Kenmore 625.384200 Water Softener with Ultra Flow Valve User Guide

Kenmore 625.384200 Water Softener with Ultra Flow Valve

Safety Guides

• Read all steps and guides carefully before installing and using your new water softener. Follow all steps exactly to correctly install. Failure to follow them could cause personal injury or property damage. Reading this manual will also help you to get all the benefits from your water softener.
• Your Kenmore® water softener will remove hardness minerals from water. This is measured in grains per gallon (gpg). It will also remove some clear water iron*. This is measured in parts per million (ppm). See the specifications page for the maximum limits of hardness and iron removal.
• A water softener will not improve other water prob-lems such as acidity, tastes and odors, or iron other than clear water iron.
• Do not attempt to use this product to make safe drinking water from non-potable water sources. Do not use the system on microbiologically unsafe water, or water of unknown quality without adequate disin-fection before or after the system.
• Check with your local public works department for plumbing and sanitation codes. You must follow their guides as you install the system. Follow your local codes if they differ with guides in this manual. In Massachusetts, plumbing code 248-CMR 3.00 and 10.00 shall be adhered to. Consult with a licensed plumber.
• Use only lead-free solder and flux for all sweat-solder connections, as required by federal codes, when installing soldered copper plumbing.
• Use care when handling the water softener. Do not turn upside down or drop.
• Avoid installing in direct sunlight. Excessive heat may cause distortion or other damage to non-metallic parts.
• This water softener works on water pressures of 20 psi (minimum) to 125 psi (maximum). If your house water pressure is over the maximum, install a pressure reduc-ing valve in the water supply pipe to the softener.
• Temperature of the water supply to the softener must be between 40°F and 120°F. Do not install on hot water.
• If installing the water softener outdoors, do not locate where it will be exposed to wet weather, direct sunlight or extreme hot or cold temperatures.
• This water softener works on 24V DC electrical power, supplied by a direct plug-in power supply (included). Be sure to use the included power supply and plug it into a nominal 120V, 60 Hz household outlet that is in a dry location only, grounded and properly protected by an overcurrent device such as a circuit breaker or fuse.
• This water softener has a non-metallic valve system. Installing it on metal plumbing will break electrical continuity, which may interrupt grounding for the home. You must restore electrical continuity in your metal plumbing system (See Page 12).

Specifications & Performance Claims

This model is efficiency rated. The efficiency rating is valid only at the minimum salt dose. The softener has a demand initiated regeneration (D.I.R) feature that complies with specific performance specifications intended to mini-mize the amount of regenerant brine and water used in its operation.
This softener has a rated softener efficiency of not less than 3,350 grains of total hardness exchange per pound of salt (based on sodium chloride) and shall not deliver more salt than its listed rating or be operated at a sustained maxi-mum service flow rate greater than its listed rating. This softener has been proven to deliver soft water for at least ten continuous minutes at the rated service flow rate. The rated salt efficiency is measured by laboratory tests described in NSF/ANSI Standard 44. These tests represent the maximum possible efficiency that the system can achieve. Operational efficiency is the actual efficiency after the system has been installed. It is typically less than the rated efficiency, due to individual application factors including water hardness, water usage, and other contaminants that reduce a softener’s capacity.

SPECIFICATIONS

 | Model No. 625.384200
Model Code| 420
Rated Softening Capacity (Grains @ Salt Dose)| 11,700 @ 2.3 lbs.

31,700 @ 8.8 lbs.

40,100 @ 15.1 lbs.

Rated Efficiency (Grains/Pound of Salt @ Minimum Salt Dose)| 5,090 @ 2.3 lbs.
Water Used During Regeneration @ Minimum Salt Dose| 2.4 gallons (9.1 L) / 1,000 grains
Total Water Used Per Regeneration @ Maximum Salt Dose| 36.3 gallons (137.4 L)
Rated Service Flow Rate| 9.0 gpm (34.1 lpm)
Amount of High Capacity Ion Exchange Resin| 1.11 cu. ft.
Pressure Drop at Rated Service Flow| 11.8 psig
Water Supply Max. Hardness| 120 gpg
Water Supply Max. Clear Water Iron| 10 ppm
Water Pressure Limits (minimum / maximum)| 20 – 125 psi (137.9 – 861.8 kPa)
Water Temperature Limits (minimum / maximum)| 40 – 120 °F (5 – 49 °C)
Minimum Water Supply Flow Rate| 3 gpm (11.4 lpm)
Intermittent Flow @ 15 psi| 10.6 gpm (40.1 lpm)
Maximum Drain Flow Rate| 2.0 gpm (7.6 lpm)

• Capacity to reduce clear water iron is substantiated by laboratory test data. State of Wisconsin requires additional treatment if water supply contains clear water iron exceeding 5 ppm.
• Canada working pressure limits: 1.4 -7.0 kg/cm2.
• Intermittent flow rate does not represent the maximum service flow rate used for detemining the softener’s rated capacity and efficiency. Continuous operation at flow rates
• greater than the service flow rate may affect capacity and efficiency performance.
• This system conforms to NSF/ANSI Standard 44 for the specific performance claims as verified and substantiated by test data.

