7 Ways To Quickly Troubleshoot A RainSoft Water Softener

If you have a Rainsoft water softener, you need to know how to troubleshoot common issues to resolve a problem quickly. You know that when something goes wrong with a water softener, it is frustrating, and if it is after hours or on the weekend, you may not be able to get a repairman out fast enough.

How do you troubleshoot a RainSoft water softener?

To troubleshoot a Rainsoft water softener, you need to diagnose the issue, find out the common causes of the problem, go down the list of resolutions, and if you are unable to resolve then call a repairman.

By knowing to resolve common issues that can occur with a Rainsoft water softening system, you are potentially eliminating having to wait multiple days for a repairman to come out and being without softened water.

The information in this guide has been provided by industry experts and proven to give the best resolutions to common Rainsoft water softener system problems.

Rainsoft Water Softener Overview

Rainsoft offers a selection of water softeners in order to have a product that can fit the needs of any household.

Each water softener system has its own range of features so it is important to know which one would best fit into your individual household regardless if your housing situation is a single-family home, a mobile home, a cabin, or even a container home.

EC4 Water Conditioning System

The EC4 water conditioning system offers its own range of features that make it excellent for certain households.

Self-cleaning control valve
High flow rates
Self-lubricating drive motor
DC power supply uses less electricity
Fewer moving parts make for increased reliability
Brine valve float system reduces the chance of overflow
Automatic bypass during regeneration
Tank-within-a-tank construction to prevent leakage
Lifetime warranty for tank, value, and electrical parts

EC5 Water Conditioning System

The EC5 water conditioning system is Rainsoft’s most advanced system, with multiple unique features that are not available in their other water softening systems.

Real-time status notifications for low salt, loss of power, and power restoration, as well as service reminders
Notifications are provided on system display as well as in the Rainsoft app
Keeps track of water usage within the home and regenerates based upon actual water usage
Self-cleaning control valve
High flow rates
Heavy-duty drive motor
DC power supply that uses less electricity
Fewer moving parts, which leads to increased reliability
Brine valve float system to reduce chances of overflow
Tank-within-a-tank construction to prevent leakage
Back-up battery to maintain program data if power is lost
Lifetime warranty for treatment tank, value, and electrical parts

EC5-CAB Water Conditioning System

The EC5-CAB water conditioning system has the EC5 technology combined with easy-to-use features to provide a water softening system with great results.

Filter clarifies and polishes water
Reduces ferrous iron in the water
Calculates and uses the proper amount of salt or potassium chloride as well as water at each regeneration
Ability to push any button, and the system status will be displayed
In the event of a power outage, regeneration will be resumed once power is restored
Three alarm tones alert of low salt, out of salt, or service that is needed
Large interactive display
The information menu allows access to water quality, usage profile, and general support data
Proportional Brine and rinse save on salt and water with shorter regeneration cycles

TC-M Water Conditioning System

The TC-M Water conditioning systems are built to last a lifetime and will provide many great features to soften the water in your household.

Softens, conditions, and filters water within your home
The control valve is self-cleaning
High-flow rates keep excellent water pressure throughout your home
DC power supply uses less electricity
Brine valve float system prevents overflow
Fail-safe tank construction to prevent leakage
Carries Rainsoft’s lifetime warranty
Electronic timer

Troubleshooting Your Water Softener

System Not Regenerating

If your water softener system is not regenerating, then you need to check if the unit has power.

Check the power cord where it connects to the wall and where it connects to the unit. If this is properly plugged in then it could be that the system is not counting the gallons of water correctly.

In this case, you will need to contact Rainsoft to have a technician come to service the unit.

System Regenerating At The Wrong Time

It could be that the water softener is regenerating due to a few different issues that are potentially occurring.

The first is that the computer is not set properly, which means that you just need to reset the day and time of regeneration to get the unit back on the proper schedule.

The second reason could be that daylight savings have occurred, and the time is off by an hour. This can be resolved if you verify that the auto daylight savings setting is on.

The last reason that your system could be regenerating at the wrong time is that the maximum system capacity has been exceeded. If this could potentially be the case, then you will need to limit the usage of water until the regeneration is complete.

The Quality of Softened Water Has Changed

If the quality of the softened water has changed and is not as good, then there could be multiple reasons behind the issue.

The raw water in your area may have changed. It would be a good idea to have a specialist come out and test your water again to check for changes.

Another reason the water quality could have changed is that the bypass valve is open and allows hard water through. Check to be sure that the bypass valve is closed.

The last reason that could potentially be causing a change in water quality is that the power supply is disconnected. Check the power connections and, if needed, reconnect.

Water Pressure Reduced

The water pressure change can be alarming. This is usually due to low pressure to the unit itself. The best way to troubleshoot this is to bypass the unit.

