Clean Water 5900-BT Carbon Backwash Filter Operating and safety instructions

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Clean Water Made Easy
www.cleanwaterstore.com
5900-BT Carbon
Backwash Filter
Installation &
Maintenance Guide

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Thank you for purchasing a Clean Water System!
With proper installation and a little routine maintenance your system will be providing
chlorine-free water for many years.
Please review this manual entirely before beginning to install your system, and follow the steps
outlined for best results.
Minimum 30 PSI required. Maximum pressure 90 PSI.
For indoor installation. Protect from sunlight, rain, and freezing.
CARBON MEDIA CONTAINS DUST.
USE PAPER MASK AND VENTILATE TO AVOID BREATHING DUST.
OK to wet down media with spray bottle
FOR USE ON MUNICIPALLY-TREATED, OR DISINFECTED WATER ONLY. IF USING ON
UN-CHLORINATED OR NON-DISINFECTED WATER INSTALL A UV STERILIZER AFTER UNIT.
Helpful Videos
https://www.youtube.com/@CleanWaterStore/videos
Questions?
Call us toll-free: 1-888-600-5426 or 1-831-462-8500
Email us: [email protected]
See more information on our website: www.cleanwaterstore.com/resources

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Table of Contents
Packing Lists 4
How Your Carbon Backwash Filter Works 5
System Installation Steps Overview 6
Pre-Installation 6
Best Practices for Piping & Drain Installation 7
Diagram of Typical Installation Well Water 8
Diagrams of Typical Installation City Water 8
Installation of Your System into Copper or Metal Piping Systems 9
Add Filter Media and Install 5900-BT Backwash Valve on Tank 9
Attach the Bypass 11
Electrical Connections 11
Install 9V Battery (not included) 12
Piping Installation 12
External Drain Line Flow Control (“DLFC”) 13
Program Your Valve: Main Menu 13
Program Your Valve: Master Programming Mode 14
See Historical Data and Real Time Flow Rate 15
Installing and Using the Optional Legacy View App 17
Legacy Phone App Dashboard 18
Pressure Loss from Inadequate Backwash Flow Rate 22
Problems with Pressure Loss or Reduced Flow 22
Service Instructions – Perform Before Doing Any Service 23
How to Replace Powerhead 23
How to Replace Piston Assembly 23
How to Replace the Carbon Filter Media 25
Valve Body Assembly S900-BT 26
Control Valve Assembly 5900-BT 27
Water Filters Limited Warranty 28

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Packing Lists
All systems include:
5900-BT control valve; bypass assembly with 1” connector yoke; power supply; media funnel for
adding the carbon media; top screen.
Find Your Size System to See What is Included:
What to Do if Your Tank is Not Level Out of the Box:
Your black lter tank base is not glued to the bottom of your tank. Occasionally tank bases will
become crooked during shipment.
If you nd that that your tank does not sit level on the oor, you can easily adjust it by holding
the empty tank and knocking or tapping it on a concrete or solid oor once or twice to level it.
Carbon Filter 0.5 cubic foot size
6” x 35” lter tank with distributor tube
7 lbs. lter gravel
0.5 cubic foot of activated carbon.
Carbon Filter 0.75 cubic foot size
8” x 44” lter tank with distributor tube
8 lbs. lter gravel
0.75 cubic foot of activated carbon.
Carbon Filter 1.0 cubic foot size
9” x 48” lter tank with distributor tube
12 lbs. lter gravel
1 cubic foot of activated carbon
Carbon Filter 1.5 cubic foot size
10” x 54” lter tank with distributor tube
16 lbs. Filter gravel
1.5 cubic foot of activated carbon
Carbon Filter 2.0 cubic foot size
12” x 52” lter tank with distributor tube
20 lbs. lter gravel
2.0 cubic foot of activated carbon
Carbon Filter 2.5 cubic foot size
13” x 54” lter tank with distributor tube
35 lbs. lter gravel
2.5 cubic foot of activated carbon
Carbon Filter 3.0 cubic foot size
14” x 65” lter tank with distributor tube
50 lbs. lter gravel
3.0 cubic foot of activated carbon

