More issues with Autotrol 440i/255?

[jjohnson]

I started a thread earlier because my softener was not producing soft water and I had asked for help on changing the timer. I seem to have further issues.

I thought my problems were limited to my timer - which is clearly not functioning. However, today when I tried to do a manual regeneration, I am not sure there are not other issues.

I first pushed the black knob and moved it to "backwash" for 14 minutes. All seemed fine. I then put it to "Draw/Slow Rinse" for 52 minutes. Brine was rushing in and I could see the water filling in the plastic cup (air check?). When I went to look at it after 30 minutes, there was still sounds of water running, but the tube from the brine tank was full of air and no brine was coming into the air check which was half full. I assume this is not normal? Is there an easy fix or explanation for this? Incidentally, when I moved the setting to "Fast Rinse" (10 minutes), the brine is flowing normally!

I would appreciate any help as I cannot afford a service call at the moment.

TIA

JJ

[Gary Slusser]

A manual regeneration means you Start it and then let it finish on it's own. If it won't finish on its own, you find out why and fix it.

Now it sounds as if you have loose brine line connections allowing it to suck air instead of heavy brine water. You need to fix the air leaks. The half full air check is normal on your 255 valve and the brine flows very slowly.

The Refill water flows the other way, into the salt tank, during Fast Rinse.

[jjohnson]

Unless I am completely off base (and this is certainly possible with my limited knowledge of these things), the reason it won't complete the manual regeneration without intervention is because my timer is not working. I believe that simply putting the unit in "Start" will still require that the timer take it from one step (Backwash) to another (e.g. Slow Rinse).

From my research, it seems that the events that I described were normal. It only take 20 minutes or so to suck the salt water out of the brine tank and then the valve slowly rinses it through the resin tank for the remainder of the 52 minutes.

So, I am going to go ahead and replace the timer and pray that this ends my issues.

Thanks for the reply.

JJ

[Gary Slusser]

You may have a bad motor. You should check that before buying a timer but, you have a time clock control valve which is a poor choice compared to a metered control valve. I'm all for fixing something that will work but, if you pay for a motor and timer you will be spending maybe a 1/3+ of the price of a new softener bought online with a metered control valve including delivery.

If you can advance the timer with a screw driver, then the gears in the timer are good, so the motor or the gearing on the motor or the gear it mates with in the timer is more likely to be the problem.

[NH Master]

Oh and don't forget to buy a new softener "online" I'm sure Gary can point you in the right direction.

Fix the head you have, it is a good unit that will last many many years properly maintained.