Water softener?????

[toolmanmike]

Not an A body question but...... our water softener shot craps and we
don't know which brand to get. We've lived in the same house for 12 years
and I'm on my third Kenmore softener. I really don't want to go back to Sears.
Culligan and Rainsoft are $1200-$1500 but I suppose they last longer.
What kind do you guys have and what kind of service life do you get?
I appreciate your responses. toolmanmike

 

[KP]

Check this like out.

http://www.watersoftenerscompared.com/compare_water_softeners.html?source=msn

Before we moved we installed a Kinetico system at a home in the middle farm land with lots of run off and loved it. The only bad experience we had was with their sales team, but would buy one again!

http://www.kinetico.com/KineticoSystems/WaterSofteners.aspx

 

[Mopower71]

I've had my culligan for 16 or 17 years now.
It has broken, but after watching the repair man fix it, I fixed it myself after that. Theres a bell crank that has a shear point on it, and if it sticks a little it breaks in half. One other time the screen inside got a couple small stones jammed in it. It's not that hard to disassemble them and find the problem.
It it's broke you only lost a little time, most of the parts should be readily available, and a whole bunch cheaper than a new one. So open that puppy up, just remember to unplug it first.

 

[Mopower71]

Check this out
http://www.kenmorewater.com/website/animations/water-softener-troubleshooting.html

 

[Mopower71]

That link has a trouble shooting animation

 

[Mopower71]

Here is the link to the manuals
You just have to select your model.
http://www.kenmorewater.com/website/customer-assist/1-kenmore-water-softener-manuals.html

 

[toolmanmike]

I did save my manual and have gone through the diagnostics a couple of times. I have also had the venturi valve apart for cleaning and inspection.
I took my wireless laptop to the basement a few min. ago and went through the animated diagnostics on line. Both times I was told to contact a repair professional. I talked to a water softener dealer at a home improvement show
last night and he went down the same diagnostic path and at the end of his questions he got a really puzzled look on his face and took a wild guess that the resin bed may need replacing. I had never heard of such a thing but there are places on the net that sells the resin beads. The last two softeners quit after they ran out of salt for about a week. Mike