Kenmore 625.3485500 - Manual (Page 14)

HOW YOUR WATER SOFTENER WORKS
SECTION 2
14
2B. SOFT WATER SERVICE AND REGENERATION
AUTOMATIC BYPASS
During the brining, brine rinse and backwash
cycles of regeneration, HARD water goes
through the softener valve and to the house
pipes. If a faucet is opened, hard water is there
for your needs. However, you should not use
HOT water, if possible, because the water heater
will refill with hard water. The softener regener-
ates from 2:00 AM to about 4:00 AM, (you can set
anytime), a time when not much water is used.
If you get up early in the morning and you can
hear the softener regenerating, change the time
setting. Set the recharge time to 12:00 AM or 1:00
AM (page 7). Then regeneration will start and
end that much earlier and your water heater will
not refill with hard water if a hot faucet is
opened.
Two main parts of the softener’s electronics are
¡
a WATER METER, and © a COMPUTER.
¡
WATER METER — The water meter is in the
softener valve outlet. As water flows through the
meter, it sends electric pulses to the computer.
The computer changes the pulses to a measure in
gallons of water.
© COMPUTER — The computer is part of the
circuit board. It is programmed to know the
softener’s capacity (how many grains of hard-
ness minerals it will take out of the water before a
regeneration is needed). When starting the
softener, page 7, you set it for the grains per
gallon (gpg) hardness of the water.
To find a regeneration pattern best for your
needs, the computer uses: (1) water usage from
the meter, (2) hardness setting, (3) softener
capacity, and (4) time since the last regeneration.
The computer always adjusts this pattern to your
water using habits. It works toward providing
you with soft water for the longest time and the
most efficient salt usage.
Softening capacity is used as hard water goes
through the softener and hardness minerals are
removed, capacity is used. When the computer
determines that only enough capacity remains to
provide soft water up to the next regeneration
starting time (2:00 AM, or as otherwise set) it will
schedule a regeneration. RECHARGE TONIGHT
displays until the regeneration begins. When the
regeneration begins, TONIGHT goes off and
RECHARGE NOW flashes during the 2 hour
regeneration.