We have an eight year old Superior brand water softner that has started leaking water and salt from somewhere around the bottom. We have not yet determined where it is leaking.
It is a single tank model that has an electric clock that controls when it regenerates. It is made mostly out of plastic. I could send a picture to anyone who wants to see it.
How likely is it that this unit can be repaired economically? Thank you in advance for all replies.
It sounds like it might just be a leak in the brine tank, so maybe you just need to buy a new brine tank from your local dealer. You would pull the mineral tank out of your brine tank and discard your brine tank. A separate brine tank would take up more room but would hold more salt. Or maybe you can find a brine tank inside of which you can put your mineral tank, as in your current setup.
Your local man will probably try to sell you a whole new unit. If you read up and know how a softener works and politely resist buying a new one, probably you can fix it yourself or have somebody fix it for a minimum labor charge.
I'm guessing you can fix it for under $100.
A lot of softeners are rebranded units whose main components are built by Autotrol, GE Osmonics, Fleck, and others. Start here to identify your components:
I am not exactly an expert, but I was able to fix and overhaul my
34-year-old Autotrol.Let us know what happens.
Could we leave the mineral tank in the old brine tank and use a new brine tank?
There is just one tube going from the timer to the brine tank that I can see. Is this tube used to both put water in the brine tank and take brine out of it (at different times)?
Does the mineral tank have to be inside a tank or can it be put on some kind of stand? It is rather tall and thin so I think it would fall over too easily if it was not in a tank or on a stand.
Please note that my water softener experience is pretty limited ...
I don't know why you couldn't.
That is the way it works with Autotrol 155 and 255. Water is put in the brine tank during one of the the last steps of the cycle. Next cycle it is sucked out of the brine tank by a venturi during the brining step.
The mineral tank does not have to be inside a tank. Usually the pipes are strong enough to keep it from getting knocked over. I believe the bottom of the mineral tank usually is actually rounded but set inside a cylindrical base that has a flat bottom.
Did you check the link I thoughtfully provided?
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