• Variable Salt Dose: The salt dose is selected by the electronic controls at regeneration time based on the amount needed.
  PERFORMANCE CLAIMS

  Contaminant| Influent Challenge Level| Maximum Allowable Product Water Level
  Barium| 10 ±10% mg/L| 2.0 mg/L
  Radium 226/228| 25 pCi/L| 5 pCi/L

Dimensions

NOTE: Due to variances in production and assembly, the Kenmore water softener valve height may vary by up to 1/2” from an existing water treatment system, including existing Kenmore models. This potential change in valve height will not affect system performance.

Packing List

The parts required to assemble and install the water softener are included with the unit. Thoroughly check the water softener for possible shipping damage and parts loss. Also inspect and note any damage to the shipping carton.
Remove and discard (or recycle) all packing materials. To avoid loss of small parts, we suggest you keep the small parts in the parts bag until you are ready to use them.

Small Parts

Plan Your Installation

THE PROPER ORDER TO INSTALL WATER TREATMENT EQUIPMENT
(Shows sequence of equipment only – not all items are needed in all applications)

• Always locate an Iron Filter UPSTREAM of the water softener.
• Locate a Central Water Filtration System UPSTREAM of the water softener on a chlorinated water supply, or DOWNSTREAM of the water softener on a non-chlorinated water supply.

TYPICAL INSTALLATION

WHERE TO INSTALL THE WATER SOFTENER
Review the following points before you choose a place to put your softener:

1.  Place as close as possible to, but always downstream from, the pressure tank (well water) or water meter (city water).
2.  Place as close as possible to a water drain such as a floor drain, laundry tub, sump or standpipe (See Fig. 4).
3.  Connect to the house main water pipe UPSTREAM OF THE WATER HEATER (See Fig. 3). The tempera-ture of water going through the softener must not be more than 120°F (49°C). Hot water will damage inner softener parts. To reduce the risk of hot water backup, piping between the softener and water heater should be as long as possible.
4.  Keep outside faucets on hard water to save soft water and salt. See Fig. 4.
5.  Do not install in a place where the softener could freeze. Damage caused by freezing voids the war-ranty.
6.  Put the softener in a place where water damage is least likely to occur if it develops a leak. Kenmore or the manufacturer will not repair or pay for water damage.
7.  A grounded, 120V, 60 Hz electrical outlet is needed near the softener to plug in the power supply (See Fig. 4). Be sure the outlet and power supply are in an inside location, protected from wet weather. Use a continuously “live” outlet, which cannot be acci-dentally switched off.
8.  When installing in an outside location, you must take the steps necessary to assure the softener, installation plumbing, and wiring, are protected from the ele-ments, direct sunlight, contamination, vandalism, etc.

CHECK YOUR WATER PRESSURE BEFORE INSTALLING

For your water softener to work properly, incoming water pressure in your house pipes must be no lower than 20 pounds per square inch (psi). The highest allowable pressure is 125 psi. If pressure is above 125 psi, buy and install a pressure reducing valve in the pipe supplying water to the softener’s inlet.
NOTE : If water pressure during the day is 100 psi or more, pressure during the night may go above 125 psi.

Installation

INSTALL SINGLE BYPASS VALVE

AND/OR THREADED INSTALLATION ADAPTORS

Complete the following steps to assemble the adaptors and/or the included single bypass valve.

1. Close the shutoff valve on the house main water pipe, near the water meter or pressure tank, to turn off the water.

2. Shut off the gas or electric supply to the water heater.

3. Open the highest and lowest water faucets in your house. This will let water drain from the pipes. Close faucets after water has drained.

4. Remove the top cover. Pull outward on the two tabs to release top cover (see Fig. 5). The salt lid remains attached to the top cover when removed. Set both covers aside so they will not get scratched or broken.

5. Visually check and remove any foreign mate- rials from the valve inlet and outlet ports (see Fig. 6). Carefully remove the two large plastic clips (you will use them). Check to be sure the turbine and support are firmly in place (see Fig. 7).
   NOTE: If you will not install the included bypass valve because you will have a 3-valve bypass in your plumbing, skip step 6, but perform step 7.
   SINGLE BYPASS VALVE:

6.  Lightly coat the o-rings with silicone grease and slide them onto the bypass valve. Push the bypass valve into the softener valve’s inlet and outlet ports as far as it will go. Snap the two large holding clips into place, from the top down as shown (see Fig. 8).
   CAUTION: Be sure the clips snap firmly into place so the bypass valve will not pull out.
   INLET AND OUTLET THREADED ADAPTORS:

7.  Lightly coat the o-rings with silicone grease and slide them onto the installation adaptors. Push the adap-tors into the valve inlet and outlet ports, or bypass valve ports, as far as they will go. Both adaptors are the same and fit either port. Snap the two large holding clips into place, as shown (see Fig. 8).
   CAUTION: Be sure the clips snap firmly into place so the adaptors will not pull out.

Before installing the bypass valve and/or installation adaptors, make sure that the turbine and support are firmly in place inside the softener valve’s outlet port.

ALTERNATE BYPASS VALVE INSTALLATION

ASSEMBLE INLET AND OUTLET PLUMBING
Measure, cut (thread if needed) and put together all pipe and fittings up to the main water pipe. Make sure that the incoming water supply pipe goes to the valve inlet side.
CAUTION: Never solder fittings while connected to nonmetallic parts. Wait until soldered pipe has cooled before connection. See Fig. 10.
CAUTION: Be careful when putting pipe fittings togeth- er. Do not cross thread, and do not over-tighten.

