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Fleck 5600 SE, 64K Grain Water Softener...thoughts?

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I am looking at a used Fleck 5600 SE softener. Its a year old. I have a well, with hard water, high iron. Family of 5. Currently have a Hague softener, but use 160lbs of salt a month, and still signs of iron stains.
Like to hear thoughts of those in the know??
Thanks

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How much iron?

Is the water ever discolored?

How hard is the water.

How many bathrooms?

Any large tubs?

Any large water using showers? If so how many heads total?

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Re: Fleck 5600 SE, 64K Grain Water Softener...thoughts?

TonyOde wrote:

I am looking at a used Fleck 5600 SE softener. Its a year old. I have a well, with hard water, high iron. Family of 5. Currently have a Hague softener, but use 160lbs of salt a month, and still signs of iron stains.
Like to hear thoughts of those in the know??
Thanks

Along with the details of your water conditions do you know where this used softener was installed and was it working properly?

0 Replies

Re: Fleck 5600 SE, 64K Grain Water Softener...thoughts?

justalurker wrote:

TonyOde wrote:
I am looking at a used Fleck 5600 SE softener. Its a year old. I have a well, with hard water, high iron. Family of 5. Currently have a Hague softener, but use 160lbs of salt a month, and still signs of iron stains.
Like to hear thoughts of those in the know??
Thanks

Along with the details of your water conditions do you know where this used softener was installed and was it working properly?

Latest readings, with current softener:
Hard - 30
Iron - 4.6
PH - 7+

Do not notice any discoloring, but signs of iron staining on shower curtains, toilets. Yes, I use ironout salt. Wink

Wink

2.5 bathrooms with two shower heads total. One bathtub.
Family of 5, with 4 females, who use quite a bit of water.

The Fleck was in working condition and used in a home.

Thanks

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Re: Fleck 5600 SE, 64K Grain Water Softener...thoughts?

TonyOde wrote:

Latest readings, with current softener:
Hard - 30
Iron - 4.6
PH - 7+

I hope those measurements are the water BEFORE the Hague and not after it.

You have hard water and the iron is right at the limit of a softeners ability to handle it. With 5 adults thats considerable water use.

The 64k used softener would seem to be smaller than your needs require. It would be regenerating too often and wasting a lot of water.

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Re: Fleck 5600 SE, 64K Grain Water Softener...thoughts?

justalurker wrote:

TonyOde wrote:

Latest readings, with current softener:
Hard - 30
Iron - 4.6
PH - 7+

I hope those measurements are the water BEFORE the Hague and not after it.

You have hard water and the iron is right at the limit of a softeners ability to handle it. With 5 adults thats considerable water use.

The 64k used softener would seem to be smaller than your needs require. It would be regenerating too often and wasting a lot of water.

NOT 5 adults. 2 adults, 3 children in the house.
I also believe those readings were taken WITH the softener. But those readings are a couple years old. I know I need to get new readings.
Is testing water something that anyone can do? Much difficulty? Can you get kits at local hardware places?
Thanks...your input is greatly appreciated.

0 Replies

Tony, the 2.0 cuft can work. Your salt efficiency is going to be less than a correctly sized softener would be. A larger softener will use more water per regeneration and it will regenerate on the same number of gallons. Forgive justalurker, I keep saying he doesn't know how to correctly size a softener. And notice that h20man never answered your question of why Ecowater "is best" as he says, nor is he here helping you with this post.

I respect h20man for not interjecting because he doesn't know sizing, but then justalurker doesn't know sizing either but he doesn't let that stop him from putting out bad advice.

Ask justalurer why he thinks you'll waste water with this 2.0 cuft. Also ask him why he suggests a larger softener when he said here the other day that a residence never needs a softener larger than a 1.5 cuft.

I see in another thread you said that the hardness and iron data is like a year old. You need current data from a current water test.

You also said that you're going to a different softener because of using 160 lbs of salt per month. With the water quality you have and then for a household with 5 people, you use a lot of water. My question is, what amount of salt do you think you should be using?

Look at the resin tank of this 2.0 cuft softener and find the model number, what is it? The label is in clear epoxy anywhere on the flat side of the tank; usually down by the black base.

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TonyOde,

With well water like yours and a problem softener you should get a water test from an independent lab. It will cost you money BUT an independent lab has no agenda and is not trying to sell you water treatment equipment. If you can't find a local certifed lab in the phone book go to http://www.epa.gov/safewater/labs/index.html to locate a certified lab near you. This is a MUST DO because without it everything is a guess. A quickie water test from Sears or a water softener company won't be as accurate (and possibly not as competent) as from a certified independent lab.

Hit the Yellow Pages and call at least three local water treatment pros. Make sure you call at least one of the big dogs like Kinetico or Culligan for comparison and at least a couple independent pros. DON'T TELL THEM YOU HAD YOUR WATER TESTED.

Give each an opportunity to offer suggestions and provide you with a quote to meet your water treatment needs. IGNORE ANY THAT DON'T TEST YOUR WATER THEMSELVES as they can't speak intelligently to water treatment without knowing what needs to be treated.

