Kenmore 625.348321 User manual

PRINTEDIN U.S.A.
SAVETHISMANUALUseplasticbagandtieprovided, to hangmanualsnearby
thesoftenerforfuturereference.
SolidStateWaterSoftener
zWarranty
zStartUp/SettingTimer
zHowItWorks
zCareOf/Troubleshooting
zSpecifications
zRepairParts
Sears,Roebuck andCo., HoffmanEstates,IL60179 USA
OWNER’S
MANUAL
MODELNO.
625.348321
Caution:
ReadandFollow
All SafetyRulesand
OperatingInstructions
BeforeFirstUseof
ThisProduct.
If you havequestionswhen
installing,operatingormain-
tainingyoursoftener,and
whensettingthetimer,call
thistoll---free number...
1---800---426---9345

WARRANTY
2
SEARSRESIDENTIALWATERSOFTENER
FULL ONEYEARWARRANTYONWATERSOFTENER
Foroneyearfromthedateofpurchase,whenthiswatersoftenerisinstalledandmaintained
inaccordancewithourinstructions,Searswill repair,free ofcharge,defectsinmaterialor
workmanshipinthiswatersoftener.
FULL TENYEARWARRANTYAGAINSTLEAKS
Fortenyearsfromthedateofpurchase,Searswill furnishandinstall anewcurrentmodel
watersoftenertankorsaltstoragedrum,free ofcharge,ifeitherthetankordrumdevelop
aleak.
TO OBTAINWARRANTYSERVICE,SIMPLYCONTACT THENEARESTSEARS SERVICE
CENTERTHROUGHOUTTHEUNITEDSTATES.Thiswarrantyappliesonlywhilethisprod-
uctisin useintheUnitedStates.
Thiswarrantygivesyouspecificlegalrights,andyoumayhaveotherrightswhichvaryfrom
statetostate.
Sears,Roebuck andCo., D/817 WA,HoffmanEstates,IL60179
Ifyouwantyourwatersoftenerprofessionallyinstalled, talk to your Sears Salesman. He willarrange
for a prompt, quality installation by Sears Authorized Installers.
SEARSINSTALLATIONPOLICY
All installation labor arranged by Sears shall be
performed in a neat, workmanlike manner in
accordance with generally accepted trade prac-
tices. Further, all installations shall comply with
all local laws, codes, regulations, and ordi-
nances.Customershallalsobeprotected,during
installation, by insurance relating to Property
Damage, Workman’s Compensation and Public
Liability.
SEARSINSTALLATIONWARRANTY
In addition to any warranty extended to you on
the Sears merchandiseinvolved, which warran-
ty becomes effective the date the merchandise is
installed, should the workmanship of any Sears
arranged installation prove faulty within one
year, Sears will, upon notice from you, cause
suchfaultstobecorrectedatnoadditionalcostto
you.
FACTSANDFIGURESTOKEEP
Fill intheblanksbelowandkeepthisbookinasafe
placesoyou always havethesefacts.
WaterSoftener Model No.†
Serial Number
DateInstalled
WaterHardness Grains PerGallon
Iron ContentParts Per Million
*pHTasteAnd/OrOdor
WaterPressurePounds/SquareInch
WaterFlowRateGallons Per Minute
† Themodelnumberison therating decal,located
on therim,underthesaltholecover.

TABLEOFCONTENTS
3
PAGE
NO.
SECTION1SOFTENERSTARTUP
A.SAFETYGUIDES 4
B.CHECKLISTOFSTEP-BY-STEPGUIDES TOINSTALL 5
C.PROGRAMTHETIMER6
D.SANITIZINGTHEWATERSOFTENER7
E.FILL THE STORAGETANKWITHSALT8
SECTION2HOWYOURWATERSOFTENERWORKS
A.FACEPLATETIMERFEATURES 9-10
B.SOFT WATERSERVICE ANDREGENERATION11-13
SECTION3CAREOFYOURSOFTENER
A.SALT:REFILLINGSTORAGETANK,SALTBRIDGE14
B.KEEPINGTHEWATERSOFTENERCLEAN15
C.KEEPTHE SOFTENERFROMFREEZING16
D.HELPFULHINTSCHECKLIST17
SECTION4OTHERTHINGSTOKNOW
A.HOWTO“FINE-TUNE” YOURWATERSOFTENER18-20
B.DIMENSIONS/SPECIFICATIONS21
SECTION5SERVICETECH INFORMATION
A.ELECTRICALCONNECTIONS22
B.REGENERATION CYCLETIMES 23
C.TROUBLESHOOTING24-26
D.ROTARYVALVE SERVICE27
E.WATERFLOWTHROUGHTHE SOFTENERVALVE28-30
SECTION6REPAIRPARTS32-35

WATERSOFTENERSTART-UP
SECTION 1
4
1A.SAFETYGUIDES
YReadall steps,guidesandrulescarefullybe-
foreinstalling andusing yournew watersoftener.
Followall stepsexactlytocorrectlyinstall. Failure
tofollowthemcouldcausepersonal injuryor
propertydamage.Reading thisbookwill alsohelp
you to getall ofthebenefitsfromyourwatersoft-
ener.
YYourwatersoftenerwill removehardness min-
eralsand“clearwater” iron fromwater,uptothe
limits shownonpage 21.Itwill notremoveother
typesofiron,acids,tastesandodors,etc.Itwill
notpurifypollutedwateror makeitsafetodrink.
YProtect thesoftenerand piping fromfreezing.
Damagefromfreezing voidsthesoftenerwarran-
ty.See page 16.
CAUTIONS
PLEASEREADANDCOMPLYWITHTHEFOL-
LOWING GUIDESTOPREVENTDAMAGE TO
THESOFTENEROROTHERPROPERTY,
PERSONALINJURY,ORPOSSIBLEFATAL
SHOCK.
YTHIS SOFTENERWORKSON24 VOLTS
ONLY.BESURETOUSETHETRANSFORMER
INCLUDED,ANDPLUGITINTOA120VOUT-
LET.
YUnplug thetransformer rightawayifthe
powercableshould becomedamagedor
frayed.Makerepairsbeforeplugging back
intothepoweroutlet.
YAlwaysunplug thesoftenerfromelectrical
powerbeforeremoving outervalvecovers.