CONNECT THE VALVE DRAIN HOSE
Take a length of 3/8” inside diameter drain tubing (supplied) and attach one end to the drain fitting (see Fig. 11). Use a tube clamp from the parts bag to hold it in place. Put the other end of the tubing over a floor drain, into a laundry tub, standpipe, or other suitable drain. Check your local codes.
Leave an air gap of about 1-1/ 2” between the end of the hose and the drain. This gap is needed so you don’t get a backflow of sewer water into the softener. Do not put the end of the hose into the drain or con-nect without the air gap.
Locate and support the hose so it does not kink or have sharp bends. Secure the hose end so water pressure does not cause the hose to “whip”. Tie or wire it in place. Do not pinch the hose shut. The softener will not work if this drain hose is pinched, plugged, closed or restricted in any way. Direct drain flow down into drain from drain line as flow could possibly overshoot the drain cover.
Keep the hose lower than the drain fitting. In some homes, to get to a drain you must raise the hose and run it overhead. Do not raise the hose more than 8 feet above the floor.
COPPER DRAIN TUBE:
Local plumbing codes may require the use a copper valve drain tube. A copper tube is also best to use if running a drain line overhead.
To adapt a copper drain tube to the softener, purchase a compression fitting (1/4” female pipe threads x 1/2” O.D. tube) and tubing from your local hardware store.

CONNECT SALT TANK OVERFLOW HOSE

1. Locate the rubber grommet, adaptor elbow and tube clamp (see Fig. 11) that are in the parts bag.
2. Push the grommet into the hole in the salt tank wall so that half is inside and half is outside.
3. Push the larger end of the adaptor into the grommet.
4. Push one end of a length of 3/8” I.D. tubing (sup-plied) onto the tube adaptor, using a tube clamp from the parts bag to hold it in place.
5. Put the other end of the tubing over the floor drain. IMPORTANT: Overflow water must run down by gravity through the tubing. Do not raise the tub-ing higher than the adaptor (see Fig. 11).

IMPORTANT: Do not connect this hose to the valve drain hose you just installed (see above). Both drains must have a separate hose.

LEAK TEST
To check for leaks, complete the following steps: CAUTION: To avoid water or air pressure damage to soft ener inner parts, and to flush pipe chips or other residue from the water pipes, be sure to do the following steps exactly as instructed.

1. Fully open two nearby cold water faucets down-stream from the softener.
2.  Place bypass valve(s) in “bypass” position (see Figures 12 & 13). On a single valve, slide the stem inward to bypass. On a 3-valve bypass, close the inlet and outlet valves and open the bypass valve.
3. Fully open the house main water pipe shutoff valve. Observe steady water flow from both open faucets.
4.  Place bypass valve(s) in SERVICE, EXACTLY as fol-lows: Keep soft water faucets open.
5. a. Single Bypass Valve: Slowly, slide pull the valve stem outward toward service, pausing several times to allow the softener to pressurize gradually.
6. b. 3-Valve Bypass: Fully close the bypass valve and open the outlet valve. Slowly open the inlet valve, pausing several times to allow the softener to pres-surize gradually.
7. After about three minutes, open a hot water faucet for about one minute, or until all air is expelled, then close.
8. Close both cold water faucets.
9. Check your plumbing work for leaks, and fix right away if any are found. Be sure to observe previous caution notes.

NOTE: If this procedure is performed on a new softener, water coming from the taps may initially be dis-colored. This normally occurs the first time water runs through the resin bed. The discol-ored water is not harmful, and the discoloration will not last more than a few minutes.

SINGLE BYPASS VALVE

METAL WATER PIPE GROUNDING
IMPORTANT : This water softener has a non-metallic valve system. Installing it on metal plumbing will break electrical continuity, which may interrupt grounding for the home. You must restore electrical conti-nuity in your metal plumbing system. If you installed a 3-valve bypass system (Fig. 13), elec-trical continuity will be maintained. If you installed the non- metallic bypass valve (Fig. 12), restore the ground as follows:
Install a #4 copper wire (parts not included) across the removed section of metal water pipe, securely clamping it at both ends (See Fig. 14). Be sure the pipes are clean under the clamps, to assure good contact.
NOTE : If you are installing a sediment filter or other item(s) into the plumbing system, along with the water softener, be sure to restore electrical con-tinuity across all removed metal pipe sections.

INSTALL COVERS
After installing your water softener, put the covers on. Angle the covers so the top cover clips onto the back first, then bring down in front and clip on the tabs inside the rim and lower the salt lid closed (See Fig. 5).

ADD WATER AND SALT TO THE SALT STOR- AGE TANK

1.  Using a container, add about three gallons of clean water into the salt storage tank.
2.  Add salt to the storage tank. Use nugget, pellet or coarse solar salts with less than 1% impurities.

CONNECT TO ELECTRICAL POWER
The softener works on 24V DC electrical power. The included power supply converts 120V AC household power to 24V DC. Plug the water softener’s power sup-ply into a grounded, 120V, 60 Hz electrical outlet. Be sure the outlet is always “live” so it cannot be switched off by mistake.
NOTE: The electrical outlet you plug the power supply into must be indoors, protected from weather.

