Kinetico Float Cup Proper Setup
MKC
"mass" problems which cause the unit not to work. We use potassium and
have removed the grid and adjusted the float cup to what seems like the
proper height.
Our dealer has serviced the unit twice in the past, and both times left
the unit in "bypass" mode. The first time it happened, we didn't
realize it and now have permanent discoloration on some bath fixtures,
so I'm very hesitant to call them for this. They also had installed the
chlorinator valve in the wrong place in the loop initially....
Does anyone have a detailed description of how to properly set up the
float cup assembly - not the height (we have those instructions), but
the basics of - does the tube with the marked "fins" push onto the base
or does it rest, free-floating above (when pushed in, it allows water to
flow, when resting above, it doesn't)? Does the little black rubber
"stop" rest below (kind of inside) so that it's the lowest height the
float cup can fall, or above the float cup, so it's the highest point?
Anything else?
Thanks,
Michelle
Gary Slusser
"MKC" <sp...@nospamccms.nospamnet> wrote
For salt to bridge/clump or otherwise get hard, it has to have been wet.
The brand you mention allows full line pressure on the 3/8" brine line
and relies on that float valve to shut off that water stream. And water
leak in the brine line inside the salt tank would wet the salt causing a
bridge or hardening when the water stopped and the salt dried. How that
would happen I don't know because the only time the water would stop
would be during brining during a regeneration. The other sources of
water to wet the salt is if you pour some solution for whatever reason,
into/on the salt periodically. Or, condensation inside the salt tank. Or
(most likely) if the unit is not drawing all the brine water it is
supposed to and the water level is rising (leaking shut off float valve)
higher than it is supposed to, and maybe only sometimes. How
condensation would happen I don't know. Are the salt bags opened or
broken and sitting in a humid basement or outside?
You can replace the brine line tubing and get a new float valve, or
possibly rebuild the float valve.
Iron Out or other rust (stain) removing type products will remove the
stains. As long as you haven't used abrasive type products attempting to
clean them off you should be okay.
Next time anyone services your equipment check it's "in service" before
you use water. But I don't see how they worked on the unit and then
tested it if they left it in by-pass. Call them and raise hell with
them. The service guy may have been fired due to other complaints or
they can use your complaints to straighten out his/her work habits now.
Why would you pay for service and then it not be right and you don't
tell them? How can they get better?
I'm not a dealer for them so I can't answer the float "cup" questions
but... with the float (rod) up, water is not supposed to flow into the
brine tank. With the float down, water will flow into the brine tank.
Gary
Quality Water Associates
MKC
> For salt to bridge/clump or otherwise get hard, it has to have been wet.
> The brand you mention allows full line pressure on the 3/8" brine line
> and relies on that float valve to shut off that water stream. How
> condensation would happen I don't know. Are the salt bags opened or
> broken and sitting in a humid basement or outside?
Gary,
Thanks for your response.
The unit itself is in the (uncontrolled) garage as are the spare salt bags.
I thought potassium salt didn't bridge like sodium softener salt does. Is
that a misconception? I thought that was why they advised you to remove
the grid in the salt tank for potassium?
But... doesn't the salt have to get wet in order
to make brine? I'm not picturing how one would keep the water for
brine make-up from contacting the salt in the tank.
> Iron Out or other rust (stain) removing type products will remove the
> stains.
These are dark stains and water spots on chrome fixtures (not rust stains).
Will the Iron Out still work? I've tried "Eliminate", which works on white
hard water deposits but it had little effect on these.
> Next time anyone services your equipment check it's "in service" before
> you use water. But I don't see how they worked on the unit and then
> tested it if they left it in by-pass. Call them and raise hell with
> them.
Oh, I did (raise hell, that is). And we hadn't paid out of pocket since the
unit was in warranty. I do agree that they can't possibly have tested the
unit when it was left in bypass... Unfortunately, we went 3-4 months
before I finally realized there was a problem.
MKC
Gary Slusser
"MKC" <sp...@nospamccms.nospamnet> wrote
> Gary Slusser wrote:
>
> > For salt to bridge/clump or otherwise get hard, it has to have been
wet.
> > The brand you mention allows full line pressure on the 3/8" brine
line
> > and relies on that float valve to shut off that water stream. How
>
> > condensation would happen I don't know. Are the salt bags opened or
> > broken and sitting in a humid basement or outside?
>
> Gary,
>
> Thanks for your response.
>
> The unit itself is in the (uncontrolled) garage as are the spare salt
bags.
> I thought potassium salt didn't bridge like sodium softener salt does.
Is
> that a misconception? I thought that was why they advised you to
remove
> the grid in the salt tank for potassium?
I don't know much about potassium chloride but humidity should effect it
the same as sodium chloride, or so I think. I can't answer to the grid
removal but.... usually if you have a grid the water has to come up over
the grid by 1". TO control that a float valve is used or the air
check/brine pickup is set accordingly. If you removed the grid and
didn't adjust for the additional water level caused by the 'salt'.
displacing the water, you should have some sort of problem. If your unit
was 'dry' brined, meaning the brine makeup water is added a=in the first
cycly of the control in a present regeneration, the water would be up
over a lot of 'salt' and at the end of the regeration it wouldn't be.
Thus the 'salt' would have been wetted.
> But... doesn't the salt have to get wet in order
> to make brine? I'm not picturing how one would keep the water for
> brine make-up from contacting the salt in the tank.
In a wet brine unit, one with the brine water added during the last
regeneration, there will be more 'salt' wet than can be dissolved into
the water but.... The rest isn't supposed to be wet and then allowed to
'dry'. Many softeners do brine refill as the last cycle of a
regeneration and as the next regeneration occurs the brine is sucked out
of the tank and in an hour or so the water is added back into the tank
for the next regeneration. While the water was drawn out the salt
settles very little but as the new refill (brine makeup) water is added
the salt dissolves causing the level to fall and smometimes
substantially.
> > Iron Out or other rust (stain) removing type products will remove
the
> > stains.
>
> These are dark stains and water spots on chrome fixtures (not rust
stains).
> Will the Iron Out still work? I've tried "Eliminate", which works on
white
> hard water deposits but it had little effect on these.
If the stain isn't caused by iron it probably won't. Black can be
manganese and your softener should be removing it.
> > Next time anyone services your equipment check it's "in service"
before
> > you use water. But I don't see how they worked on the unit and then
> > tested it if they left it in by-pass. Call them and raise hell with
> > them.
>
> Oh, I did (raise hell, that is). And we hadn't paid out of pocket
since the
Very good.
> unit was in warranty. I do agree that they can't possibly have tested
the
> unit when it was left in bypass... Unfortunately, we went 3-4 months
> before I finally realized there was a problem.
I give my softener customers a little soft water test kit to use when
ever they question the operation of their softener. But in the case
where you didn't notice any difference in your water quality for 3-4
months!! Maybe the thing has never worked right, or you didn't need a
softener and you should have an iron filter.
I'd call them back out and tell them to make it work right and since
they told you to remove the grid, have them set up the salt dose
correctly and fix the float. Don't shy away from them now that you've
got their attention, prod 'em to excell.
Gary
Quality Water Associates
> MKC