as that used for soldering copper pipe to
your new Fleck valve assembly. So:
a. If sweating in copper, purchase
two common male thread to sweat copper
adaptors.
b. Solder a 3" to 5" piece of copper
pipe into each adaptor.
c. Once you have the pieces joined
simply wait until they are cool enough
to touch, then apply Teflon tape or pipe
joint compound to the male threads of
each one, and securely thread them into
the brass yoke, (or the optional brass
bypass valve assembly), before you
re-attach either of them onto the back
of the valve body assembly.
**(Important!! DO NOT thread
the copper adaptors into the brass yoke
or bypass valve while the yoke or bypass
valve is connected to the valve/meter
assembly! You may exert too much
pressure on the meter while securing the
copper adaptors, causing damage to the
valve/meter housing!)
d. Again, after securely threading
the adaptor into either the brass yoke
or bypass valve assembly, re-attach it
to the valve/meter assembly and secure
it there with the two small stainless
steel clamps.
Now position your softener in place for final
water line installation, making sure the bypass
valve is set in the "BYPASS" positions
FIRST, measure and cut the lengths of the
pipe you need to plumb the main hard water line
into your softener unit. Then do the same for
the soft water line that will exit from the
softening unit, back into the house. *NOTE*
The hard water line will enter the LEFT SIDE
HOLE in the brass yoke or bypass assembly as you
look directly at the two holes on the rear of
the unit. The unit will also be marked either on
the back of the valve body itself with the word
"IN" and "OUT", and/or on the top of the body of
the bypass valve assembly with arrows showing
the direction of water flow into and out of the
valve. Remember, as you are looking at the rear
of the unit, the hard water line from your house
enters the unit on the LEFT. The soft water
flowing from the unit through the meter into
your house is on the RIGHT. Now your unit is
connected.
Slowly turn the main water valve to your
house back on allowing all of the water lines to
slowly refill. The water will gently push the
air out of the lines through all the plumbing
fixtures you opened earlier. Start by turning
off all outside faucets first, once water is
flowing out of them again, steadily. Then do the
same with every plumbing fixture inside your
home. In just a few minutes, the air should be
out of your water lines with full water pressure
to your house restored. The hard water will be
bypassing your water softener at this time.
Final Installation Steps and Setup
There is a black plastic, drain hose barb,
located on the lower, backside of the valve.
Make certain this black plastic fitting is
securely threaded into the valve body and that
the threads have been coated with either Teflon
tape or pipe joint compound. You should easily
be able to see if the fitting has tape or joint
compound on the threads. If you do see tape or
joint compound on the threads of this fitting,
then you can proceed to carefully push the ½" ID
flexible plastic drain line fully onto this
plastic barbed end. If this fitting is loose,
and/or doesn’t have any tape or joint compound
visibly present, simply unscrew the fitting and
apply some of either material to the threads,
and then re-thread the fitting back into the
valve body. Be careful not to over tighten the
fitting! Just snug it up a bit!
Carefully push the ½" ID plastic drain hose
completely over the barbed end of the fitting .
Run the opposite end of this drain hose to the
house drain you are going to use for your
softener. Mount the end of the flexible drain
hose at the house drain, leaving an air gap of
at least 1", (Follow local plumbing codes),
and securing it. When the unit is in the
regeneration mode, water will flow out of this
drain line with a fair amount of pressure,
especially during the "rapid rinse phases" of
the regeneration process, and the line may
sometimes "jump" a little when changing cycles.
Next, connect your brine tank to your
softener. One end of the 3/8" brine line tubing
will be connected to your brine tank and the
opposite end needs to be connected to your
valve. Slide the Brine Line Flow Control (BLFC)
fitting nut and the BLFC plastic ferrule over
the loose end of the 3/8" brine line. Insert the
BLFC brass tube insert into the end of the brine
line tubing. Push the loose end of the brine
line tubing into the BLFC fitting located on the
side of the valve body, and tighten the fitting
nut securely.
Filling the Softener with Water
Slowly open the bypass valve from the
"Bypass" position towards the "Service"
position. Let the unit fill up with water
slowly. This will take only a few minutes. Once
the sound of running water has stopped and the
softener is full, open the bypass valve
completely to the service position. You now have
soft water!
With your hardness figure set the number of
gallons on the meter dial for demand initiated
gallon meter controlled valves or select the
days for regeneration on the clock timer unit.
Pour about 5 gallons of water into the bottom
of the brine tank to dissolve the salt. This
will make brine for the softener to use when it
is ready to regenerate for the first time.
The valve should be in the "Service" position
and plugged in. Slowly rotate this knob
clockwise just a few "clicks" at a time for the
mechanical unit or advance through the cycles
with the digital units, stopping at each setting
for a minute or so, to clear the air out of the
valve, and to fill the brine line with water.
Once you have completed one full regeneration
cycle and it is set back to the "Service"
position, the unit is now ready for use!
Finally, set the current time of day and the
unit will regenerate at 2:00am, on the morning
after the meter has measured the pre-set amount
of water or the time clock unit day of
regeneration is reached. Check for leaks and
fill the brine tank with salt! We recommend
using the very clean salt in our units.
Notes
Even though you now have soft water, your
water heater is still full of hard water.
Through normal use, this water will be replaced
with soft water in about 2-4 days.
Be sure to cut back on detergent, soap and
shampoo usage! Generally, you should be able to
cut your soap use in half! This savings helps to
offset the cost of the softener salt!
Hard copper pipe generally comes in two
grades. We recommend using the thicker "L" type
copper pipe rather than the thinner "M" type
copper pipe.
Follow your local plumbing and building codes
when installing your new softener.
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