RESTART THE WATER HEATER
Turn on the gas (or electric) supply to the water heater and light the pilot.

Programming the Softener

PROGRAM THE SOFTENER
When the power supply is plugged into the electrical outlet, the model code (420) and a test number (exam-ple: J3.0), are briefly shown in the display. Then the words “PRESENT TIME” appear and 12:00 PM begins to flash.

SET PRESENT TIME OF DAY
If the words “PRESENT TIME” do not show in the dis-play, press the SELECT button a few times until they do.

1. Press the rUP or sDOWN buttons to set the present time. Up moves the display ahead; down sets the time back. Be sure AM or PM is correct.
   NOTE: Press buttons and quickly release to slowly advance the display. Hold the buttons down for fast advance.

2.  When the correct time is displayed, press the SELECT button, and the display will change to show the “Hardness” screen.

SET WATER HARDNESS NUMBER
If you completed the previous step, the word “HARD-NESS” should show in the display. Otherwise, press the SELECT button several times until it does.

1. Press the rUP or sDOWN buttons to set the hardness of your water supply, in grains per gallon. The default is 25.
   NOTE: If your water supply contains iron, compensate for it by adding to the water hardness number. For example, assume your water is 20 gpg hard and contains 2 ppm iron. Add 5 to the hardness number for each 1 ppm of iron. In this example, you would use 30 for your hardness number. 20 gpg hardness 2 ppm iron x 5 = 10 +10

2. When finished setting your water’s hardness number, press the SELECT button, and the display will change to show the “Recharge Time” screen.

SET RECHARGE (REGENERATION) START TIME
If you completed the previous step, the words “RE -CHARGE TIME” should show in the display. Otherwise, press the SELECT button several times until they do.

1. The softener’s default recharge start time is 2:00 AM. This is normally a time of day when water is not being used in the household. Hard water bypasses the softener if the household draws water during the recharge cycle. If a different recharge start time is desired, press the rUP or sDOWN buttons to change the time, in 1-hour increments. Be sure AM or PM is correct.
2. When the desired recharge start time is displayed, press the SELECT button, and the display will change to show one of the “Salt Type” screens shown below.

SET SALT TYPE
If you completed the previous step, either “NaCl” (for Sodium Chloride) or “KCl” (for Potassium Chloride) should show in the display. Otherwise, press the SELECT button several times until one of them does.

1. Press the rUP or sDOWN buttons to set the type of salt you will be using in your water softener. The default is NaCl (standard Sodium Chloride water sof-tener salt). If you will be using KCl (Potassium Chloride) instead, be sure to set salt type to KCl. This setting adjusts the regeneration cycle times to com-pensate for the different rate at which KCl dissolves. See also the following page for more information on salt types.
2. When the correct salt type is displayed, press the SELECT button, and the display will return to the nor-mal run (time of day) screen.

Sanitizing the Softener

SANITIZE THE WATER SOFTENER

1. Open salt lid, remove the brinewell cover and pour about 3 oz. (6 tablespoons) of household bleach into the softener brinewell. Replace the brinewell cover.
2. Make sure the bypass valve(s) is in the “service” (open) position.
3. Start a recharge: Press the REGENERATION button and hold for 3 seconds, until “RECHARGE”, “Serv” and “Fill” begin to flash in the display. This recharge draws the sanitizing bleach into and through the water softener. Any air remaining in the unit is purged to the drain.
4.  After the recharge has completed, fully open a cold water faucet, downstream from the softener, and allow 50 gallons of water to pass through the system. This should take at least 20 minutes. Close the faucet.
   Your new Kenmore® softener is now softening the water for your household needs. However, your WATER HEATER is filled with hard water. To have fully soft water right away, you can drain the water heater so it refills with soft water. If you don’t drain the water heater, it will take a few days before you have fully soft water.
   NOTE: If this procedure is performed on a new softener, water coming from the taps may initially be dis-colored. This normally occurs the first time water runs through the resin bed. The discolored water is not harmful, and the discoloration will not last more than a few minutes.

Adding Salt to the Storage Tank

ADDING SALT TO THE STORAGE TANK
You must keep salt in the tank, but it is not necessary to fill it full. Especially in humid areas, it is best to fill the storage tank no more than half full, and to add salt more often. Salt “bridging” occurs more often when conditions are humid.
Use NUGGET or PELLET water softener salt. DO NOT use rock salts, as they have dirt and sediments that will stop the softener from working. To maintain optimum performance of your water softener, the salt tank should be cleaned out every 2 to 3 years.

POTASSIUM CHLORIDE (KCl) SALT
If you choose Potassium Chloride (KCl) as a regenerant, following these suggestions will help give you years of maintenance free service.

1. Place only one bag of KCl in your softener at a time (the salt storage tank should contain no more than 60 pounds of KCl at any one time).
2. A softener using KCl should not be placed in areas with temperature fluctuations and high humidity (KCl will harden in these environments and may make the softener inoperable).
3.  Check the brine tank and brinewell (black tube in salt storage tank) monthly. If hardening is present, pour small amounts of warm water onto hardened areas until they loosen.
4.  Be sure to set “Salt Type” on the controller to “KCl”. This setting adjusts the regeneration cycle times to compensate for the different rate at which KCl dis-solves. See “Set Salt Type” on the previous page.

