Water Softener Disinfection / Water Softener Draining Procedure - Hellenbrand H200M HE-16 Owner's Manual

The construction materials of your water softener will not support
bacterial growth nor will these materials contaminate a water supply.
However, the normal conditions existing during shipping, storage,
and installation indicate the advisability of disinfecting a softener
after installation, before the softener is used to treat potable water.
In addition, during normal use a softener may become fouled with
organic matter or in some cases, with bacteria from the water supply.
Therefore, every water softener should be disinfected after in-
stallation, some will require periodic disinfection during their normal
life. You have two choices for disinfection as follows:
A. SODIUM HYPOCHLORITE (household bleach)
5.25% SODIUM HYPOCHLORITE solutions are available under
In cold weather climates it is common for plumbing systems that are
not in use to be "winterized" or drained of all water to prevent any
damage that may be caused by the excessive expansion of water
when it freezes. To prevent damage to a water softener it must be
properly drained also. A simple way to properly drain or winterize a
water softener is to use compressed air to force all of the water out
of the softener mineral tank. The following procedure will explain
the process:
1) Initiate the softener into a manual regeneration cycle. After the
refill cycle, advance control to backwash and allow it to complete
the backwash cycle (this will clean the media) and start into the
brine-draw cycle. Allow the regeneration to continue in the brine
draw cycle until the brine is drawn out of the brine tank and the
air check at the bottom of the brine pick-up tube shuts off. At this
time no more brine is introduced into the softener and the slow
rinse process begins.
2) Turn the water supply inlet and outlet valves off to the water
softener as soon as the air check shuts off and no more brine is
being drawn into the softener (at the beginning of the slow rinse
process).
3) Unplug the electric power leaving the softener control valve in
the brine draw cycle.
4) Disconnect the brine tube at the top of the brine tank and force air
into the brine tube toward the softener mineral tank and control
valve. The air will force the brine/water solution that was drawn
into the mineral tank out to drain through the control valve drain
line. (An air compressor blow gun attachment with a portable air
compressor works well.)
CAUTION: You do not want to apply any more pressure than
necessary to force the brine/water out of the mineral tank.
The small amount of brine/water that may be left in the mineral
tank will not expand enough to cause any damage to the softener
when it freezes.
1. Salt Usage: See your water conditioning professional for a
recommendation on the best type of salt for your application.
2. Brine Tank Cleaning:
a. Remove brine tank cover.
b. Scoop out as much old salt as possible.
c. Disconnect brine tubing from safety brine valve at brine well.
d. Remove safety brine valve from brine well by placing one
hand in brine well to hold overflow nut and remove 2 piece
overflow.
e. Remove optional brine well and grid plate, if used, from
brine tank.
f. Remove any remaining salt and/or impurities from brine tank.
g. Using clean water and a brush or rag, wipe and rinse inside
of brine tank. Also wipe and rinse the grid plate and brine well.
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WATER SOFTENER DISINFECTION
WATER SOFTENER DRAINING PROCEDURE
MISCELLANEOUS
such trade names such as Clorox, Linco, Bo Peep, White Sail and
Eagle Brand Bleach. If stronger solutions are used, such as those
sold for commercial laundries, adjust the dosage accordingly.
1. Dosage:
a. Softening resin; 1.2 fluid ounce per cubic foot of resin.
2. Add the required amount of hypochlorite solution to the
brine well of the brine tank.
a. Proceed with the normal regeneration. Press REGEN and allow
the water softener to go through a normal regeneration.
B. EPA and NSF approved Sani-System by Pro Products.
This can be purchased from your water treatment provider
or at: http://proproducts.com/products/sani-system.
If your softener is equipped with an optional bottom drain on the mineral
tank, you will have to follow all of the same procedures with the excep-
tion of the need for compressed air. With the brine tube disconnected
from the brine tank, raise it to a level above the softener control valve
and temporarily secure it in this position. Now open the drain valve at
the bottom of the mineral tank and allow all brine/water to drain from
the mineral tank.
CAUTION: If a hose is connected to the drain valve to direct the brine/
water to a floor drain be sure it runs downward and is unobstructed.
When brine/water quits running at the drain, be sure to leave the drain
valve open until you start the system up again.
5) At this time the brine tank has very little water left in it. What liquid is left
in the brine tank is saturated brine, provided there is still salt left in the
tank. Saturated brine will not freeze solid and cause any damage and
does not have to be drained any further from the brine tank.
If there is no salt left in the brine tank when the system is drained we
recommend dumping all of the water out of the brine tank at this time.
See brine tank cleaning instructions. (#2 in Miscellaneous section, below)
6) CAUTION: It is important at this time to be assured that the inlet/outlet
water supply piping is properly drained. Depending on how the water
supply piping was routed to the water softener control valve, a water
loop or trap may have been created.
Sometimes drain valve(s) are installed at the bottom of the loop to assure
all water can be drained out. If not it may be necessary to disconnect the
control valve from the piping system and open the inlet/outlet valve(s) to
allow all the water to drain from the piping. This should be done when
the rest of the plumbing system is drained.
7) Draining or winterizing of your softener is complete. Refer to the start-up
procedures on page 8 when you are ready to start-up your softener.
h. Reassemble brine tank reversing steps c - e. Note: If grid plate is
used and it is damaged or cracked, replace with new one.
i. Put brine tank in place making sure there is no debris or foreign
material beneath it.
j. Reconnect brine tubing to safety brine valve.
k. Manually add 6 inches of water to the brine tank (or to approximately
1" above the grid plate, if used).
l. Add new salt. Important: Do not add the old salt which was
removed earlier unless it is clean and not mushy. We recommend
using new salt.
m. Follow the disinfection instructions found at the top of this page.
n. Put on brine tank cover.