Kinetico Model 30 Experience?

A bit of a long story with some history, but if not interested in all that just go to the last para for my question(s).
House was built in 89 and still has the original Kinetico Model 30 softener. Also has a Kinetico aerator tank installed between the pressure tank and water filter cartridge (20” x 5 micron).
House is situated in the country side essentially on the Canadian Shield with a well about 240’ deep.
Due to my stupidity and negligence the softener and piping around it is full of crap (guessing iron oxide particles? - reddish/orange colour debris and scale on surfaces). This was because I hadn’t changed the filter frequently enough. Decided then to just “bypass” the system, and it’s been in that mode I’m guessing for close to a year.
So, last week decided to finally tackle the issue along with several other issues associated with the whole installation. System was located next to electrical panel, so moved it further away as I need room for a sub-panel for a generator. Next, pressure tank in crawlspace was in the way of the hatch opening into the crawlspace, so moved it out of the way. Then, floor under the aerator tank had rotted out from years of condensate collecting on the floor, so replaced that floor section, and added 3/4” pressure treated plywood under the equipment in its new location. Finally redid associated plumbing eliminating 90 elbows with 45 degree elbows (to minimize pressure drop), added valves for servicing water filter, and proper “drip tray” under brine and resin tanks (still got to fab one up for the aerator tank), and installed a proper 1.5” ABS drain pipe to the drip tray. Let’s just say the original installation was a POS nightmare which I should have fixed when we first moved here.
So, back to the softener system. Got the “head assembly” disassembled in order to clean out all the crude and scale. Been using warm water, vinegar and baking soda. The Kinetico bypass/service valve was buggered due to crud, and in “bypass” mode was actually leaking a fair amount. Only discovered this when I removed the resin tanks from the valves. Got it cleaned up and it’s now working properly. Got Stage 1? (Gear drive section) all cleaned up and re-assembled. Now working on the Stages with the valves. Couldn’t get Stages 3 & 4 apart initially. The pistons wouldn’t even move up/down. This is even after letting those two stages soak in warm water and a vinegar /baking soda solution, Then decided to use compressed air in the centre passages, and eventually got the valves to “pop” and remove those two stages. Still in the process of cleaning them further, and next is the resin tanks themselves.
I want to “flush” out the water sitting in the tanks, but not sure how. The same “crud” in the head is floating around at the top of the main tank. Haven’t disassembled anything further other than separating the two tanks at the connection. I want to physically detach the tanks from each other at the bottom, but not sure how to do that. Those with Kinetico systems know info is fairly scarce on the interweebs, so thought I would try here.

Some pics of my nightmare. lol!

 

More pics…New location and piping.

 

Crud in thd head assembly.

 

Valve assembly. Quickly checked pricing for a new valve in case I couldn’t fix it from leaking. A used one with the associated Kinetico pipes was CAN$358 on eBay! Luckily, it’s now working as it should.

 

Cleaned up drive mechanism. Stage 1?

 

Was not fun having no running water for one week. Luckily, there is a natural water spring in the village not too far from my place. No dishes done for a week. No laundry for a week. Only one shower during that time at my daughter’s place. Carrying water around to fill up toilets, heating water for cooking and washing up was a huge chore and workout. Everyone should spend a few days without running water to see how truly fortunate we are.
My sis spent some time in Africa, and saw how hard it was for them. The women would carry water for over a km. She raised money for a well for them because she felt so bad.

 

Well, got everything buttoned back up. Seems to be working. Just flushed out the resin tanks with a garden hose for a few minutes until clear water just came out.
Had to futz around the brine float mechanism as I had taken it out probably a year ago and couldn’t remember how the magnet was supposed to sit in the brine tube. It’s quite the affair. There is a magnetic ring in the top float that causes the other small magnet inside the tube to also rise and fall with the float. That magnet can affect whether the “check” ball can or cannot close the brine tube passage. Really no info on the interweebs about this float mechanism and how it works, and how the float settings are supposed to be set. On mine, I noticed “M9” marked on the bottom of the brine tube. The rubber “o-ring” stopper for the lower float was set at the “M” mark on the outer floating collar. The upper rubber o-ring was set at the “E” marking on the collar. The separation of these two rings I guess affects how long/how much salt is used during each cycle. I also have a number “5” disc in the drive mechanism that I think corresponds to 250 gallons of water usage before the regen cycle begins.
As a mech Eng, I’m really impressed with the design, attention to detail, and quality of this thing. Apparently, they are way more efficient (in terms of both salt and water consumption) than than the “standard” softeners which use a timer. With care and the odd resin replacement every 20 yrs plus or so, they can last forever. Mine I think is still on its original resin beads.

 

Tested the kitchen tap water for hardness this morning, and it was at the extreme end. Essentially, “off the chart”. In the middle of the second regen cycle, water was now at the opposite end. Almost too “soft”. Will monitor a few times a day to see what value it settles in on.

Hardness before (purple)



Hardness after one regen cycle. need to perform two regen cycles due to the dual tank system of the Kinetico design.

 

Some final pics of the install.

 

Oh yeah. The brine float thingy…

 

I enjoyed your posts.

As a tech with a boiler feed water background and much experience with water softeners and reverse osmosis systems, I can relate to the headaches involved with treating hard water.

The amount of debris in "clear" water will make the average person cringe.

Clear water ain't often clean water.

With that said, I still don't buy bottled water unless tap water is unavailable or not potable.

 

Agree. Never understood folks who literally buy pallets of bottled water at Costco.
I live on a small lake, and years ago my neighbour decided to pull water for potable use out of the lake. He did have issues with his well, and used dry ice to “frack” it. Seemed to work afterwards, but complained about sufficient supply. My other neighbour and I have no issues with supply/volume. Anyhow, he’s got quite the system to “sanitize” the water including ultra-violet light treatment plus a reverse osmosis system. Must of cost him a pretty penny.
I wouldn’t want to imagine what’s on the inside of municipal potable water pipes that are at getting upwards of 50-60 plus years old. lol!

 

I've pressure washed the insides of water towers with fire hoses. The amount of mud that settles in the bottom would blow your mind.

As long as you know the tower was designed to settle out those solids, it's no big deal and the water is safe.

But, yes, water has all sorts of material disolved and suspended in it.

 

Tested the hot water last night. Hardness now seems to be “normal”, but pH and alkalinity seem to be too high.

 

Don't you want pH to be north of 7 a touch? Anything lower will corrode any iron plumbing.

 

I guess. Will need to read up on it. Better to be higher a bit than lower for sure.