Peerless softener problem

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I have a Peerless 30 FME water softener that is not working properly. The readout has dashes all the way across to the left side where a 2 is flashing on and off. There is an arrow at regenerate, an arrow at meter, and the indicator is at brine rinse. I have looked at the panel and I can't find anywhere to reset the unit. Is this possible? Is there also a way to bypass the electronics and regenerate manually? Any help is appreciated.

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You need to find out what brand and model control valve you have and let us know. It sounds like a Fleck, but which one? You can search the 'net for softeners and look at pictures of control valves until you find one that looks like yours.

It sounds as if it is stuck in a regeneration.... do you have water running to drain? If so put the by-pass valve in by-pass and unplug the control valve.

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Control Valve
The control valve is a Fleck 6700.

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JDens,

There are two versions of the Fleck 6700... upflow brining and downflow brining.

Here are links to the programming instructions and service manuals for both versions...

click here for Fleck 6700 downflow brining programming instructions

clcik here for Fleck 6700 downflow brining service manual

click here for Fleck 6700 upflow brining programming instructions

click here for Fleck 6700 upflow brining service manual

Sounds like the control valve is stuck in regeneration step #2, brine draw/slow rinse. Put the softener in bypass and pull the AC plug. Wait 5 minutes and plug in the AC adapter.

Read the correct service manual for your version 6700 (upflow or downflow) and try to step through the regeneration steps with the control panel.

If that works then take the softener out of bypass and start a manual regeneration paying attention to whether the control valve binds at step #2 again. If it doesn't bind and completes the regeneration then you're OK for now. You should contact the selling dealer and let them know you've had a problem.

If that doesn't work then something is bound up in the control valve or there might be a problem with the motor or control board. Leave the softener in bypass.

If the softener is still under the 5 year warranty contact the selling dealer and they should assist you.

I hope this information will help.

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Thanks for the help, but that didn't seem to do anything. I tried to turn the gear in the back by hand, and it did move, so I guess it isn't jammed.

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JDens wrote:

I tried to turn the gear in the back by hand, and it did move, so I guess it isn't jammed.

Could be that the motor died, is not getting power, or something is bound. Could be that something jammed and the motor fried trying to drive it.

Fleck warranties their control valves for 5 years. If the softener is still under the 5 year warranty contact the selling dealer and they should assist you.

You can contact Fleck (Pentair) through this form... click here and ask their advice.

If it is not under warranty then check the Yellow Pages under water treatment for water treatment professionals. There's usually someone everywhere that services and repairs Fleck control valves.

You can try to do it yourself with the help of the service manuals. Parts are available on the internet but this forum's rules prohibit me posting a link.

Let us know how things work out.

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JDens wrote:

Thanks for the help, but that didn't seem to do anything. I tried to turn the gear in the back by hand, and it did move, so I guess it isn't jammed.

You don't want to be turning gears unless you take the power head apart, you can break something.

Usually the control valve manufacturers do not want the end user to contact them, and they aren't that wild about dealers contacting them. You should contact a dealer. The 6700 has had timer problems over the years. I doubt the motor is fried. Other than a few troubleshooting ideas, the service manual usually will not tell you what you need to know.

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I had a service tech in today and he said that the control valve is just getting worn out. He got it to regenerate, but he didn't know how long it would last. Thanks for all the help.

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JDens wrote:

I had a service tech in today and he said that the control valve is just getting worn out.

JDens,

I'm curious, how old is the softener?

Do you know the amount of resin in the softener?

On a water system or a well?

What are the water conditions? Hardness? Iron? PH? TDS?

How many people in the house?

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It is aprox. 10 yrs. old with a 30,000 gr. capacity. I don't know the actual numbers on the hardness. We live in northern MI, so we have a lot of iron in our water. It is literally orange when it isn't softened. We have 4 people in the house and it is well water.

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JDens wrote:

It is aprox. 10 yrs. old with a 30,000 gr. capacity. I don't know the actual numbers on the hardness. We live in northern MI, so we have a lot of iron in our water. It is literally orange when it isn't softened. We have 4 people in the house and it is well water.

It may be time to retire that old softener and upgrade to a modern system.
Do you have a local EcoWater dealer that can offer you some treatment options?

