Water Softener

[GaryQWA]

You're welcome. Always suspect a leak in the drop pipe or water line fittings in the well or underground water line/fittings to the house when electricity use of that amount is unexplained. If it is a fitting, usually it will be broken or worn through by friction wear. A leak of that type will have the pump running constantly or at least frequently which causes higher electric bills than a pump running constantly would. That's beause of the higher amp draw at motor start up.

To find out if that is the case, look inside the pressure switch when no water is being used. If the contact points are closed, the pump is supposed to be running if the switch has power to it. This can be happening for months before it is discovered.

Gary Slusser

 

[cart99]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( You're welcome. Always suspect a leak in the drop pipe or water line fittings in the well or underground water line/fittings to the house when electricity use of that amount is unexplained. If it is a fitting, usually it will be broken or worn through by friction wear. A leak of that type will have the pump running constantly or at least frequently which causes higher electric bills than a pump running constantly would. That's beause of the higher amp draw at motor start up.

To find out if that is the case, look inside the pressure switch when no water is being used. If the contact points are closed, the pump is supposed to be running if the switch has power to it. This can be happening for months before it is discovered.

Gary Slusser )</font>

Excellent, thanks Gary. I think I'll have someone come out and thoroughly check *all* the water related systems. We just moved in a few months ago, so we are still learning all these things.

 

[cart99]

THANK YOU GARY!!!

I thought some more about what you said, and then I remembered something. The last time it rained I noticed a spot next to the house (a mulched flower bed) that seemed to take a LONG time to dry, even though it was not a low spot. Well I just checked it again. Even though everything around it is bone dry (my lawn is crispy even) and although the top is dry, no more than 1/4" down that area is STILL fresh potting soil moist.

Wanna take a wild guess where the water pipe comes into the house? Yep, RIGHT THERE. I've got to get this fixed ASAP.

I never would've realized any of this if it hadn't been for your post. THANK YOU!

Long live the internet.

Russ

 

[megotatractor]

I work for a plumbing supply warehouse. the new "on demand" softeners are very salt efficient. the unit I have I fill twice a year, is that too often? Electrical use is negligable

 

[GaryQWA]

Russ, you're welcome and I'm glad to help. Are the switch contact points always closed? Does the pressure guage hold steady at a lower than cut-off setting of the switch? If so, the pump is running constantly and you can plan on the leak being somewhere around the flower bed but maybe not straight down.

As to softeners. I tell my custmers to not fill their brine tank and to check it often so they don't run the softener out of salt. I also tell them to leave a bag beside the brine tank and when they need salt, use it, then but a coupel bags and leave one on the floor. I size softeners to use high salt efficiency settings, which can be done with any softener of ether type; timer or meterd (demand). If they do run out, they have to regenerate the bed totally. Most softeners aren't set/sized to use the max salt dose per volume adn type of resin... So running out means full regeneration at max salt dose for the volume of resin at least twice to get things back where it should be. Do a search of the web for "softener sizing chart" (with the "") and find one with mention of SFR and read up on it.

Gary Slusser