Ask lots of questions. Softening the entire house or just the water heater (bad idea)? Warranty, parts & labor or just parts, how long and on exactly what? Install, permits required, licensed plumber? Routine maintenance and costs? Do they stock parts? Response time for emergency (water leak) calls? If they don't explain things to your satisfaction that is a good indicator of how you'll be treated after the sale.

After they've gone use your water test to compare with their's. Are all your treatment needs being addressed?

<b>Ask your neighbors if they have any water treatment experience. They might tell you who's good or who to avoid</b>.

Come back here and post the specific recommendations and hardware components with the costs and we'll give you our opinions.

You'll spend more with a local water treatment pro but you'll get more.

0 Replies

Gary Slusser wrote:

Tony, the 2.0 cuft can work. Your salt efficiency is going to be less than a correctly sized softener would be. A larger softener will use more water per regeneration and it will regenerate on the same number of gallons. Forgive justalurker, I keep saying he doesn't know how to correctly size a softener. And notice that h20man never answered your question of why Ecowater "is best" as he says, nor is he here helping you with this post.

I respect h20man for not interjecting because he doesn't know sizing, but then justalurker doesn't know sizing either but he doesn't let that stop him from putting out bad advice.

Ask justalurer why he thinks you'll waste water with this 2.0 cuft. Also ask him why he suggests a larger softener when he said here the other day that a residence never needs a softener larger than a 1.5 cuft.

I see in another thread you said that the hardness and iron data is like a year old. You need current data from a current water test.

You also said that you're going to a different softener because of using 160 lbs of salt per month. With the water quality you have and then for a household with 5 people, you use a lot of water. My question is, what amount of salt do you think you should be using?

Look at the resin tank of this 2.0 cuft softener and find the model number, what is it? The label is in clear epoxy anywhere on the flat side of the tank; usually down by the black base.

Not looking for a new softener because of the amount of salt I use, but because I think this Hague is a bit outdated, I have been told that new conditions do use alot less salt, and even more importantly.....we still see signs of IRON STAINS on shower curtains, toilets, inside my canisters of my drinking water filter system.
Thanks

0 Replies

Re: Fleck 5600 SE, 64K Grain Water Softener...thoughts?

TonyOde wrote:

NOT 5 adults. 2 adults, 3 children in the house.
I also believe those readings were taken WITH the softener. But those readings are a couple years old. I know I need to get new readings.
Is testing water something that anyone can do? Much difficulty? Can you get kits at local hardware places?
Thanks...your input is greatly appreciated.

Your Hague isn't allowing 30 gpg hardness and all but 5 ppm of iron through it so the data will be from before the Hague.

Labs sell water tests, that's their agenda. They also charge premium prices for inexpensive water tests like iron, pH, hardness etc.. If you can, get a manganese test along with the hardness, iron and pH. You can get a water test at a plumbing or pump supply house, water treatment dealership, Sears or buy a kit at most big box or hardware stores and test it yourself.

0 Replies

Gary Slusser wrote:

And notice that h20man never answered your question of why Ecowater "is best" as he says, nor is he here helping you with this post.

I respect h20man for not interjecting because he doesn't know sizing,

Say what ?! Sizing a system is easy - a monkey with a note can do it.

EcoWater is the best for many reasons, for instance they are not assemblers.
EcoWater makes 99% of the components needed to build the systems they sell.
They have full in-house control of quality. They R&D in-house. Their warranty is awesome. Their product is second to none.

0 Replies

Re: Fleck 5600 SE, 64K Grain Water Softener...thoughts?

Gary Slusser wrote:

TonyOde wrote:
NOT 5 adults. 2 adults, 3 children in the house.
I also believe those readings were taken WITH the softener. But those readings are a couple years old. I know I need to get new readings.
Is testing water something that anyone can do? Much difficulty? Can you get kits at local hardware places?
Thanks...your input is greatly appreciated.

Your Hague isn't allowing 30 gpg hardness and all but 5 ppm of iron through it so the data will be from before the Hague.

Labs sell water tests, that's their agenda. They also charge premium prices for inexpensive water tests like iron, pH, hardness etc.. If you can, get a manganese test along with the hardness, iron and pH. You can get a water test at a plumbing or pump supply house, water treatment dealership, Sears or buy a kit at most big box or hardware stores and test it yourself.

And these test kits that I could purchase, would be suffecient enough to provide the info I need? No offense, but I am hearing two different things from two different people here.
Thanks

0 Replies

Re: Fleck 5600 SE, 64K Grain Water Softener...thoughts?

TonyOde wrote:

[No offense, but I am hearing two different things from two different people here.

No offense, but you can do this right and get safe, soft water or you can do it cheap and take your chances.

0 Replies

Yes you are. And you are getting some bad advice from one of them.

That one has never sold a softener, never been a dealer, says he has been servicing some softeners lately and is a customer of mine that is fulfilling his agenda at your expense due to a threat that he made to me in Aug 2005 to prevent me from making any online sales he can. Check my profile, I've been in the softening business for now 21 years.

So you need to choose what you think is good advice and live with the outcome for you and your family. If you don't think the home test kit is good enough, pick one of the other choices I mentioned.

You may also want to learn more about correctly sizing a softener.