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5900-BT Carbon Backwash Filter Installation & Maintenance Guide
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How Your Carbon Backwash
Filter Works
Water enters the top of the tank and ows down
through the media and up the distributor tube.
The downow type Carbon Filter removes sediment
and can be backwashed, which cleans and
re-classies the Carbon, preventing channeling.
During backwash the ow of water is reversed
and water ows down the distributor tube and
up through the media, lifting and expanding the
Carbon media.
During the backwash the Carbon is cleaned by the
action of the water owing through it.
Fig. 1

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System Installation Steps Overview
1. Verify that you have received all parts and there are no damaged or missing parts.
2. Put gravel in rst, then carbon. Fill tank with clean water. The longer it soaks while you are
doing everything else, the better.
3. Make the plumbing connections from your existing system to the bypass assembly, installing
extra valves, unions, pressure gauges and hose bibs as needed.
4. Attach the control head to the tank, and to the bypass assembly.
5. Install the Drain Line tubing and Drain Line Tubing Flow Control button (Internal for models
2.0 CF and less, or External ow control assembly for models 2.5 CF and greater)
6. Plug in the power supply and program the valve.
7. Follow the instructions to put the system online and to verify the system is leak-free.
Pre-Installation
1. Review your packing list to make sure you have received all the parts before installation.
2. If you are going to be turning o the water to the house and you have an electric water
heater, shut o the power to the water heater before beginning installation.
3. Pick a suitable location for your lter system on a dry level spot where it won’t be exposed to
freezing temperatures, direct sunlight, wind or rain.
4. Get all of your plumbing parts together before beginning installation.
5. After the system is installed and running, your water may be discolored, or full of sediment or
rust, especially if you have older or corroded piping. This typically clears up over a day or two.

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Best Practices for Piping & Drain Installation
1. See typical installation (Fig 2). The Carbon Backwash lter is installed after pressure tank.
2. Install on a level oor or surface.
3. Filter system must be installed at least 10 feet ahead of inlet to water heater to prevent
damage due to back-up hot water or use a check valve to prevent hot water back-up.
4. DO NOT install the unit in an area of direct sunlight or expose to freezing.
5. Locate the unit near an unswitched, 120 volt / 60 Hz grounded electrical outlet.
6. Filter system must be installed at least 10 feet ahead of inlet to water heater to prevent
damage due to back-up hot water or use a check valve to prevent hot water back-up.
7. DO NOT install the unit in an area of direct sunlight or expose to freezing.
8. Locate the unit near an unswitched, 120 volt / 60 Hz grounded electrical outlet.
9. Make sure to connect the IN pipe to the 5900-BT inlet and the OUT pipe to the outlet.
10.Make sure there is a working gate or ball valve before the 5900-BT Carbon Filter and also
one after as shown in Fig 2. The pressure gauges are optional. A hose bib (which is a faucet
that you can attach a garden hose to) is strongly recommended after the 5900-BT Filter and
before the second ball valve, for rinsing and sampling water.
11.If you will be using copper piping, do not sweat the copper pipe directly on to the 5900-BT
control valve. Avoid heating up the 5900-BT control valve plastic with the torch.
12.You do not need unions to install your 5900-BT control valve. If you need to remove it, the
5900-BT has quick-release couplings that make it easy to put the lter on by-pass and remove
the lter system from the piping.
13.The drain line tubing is connected to a drain from the drain outlet using exible poly tubing.
The drain can run up above the control head and out to a drain, although this may require
installing a one way, apper-stlye check valve. Most plumbing codes require an air-gap
connection, so that if your sewer or septic tank backs up, it cannot cross connect with
the drain tubing (if running tubing into the washing machine drain pipe, for example)