If you bypass the unit and your pressure is still low then you know it is not an issue with the water softener itself.

If you bypass the system and your water pressure returns to normal, then it is a good idea to call Rainsoft and have a technician come out to evaluate the unit.

Excessive Water in Brine Tank or Salty Water

Occasionally there will be excessive water in your brine tank, or you might notice that the water coming through the softener is salty.

There are a few causes of this issue, and most resolutions do involve calling Rainsoft to have a technician come to evaluate the unit.

This could be occurring because the drain line is clogged or restricted, which means checking the water flow to the drain is critical.

If it is okay, then you will need to call a Rainsoft technician. Other reasons include the brine valve being dirty, low inlet pressure, or a clogged injector. All of these problems will require a technician to come out and service the unit or make repairs.

The Water Softener Is Not Using Salt

If the water softener is not using salt, then there is an issue occurring. If the drain line is clogged or restricted, then you will need to check the drain and either remove the clog or replace the drain line.

If the injector is plugged or there is no water in the brine tank, this will be a cause for a Rainsoft technician to come out to assist with the issue.

The other reason this could be occurring is due to low inlet pressure. The pressure must be at 20 psi so if it isn’t at this level; then a Rainsoft technician can come out and make the repair for you.

Constant Flow to Drain

If there is a constant flow to the drain, then there is one of two things happening. The first is that there is foreign material in the valve. A Rainsoft technician can come out and quickly clean the valve to resolve the problem.

The second reason is that there is excessive water pressure. In order to resolve this problem, you will need to install a pressure regulator to control the amount of water pressure and make sure that it is not too much for the system.

Regeneration Process for Rainsoft Water Softeners

The regeneration process for Rainsoft water softeners involves several steps and is important to keep the system functioning as normal.

It is common for Rainsoft water softeners to go through the regeneration process 1-2 times per week.

Fill The Brine Tank

The system will automatically add the proper amount of water to the brine tank to start the regeneration process.

Most of the time, once the regeneration process is complete, the system will automatically add water to the tank to be prepared for the next regeneration, even if the water sits for several days.

The great thing about Rainsoft water softener systems is that they check your water usage to determine if regeneration is needed.

‘If the system detects that regeneration is needed, it will begin to fill the brine tank approximately two hours before it starts the regeneration process.

The system uses technology that allows it to know how much salt is needed to regenerate and will only add the proper amount of water needed to dissolve that amount of salt.

Soak

Once the water has been added to the brine tank, the system will wait for two hours. This ensures that the salt will properly dissolve, and you can use your water softener system as normal during this time.

Backwash

When the time comes for regeneration, the valve will move to the backwash system as it begins the actual process of regeneration. At this point, the flow through the tank is reversed.

Water will flow from the bottom up, which ensures that the softening material is cleaned properly.

This will remove dirt or particles that are on top of the mineral bed.

Any water that flows through the tank will go straight down the drain during this process. It is important to note that if you choose to use water during the regeneration process, you will be using water that is untreated.

Brine Draw and Slow Rinse

Once the system has finished the backwash portion, it will move into the brine draw part of the process.

The valve will create a vacuum-type suction that will pull brine from the brine tank. It will then flow through the mineral bed to remove the buildup from the resin beads.

It will send all of this to the drain. Once all of the brine is out of the brine tank, it will begin the slow rinse. This will remove any brine in the resin beads and ensure that they are thoroughly rinsed.

Fast Rinse Cycle

The final portion of the regeneration cycle is the fast rinse. Water will flow quickly through the resin beads from top to bottom.

This is the final cleaning rinse, and then the valve will return to the normal setting. At this point, the water softener system will be back in the service mode and function as normal.

Manual Regeneration

Your Rainsoft water softener system will typically regenerate on its own whenever it is necessary. However, you may run into a time when you need to do a manual regeneration.

Regenerate Now

Select “START REGENERATION,” and then you will need to press the “ENTER” button or the “RIGHT” button to be taken to the screen for manual regeneration.
You will then have the option to start the regeneration right then or at a later time.
If you want to start regeneration now, you will make sure that “Regenerate Now?” is highlighted and press enter.
It will then take you to the “CONFIRM REGEN NOW” screen, where you will press enter once “YES” is highlighted.
The screen will then display “SYSTEM: REGEN IN 10,” and you will have a 10-second countdown before the system begins regeneration.

Regenerate Later

To begin the process of beginning regeneration at a later time, you will press the “DOWN” button to select this item, then press “ENTER.”
A day will be displayed on the screen for the future regeneration process.
You can then use the “UP” and “DOWN” buttons to choose a different time for regeneration. You will have the ability to set the hours as well as minutes if you want an exact start time.
Once you press “ENTER,” the system will begin with cycle 1 two hours prior to the start time to give enough time for the brine tank process to fill and dissolve the salt.