RainSoft water softener problems

I have a 10 year old system, all in one unit. I live in Central Florida. It has done a decent job for us for 10 years, although the water still streaks on the glasses in our dishwasher ... even using product designed to keep that from happening. Anyway, my water conditioner quit working a couple months ago. I was out of town, so I told my wife to call and get a service guy to come out and see what was wrong / how much to fix. He came out (within a week) and told her the valve assembly was frozen, and it wasn't available anymore. All he could do for us was to give us $2000 toward the purchase of a new $4995 system. She told him I would get back with him when I got home. This was nearly the identical pitch that was given when I bought the system 10 years ago! It was, even then, a $4995 system that they gave us an unbelievable deal on to get it down to $2500 with 90 days same as cash! I was young and stupid and fell for it back then ... Now, years later, and being much more money-wise, I contacted RainSoft corporate and asked them why the valve wasn't still under warranty, and told them of the story about the valves not being available anymore. I got an email back from Susan Schumacher in Customer Service stating "I will contact Discovery Marketing today to get more information regarding which system you have and the part that is needed. Once I have that information I can discuss this with my technical support department to see what options you have." I was surprised at the quick response. The next day .. today ... I got a call from the local dealer and he told me the valves are no longer being produced, however, they have "several" in stock. He said it would cost me a service call ($90.00 first hour, $30/30 minutes after that ) for them to come out and replace the defective valve. I told him about my father-in-law who lives 2 miles from me and his did the same thing at about the same time, he offered to go over and fix his for the same deal. Otherwise, he could offer me a new system for $1800, or both if us new systems for $1500 each. I told him I would have to talk to my father in law and I would call him back. About 2 hours later he called me again and said if I could tell him now the systems could be installed today. I told him that my father in law wasn't going to be able to buy a new system, and that I couldn't do it right now. He said if I bought one at $1500.00 he would have a new valve put on my father in laws old system for free . I told him I still can't do it yet because my wife and I are expecting possibly bad news health-wise for her tomorrow morning, and depending on the news will make my decision for me, I would let him know. Is this normal pricing for service calls? What would you say is a "fair" price for one of these systems (NC50 I think is what he called it), supposedly the newest top of the line system available from RainSoft? I'm leaning toward repairing both systems ... what should I offer them to do both ... 2 hours maximum? Are there any other things you can think of that I shoud have addressed at this time? What is a carbon re-bed I see you writning about?
Thanks in advance for your help and advise!
travelerjack

I'm confused - are they offering to replace the entire system, replace just the valve or repair the existing valve?
From $5K down to $1500 in a matter of hours has got to make you wonder.

Parts are still available and your valve can be rebuilt. I rebuild them all the time.
The last pair I rebuilt were shipped to me from Rochester, MA and were about 40 years old.
They are working just fine now...



If you have a whole house carbon filter the carbon should be replaced every 36 months or so.
Some dealers exchange tanks, some dump and rebed on site.

I hope this helps...

replacement filters
I need to replace these filters: Carbon Block/Sediment Filter, part# 18557, Carbon Block/Post Filter, part# 18773 and 50 gpd (gallon per day) Membrane, part# 18644. Raisoft charges way too much. Where else can I buy them so I can replace them myself?

RO filters


Try this place LINK

I am not affiliated with this company.

I see there are no complaints since may 2004, they are the best company around in the world as far as water treatment is concerned. You may have delat with a locally owned distributor and had a bad experience. They can tell you how to get filters, use some common sense and ask first.

Rainsoft parts


Any idea where I can get a guild cap & 'O' ring assembly? It is part number 6 and order number 8080 on the parts list that came with the softener.

I cracked the plastic it taking it off. Still works but I don't like the O-ring being visible.

This older unit had quit working years ago--high iron in the water built up on the valve surfaces till it broke the shear pin. I pulled it appart, honed out the valve, put some more silicone grease on the O-rings and replaced the shear pin with a chunk of brazing rod. Now it works mechanically, sucks up brine and all.

Now if it would just soften the water . . .

I presume it is iron fouled. Worth trying something on the resin or should I just replace it?

BB

PS If you even need a hone and can't fine one, make a sharp bend in coathanger type wire, thread some steel wool though the loop, wind in some 600 grit sandpaper, and chuck it in a drill. The steel wool will spring the sandpaper out against the hole you are cleaning out.

For a unit that cost so much in the past year we have replaced 3 timers and everytime they charge us between 125-150 "service Charge" for a part that is under warrenty. The plastic valve to shut the water off to the house,(that they installed) started leaking. The tech on duty couldn't come out until the next day so we were without water for the day. Then forced my wife to sign the bill saying we owed the "service charge". The part cost $8 at Home Depot. Enough is enough, when you spend this much money and the salesman impresses on you that they have the best warrenty, why not be honest and tell you that you will be paying the company an additional $300 or more a year to keep it working even under warrenty? And this does not include salt.

My TC series model was installed 4/99 and although free for most of the past decade is currently constantly flushing and yielding salty water. I had the same problem 5 years ago and the repair guy said that the use of the loose pellets sold through Home Depot was the problem, and that if I switched to the hard pellet bags sold through Costco (& Rona) the valves wouldn't get clogged. I've taken the extra precaution of emptying out the salt bin annually to clear out the packed salt at the bottom (to use on the icey driveway). I saw the maintenance guy take out and show me the valve but I've forgotten how he got it, and if I could take the panel apart myself perhaps I could fix it. The water isn't yellow and the timer seems to be responding to the schedualed backwashes and and manual starts, although I've left it unplugged for a day at a time to avoid the noise. Does anyone here relate?

I have them, drop me an email.

Salty water after regeneration is usually associated with a low water pressure and/or a restricted drain line.

Constant flushing means an internal leak, possibly a brine valve or more likely, the control valve is stuck in a regeneration.

Did you bypass the unit?

Can you post a clear picture or email me a clear picture of the control valve?

Home depot

check Home depot

Salesman was a conman, sold us an overglorified water filter for way too much money. Promised clean water and still we have crap . Bottom line is... the public consumers don't care that Rainsoft has 400 stores...that's easy when you con the ignorant public into believing they can have good clean water from a well. Actually you have to have five times the system that rainsoft recommends to properly filter water from an old well or old water source. I've been through the same issues the earlier posters have, I also was ripped off by the rainsoft filter company's salesman. Bottom line is.... get a local water filter company to sell you a system that can turn lake and pond water into drinking water and then AND ONLY then will you have a chance in hell to be happy with your water. U cannot expect a small cannister filter with 80 lbs of salt to give you municipality quality water. The local company can service your system along with the rest of the hospitals and old folk homes that they currently do business with. Find a company who has pride in their service after the sale not the size of their con game.
Signed,
Been there done that.

Yes!

Find a local company that sell, installs and services what they sell.

Waterguy and the others must be working for rainsoft. This company screwed me and 10 other people I know. Rainsoft needs to be shut down. I have documented water test, I have writen proof of false promises, and I have proof that the company forged my name on paperwork ............... please do not buy this water system it has done nothing but hurt my family............the system broke before it could use 10% of the orginal salt block( the one rainsofts tech put in the day the system was installed).....I cant wait for court Im going to eat them alive

I'm sorry for your troubles, let me know if I can strengthen your court case in any way.


- H2O MAN

No .. they are a piece of CR-P , parts were never right, service personal were out to replace -- finaly after blaming it on every thig else first . Oh He-l, just don,t purchase on, you wll regret it.

idFad, +1 on the excellent advice to avoid RainSoft!