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JDens wrote:

It is aprox. 10 yrs. old with a 30,000 gr. capacity. I don't know the actual numbers on the hardness. We live in northern MI, so we have a lot of iron in our water. It is literally orange when it isn't softened. We have 4 people in the house and it is well water.

Do you use any type of resin cleaner like Iron Out? If not you should.

Exactly what did the "tech" do? Did he take the valve apart and replace anything or lube anything? He should have.

Are you handy, or wannabe? If so you may be able to rebuild the control valve and replace the resin when needed but, a 30k is a 1.0 cuft, and probably too small for your water quality, family size and number of bathrooms and any large tubs or showers. Especially with high iron but... to get 30 out of a 1.0 cuft, your salt efficiency is terrible.

If you get to thinking about a new softener, take a look at the Clack WS-1 control valve. It can be totally rebuilt in less than 30 minutes even by the unhandiest handsome guys that might think that a screw driver is a weird type of ice pick. Smile

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When you talk to the EcoWater people be sure and ask them about the ETF AIIF Air Injected Iron Filter Cool

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He doesn't need additional equipment, his softener has been working for 10 years. And air injection is a poor choice for iron removal.

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Gary Slusser wrote:

He doesn't need additional equipment, his softener has been working for 10 years. And air injection is a poor choice for iron removal.

It has been working, but it's not working now. More efficient modern equipment is available. You did offer to sell him some WS-1 Clap...
Some new Air Injection systems are outstanding for Iron elimination - you wouldn't know that because you don't install or service what you sell.

_________________
If you pay <$700 including UPS delivery for your H2O system - you're not getting professional installation or service.
Caveat Emptor: You get what you pay for - You don't get what you don't pay for.

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My numbers are 12gr. hardness and 3ppm iron. I think I'm am going to go with either a culligan or an ecowater. They are both about the same specs and price. I also have a local dealer for both. The eco has a better warranty, so I'm kinda leaning that way.

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JDens wrote:

My numbers are 12gr. hardness and 3ppm iron.
The eco has a better warranty, so I'm kinda leaning that way.

It sounds like you are leaning in the right direction.
I have replaced many Culligan systems, but I've never replaced an EcoWater system...

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H2O_MAN wrote:

It has been working, but it's not working now. More efficient modern equipment is available.

Some new Air Injection systems are outstanding for Iron elimination - you wouldn't know that because you don't install or service what you sell.

I've probably serviced and replaced more air injection systems than you've seen. Air injection is decades old. It is a bad choice for iron. The rust starts forming just past the injector and blocks the pipe past the injector eventually causing build up in the off gas/vent tank and out of it into the turbidity filter which causes it to fail.

It is an expensive way of treating high iron that will not work long term without serious service and expense.

Also, there is no way to improve air injection. A venturi is used to introduce air into the water, period.

Now tell us how Ecowater's air injection is different.

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JDens wrote:

My numbers are 12gr. hardness and 3ppm iron. I think I'm am going to go with either a culligan or an ecowater. They are both about the same specs and price. I also have a local dealer for both. The eco has a better warranty, so I'm kinda leaning that way.

They are both proprietary, meaning you can only get parts from the local dealer. They can charge whatever they want to for the parts, and only that dealer can service the equipment.

They are charging you for the warranty when you purchase the thing, and you really need to study what the warranty says and understand what it covers, and what it doesn't cover. And next to no softener will fail in the first year or two, so when they include labor for the first 1-2 years, that's a gimmick. But you're still paying for it. Tanks and control valve bodies rarely if ever fail., All resins wear out. Tanks have a ten year factory, well all except Eco's big box brands. You can buy new resin for $100+/- online. And resin is resin like sugar is sugar etc..

You can get industry standard nonproprietary equipment with equal to or better quality from local independent or online dealers and get parts from many dealers including online and fix the softener yourself if you'd want to.

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Gary Slusser wrote:

I've probably serviced and replaced more air injection systems than you've seen.

It sounds like the cheap products you like to sell need servicing often... in what year did you run your last service call?

Your "buy from me and install and service it yourself" sales pitch is a gimmick.

_________________
If you pay <$700 including UPS delivery for your H2O system - you're not getting professional installation or service.
Caveat Emptor: You get what you pay for - You don't get what you don't pay for.

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Peerless softener problem

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