Kenmore ULTRASOFT 175 625.388170 - Manual (Page 12)

SECTION 2 HOW YOUR WATER SOFTENER WORKS
B. SOFT WATER SERVICE and REGENERATION
BRINING: During brining, the brine is moved
from the salt storage area, into the resin tank. Inside
the resin tank, brine cleans hardness minerals from
the resin beads and they are discharged out the
drain. How much brine is needed to dean the resin
depends on:
- - the amount of service water used between regen­
erations,
- - the amount of resin in the softener,
- -how fast the brine goes through the bed.
The nozzle and venturi (FIG. 7) make suction to take
brine from the salt tank and put it into the resin tank.
They keep the brine flow down to a very slow rate
to get the best resin cleaning with the least salt.
B BRINE RINSE: After all of the brine is moved
into the resin tank, the brine valve closes. Water
keeps flowing the same way it did during brining
except the brine flow has stopped. Hardness miner­
als and brine flush from the resin tank to the drain.
Brining and brine rinse together vary in the length
of time they take, relative to the fill cycle length.
FIG. 7
Water Flow Through the Softener
in Brining and Brine Rinse
hard water i^ard water
bypass OUT ^ ^ ifj
drain
El BACKWASH: During backwash, water flows
UP through the resin tank (FIG. 8) at a fast rate to
flush iron minerals, dirt and sediments from the bed
and to the drain. The bed lifts and expands for good
cleaning.
FIG. 8
Water Flow Through the
Softener in Backwash
hard water hard water
bypass OUT f I IN
FAST RINSE: Backwash is followed by a fast
flow of water down through the resin tank. The fast
flow packs the resin bed and gets it ready for return
to service (FIG. 9).
After fast rinse, the softener returns to service. Hard
water goes into the resin tank where the resin bed
again takes out the hardness minerals. Soft water
goes to the house soft water pipes.
FIG. 9
Water Flow Through the
Softener in Fast Rinse
soft water hard water
drain
2 - 3
Problems, Questions? Call 1-800-426-9345 Kenmore Water Line