r/WaterSofteners

Hey, moving into a rental that uses this system.

What do I buy? How do I care for it? Do I clean it?

Ok my BWT WS355 water softener in the UK has stopped working, it accidentally ran out of salt for a while 😬 so I’ve refilled it and now the display is not showing anything, I’ve proved the plug is working so is the transformer giving 12v, the back of the circuit board is warm to the touch so it’s getting power but nothing is displayed and also the machine does not make any noises. I can hear water running through the machine with the tap on but other than that it seems to be dead. Any ideas, it’s about 5 years old and I bought it from wickes, it’s always been great and does its programmed regens when needed plus when there’s been a power cut it does it when power comes back on so pretty sure it’s clear, I’ve replaced the salt and thrown a jug of water on top to dissolve the salt at the bottom but nothing other than that I’m stumped. If anyone has any ideas or I’m guessing it’s the circuit board that’s done one so if anyone knows where I can buy a circuit board I would appreciate. It’s also really difficult to get to as I built it in a corner cupboard so done myself no favours there lol 😂

Not sure if this is the place to post but…We are looking to replace the water softener as we believe the internal resin filter has worn out and is coming out of a drain hose.

The new in/out valve is a 1/8 higher up. Do you think I’ll have to make more changes here or I’ll be able to unscrew the old one and slip it in?

I wish to install this 10mm air break line into the plumbing under the sink.

I wish to use a ‘non return valve’ in between rather than a ‘air gap’ as diagram

Reason being I can not install an air gap unless I want sewage smells coming out of the waste pipe.

The final photo is the setup at my parents house they have a non return valve plumbed into the waste pipe and this was installed by Harvey engineers for Harvey water softeners

Looking online you should have an air gap only but seriously you can not just have an open waste pipe?!

Otherwise I will drill a hole going outside the house and extend the 10mm hose to a drain outside

Water Softener Air Gap pipe (from Harvey water softener) requires an air break legally into a drain.

Why can I not just put the air pipe like the overflow? It be outside and will have an air gap?, no sewage can syphon up?

What’s the problem?

I can only read about environmental problems but surely the overflow pipe would cause that as well but just plumbs outside?

About to install (DIY) Harvey water softener and saw this air pipe and would like to know why it needs to be in a drain? Does a lot of brine come out of this pipe? Which would damage the brickwork and environment?

Not gonna install until I fully understand this

Got all the bypass, water filter etc ready but this part I don’t understand

Please help me out here. Live in an area with approximately 28 GPG, what setting should I have this at for four people? How do I adjust? Any idea exactly what model this is so I can find the manual online? Thank you!

The brine tub in my newly installed SoftPro Elite unit, get just filled with water and stays that way after a regen. Looking at how this float seems to work, I think I need to adjust the black rubber plunger at the top.

There was nothing in the installation manual on adjusting that; and without adjustment, it seems to make the float just a piece of plastic. I think I need to slide it down. How far down should it go?

Thanks

The display is not working on our aquasure harmony series. I don’t hear water shooting thru the pipes around the water softener. It’s just not displaying anything at all. Tried the usual unplug/plug back in checked the breaker and the outlet, that’s all fine. Emailed their support but they aren’t opened on weekends. Our water is working fine, just not the water softener. It’s only about 5 years old. Had a lot of issues with it for years, two filters on it and we still have terrible water. Any help is appreciated.

Installed this water softener system, booster pump and pressure tank and my grandmothers house. Let me know how did.

We've been caught in the battle of AIs while researching what number of days to settle on for Regen Override Days for our year old Aquatell  2.0 cu ft / 64K grain Clack WS1EE softener and could use the knowledgeable folks here to provide their input .

Some relevant info: We're currently a household of 2 planning on having future kids and the occasional guests that pass through and stay with us briefly on and off throughout the year. Our daily water usage is on the conservative side.. Approx 115-120 gallons per day.

We've had the softener set on metered/ Auto Regen with the default 14 Day Override and noticed that we were frequently adding salt as the system was regenerating every 14 days with anywhere from 750-850 gallons remaining as we never got close to the metered threshold.

This is when we decided to utilize the 2 AIs in order to help us decide if we should set the regen days to 21, 28 or even OFF:

1st AI insisting on keeping the 14 day override & its reasoning:

>The Sources and Science Behind the 14-Day Rule

>Industry guidelines, manufacturer manuals, and water treatment studies specify a maximum limit of 14 days between regeneration cycles due to two primary issues: [1, 2]

>Your water softener removes hardness, but it does not sanitize water. Municipal tap water contains trace, safe levels of bacteria. When water sits inside a large, dark, 2.0-cubic-foot tank full of organic resin beads for nearly three weeks, the chlorine or chloramines from your city water break down. The resin bed becomes a breeding ground for bacterial biofilm, leading to stale, stagnant water or foul odors coming from your taps. [1]

>2. Resin Packing and "Channeling"

>When water flows through a resin tank, it naturally takes the path of least resistance. Over time, it creates small tunnels through the beads, an effect called channeling. If the bed is not backwashed and agitated frequently, the remaining resin beads compress, pack together, and lose their ability to filter. [1]

>Industry data indicates that letting a residential system sit longer than 14 days severely degrades the lifespan of the resin. [1]

2nd AI's Counter Claim:

>The 14-day recommendation is a conservative best practice, not a universal engineering rule and shouldn't apply according to your usage. Clack controllers allow override settings well beyond 14 days, which suggests longer intervals are acceptable in appropriate applications. While chlorine residual decreases over time and biofilm or channeling can occur under certain conditions, those risks depend heavily on the water source, usage pattern, iron content, and overall system conditions—not simply the number of days between regenerations.

>In your case, the softener is on chlorinated municipal water, receives daily household use, regenerates in AUTO (metered) mode, and has shown no signs of odor, hardness breakthrough, channeling, or resin problems. Resin longevity is influenced much more by factors such as chlorine exposure, iron fouling, proper regeneration, and maintenance than by exceeding a 14-day interval alone. You should still follow Aquatell's guidance for your specific system, but I don't believe the available evidence supports the claim that a properly functioning residential softener is inherently or severely harmed simply because the day override is set beyond 14 days.

We are Located in Las Vegas, Nevada on Municipal City Water; Hardness is approx 18 grains per gallon; Iron levels approx <0.05ppm.

What is the best option/ setting for us to maximize regin longevity while maintaining salt efficiency?

Appreciate your help and apologies for all the AI jargon included within the quotes! We have contacted Aquatell but have yet to hear back and couldn't find anything in the manual that addresses this as well. TIA!

I have an old water softener that hasn’t been used since we moved in 5 years ago. Tank full of water. I’m getting around to repairing it and have cleaned the venturi, now I need to replace a leaking bypass valve. Before invest more time, should I just consider replacing it? Probably close to 30 years old.

Here is how I add just a little hardness back into my soft water. From left to right - my well water comes in from the left - T with a quarter turn valve - 1/4” tubing - 2nd quarter turn valve - T into the soft water.

Below this picture is the actual softener. The white PEX goes down to the softener and then comes back up the wall on the right hand side.

The 1/4” line that goes straight up is 100% soft water to my refrigerator.

The reason why I have the little ball valves is to get water samples for testing. I’m in the water treatment industry, so I’m a nerd and test my own water. I wanted to be able to make adjustments when needed.

Hello,

What would be the best way I can remove this water softener? We bought a condo that had this system already installed, but it never worked or at least I never knew how to operate it. I tried reaching out to the company, but they did not have anyone in the area to service it anymore.