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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is shocking a well, is it necessary, and how do I do it?
• ‘Shocking a well’ refers to disinfection by means of chlorine to rid bacteria and other contaminants from
a well. It is definitely suggested if there is iron or sulfur in the well, if it a newly constructed well or an old
well that hasn’t been disinfected in a while. There are 3 techniques that can be used to shock a well
depending on your preference.
• Chlorination Techniques for Well Water:
1) Shocking a well with bleach: This is the cheapest and quickest way to shock a well. For shallow wells
(40 ft. or less) add a ½ gallon of bleach. For deep wells (40 ft. and over) add a gallon of bleach.
2) Using chlorination tablets: Similar to adding bleach, only specifically made to put into wells. Sold
through Crystal Quest®. Please call 1-800-934-0051.
3) Chlorine Injection Systems: A separate device to be tied straight into the line and set to automatically
pump a certain amount of chlorine into the water each day. Sold through Crystal Quest®. Please call
1-800-934-0051.
When is the ideal time to change the pre- and post- filters?
• Between 12-18 months. Please visit CrystalQuest.com for replacement cartridges.
What salt is used in the brine tank, where do I buy it, and how much of it will be used?
• Sodium chloride or potassium chloride, which can be bought at your local hardware store. Because of the
high costs associated with shipping these solutions, it is best to buy locally.
• The brine tank should be filled up about ½ to ¾ of the way with the salt and topped off with water (just
above the salt level). The user should attempt to maintain the level of solution around the halfway point in
the brine tank. It will slow decrease over time. When it reaches around 1/3 or ¼ of the original salt level,
add more to the halfway point.
Will my whole house system affect water pressure?
• As long as the appropriate sized system was installed for the house-size and water demand, there should
be very little change, or none at all. If you think you may have purchased the wrong sized system, please
contact us at 1-800-934-0051.
How do I reset an automatic head?
• Refer to page 8 in the manual and re-do steps under “Programming Automatic Control Valve”.
How often do you need to backwash a manual system?
• Generally, once a week for 10 minutes. In some conditions, it can be adjusted based on water conditions.
How can you do a manual backwash with an automatic head?
1) Press the Regeneration button and hold until it says ‘BW’
2) It will automatically begin a 10 minute backwash
Can I change my valve head?
• A new valve head can always be purchased if you find yourself wanting a different functioning head.
Please call us 1-800-934-0051.
I'm having issues with my media working properly, what should I do?
The answer most likely is too high of water pressure, resulting in ineffective media because there is not
enough contact time. The prime fix is to slow down incoming water by installing a pressure regulator which
allows the water more contact time with the media, thus allowing the media to do its job more effectively.
The same fix is for customers with very high native pressure that need to bring it down to a constant 50-60
psi(recommended) in order to use our systems. 1” & ¾” Pressure Regulators are available for purchase
through Crystal Quest®. Please call 1-800-934-0051 to order. If water pressure is not the issue and your
media is failing due to old age (older than 5-10 years depending on water conditions and consumption),
please visit CrystalQuest.com or call to buy new replacement media.
What do some of the pop-up acronyms mean on my automatic valve head?
•[Parameter Display - Data Display] Brief explanation of what the setting
controls and recommendations for correctly setting it.
•[Parameter Display - ****] A setting that should not be shown if setup correctly.
If you are seeing this setting check to ensure other settings are set correctly.
•[TD - 11:08] Time of Day, tells the system what the current time is. To change the
time, press and hold the up OR down arrow until the service icon is replaced with
the programming icon. Use the up and down arrows to set the time of day (PM is
indicated in the upper right corner of the screen). Once the time is set, press the
extra cycle button or don't press anything for 5-10 seconds to return to normal
operation.
•[DO - 7] Day Override, this setting will cause the system to backwash after the set
number of days. Typically set no higher than 3 to ensure the media gets lifted and
cleaned off.
•[RT - 2:00] Regen Time, this is the time of day the system will backwash. This
process typically takes 30 minutes - 2 hours depending on system size, so schedule
it when water will not be used. It is common to set to run when everyone is asleep,
and ensure it does not conflict with any other systems you may have.
•[DF - GAL] Display format, shown settings is gallons. Liters [Ltr] and Cubic Meters
[Cu] are alternative settings, however, all instructions are written on the basis of the
[Gal] display format.
•[VT - dF1b] Valve type, set to the downflow single backwash setting shown.
•[CT - tc] Control Type, sets the opereration of the controller. Backwashing systems
use the time clock [tc] setting where backwash is based on time (days) passed.
•[NT --- 1] Number of tanks holding media for treatment.
•[BW - 10] Backwash, the length of time used for the backwash part of the cycle,
actual setting varies depending on system size.
•[BD-60] Brine Draw for 60 minutes. This means that salt will be pulled from the
brine tank to the system to regenerate. Regenerating with brine draw backwashes
the media and puts water back into the brine tank.
If you still did not find your solution here, please contact our Service Department at
*For any specific chemistry related questions about your water and/or the media
used, please call one of our water specialists at 1-800-934-0051.
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