Persons who are on sodium restricted diets should con-sider the added sodium as part of their overall sodium intake. For example, if your water supply is 15 grains hard, and you drank 3 quarts of softened water you would consume 335 milligrams of sodium. That is equivalent to eating 2-1/2 slices of white bread.

WATER SOFTENING SALT WITH IRON

REMOVING ADDITIVES
Some salts have an additive to help the softener handle iron in the water supply. These salts may be used if your water supply has a high iron con tent.

Controller Features

EXTRA RECHARGE
Sometimes, a manually initiated recharge (regeneration) may be desired, or needed. Two examples are:

• You have used more water than usual (guests visiting) and you may run out of soft water before the next automatic regeneration.
• You did not add salt to the softener before it ran out.
  Add salt to the softener before regenerating.
  You can start a regeneration immediately, or you can set the controller to regenerate at the next preset recharge time (2:00 AM, or as set).

RECHARGE NOW
Press the REGENERATION button and hold for 3 sec-onds, until the words “RECHARGE”, “Serv” and “Fill” begin to flash in the display. The softener enters the fill cycle of regeneration immediately. This regeneration will take about 2 hours to complete. Then, you will have soft water again.
NOTE: If the “Clean Feature” is set ON, the normal regeneration cycle is preceded by a cleaning backwash and rinse. The words “CLEAN” and “Bkwsh” or “Rinse” flash in the display, along with the minutes of the clean cycle remaining.

RECHARGE TONIGHT
Press and release (do not hold) the REGENERATION button. “RECHARGE TONIGHT” will begin flashing in the display, and the softener will begin regeneration at the next preset recharge time (2:00 AM, or as set). If you decide to cancel the regeneration before it starts, press and release the REGENERATION button once more. “RECHARGE TONIGHT” will stop flashing in the display.

SALT MONITOR SYSTEM
The water softener has a salt monitor indicator light to remind you to add salt to the storage tank.
NOTE: You must set salt level each time salt is added to the water softener.
NOTE: The salt monitor system estimates salt levels, and accuracy will vary with different salts.

To set this monitor system:

1. Lift the salt lid and level the salt in the storage tank.
2. The salt level scale, on the brinewell inside the tank, has numbers from 0 to 8 (see Fig. 24). Observe the highest number the leveled salt is at, or closest to.
3.  Press the SET SALT LEVEL button as many times as necessary to make the salt level bars in the display (see Fig. 24) match the number on the brinewell. At level 2 or below, the “Low Salt” indicator will flash.
4.  If you want to turn the salt monitor off, press the SET SALT LEVEL button past 8, until “OFF” shows in the display next to the number 8.

OPTIONAL SETTINGS:

• SALT EFFICIENCY
• CLEAN FEATURE
• CLEAN FEATURE MINUTES
• 97% FEATURE
• 12 / 24 HOUR CLOCK
• GALLONS / LITERS
• MAXIMUM DAYS BETWEEN REGENERATIONS
• BACKWASH & FAST RINSE TIMES

1.  To set any of these options, press and hold SELECT for 3 seconds until “000” shows in the display. Then press (do not hold) SELECT again to display one of the “Salt Efficiency” screens shown below.
   SALT EFFICIENCY: When this feature is ON, the water softener will operate at salt efficiencies of 4000 grains of hardness per pound of salt or higher. The softener may recharge more often using smaller salt dosage and less water. This softener is shipped with the efficiency feature set OFF. Installations in the State of California require this setting to be turned ON. Use the rUP or sDOWN buttons to change between OFF and ON.
   California Efficiency Requirement
   Your Kenmore® Water Softener has a “High Efficiency” feature that can be set ON or OFF. This softener is shipped with the efficiency feature set OFF, which will utilize the maximum rated capacity while most often achieving maximum salt efficiencies. When installing this unit in the State of California, you MUST turn the efficiency feature ON. The softener may initiate more frequent recharges, but it will operate at 4000 grains per pound of salt or higher.

2. Press SELECT again to display one of the “Clean” screens shown below.
   CLEAN: This feature is beneficial on water supplies containing iron and/or high amounts of sediments (sand, silt, dirt, etc.). When set to ON, a backwash and fast rinse cycle will occur first, preceding the normal regeneration sequence. This provides extra cleaning of the resin bed before it is regenerated with the salt brine. To conserve water, if your water supply does not contain iron or sediments, be sure this feature is set to OFF. The default is OFF. Use the rUP or sDOWN buttons to change between OFF and ON.

3.  Press SELECT again to display the “Clean Time” screen shown below.
   CLEAN FEATURE MINUTES: If you have set the Clean Feature ON, the length of the extra backwash cycle auto matically is set to 2 minutes. However, you can adj ust this time from 1 to 15 minutes in length. To change this cycle time, use the rUP button to increase the time, or the sDOWN button to short-en the time. If no change is desired, continue to next step.

4. Press SELECT again to display the “97%” screen. 97% FEATURE: The 97% Feature can save salt and water by regenerating when 97% of the softener’s capacity has been used up. With this feature ON, the regeneration can occur at any time (whenever the system has reached 97% of its capacity). The default is OFF. If this feature is desired, turn it on by pressing the rUP button.