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Diagram of Typical Installation Well Water
Diagrams of Typical Installation City Water

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Installation of Your System into Copper
or Metal Piping Systems
If your new lter system is to be installed in a metal (conductive) plumbing system, i.e. copper
or galvanized steel pipe, the plastic components (bypass and connectors) will interrupt the
electrical continuity of the plumbing system.
As a result, any stray currents from improperly grounded appliances downstream or
potential galvanic activity in the plumbing system can no longer ground through the contiguous
metal plumbing.
Some homes may have been built in accordance with building codes which encouraged the
grounding of electrical appliances through the plumbing system.
The installation of a bypass consisting of the same material as the existing plumbing, or a
grounded “jumper wire” bridging the equipment and reestablishing the contiguous conductive
nature of the plumbing system must be installed prior to your systems use.
This is simple and easy step to take if you are installing your water treatment system into copper
piping. A simple ground jumper wire with a pipe clamp can be purchased at any Home Center,
or hardware store etc. for a few dollars.
Add Filter Media and Install 5900-BT Backwash
Valve on Tank
1. Make sure you “test t” distributor tube, nd divot that
keeps tube centered, before adding gravel so distributor
tube does not extend past top of tank.
2. There are two styles of funnel that we ship, depending on
availability; you get either the blue or black funnel.
3. If blue funnel, cover top of distributor tube with black electrical
tape, duct tape or masking tape so no gravel or media will go
down distributor tube when adding media.
4. Leave a folded tab of tape so you can easily pull o tape after
lling the tank.
5. Hold the tube center until there is enough gravel and media
to support the tube. The top of the distributor tube should be
level with the top opening of the lter tank.

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6. Add the lter gravel that came with your order. The gravel should cover the bottom
distributor screen before adding the Carbon lter media.
7. Next add the Carbon Media.
8. The tank should be about 2/3 full of media, do not ll much more than 2/3 full, even if there
is media left over. We ship the correct amount of media to ll your tank for most orders.
9. Fill tank completely with water. Allow to soak for at least 1 hour up to 24 hours before you
hook it up to piping.
10.Remove tape from top of distributor tube. Be careful not to pull up distributor tube.
11.Attach plastic top screen to under-side of the 5900-BT control valve. It is a funnel-shaped
plastic screen that snaps on to the control valve and prevents resin from being backwashed
out to drain during the regeneration cycles. It may twist on clockwise or counter-clockwise.
12.Screw on Control Valve: Add small amount of silicone grease to both O-rings (only O-rings,
not tank thread) on bottom of control valve and screw on 5900-BT control valve carefully.
13.Do not lubricate tank threads or any other ttings other than O-rings. Do not use pipe-
joint compound, vegetable oil, Teon tape, or Vaseline or greases on tank threads.
14.If you accidentally pull distributor tube up after gravel and media are in tank (upon initial
install or any time after, for service, etc.), it must be re-seated. It is usually possible to do this
by spraying water down distributor tube with a garden hose while pushing on end of the
tube. If this does not work, you must empty tank completely and start over.
15.Do not hard pipe the drain line with PVC or copper, use exible tubing. If you use hard
PVC piping for the drain line, you must able to remove the hard drain piping and attach
exible tubing for testing purposes.
16.Make sure the drain tubing is rmly clamped to the barbed tting with a hose clamp to
prevent leaks or blow-os.

SERVICE OFF BYPASS
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Attach the Bypass
Make sure there is lubricant on all three sets of O-rings and insert and screw bypass onto end
connectors (O-rings are already on valve, with the Inlet Air Check Valve on the left, Inlet side).
Screw the Elbow ttings onto the end of the bypass and attach to In and Out service pipe.
Note: There is supposed to be some “play” in the whole assembly. No need to over-tighten.
Electrical Connections
P = Power – Use this connection
B = Optional (not used, powered in backwash step only)
S = Optional (not used, powered in regeneration step only)
Connect the power supply to the control valve connection
P. This is the connection on the outside of the valve,
nearest the side or outer section of the valve. Plug into a
wall outlet.
B and S connections are used to power optional external
relays, pumps, or solenoid valves (not used for most
residential applications).

