During a recharge cycle, your softener fills with water to create a salty brine solution. This is important because if the filling route is blocked, that brine can't be created and pulled through the system to recharge the media - leaving you with hard water. Let's go through some steps below to test your unit and make sure the filling route is clear!
Before You Start
- Sometimes it can be hard to tell if your unit is filling properly. Take a broom or something with a long handle and stick it down into the salt and touch the bottom of the tank. If the stick is wet, then your system is likely filling normally.
- You can also use a flashlight to look down the brinewell (black tubing that holds the brine valve) to see if there's water at the bottom.
- A note: The amount of water usage/size of a recharge can vary from 1 gallon to several gallons and is not relevant when following this article. The thing to look for is the water flow (described later).
Click each step to expand directions.
Bypass Unit and Detach Parts
1. First, you'll need to remove the top cover.
- On the back of the unit, unhook the two clips that hold the cover onto the tank below (see photo below). Flex/pull the cover out and away from the softener at these clips.
- There are two similar clips holding the front of the cover on as well. Slide the cover towards you to release these clips. Be careful not to disconnect any wires. It's normal for the plastic cover to produce some noise as it shifts and bends.
2. Hold the Recharge button until you hear the motor start to turn, then let go. Normally, the tank will start filling here.
*NOTE: If you hear water exiting the drain hose, or the word ‘Clean’ shows on the screen, your unit has an additional backwash before the Fill. We need to skip that. Press the Recharge button once, to move into the Rinse. Press the Recharge button once more to move into the Fill.
3. Bypass the water softener by pushing the handle in on the back of your unit. This will stop water from coming in or out of the softener while you work:
NOTE: If you have a 3-Valve Bypass, make sure the inlet/outlet valves are open, and the bypass is closed.
4. Now, you'll disconnect the Brine hose from the Venturi (white cone piece). Identify yours below. There may be some leaking from the port, so grab a bowl and set it below to catch the water.
- If yours has a white nut attached to the Venturi: unscrew the nut by twisting it counter-clockwise 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.
Test Water Flow
5. Slowly take the unit out of bypass and watch for water flow from the Venturi port. Do you see water flowing out?
- YES - If there is water flow, bypass the unit again and continue to step 6.
- NO - If there is no water flow, check your plumbing to make sure it's not bypassed further up from your system. If you still have no flow, you'll need to Clean the Venturi. It's very important to follow the article and make sure you take ALL of the parts out and clean them (especially the tiny ones at the bottom, inside the grey plastic piece and make sure to put them back in correctly like the article states) then return here and repeat step 5.
6. Hold the brine hose to your mouth and blow through the hose like a straw. Is it easy to get air through?
- NO - If it's difficult to get the water through the brine hose, we recommend Cleaning your Brine Valve Assembly.
- YES - Continue to next section.
Reattach Parts & Run a Recharge
7. Reattach the brine hose to the venturi.
- Either screw the white nut back on by twisting it clock-wise:
- 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.
8. Take the unit OUT of bypass by pulling the handle back out.
9. Tap the Recharge button once to move into the Brine cycle. When the motor stops, tap the Recharge button again to move into the Backwash. Tap the Recharge again to move to Rinse. Tap one last time, and the flashing 'Recharge' indicator on the screen should disappear. Press and hold the Recharge button to start a new cycle and then you can let the system run.
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