Water Softeners and Air Filtration Systems - Kinetico Model 60

Hi all: I am new to this site. It looks great. I recently bought a used Kinetico Model 60 that I plan to install in my home. It is a two tank design with black tanks. I am told it is about 7 years old. It has been out of service for awhile, exact time unknown. I would like to give it a "tune-up" before installing it. Would someone please lead me in the right direction? Can I get a kit of some sort anywhere but the dealer? How about a service manual. The dealer is not very DIY friendly. It looks fine but I would like to verify its function before install. Is that possible? Any and all help is greatly appreciated. Mike L. Ohio

There are a couple of things you can do before installing but it is only after being on-line can you tell if works properly.

Before you can replace resins. this may not be necessary but it never hurts to brine it up to like-new condition. There is no 'kit' that is used to check these units outside of a basic water test kit.

After installing, you can sanitize it by regenerating with a dose of bleach to both sides. Make sure your water conditions and settings are appropriate.

There is always a risk when buying any used equipment. The risk is the owners. After installing it, call the dealer and have him come to give it a double check. You will have to pay a service charge but that is why they are in business.

Once it is set up and running, it should provide yers of good, trouble-free service.

Where in Ohio are you?

Andy

Thanks Andy. If I want to change out the resins before install, where is a good place to buy them? I already cleaned out the salt tank and sanitized it. It looks like new. The float works well too. I think it was probably replaced at some point. I think the unit itself is a 1999 that was used in a mobile home. Good idea regarding the service call. I am near Akron. Thanks for your help!!!!! Mike L.

First try a local plumbing supply store. Unless you have special problem water, regulat high capacity cation resins will do. It takes about 0.7 cuft per tank, no gravel bed is needed.

Good luck, plan is leaving Tokyo...got to go.
Andy

The Kinetico softners are very easy to work with with minimal tools.

As far as a tune-up, you may wish to simply start with cleaning the brine tank and float valve assembly.

The Resin in these units should last well beyond 7 years, so I wouldn't go overboard with replacing it just yet, unless you're at a point where the salt dose is set correctly for your water hardness and it's still not softening correctly.

Should you need to replace the resin, it simply involves unscrewing the meter head and right angle fitting head on the spare tank. No tools necessary, it's all hand tight. The resin runs about $125 a cube. 1 cube will reload a model 30. I think a model 60 requires a little less than 2 cubes. Definitely cheaper than buying a new unit and it's something anyone can do. The resin is a fine bead material that dumps out like mud. On a resin replacement, I simply dumped the stuff out into a 5gallon pail, and rinsed the cylinder out before refilling. Important to clean and cap the water tubes that sit in the cylinders before refilling so resin doesn't get into them. Also have a large funnel on hand for resin reloading.

Cleaning the brine tank can be a bit messy. Basically, you just want to be sure the salt grid at the bottom isn't clogged or salt bridged and that the brine valve well is clean to the bottom. Scoop the thing out, scrub, and rinse good.

The brine valve assembly can be soaked in a pail of hot tap water to dissolve any deposited salt.

The brine valve assembly can be tested, while connected to the unit, plumbed in, sitting in a pail. It should fill the pail to the float level, then shut off.

First reccomendation is to check your water conditions. Kinetico does this for free in my area. Take a sample from the well pressure tank (pre-treated).
Kinetico will be able to tell you the exact salt setting and metering disc for your specific grains of water hardness. Make sure the brine valve float is set to the right marked level and that your brine adjuster tube is cut to the right level for the approriate salt dose.

If you've had this disconnected for some time or if it's a new acquisition, take the time to get the water test first. If the brine dose is not set right, you won't be happy with the results. Also, well conditions change over time, as I learned.

Fire it up and run two manual regenerations to set both tanks. You can trip the manual regen with a phillips screwdriver. Gently insert into the plastic phillips slot on the meter head. While depressing, turn until you hear a couple clicks and the regeneration water begin to flow. Let it run from there.

Run it a week (a few cycles) and take some water samples back up to Kinetico, from the pressure tank (pre-treated) and from after the Model 60. They'll be able to tell you if it's spot on.

I'll tell you what, these units are easy enough to work on. You can easily avoid a $25 / 15min service charge and a $90 door fee by doing this yourself. Kinetico has always been very helpful here. Hopefully your dealer is of the same nature.

Good luck!

Just a follow-up note. Avoid running bleach through the softner, large doses of bleach will foul the resin and render it useless.

When you perform well sanitizations, be sure to bypass it.