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Fri 16 Mar, 2007 07:52 pm
Have a Rainsoft Amazon Gold, 2 1/2 years old and until recently very pleased & happy with the system. System was serviced by local rep last November, and since then am going through large amounts of potassium chloride. Prior to service system was using about +/- 40 lbs a month; now it's using almost that much each week - and the system doesn't seem to call for that much to be used. For example, I just checked my brine tank and it was nearly empty, but the LED readout on the control board on the tank reads that it still had 3 bags (120 lbs) of KCl remaining. (Also water has managed to kill all my kids' goldfish!)
Local office wants $125 for a service call. The current settings are as follows: H = 20; C = 75, SC =33 (service tech showed me how to read and set). We're on city water that is fairly hard. Anyone have any suggestions to cut back the amount of KCl we're using, or is this a case where I need to spend the $$ and have someone come out? Thanks for any replies.
What does the local rep that serviced it in November have to say about the sudden change that just happened the day he serviced it?
I would have him/her come back and correct the change ASAP @ no charge to you.
They also need to bring your kids some replacement fish.
HTH ~
Penguins have special glands over their eyes that remove salt from water and convert it to frsh water.
Mebee you could just hook a few penguins into the line.
Re penguins: we're in the northern hemisphere, and since penguins are indigenous to Antartica, that'd be a little tough. . . I wonder if a polar bear would work instead. . .
Rep who serviced the unit in November originally reset it for well water, as we also have a well for our outdoor faucets, and seeing the tank in the same room as the Rainsoft unit, thought we were on well. I talked to him on the phone (that's who told me how to read and change the settings), and what we have now for our settings is what we supposedly should have. But something just doesn't seem right (I started to say "smells fishy" but then I'd hear more about the penguins). Guess I'll give them a call and argue with them. Thanks!
pdt1842 wrote:Re penguins: we're in the northern hemisphere, and since penguins are indigenous to Antartica, that'd be a little tough. . . I wonder if a polar bear would work instead. . .
Penguins dont eat as much as polar bears.
Good point. And besides, the polar bears would drink all my Coca-Cola!
I don't know what their H, C and SC numbers represent but to set up a control valve you must know the hardness in the water and how much water is to be used each day and then somehow set a salt dose in lbs. based on the volume and type of resin.
They screwed it up, they should come back free of charge and make it right AFTER testing your water for harness, iron etc.. You've spent money for their service call in Nov. and all the potassium you've used since then. Plus the fish and all the food they ate and now have to buy more to replace them.
To use potassium, depending on the salt efficiency setting, you must increase the salt dose or you will not get the same K of capacity and that will allow hardness through the softener. In some cases you will have to raise the salt dose up to 30%. So tell them you are using potassium; although they may not know about having to raise the salt dose.
IMO, based on 20 years experience as a water treatment dealer, most RS dealers and their sales force are crooks while many of their service guys don't know what they're doing.
Gary Slusser wrote:
IMO, based on 20 years experience as a water treatment dealer, most RS dealers and their sales force are crooks while many of their service guys don't know what they're doing.
The same can be said of Culligan and other franchise dealers...
Now the buyer has to be on the lookout for unscrupulous internet dealers.
What a world ... Cavet Emptor ~ buyer beware.
I've found that most Culligan dealers are pretty good with decent prices and their equipment works well as long as their sales people don't misapply something. I agree with some other franchises not doing right and their prices are way high.
I don't know of any unscrupulous internet dealers although there are some that only want to make a sale and don't get into sizing or programming anywhere near as deep as I do or they should. I answer their customers' posts, email and phone calls after they tell me who they bought from but the equipment they sell is usually using Fleck control valves although there has been an Autotrol valve once in awhile.
Gary Slusser wrote:I've found that most Culligan dealers are pretty good with decent prices and their equipment works well as long as their sales people don't misapply something.
I'm thinking I have dealt with many more Culligan dealers than you.
Gary Slusser wrote:I don't know of any unscrupulous internet dealers although there are some that only want to make a sale and don't get into sizing or programming anywhere near as deep as I do or they should.
I don't think anyone can thoroughly test the water, inspect the plumbing, the installation location and make sure drainage and electrical requirements are met over the phone or online.
For best results I suggest folks have someone come to their home and walk them through the entire process so that they can make an informed decision.
Gary Slusser wrote:I don't know of any unscrupulous internet dealers although there are some that only want to make a sale and don't get into sizing or programming anywhere near as deep as I do or they should.
H2O_Man wrote:I don't think anyone can thoroughly test the water, inspect the plumbing, the installation location and make sure drainage and electrical requirements are met over the phone or online.
I know, but are you sure you know what you don't know? What if I told you I do it and sell on average 30 softeners a month by first speaking to 99% of all my customers for at least 30 minutes to an hour and a half before they buy from me? We talk about their plumbing, drain line connection, where they or a plumber is going to install it, how to program the control valve and what to program it for and then I send them very indepth detailed instructions for assembly to setup to installation. And if they have questions or problems they are to call me. Only a very few customers or their plumbers call me.
[quote+"H2O_Man]For best results I suggest folks have someone come to their home and walk them through the entire process so that they can make an informed decision.[/quote]
I know, but millions of softener and plumbing home remodeler type DIYers will seriously disagree with you.
On second thoughts you could feed your polar bears unscrupulouse water softener sales and service technicians. No worries about food shortages there methinks.
Discerning Polar bears (to the best of my knowledge) drink Bundaberg Rum. Liquid gold from Australia. (see my avatar)
Well, here's the update.
Rainsoft tech came out last weekend. (That's another story - scheduled for Wednesday, then cancelled and rescheduled for Saturday - but "we won't charge you the weekend rate." How kind of them!) I took him through all the issues, and all he kept saying was "your settings are correct for the hardness of your water."
I kept pushing. To shut me up, he decided to start checking other things, beginning with the cycle times. AH-HA! Cycles were running too long, allowing water to sit in the brine tank longer than necessary. Water sitting too long = highly dissolved potassium chloride. Duh.
After resetting the cycle times, he decided to check the brine tank. AH-HA! Float had moved up on the rod, so not only was water sitting in the brine tank too long, there was too much as well.
SO, cycle times are reset. Float is reset. Chemical use since last weekend has been minimal.
The lesson learned and the moral of this episode: don't let the so-called expert technicians off the hook too easily. If you suspect something is wrong, keep pushing the issue until they fix it.
(And surprisingly, they didn't charge me for the call. One point for them.)
Now I can get rid of the penguins and the polar bears.
Congratulations! I wish more home owners were as determined as you to address issues and not let them go when not satisfied with responses or lack of response.
All water companies, regardless of brand, can have either competent personnel of slackers. That is why it is important to be careful with whom you do business.
I hope your water issues have been resolved.
Andy Christensen, CWS
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