Instructions for Installing Your New Water Softener

Plan Ahead What You Need   Access to the water line serving your entire house * A standard 115 volt grounded outlet (not regulated by a switch) * An appropriate drain receptacle * Additional 3/8" brine line if you are not going to install the salt tank next to the water softener tank * Duct tape * Pipe and pipe fittings * Appropriate tools * Silicone lubricant * Eye Protection

Step 1 The distributor tube was shipped inside the fiberglass resin tank. Cover the end of the distributor tube with duct tape to prevent the resin beads from entering the inside of distributor tube otherwise it will end up in your house lines. 

Step 2 Add all of the softening resin into the tank. Remove all excess resin from the tank threads and the distributor tube with water or a soft brush and then take the tape off the distributor tube. 

Step 3 Twist the upper basket (if ordered) into the control valve's underside in a clockwise fashion when looking up into the bottom of the control. Lubricate with a silicone based lubricant the valve/tank o-ring in the bottom of the control prior to attaching the head to the tank. Position the control valve hole in the middle of the bottom of the control valve, centering it over and onto the distributor tube. Tighten the valve by hand snugly in a clockwise motion. 

Step 4 Attach the bypass valve to the control valve by aligning their in and out arrows. If you have a bypass built into the plumbing system, then you may not have ordered a bypass.

Installing The Water Softener

Step 1 Turn off the water at the main shutoff valve. Also turn off the electricity off to an electric water heater and close the inlet supply valve to it as well. Remember to turn the water back on and do not turn the electric back on until you are sure that the water heater is completely full of water. Verify that the shutoff valves work properly by turning on a faucet. 

Step 2 Drain your water lines by opening all the plumbing fixtures. If you are soldering copper piping, then you can have no water in the plumbing system and you should consider having a bucket of water available for cooling off soldiered connections and for emergency use. 

Step 3 Situate your water softener in an area that is easily accessed and level. The tank base is adjustable, simply tap the tank/unit on the floor to reposition the tank base to level the tank. Position the brine and the resin tanks where you want them keeping in mind that you have to pour salt into the salt tank from time to time. 

Step 4 Join the softener's water connections to the bypass. When screwing pipe fittings together, make sure you use an appropriate amount of teflon tape and/or teflon pipe compound. Make certain that you do not install the water softener backwards as this would cause resin to escape into your house lines. 

Step 5 Push the drain line completely onto the barbed fitting on the control valve and run it to an appropriate drain receptacle making sure it is anchored properly with cable ties to prevent this line from coming loose or the water from splashing out of the end. 

Step 6 Connect the brine line from the control valve to the brine/salt tank. The connection at the brine tank may be inside the brine well or outside of the tank. Use the supplied tubing insert provided at the control valve as it goes inside the tubing for support. 

Step 7 Set your softener to the first (backwash) cycle with the water still turned off then unplug the control. Open the water supply valve very slowly for several minutes in order to permit the air inside the tank to run out of the drain line. If you do not do this slowly, you may run the risk of pushing the resin into the valve and/or down the drain. Once the sound of air escaping minimizes, open the shut off valve a little more until the air is completely out of the system. The control has been pre-programmed for you and the only setting that you ay need to change is the incoming total water hardness. 

Step 8 Open the water supply valve completely once a steady flow of water from the drain appears. 

Step 9 Run the softener through each cycle manually and observe operation. Pull up on the brine tank float during the refill cycle to test your installation for leaks. You will not have to initiate an initial installation as the resin comes pre-regenerated. 

Step 10 Examine your softener and piping and tubing for leaks. 

Step 11 Fill the brine tank with three gallons of water then run the control through every cycle position including brine fill to rid the brine line and system of air. Add water softener softener salt.  

Note: When flushing water into the house after installing a water softener, turn on the bathtub cold water (not the shower). That way if any iron or other material has been jarred loose by having the water off and back on, you will not plug up any screens, faucets or toilet valves.

Enjoy your soft water! The cold water will test soft immediately and the hot water within a day or two after ridding the water heater of hard water.