Water Softeners and Air Filtration Systems - Kenmore water softener troubleshooting ERR 3

I have a Sears Kenmore Genius II Water Softener, model no. 625.348670. Every time it went through a recharge cycle it ended up with an error message on the display. It showed an “Err 3” or sometimes an “Err 1”. I suspected a problem with the venturi because the system was not drawing the brine. I went through all the trouble shooting steps that are outlined in manual. That included leaving the system unplugged for a day and cleaning the nozzle and venturi.

Nothing worked. It always ended with an error on the display. So I called for service. The technician told me that it would cost me $605.72 in parts and labor to repair. That included a new timer motor and a new computer which I think is called a PWA.

I started shopping around for a new softener. I am not a technician, but something kept nagging me about the service tech’s conclusions. To me - the computer seemed to be functioning normally through all the cycles except for the very last backwash and rinse where it frequently got stuck and showed the Err 3.

Without removing any parts I literally inspected everything with a magnifying glass, looking for evidence of bad connections, or anything. Something about the position switch didn’t look right. There is a very small stub on the switch that gets pushed in by the cam when it rotates. And this stub looked a little worn so I replaced the position switch (part number 7145186). And that solved the problem.

That switch cost about $7.00 and took less than 5 minutes to install which beats the pants off a $605 bill. I really have to wonder about the training these service techs receive. He was either incompetent or dishonest, and gives the good techs a bad reputation. It makes me angry to know that I would have been ripped off if not for a little luck. I just hope that I can help someone else by posting this.

Way to go ... that's why these links are posted.

http://forum.doityourself.com/showthread.php?t=206047

All you need to do anything is the knowledge and the tools and sometimes a little luck.

I doubt that the tech was dishonest but less competent than he/she should be? Maybe. There are good techs and bad techs just as there are good water treatment dealers and bad ones.

The only defense for this tech is that you didn't move your softener close enough to the phone for him/her to see it. Techs are often grossly misled by inaccurate problem desriptions or attempted diagnostics by end users and those experiences have taught MANY techs (in many industries) that they have to keep a VERY open mind when asked for a "guess" over the phone.

IMO the deciding factor when shopping for water treatment hardware is finding a dealer who will provide service during AND after the sale.

A little silicone grease on that "nub" might be a good idea.

Give yourself a pat on the back :)

No bashing of companies here please.

I just want to clarify one comment. When I said I called for service, I meant that I made an appointment and the tech actually came out did his own troubleshooting. He was not guessing over the phone.

I just want to clarify one comment. When I said I called for service, I meant that I made an appointment and the tech actually came out did his own troubleshooting. He was not guessing over the phone.

That makes a BIG difference. I doubt Sears' techs are on commision so the tech is probably not dishonest but without a doubt he's an incompetent tech and you're $600 ahead of the curve.

You should help that tech to learn his craft ;) by calling his service manager and telling him/her exactly what happened. When employees screw up and the boss never finds out he/she can't do anything about it. You might also call the Sears 800 service number, tell them what happened, and mention that you might write a letter to your State Attorney General ... and maybe you should write that letter anyway.

That would probably help the next customer calling for service