0 Replies

Gary Slusser wrote:

Yes you are. And you are getting some bad advice from one of them.

That one has never sold a softener, never been a dealer, says he has been servicing some softeners lately and is a customer of mine that is fulfilling his agenda at your expense due to a threat that he made to me in Aug 2005 to prevent me from making any online sales he can. Check my profile, I've been in the softening business for now 21 years.

So you need to choose what you think is good advice and live with the outcome for you and your family. If you don't think the home test kit is good enough, pick one of the other choices I mentioned.

You may also want to learn more about correctly sizing a softener.

After reading your profile, checking out your website, I will go with your recommendation. I dont' want to get into all this "drama" on here, just looking for honest answers. I am looking for the right softener/filter for my home/family. I have been reading up on them, but so many out there, from 500- to over 3000 dollars, its rather confusing. And to be honest, I would prefer not to pay thousands, when I can (IF I can) get the samething for 500...if that makes sense.
Thank Mr. Slusser.

0 Replies

Gary Slusser wrote:

I respect h20man for not interjecting because he doesn't know sizing,

H2O_MAN wrote:

Say what ?! Sizing a system is easy - a monkey with a note can do it.

Then why are you not helping him with the setup of his 2.0 cuft 5600?

H2O_MAN wrote:

EcoWater is the best for many reasons, for instance they are not assemblers.
EcoWater makes 99% of the components needed to build the systems they sell.

They DO NOT make the resin, and only the resin removes hardness and iron etc.

H2O_MAN wrote:

They have full in-house control of quality. They R&D in-house. Their warranty is awesome. Their product is second to none.

They also make all the big box store brands, Kenmore, Whirlpool, Kenmore and GE. And the online mortonsalt.com and the North Star that is sold through plumbing supply houses.

The Ecowater brand is nothing more than a glorified Kenmore, GE, Whirlpool etc. with a HIGH price sold through a dealer instead of a big box store. They even look alike! They share the same control valve and tanks.

What makes the Ecowater any different than a Kenmore etc. and why don't they cost the same $800+/- instead of the $3500+/- the Ecowater dealer charges?

0 Replies

Gary Slusser wrote:

H2O_MAN wrote:
EcoWater is the best for many reasons, for instance they are not assemblers.
EcoWater makes 99% of the components needed to build the systems they sell.

They DO NOT make the resin, and only the resin removes hardness and iron etc.

That would be the 1%

What % of the systems you drop ship to online buyers is made by Clack?

As for the rest of your comment - trot out something new and meaningful for a change.

0 Replies

TonyOde wrote:

After reading your profile, checking out your website, I will go with your recommendation. I dont' want to get into all this "drama" on here, just looking for honest answers. I am looking for the right softener/filter for my home/family. I have been reading up on them, but so many out there, from 500- to over 3000 dollars, its rather confusing. And to be honest, I would prefer not to pay thousands, when I can (IF I can) get the samething for 500...if that makes sense.
Thank Mr. Slusser.

You're welcome Tony. Yes, I'm with you on the paying less thing. Paying more only makes the business owner/salesman more money.

Call a couple labs, numbers are in yout yellow pages under the heading Water Analysis, or Water Testing or Labs, then post their prices here.

When you get the current water analysis data I can tell you how to set up the 5600. This softener isn't as good as you could have but if you maintain it right it will give you better service than the older Hague.

What do they want for this softener?

You probably will not be reducing your salt usage though. But... it takes what salt it takes to get iron free and soft water.

And you're on your own well, so (usually) water usage is not a concern.

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H20man, is there anything inaccurate in what I said?

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Gary Slusser wrote:

TonyOde wrote:
After reading your profile, checking out your website, I will go with your recommendation. I dont' want to get into all this "drama" on here, just looking for honest answers. I am looking for the right softener/filter for my home/family. I have been reading up on them, but so many out there, from 500- to over 3000 dollars, its rather confusing. And to be honest, I would prefer not to pay thousands, when I can (IF I can) get the samething for 500...if that makes sense.
Thank Mr. Slusser.

You're welcome Tony. Yes, I'm with you on the paying less thing. Paying more only makes the business owner/salesman more money.

Call a couple labs, numbers are in yout yellow pages under the heading Water Analysis, or Water Testing or Labs, then post their prices here.

When you get the current water analysis data I can tell you how to set up the 5600. This softener isn't as good as you could have but if you maintain it right it will give you better service than the older Hague.

What do they want for this softener?

You probably will not be reducing your salt usage though. But... it takes what salt it takes to get iron free and soft water.

And you're on your own well, so (usually) water usage is not a concern.

What do I want? I want what I need, good clean, soft water that will not damage appliances such as my new pricey washer and dryer, I do not want the stains I am seeing (is this a sign of high iron and my hague not doing its job?). I am not so much concerned about the salt usage as I am about having my water properly filtered and softened.

And IF this Fleck is not as good as I could have, what recommendation do you have as one that would be better suited, at a reasonable price?

Also, about testing the water.....although the numbers I posted are a year or so old....why can't those be used to determine my needs? Would my well water change that much from one year to the next?
Thanks

0 Replies

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