Water softening is the method by which metal cations such as calcium, magnesium are removed from hard water. The popularity of water softeners has been on the rise in recent years, and one of the most popular brands for that is Kinetico.
Despite their popularity, there are some problems you might face after using the softener for a while. One of the most common of these problems you might face is when the Kinetico water softener won’t stop running.
In this article, we will be talking about the causes and solutions to this issue.
Why Does The Kinetico Water Softener Keep Running?
The most common reason behind a leaking softener is a damaged water tank. Generally, this happens when the softener becomes too old.
Leakage can happen due to broken pipes as well. To find out the problem, you have to inspect it. Start by checking out the outer layer.
Water leakage can also occur if the water pressure is very high. If the machine cannot handle the pressure, it will break in the affected area and water will start leaking.
Besides these common reasons, there are a variety of reasons behind the incessant running of your water softener. If it keeps on running, eventually, you will end up with no water. Here are some causes behind the running water, and their solutions:
- Interruption In Power
Most water softeners use a computer. This system tells the softener which cycle to go to and when to stop a particular cycle.
If the power supply of your home is interrupted during the regeneration process, your water softener will have no way of knowing when to stop the process. The machine will keep on draining water until power is restored.
Solution: Put the system into bypass mode so that no water goes through this at all.
- The Piston O-Ring Is Not Suited Properly
Because of the misplaced piston, water will keep on leaking past the improperly seated balance piston, and go out the drain.
Solution: Depress the actuator several times so that the o-ring is properly placed. Replace worn or non-conforming O-ring. Balance piston O ring sits at the top of the head, beneath the manual regeneration screw.
Sometimes it becomes necessary to add a second thin O-ring to bring up any type of slack in the seal.
- Control Disk Has Been Damaged Or Scored
Because of a scored control disc, water will flow at a very fast rate through a pencil-sized stream and onto the drain.
Solution: Get new control disc seals or control disc.
- The control valve or drain seals are not seated properly
Solution: This is happening mostly because foreign materials underneath the seals are not allowing them to sit properly.
So you have to disassemble and remove the foreign matter from seals. Replace the seals as they may have been worn out.
Keeping your water softener is very crucial. If the device is kept clean, it will last for a long time as well as provide consistent service.
Regular maintenance ensures that the water supply through the softener is free from sediments.
It also helps to prevent clogs in the tank and allows smooth flowing of water.
- Low Water Pressure
If the water pressure is less than 15 psi or 25 psi at the brine fitting, the machine will not function properly.
Solution: The first thing you have to do is test the backwashing filters with the unit in backwash and one faucet of running, cold water. Next, increase the water pressure.
- The Main Valve Piston Quad Rings Or Level 4 Internal Quad Rings Are Not Sealing
Solution: The quad rings may be rolled, pinched, torn, or just dirty. They might need replacing too. Replace the quad rings, and also re-silicone them.
- Computer Malfunction
Computers are there to make our lives easier. But like other devices, there comes a point when they wear out. The same goes for the computer on your water softener.
Loss of power to the computer will mean that the water softener will keep on doing whatever it was doing at the time of the power loss. So, if the softener was regenerating when the power went out, it would keep on regenerating.
Also, a power spike can cause the computer of your softener to lose the programming ability to control the system. Eventually, the machine will regenerate more often than required.
Solution: Check the computer to see if it is functioning properly. If it needs fixing, take it to your nearest hardware store.
Here is a nice troubleshooting video for you.
Why You Need To Keep Water Softeners Fixed Always?
By using water softeners, metal cations such as calcium, magnesium are removed from hard water. The presence of these cations in water causes a variety of issues.
Softer water reduces the scale build-up in pipes as well requires less effort to complete activities like cleaning.
The mechanism behind water softening is very simple. Inside a water softener, there are resin beads that hold electrically charged ions. Hard water has elements like calcium and magnesium in them.
But when this hard water is passed through a water softener, the calcium and magnesium ions are attracted to the charged resin beads. The ions of these elements are removed in the softener.
The water without the presence of these elements is known as soft water.
The system is controlled with very simple, user-friendly electronics displayed on an LCD screen. The main page displays the current time and the number of gallons remaining in meter mode.
It also displays the number of days remaining in the calendar clock mode.
Final Words
A lot of people stumble upon the issue where their Kinetico water softener won’t stop running. But that does not necessarily mean that there is no solution to this problem.
In this article, we have mentioned possible reasons and how to fix the issues. If you still find the problems persisting, consult a professional for another perspective.
You should also consult professionals if you have been able to find the problem but don’t know how to fix it.
Great first video. Have you made a video for rebuilding the head