We do not recommend installing your water softener in an environment that regularly drops below freezing temperatures. The following information is intended for customers experiencing an abnormal and temporary short term weather pattern. For seasonal winterizing steps, please visit our Winterizing article.
Prepare
1. Turn off the main water supply to your home. The water should stay off during this cold event to reduce freezing potential in your pipes. If that is not a feasible option, contact your local water department or water treatment center for best practices.
2. Bypass the softener:
Push the handle in on the back of your unit. This will stop water from coming in or out of the softener while you work:
3. Depressurize the unit by running a Recharge cycle. Hold the Recharge button until the motor starts to spin, and then release. You will see ‘Recharge Now’ or ‘Recharging’ flashing on the screen.
4. Tap the recharge button once. This will advance the motor and move the valve to the next position.
5. Repeat Step 3 until the ‘Recharge Now’ or ‘Recharging’ disappears from the screen.
6. Remove the Top Cover:
a. On the back of the unit, unhook the two clips that hold the cover onto the tank below (see photo). Flex/pull the cover out and away from the softener at these clips.
b. There are two similar clips holding the front of the cover on as well. Slide the cover towards you to release these clips, being careful not to disconnect any wires. It is normal for the plastic cover to produce some noise as it shifts and bends.
7. Disconnect the electronic connections from the top of the softener:
a. Motor – unplug thick black and red wires at clear plastic connection piece.
b. Switch – unplug the white plastic connector at end of orange and green wires.
c. Wire Harness – unclip harness from around the outlet port.
8. Remove the black C-clips from the softener/bypass connection. Pull one side of the black plastic C-clip away from the softener, and slowly roll it towards the other side to remove.
***If the clips seem stuck, slowly and gently rock the softener back and forth slightly while applying pressure to the clip as described above to free them.
9. Pull the softener away from the bypass assembly. You may need to remove some dry salt from the tank to make it easier to slide the unit away.
Disconnect Valve Head
10. Disconnect the Drain hose by releasing the black clip on the right-hand side of the head (pictured below left). Have a towel nearby to catch any residue water - especially if your drain hose route is set at an incline.
11. Now, you'll disconnect the Brine hose. Identify yours below.
- If yours has a white nut attached to the Venturi: unscrew the nut and pull the hose off.
- If your hose doesn't have that white nut, you have the 'push to connect' type. For this type, you'll need to push the small collet piece in and pull the hose out at the same time to remove.
12. Remove the large white clamps from the tank neck by unhooking the retainer clips that hold them together.
13. With both hands on the valve head, wiggle it side to side as you pull it up and off.
14. Store the valve head in a warm place during the cold temperatures.
Reassemble
15. When safe to do so, perform the steps above in reverse order:
a. Push the valve head back onto the riser tube and reinstall the neck clamps.
b. Attach the brine hose.
- Either screw the white nut back on:
- Or insert the hose into the collet. You'll need to make sure to push it in until it you notice some resistance. Then push it in a little further. The hose should be in about 5/8 of an inch.
c. Attach the drain hose.
d. Push the softener body back onto the bypass ports. Roll the black C-clips back on to the inlet/outlet connections.
e. Connect the wires back onto the valve head.
f. Clip the top cover back onto the tank.
g. Turn the main water supply back onto the home, keeping the bypass closed. Open a cold and hot water faucet in your home and let run for several minutes.
h. Close the faucets and slowly open the bypass valve, stopping every few seconds to allow water to slowly enter the unit again.