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Install 9V Battery (not included)
DO NOT INSTALL BATTERY UNTIL AFTER INITIAL BACKWASH!
Connect 9V battery to battery cable under control panel. Battery cable and battery will sit under
control panel. Control panel can be easily removed to access battery cable if needed, no tools
are required. During power failures the battery will maintain the time of day if the battery has
power. The display is turned o to conserve battery power during this time. If a power failure
occurs while the system is regenerating, the motor will advance to a shut-o position to prevent
constant ow to drain.
Piping Installation
1. Using Teon tape on pipe threads, make
sure to connect the IN pipe to inlet and
OUT pipe to the outlet. As you face the
5900-BT control from the front, the water
enters on the right and exits on the left.
From the back the water enters on the left.
2. The inlet and outlet are attached to the
bypass valve, which is marked with arrows as well.
3. Make sure there is a hose bib installed after the system, and a
working gate or ball valve before lter system and also one after as
shown in Fig 2. The pressure gauges are optional but a hose bib is
strongly recommended after the 5900-BT control valve and before
the second ball valve. This makes it easy to rinse your new system
on start-up and gives you a place to test water before it enters your
house plumbing.
4. If you will be using copper piping, do not sweat the copper pipe
directly on to the 5900-BT control valve. Avoid heating up the control valve with the torch, as
the plastic will melt.

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5. You do not need unions to install your 5900-BT
control valve. If you need to remove it, the 5900-BT
control valve has quick-release couplings that make
it easy to put the 5900-BT on by-pass and remove
the lter system from the piping.
6. The drain line tubing is connected to a drain from
drain outlet using exible tubing. Note that drain
line can run up above the 5900-BT control and into
a drain.
7. Most plumbing codes require an air-gap
connection for the drain line tubing, so that if your
sewer or septic tank backs up, it cannot connect
with the drain tubing.
External Drain Line Flow Control (“DLFC”)
If you bought a 3.0 cubic foot or larger size
Carbon 5900-BT Filter you will get an external
Drain Line Flow control with your order. This is
made up of three pieces: a 1” x ¾” Adapter, the
DLFC, and two hose barb ttings.
Assemble the 3 parts using Teon tape, making
sure the ow arrow is facing the right direction.
This can go anywhere in the drain line run,
even at the end. Clamp it to a wall.
Program Your Valve: Main Menu
1. Remove cover by pulling out front and back tabs slightly
and lifting straight up to access control panel.
2. Enter main menu, by pressing the Menu/Enter button
once (Time of day will ash)
3. Set current time of day by pressing the Set/Change button
(First digit will begin to ash)
4. To change digit value, press the Set/Change button.