5. Press SELECT again to display the “12 or 24 hr” 12 OR 24 HOUR CLOCK: All time displays are shown in standard clock time (1 to 12 AM; and 1 to 12 PM) at the 12 hr default setting. If 24 hour time format is desired, set to 24 hr by pressing the rUP button.

6. Press SELECT again to display the “Gallons or Liters” screen.
   GALLON OR LITER READINGS: Water usage and flow rate displays are shown in gallons at the default setting. If you prefer liters, change this setting from “Gals” to “Liter” by pressing the rUP button.

7. Press SELECT again to display the “Recharge Days” screen.
   MAXIMUM DAYS BETWEEN REGENERATIONS: The electronic controller automatically determines regen-eration fre quency. This provides the greatest operat-ing efficiency and, under most conditions this feature will be left in its default mode. However, you can set this feature to force a regeneration every set number of days. You may want to do this if, for exam ple, your water supply contains iron and you want the softener to regenerate at least once every few days to keep the resin bed clean. Use the rUP or s DOWN buttons to change the number of days (up to 15). If no change is desired, continue to next step.

8.  Press SELECT again to display the alternating screens BACKWASH & FAST RINSE TIMES: If you experience salty tasting water after regeneration, you may need to increase the backwash and fast rinse times. The cycle times during regenerations are determined by the softener’s electronic controller. However, you may increase the backwash and fast rinse times, in 1 minute increments. If you wish to increase the back-wash time, use the rUP button to add up to 15 minutes to the backwash time. Then press SELECT to display the alternating screens shown in Figure 34.
   If you wish to increase the fast rinse time, use the UP button to add up to 15 minutes to the fast rinse time.

9.  Press SELECT to return to the normal run (time of day) screen.

TANK LIGHT
A light inside the salt storage tank will come on when-ever you open the salt lid. A “Tank Light” icon is dis-played when this light is on. The light turns off when you close the salt lid. It will also turn off automatically after 15 minutes if the salt lid is left open.

WATER FLOW THROUGH THE SOFTENER
To view the flow rate through the softener in gallons (or liters) per minute, press the WATER USE button. If soft water is in use, the flow rate will be displayed to the nearest tenth of a gallon (or liter). The display will show “0” when all faucets and water using appliances are off.

AVERAGE DAILY GALLONS OR LITERS
Press the WATER USE button a second time to display the average number of gallons (or liters) of soft water that the household uses each day. This water usage figure is recalculated daily by the electronic controller. To turn this display off, press the WATER USE button once again.

RECHARGE TIME REMAINING & VALVE **POSITION INDICATORS**
One of the valve position indicators (Serv, Fill, Brine, Bkwsh, Rinse) is displayed while the softener is recharg -ing. RECHARGE flashes in the display and, beginning with Brine, the minutes of recharge remaining before return to service appears in place of the present time. When the valve is moving from one cycle to another, both position indica tors are flashing.

PROGRAM MEMORY
If electrical power to the softener goes off, the time dis-play is blank but the electronic controller keeps the cor-rect time for several hours. When electrical power comes on again, you will have to reset the present time only if the display is flashing. The HARDNESS and RECHARGE TIME never require resetting unless a change is desired. Even if the clock is incorrect after a long power outage, the softener works as it should to keep your water soft, however, regenerations may occur at the wrong time of day until you reset the clock to the correct time of day.

KENMORE’S ULTRA CLEANSING FEATURE
The ultra cleansing feature keeps larger particles of sediment from entering the home’s plumbing system. As water passes through the softener, the larger sediment particles are collected in the integrated basket and then rinsed to the drain before each regeneration. The ultra cleansing feature provides added protection for water using appliances by reducing the chance of larg-er particles entering the various products valves and screens. The “Clean Feature” may be turned ON to provide an extra backwash that will help keep the ultra cleansing screen clean. The default is OFF.
IMPORTANT: The ultra cleansing feature is not intended to replace pretreatment filtration. For problem water applications, additional sediment filtration is recommended.

Care of Your Water Softener

SALT BRIDGE
Sometimes, a hard crust or salt “bridge” forms in the brine tank. It is usually caused by high humidity or the wrong kind of salt. When the salt “bridges,” an empty space forms between the water and the salt. Then, salt will not dissolve in the water to make brine. Without brine, the resin bed is not recharged and hard water will result.
If the storage tank is full of salt, it is difficult to tell if you have a salt bridge. A bridge may be underneath loose salt. Take a broom handle, or like tool, and hold it next to the water softener. Measure the distance from the floor to the rim of the water softener. Then, gently push the broom handle straight down into the salt. If a hard object is felt before the pencil mark is even with the top, it is most likely a salt bridge. Gently push into the bridge in several places to break it. Do not use any sharp or pointed objects as you may punc-ture the brine tank. Do not try to break the salt bridge by pounding on the outside of the salt tank. You may damage the tank.

