OT: Water softener problem

[AMc]

We fitted a water softener back in 2009
It's a Culligan SLHITECHF.

I noticed recently that the salt tank was full of water, memory suggests that it wasn't normally but I wasn't sure. I ran a manual regeneration and the level dropped, ran another and it dropped again so I cleaned the tank out and checked the filter/venturi (based on a couple of US forum posts).
Now after a few hours the tank is full of water again and I note that the overflow outside is dripping slowly all the time, even when no water has been drawn for hours. Dripping saline onto the foot of the utility wall isn't really a good idea is it?

Any one know of anything else I can check before I admit defeat and call Culligan out to look at it?

 

[Feltwell]

I've had the same thing but it "mysteriously" cured itself, and hasn't been a problem for several years since.

Try calling this firm - it may be a common problem that they can diagnose over the phone - and they sell the parts for these machines. I know them because they're local to me, I buy my salt from them - a small business and very friendly, the owner is also the service engineer.

http://www.wrekinwatersofteners.co.uk/wrekinwatersofteners/index.asp

 

[robgil]

Is there some kind of valve to decide when to put water through the tank?

 

[AMc]

There must be a valve to flood the salt tank but the unit is built in such a way that makes it awkward to see what anything does. The mechanism is held on the salt tank by pop through plastic plugs that I suspect will break if I try and release them. If my auto maintenance has taught me anything these kind of fixings are designed to be cheap to replace if you buy them by the 1000 and are very tricky to find and expensive if you need 2.

If I understand it correctly the bottom of the salt tank should contain a few inches of water which dissolves some of the salt tablets between weekly regenerations.
When the softener regenerates it flushes the resin tank (that actually softens the incoming mains) with brine sucked from the bottom of the salt tank which chemically "reactivates" the resin.
The salt tank then refills with a couple of inches of water - at some point - ready for the next regeneration cycle.

My guess is that the valve that floods the salt tank ready for the next regeneration isn't closing perfectly so like a dripping tap it's filled the salt tank which is now overflowing. It's probably a really simple washer to change, but I can't see where and I'm wary of ending up "out of my depth" in mains pressure water

 

[AMc]

I've popped an email to Wrekin water softeners in the hope they may be able to help, thanks Feltwell.

 

[AMc]

Just an update in case the search or Google ever brings someone this way...

I emailed Wrekin and one of their engineers Paul, rang me to walk me through some checks to help me work out what was wrong. Apparently this model of softener is rebadged by a number of companies (Liff, Waterside, Aquadial and Culligan Water), but the guts are all the same.

His diagnosed a problem with one or more of the seals in the valve head which was leaking water internally into the salt tank.
He also told me that the assembly is expected to be replaced after 4 years so it might be worth simply swapping it out.

A couple of days passed when I couldn't look at it, but I finally found some time to strip it down and take a look so I could see what I needed to order.
The pictures on the Wrekin Water Softener site show what the various bits look like which was a big help in dismantling (not a hard job).
http://www.wrekinwatersofteners.co.uk/wrekinwatersofteners/category_final.asp?department=Service%20Parts&category=Waterside%20Aquadial

There was some gunk built up on the figure of 8 injector port seal. I cleaned that and the O ring then refitted them.
The first attempt at rebuilding resulted in mains pressure water squeezing out of the sides :shock: O ring in the wrong place .
Second attempt was more successful but I didn't notice there is a sensor which detects the position of the top cam using what appears to be a small LED and an photocell on either side on the plate that holds the motor.
I managed to bend one of these and put them both on top of the cam - when I powered it up, it drove the cam 360 degrees and then screamed an alarm.
A gentle rearrangement of the bent sensor and a much more careful refitting of the motor chassis and all was working again.

I confidently expected the salt tank to fill with water over the next day but at least now knowing what it looked like inside, I could get the parts with confidence and fit them myself.
To my vague surprise it hasn't been leaking since - about a week now, so hopefully I can leave it alone until that major replacement is needed in a year or so - or when it goes wrong again

Once again a big vote of thanks to Feltwell for recommending them and a massive thumbs up for Wrekin Water Softeners for their free help and advice. Obviously when I need parts they will be the only company I call.

 

[Feltwell]

No problem, glad they were helpful. Not surprised you got Paul - he's the service engineer, owner, van driver, head chef, bottlewasher, etc etc !

Sounds like my softener is doing well then - it's had about 6 years of use now without any attention, although the little electric motor that drives the mechanism has become very noisy. I keep expecting it to pack up and it never does. Paul has seen and heard it (he delivers my salt) and reckoned I was best off just leaving it until it finally packs up.

 

[Moo]

Our water softener was, I think, a Waterside. It was installed over a dozen years ago and as far as we know is still going strong.

 

[AMc]

I'm certainly not planning on signing up to an annual service contract with Culligan having seen how it works and what the parts cost. It's hard to justify the £500 list price when you can buy all the bits for about that too.

I suspect that the resin will have a finite lifespan, regardless of it being recharged with brine washing I think it will eventually stop being effective based on the reading I've done.

My main reason for fitting the softener when we renovated was the scale damage to the existing bathroom fittings which were only 10 years old and my decision was backed up when I removed the hot water tanks and heard the scale slooshing around in the bottom. At least I got the scrap value of that

Having noticed the leak I stopped adding salt, given it overflows out onto the foundations I figured a fresh water drip was better than a salt water one.
It was really apparent in a couple of weeks how hard the water is without the treatment - shower screen and taps have hard water marks that don't normally appear, showerhead is gummed up.