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5. To accept the digit, press the Menu/Enter button
6. Once the last digit for current time of day is accepted all digits will ash.
7. With all digits ashing next press the Menu Button to set A.M. or P.M.
8. Once A.M./P.M. is accepted the next menu item will ash
9. To Set Number of Days Between Backwash Cycles (A) Press the Set/Change Button and
set number of days between cycles. Maximum value is 29. If value is set to 0, no automatic
backwash will occur.
10.The recommended initial backwash frequency setting for the Carbon Backwash Filter is every
3 to 4 days for families or heavy use and every 7 days for 1 to 2 persons in the home. If you
experience pressure loss in between backwashes, increase frequency of backwash up to
once per day.
11.To exit menu, press the Menu/Enter button
Program Your Valve: Master Programming Mode
1. Regeneration Time (r)
Press the Menu/Enter Button. To enter Master Programming Mode press and hold both buttons
for 5 seconds.
The next display viewed is the option setting for Regeneration Time. It is identied by the letter ‘r’
in the left digit. Set the desired time of day that a regeneration may occur, when required.
We recommend setting the system to backwash at 2 AM, or at any time that it is unlikely that
any water will be used.
If you have 2 or more lters, make sure they are programmed to start an hour apart, so they do
not backwash at the same time.
The rst digit(s) indicates the Hour and the other digit indicates A.M. or P.M.
Example: 12 A.M. regeneration time - [ r 12A ] (factory setting)
2. Regeneration Cycle Step Programming
The next 3 displays viewed are part of a series of option settings used to program the
Regeneration Cycle which is where the lter backwashes and rinses itself. Up to 3 steps can be
programmed and they are: Backwash, Rest, and Rapid Rinse.
Each display is used to set the duration time in minutes for that specic step in a regeneration
cycle. Regeneration steps are skipped by setting the display to 0 as shown below:

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Set each step according to the values below, appropriate for a 5900-BT lter system:
1. 10 minutes. This is the BACKWASH cycle. [ 1 - 10] (Set for 6 minutes minimum)
2. 5 minutes. This is the REST cycle. [ 2 - 5]
3. 6 minutes. This is the RAPID RINSE cycle. [ 3 - 05] (Set for 4 minutes minimum)
4. Next step will be “bE 1”. If you are using the Bluetooth Legacy App, the 01 means that
it’s ready.
5. Next and nal step is bbPP is displayed for one second, then password is displayed.
Press the menu/enter button, and now you are back to the home service screen (displaying the
clock time and the number of days until backwash). bE is for Bluetooth enabled.
See Historical Data and Real Time Flow Rate
Pressing and holding the Menu/Enter button will also access some options:
Flo - This is the ow rate, if water is running, it will display the volume, in gallons per minute.
Gt r - This the total # of gallons that has gone through the lter.
g tot - This is the same as the previous.
rC r - Number of regeneration done. rC- the same.
gPdL - Shows how many gallons used each day.
Gbrl - This is the gallons used between regenerations.
PfDL - This shows the peak, or highest ow rate that has passed through lter in last 24 hours.
If you “get stuck” in these options, keep pressing the Menu/Enter button until you have
returned to the service screen.

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Detailed Steps to Starting Up Carbon Backwash
Filter System
1. Carbon lter media has a lot of black nes or dust, and must be rinsed free by backwashing
and rinse, which may take several backwashes.
2. MAKE SURE THE SOUCE WATER ENTERS THE INLET PIPING (IN OTHER WORDS, THAT THE
SYSTEM IS PIPED IN CORRECTLY, WITH THE WATER INLET TO THE INLET ON THE BYPASS
VALVE)
3. MAKE SURE THAT BOTH THE INLET AND OUTLET BYPASS VALVES ARE CLOSED INITIALLY
4. MAKE SURE TO CLOSE BALL VALVE OR GATE VALVE AFTER FILTER SO NO WATER CAN ENTER
HOME DURING INITIAL BACKWASH. (If you did not install a hose bib and gate or ball valve
after the system as recommended, be sure to NOT use any water in the home during the
initial start-up.)
5. If you have any lters or softeners installed after the lter system, bypass them until all
media nes have been rinsed.
6. First, if days remaining is not already at 1, press and hold the Set/Change button.
7. Next press and hold the Set/Change button, until the valve begins the backwash cycle and
the display reads 1 [1- 10]. This is the rst cycle that starts a backwash.
8. Start to put the valve into the service position by turning the inlet bypass knob counter-
clockwise about a quarter inch, until you can hear water passing through the bypass into the
lter. Stop and wait until you see water coming out of the drain line. It will often be mixed
with air bubbles.
9. When you do not see bubbles anymore, keep opening the valve, a little bit at a time, stopping
for a minute or two each time. You want to see a corresponding increase in ow out of the
drain line as you increase the ow of water into the lter.
10.After several minutes, you should have the valve fully open, and with no media coming out.
The water will be black, turning to gray, mostly clear water- the water does not get crystal
clear in the Backwash mode (only at the end of Rapid Rinse and during Service).
11. After the backwash cycle, the lter will go into a rest for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes the next
cycle, the Rinse cycle will start.
12.NOTE: To skip to the next cycle or fast forward past Rest or other cycles, hold down Set/
Change button for 3 seconds.
13.Let the unit do the Rapid Rinse cycle and advance to the “Service” position.
14.Repeat Step 1 and start up another backwash, rest, rinse sequence. You may need to
backwash the lter 2 or 3 times to thoroughly clean up the lter media.