Service Information

ALWAYS MAKE THESE INITIAL CHECKS FIRST

1. Does the time display show the correct time of day?
   • If display is blank, check power source to the softener.
   • If time is flashing, power was off for a long peri- od. The softener resumes normal operation but regenerations occur at the wrong time.
   • If an error code (example: “Err3”) shows in the dis-
2.  Are bypass valve(s) fully in service position?
3. Are the inlet and outlet pipes connected to the sof-tener inlet and outlet respectively?
4. Is the softener’s power supply plugged into a “live”, grounded wall outlet, and the power cable fastened securely to the controller?
5. Is the valve drain hose free of kinks and sharp bends, and not elevated more than 8 ft. above the floor?
6. Is there salt in the storage tank?
7. Is the brine tubing connected? Brine tubing connects to nozzle/venturi and brine valve assembly.
8. Press the SELECT button twice to display the hard-ness setting. Make sure it is correct for the house-hold’s water supply. Perform a hardness test of the untreated incoming water and compare with the hardness setting. Also test a soft water sample to verify if a problem exists. Press the SELECT button several more times to return to present time display.

TROUBLESHOOTING

RECHARGE NOW feature.
No soft water & dis- play is blank| Power supply unplugged at wall outlet, or power cable disconnected from back of electronic board or power supply malfunction.| Check for loss of power and correct. Reprogram electronic control and then use RECHARGE NOW feature.
Fuse blown, circuit breaker tripped, or cir- cuit switched off (see “Power Outage Memory”).| Replace fuse, reset circuit breaker, or switch circuit on, and then use RECHARGE NOW feature.
No soft water & salt level not dropping| Salt storage tank “bridged”.| Refer to “Breaking a Salt Bridge”.
Bypass valve(s) in “bypass” position.| Move bypass valve(s) to “service” position.
No soft water & salt storage tank full of water| Dirty, plugged or damaged nozzle & ven- turi assembly| Take apart, clean and inspect nozzle & ven- turi (see instruction decal under salt lid).
Valve drain hose is plugged or restricted.| Hose must not have any kinks, sharp bends or any water flow blockage (See “Valve Drain Requirements”).
Intermittent hard water| Incorrect time set.| Check and change time setting.
Incorrect water hardness set.| Refer to “Set Water Hardness Number” to set correctly.
Hot water being used when softener is regenerating.| Avoid using hot water while the softener is regenerating, as the water heater will fill with hard water.
Possible increase in water hardness.| Test untreated water for hardness and iron. Program the water softener accordingly (see “Set Water Hardness Number”).
Brine tank flooded| Valve drain hose is plugged or restricted.| Hose must not have any kinks, sharp bends or any water flow blockage (See “Valve Drain Requirements”).
Dirty, plugged or damaged nozzle & ven- turi assembly.| Take apart, clean and inspect nozzle & ven- turi (see “Cleaning the Nozzle & Venturi”).
Salty tasting water immediately after regeneration| Backwash and fast rinse cycle times are not long enough.| Increase backwash & fast rinse times (see “Back Wash & Fast Rinse Times”).
Valve drain hose is plugged or restricted.| Hose must not have any kinks, sharp bends or any water flow blockage (see “Valve Drain Requirements”).
Error code appears (example: “Err3”)| Fault in electronic controller or wiring har- ness connections to position switch, position switch inoperable or motor inoperable.| Unplug power cord. Check all wiring con- nections to be sure they are secure. Plug in power cord and wait 8 minutes. If error code returns, call 1-800-695-2761.

If your water softener does not work properly, make the following easy checks. Often, you will find what is wrong yourself and you won’t have to call and wait for service. If you do not find anything wrong while making the checks, and your softener still does not work properly, call 1-800-695-2761.

MANUALLY INITIATED ELECTRONIC DIAGNOSTICS

1. To enter diagnostics, press the SELECT button and hold for three seconds. The display will change to show turbine count, valve cycle position, and position switch status (open or closed).

TURBINE OPERATION:
If no water is flowing through the softener, the turbine indicator displays three zeros. When water is flowing, a 000 to 140 count repeats for each gallon of water passing through the turbine. To check for positive operation of the turbine if zeros are shown, open a nearby soft water faucet and observe the turbine count. If you don’t get a reading in the dis-play with faucet open, pull the sensor housing from the valve outlet port (see Fig. 43). Pass a small magnet back and forth in front of the sensor. You should get a reading in the display. If you get a reading, unhook the inlet and outlet plumbing and check the turbine for binding.

POSITION SWITCH STATUS:
With the valve in service, or any of the recharge cycle positions, the position switch indicator will show the switch open. While the valve is rotating from one position to another, the posi-tion switch indicator will show the switch closed. There is likely a problem if indications vary from this pattern.

OTHER INFORMATION:
While in the diagnostics screen, the following information is available and may be beneficial for various reasons. This information is retained by the electronic controller from the first time electrical power is applied to the unit.

• ress and hold the rUP button to display the num- ber of days this controller has had electrical power applied.
• Press and hold the sDOWN button to display the number of regenerations initiated by this controller since the model code number was entered.
  NOTE: If the electronic controller is left in the diagnos- tic display (or a flashing display when setting times or hardness), the normal time of day dis-play automatically returns if a button has not been pressed for 4 minutes. To return to the diagnostic display, repeat step 1, above.

RESETTING TO FACTORY DEFAULTS
To reset the electronic controller to its factory default for all settings (time, hardness, etc.):

1. Press the SELECT button and hold it until the display changes twice to show the flashing model code.
2. Press the rUP button to display a flashing “SoS”.
3. Press the SELECT button, and the electronic controller will restart.
4. Set the present time, hardness, etc., as described on pages 13 & 14.

