Before You Begin - A.O. Smith AO-WH-PRO-300 Owner's Manual

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BEFORE YOU BEGIN

Test Your Water
The first step in setting up your appliance is determining what elements are contained in
your water supply. Use one of the options below to determine characteristics of your water.
• Call Your Water Provider- For municipal
water, call your water department to
determine the hardness and pH of your
water supply.
• Test Strips - If test strips are provided,
follow the instructions on the test strips. If
the color on your test strip is between two
readings, use the higher number. Compare
the colors as soon as you remove them
from your water.
• Hardness Test - The resulting number gives
the hardness in grains per gallon (gpg)
and/or parts per million (ppm or mg/L).
NOTICE: If the water supply contains sand, sulfur, bacteria, iron bacteria, tannins, algae, oil, acid, or other
unusual substances, consider pretreating the water to remove these contaminants before the water supply
enters the water softener, unless the water softener is certified to treat these contaminants.
Other Things To Know
Water Pressure - If water is municipally
supplied, then water pressure must be
greater than 20 psi (1.4 bar) and less than
120 psi (7 bar). If water is from a well, then
water pressure must be greater than 40 psi
(2.8 bar) and less than 120 psi (7 bar).
Water Temperature - Not less than 40° F
(4° C) or greater than 120° F (49° C).
Water Supply Flow Rate - A minimum
of 2.0 gallons (7.6 liters) per minute
is recommended. For the purposes of
plumbing sizing, only the rated service flow
rate and corresponding water pressure loss
may be used. Prolonged operation of a
water softener at flow rates exceeding the
tested service flow rate may compromise
performance.
NEED HELP? GIVE US A CALL 855.424.9892
• pH Test - The pH number is used to rate
the level of acidity or alkalinity of water
soluble substances. Water should have a
pH of 7.
• Testing Laboratory - To ensure proper
settings, have a sample of your untreated
water tested for iron and pH. To find a
water testing facility, check online or in
the Yellow Pages under Water Analysis
or Water Testing. Alternatively, contact
the company below to conduct a test
for you. National Testing Laboratories,
Ltd.1-800-458-3330 www.watercheck.com.
Drain - Connect water softener to an
appropriate drain, such as a floor drain or
washer drain that will comply with all local
and state plumbing codes. To prevent back-
siphoning, provide an adequate air gap or a
siphon break. (see Installation Steps)
Power Supply - The transformer supplied is
for a standard 110 volt, 60-cycle AC outlet
or 220 volt, 50-cycle AC outlet for locations
outside North America.
Iron - A common problem found in many
water supplies is iron. It is important to
know what type of and how much iron is in
the water supply.
NOTICE: If ferrous iron is not present in your
water, please skip the next page.
INSTALLATION GUIDE
2 FERROUS IRON AND COMPENSATED HARDNESS
Ferrous Iron
NOTICE: If the water supply contains ferrous iron, a commercially available resin bed cleaner should
be used every six months. Follow the instructions on the container. You should increase your water
hardness setting by 5 grains per gallon (86 mg/L) for every 1 ppm (1mg/L) of ferrous iron.
Iron
Ferrous Iron
(a/k/a clear water or dissolved iron)
Ferric Iron
Organic Iron or Bacterial Iron
Colloidal Iron
Determine Your Compensated Hardness
Compensated Hardness is the amount
of ferrous iron present in the water as
well as hardness content.
To determine compensated hardness
in standard measurements you should
increase your water hardness setting by
5 grains per gallon (86 mg/L) for every
1 ppm (1mg/L) of ferrous iron.
Use the section below for guidance
and fill in the blank chart below to
determine your Compensated Hardness.
Use this blank chart to determine your Compensated
Hardness using standard measurements.
Description Results
Actual Hardness
(use your test
results for
hardness)
Ferrous Iron
(x5 for standard) +
or (x86 for metric)
Compensated
Hardness (add first
=
two results for
final result)
Description
Only type of iron that can be treated with a
water softener.
Insoluble and the particles can eventually foul
a resin bed. It should be filtered out before the
water reaches the softener.
Attached to other organic compounds in the
water. Additional treatment is needed to
remove this type of iron.
Not dissolved, yet stays in suspension. A
softener cannot remove this type of iron.
Standard Example
This example uses 3 (ppm or mg/L) of
ferrous iron present in the water.
Description Results
Actual Hardness 20 (gpg)
*Ferrous Iron
15
times five (x5)
Compensated
35
Hardness (20+15)
*Add five times (x5) the iron content in ppm or mg/L
to the actual hardness
Metric Example
This example uses 3 (ppm or mg/L) of
ferrous iron present in the water.
Description Results
Actual Hardness 342 (mg/L)
*Ferrous Iron
times eighty-six 258
(x86)
Compensated
Hardness
600
(342+258)
*Add eighty six times (x86) the iron content in ppm
or mg/L to the actual hardness
NEED HELP? GIVE US A CALL 855.424.9892
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