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15.Next, open the outlet on the bypass valve and then open the hose bib after the system and
allow the water to run until it is clear. Run water in the home using a bathtub, laundry sink, or
other xture that does not have an aerator screen as any remaining residue may get caught
in the screen. Run the water in the home for 5 to 10 minutes to ush pipes.
CONGRATULATIONS,
YOU ARE DONE STARTING UP YOUR FILTER SYSTEM!
Installing and Using the Optional Legacy View App
For simplied set up and control, please install the Legacy View on a compatible Bluetooth 4.0+
enabled smart phone or tablet.
1. Download and install the Legacy View app from the Google Play Store, Apple App Store.
2. Open the Legacy View app
3. Choose a valve device at any time from the list of available devices to connect to by clicking
on it (which means your 5900-BT control valve, or valves if you have more than one system)
4. If the valve you want to connect to doesn’t show up, or there is a problem connecting press
the “Scan for Devices” button or the Legacy View logo at any time to refresh the list and start
the process over.
5. If the valve device is a BTLE valve and it has a password other than the default password, the
rst time you connect to it the app will ask you to enter the password.
6. After entering it the rst time you should not need to enter it again unless it changes.
7. The control valve rmware can be updated by the App. When the app is updated from the
Google Play Store or the Apple App Store, it may contain an updated rmware program for
the valve devices.
8. These updates could contain new features or operational improvements. It is up to the
user to allow these updates to be sent to the valve device. Uploading a new program takes
approximately 1 minute.

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Legacy Phone App Dashboard
From the Dashboard, all items in ORANGE
can be changed, while blue elds are
informational only.
If you are unsure about the function of the eld,
click the Info icon for more information
1. Change Time of day (Press “set” to set time
automatically based on device time)
2. Set Backwash Frequency. This sets the
amount of days between backwash cycles.
3. Set Regeneration Time. Example: For 2am,
just type 2 and press OK.

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Legacy App Advanced Settings
From the Advanced Settings, all items in ORANGE with a “set” button can be changed.
Touch any table to explode a detailed list of the last 60 days.
Status and History Using Legacy View App
From the Status and History, all items in ORANGE can be reset.

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Start a regeneration or backwash cycle
Option 1: Click on “Regenerate Unit Now.”
If you would like to force the unit into the next cycle step,
Click “Go to next Regeneration Step.”
Option 2: “Regenerate Unit at next Regen Time” button.
This will take the system into a backwash at the next
regeneration time.
Filter System Normal Operation
• Normal display alternates between time of day and days until regeneration.
• Days remaining until the next regeneration will count down from the regeneration day
override value to 1 day remaining.
• Once count reaches 1, a regeneration will be initiated at next scheduled regen time.
How to Start A Manual Backwash
1. If days remaining is not already at 1 press and hold the Set/Change button.
2. After 7 seconds the days remaining display will read: [1]
3. With days remaining at 1 press and hold the Set/Change button again.
4. After 5 seconds the regeneration cycle will begin.
5. Fast Cycling Through each Step
6. First complete above immediate cycle steps
7. Press and hold the Set/Change button
8. After 3 seconds the valve will start to advance to the next step