MANUAL ADVANCE REGENERATION CHECK
This check verifies proper operation of the valve motor, brine tank fill, brine draw, regeneration flow rates, and other controller functions. Always make the initial checks first, and perform the manually initiated elec-tronic diagnostics.
NOTE: The display must show a steady time (not flash- ing). If an error code shows, first press the SELECT button to enter the diagnostic display.

1. Press the REGENERATION button and hold in for 3 seconds. “RECHARGE”, “Serv” and “Fill” begin to flash in the display as the softener enters the fill cycle of regeneration.

2.  When valve reaches “Fill” position, remove the brinewell cover and, using a flashlight, observe fill water entering the tank.

3. If water does not enter the tank, look for an obstructed nozzle, venturi, fill flow plug, brine tubing, or brine valve riser pipe.

4. After observing fill, press the REGENERATION button to move the softener into brining. A slow flow of water to the drain will begin. Verify brine draw from the brine tank by shining a flashlight into the brinewell and observing a noticeable drop in the liq-uid level.

5.  If the softener does not draw brine:

   • nozzle and/or venturi dirty
   • nozzle and venturi not seated properly on gasket = restricted drain (check drain fitting and hose)
   •  ineffective nozzle and venturi seal
   • other inner valve problem (rotor seal, rotor & disc,
     NOTE : If water system pressure is low, an elevated drain hose may cause back pressure, stopping brine draw.

6.  Again press REGENERATION to move the softener into backwash. Look for a fast flow of water from the drain hose.

7. An obstructed flow indicates a plugged top distribu-tor, backwash flow plug or drain hose.

8.  Press REGENERATION to move the softener into fast rinse. Again look for a fast drain flow. Allow the softener to rinse for a few minutes to flush out any brine that may remain in the resin tank from the brining cycle test.

9.  To return the softener to service, press REGENERA-TION once more.

WIRING SCHEMATIC

Water Softener Exploded View

Softener Parts List

(order decal & badge below)

■| 7388873| Instruction Decal
3| 7325477| Kenmore Badge
4| 7351054| Power Supply 24V DC
5| 7327835| Repl. Electronic Controller (PWA)
6| 7322712| Faceplate (order decal below)
■| 7325370| Faceplate Decal
7| 7265025| Ultra Cleansing Screen
–| 7112963| Distributor O-Ring Kit (includes Key Nos. 8-10)
8|  | O-Ring, 2-7/8” x 3-1/4”
9|  | O-Ring, 13/16” x 1-1/16”
10|  | O-Ring, 2-3/4” x 3”
11| 7077870| Top Distributor
12| 7161849| Repl. Resin Tank, 9” x 40”
13| 0502272| Resin
14| 7327584| Repl. Bottom Distributor
15| 7338365| Salt Storage Tank
–| 7327576| Brinewell Mounting Hardware Kit (includes Key Nos. 16 & 17)
16|  | Screw, 1/4-20 x 5/8”
17|  | Wing Nut, 1/4-20

Valve Assembly Exploded View

Valve Parts List

(includes Key Nos. 65, 69 & 70)

69|  | Plug, Drain Seal
70|  | Spring

71

|

7262506

| Installation Adaptor Kit, 1”, (includes 2 ea. copper tubes, clips & washers)

• 72| 7337589| Clip, 1”, pack of 4
  Key No.| Part No.| Description
  ---|---|---

73

|

7342704

| Installation Adaptor, 1”, pack of 2, including 2 ea. Clips & O-Rings (See Key Nos. 72 & 74)
74| 7337597| O-Ring, 1-1/16” x 1-5/16”, pack of 4
75| 7342699| Copper Reducer Bushing, 1” to 3/4”, pack of 2 *

–

|

7290931

| Turbine & Support Assembly, including 2 O-Rings (See Key No. 74 ) & 1 ea. of Key Nos. 76 & 77
76|  | Turbine Support & Shaft
77|  | Turbine
78| 7309811| Wire Harness (Sensor)
79| 7081201| Retainer, Nozzle & Venturi
80| 7171145| Valve Body
81| 7342649| O-Ring, 1/4” x 3/8”, pack of 2
82| 1202600| Nut – Ferrule
83| 7257454| Nozzle & Venturi Assembly (includes Key Nos. 79, 81 & 84-93)
84|  | Housing, Nozzle & Venturi
85|  | Cone Screen
86|  | Flow Plug, 0.3 gpm
87|  | Gasket
88|  | Nozzle & Venturi Disc, Blue
89|  | Flow Plug, 0.15 gpm
90|  | Screen
91|  | Screen Support
92|  | O-Ring, 1-1/8” x 1-3/8”
93|  | Cap

■

|

7298913

| Repl. Nozzle, Venturi & Gasket Kit (includes Key Nos. 81, 85, 87, 88 &

94| 7175199| Wave Washer
95| 7171161| Valve Cover
96| 7342681| Screw, #10-14 x 2-5/8”, pack of 8
97| 7305150| Switch
98| 7140738| Screw, #4-24 x 3/4” (2 req.)

99

|

7214383

| Bypass Valve Assembly, 1”, including 2 ea. Clips & O-Rings (See Key Nos. 72 & 74)
■| 3479901| Adaptor Kit, 1” to 1-1/4” *

References

• Kenmore Water Softening and Filtering Systems

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