WATERSOFTENERSTART-UP
SECTION 1
5
1B.CHECK LISTOFALL STEP-BY-STEP GUIDES TOINSTALL
Refer to the Installation Manual, part no.
7159931, for step-by-step guides.
To be sure you have done all the steps to install
the softener, read the following list. Page num-
bers referred to are in the Installation Manual.
nIs the house water flow going INTO the soft-
ener valve INLET? Trace piping to be sure.
See pages 10 and 11.
nIstheplumbingbypassvalve(or3valves)set
forSERVICE?Bypassvalve(s)shouldalways
remain in soft water service position. Posi-
tion in “bypass”only if needed for softener
repairs. See page 18.
nIs the valve drain hose connected the right
way, and without sharp bends or kinks that
couldstoporreducewaterflow?Seepage16.
nIs the softener power cable connected to the
transformer, and is the transformer plugged
into an inside, 120V-60Hz electrical outlet?
See page 20.
nBe sure to restart the water heater. See page
20.
Note,forinstallationsintheStateofMassachusetts:
PlumbingcodesofMassachusetts shall be adheredto.
Consult withyourlicensed plumber.
brass 3--valve
plastic
Bypass
Valves
Water
Heater

WATERSOFTENERSTART-UP
SECTION 1
6
1C.PROGRAMTHETIMER
FIG.1
PRESENT TIME
RECHARGETIME
RECHARGEDAY
SET/CLEAR
ON/OFF VACATION
HOLD RECHARGENOW
SolidStateWaterSoftener
SET THETIMER
Whenthetransformerispluggedintotheelectri-
cal outlet, 12:00 AM, SUnday began to flash in
the time display. Set the time ofday and present
day of week as follows:
A.SET TIMEOFDAY
1. Press the PRESENT TIME AND DAY button
¡once. The hour display continues to flash.
2. Press the SET/CLEAR button £until the
present hour of theday shows in the display.
Be sure AM for morning hours, or PM foraf-
ternoon and evening hours shows.
NOTE:
Press SET/CLEAR and quickly release to move
the hour display ahead 1 at a time to the correct
hour. Or, hold the SET/CLEAR button to move
the display ahead 2 hours each second, to the
correct hour.
3. Press button ¡once to steady the hour dis-
play, and minutes begin to flash. Repeat step
A2 to set the correct minutes.
4. Press button ¡again to steady the minute
display (day will begin flashing). Figure 2
shows the timer set at 3:30 PM. See step B to
set the present day.
B.SETPRESENTDAYOFWEEK
1. Press the SET/CLEAR button £to set the
present day of the week in the display.
NOTE:
Press SET/CLEAR and quickly release to move
the day display 1 at a time. Or, hold the
SET/CLEAR button to move the day display
ahead 2 days each second.
2. Press the PRESENT TIME AND DAY button
¡againtosteadythe entiredisplay. Figure2
shows the timer set at TUesday.
FIG.2
.
.
TU
PM
EXAMPLE:Thisdrawing
shows3:30 PMasthe
present time ofday,and
TUesdayisthe current
dayof the week.
ON/OFF VACATION
HOLDRECHARGENOW
PRESENT TIMEAND DAY
RECHARGETIME
RECHARGEDAY
SET/CLEAR
1
2
3
4
5
No other settings are needed after installing
yourwatersoftener.Thesoftener isfactorysetto
regenerate every Monday, Wednesday and Sat-
urday(beginningat2:00AM).Formostfamilies,
this gives enough soft water for their needs.
However, if you want the softener to regener-
ateatadifferenttime,orondifferentdays,orto
set for the most efficiency, see “Fine-Tuning
Your Water Softener,”page 18.
SEE PAGE 9FOROTHER TIMERCONTROLSANDFEATURES.

WATERSOFTENERSTART-UP
SECTION 1
7
1D.SANITIZINGTHEWATERSOFTENER
Care is taken at the factory to keep your water
softener clean and sanitary. Materials used to
make the softener will not infect orcontaminate
yourwatersupply,andwillnotcause bacteriato
form or grow. However, during shipping, stor-
age, installing and operating, bacteria could get
into the softener. For this reason, sanitizing as
follows is suggested¡when installing.
1. Lift the salt hole cover and use apail or hose
to fill the salt storage tank with at least 3
gallons of water.
2. Remove the brinewell cover (FIG. 3) and
pour about 3/4 ounce of common 5.25%
household bleach (Clorox, Linco, BoPeep,
White Sail, Eagle, etc.) in the softener brine-
well.
3. PresstheON/OFF-HOLDbuttonandholdfor
3 seconds to start a recharge. This first re-
charge does several things.
—It draws the bleach into and through the
softener to sanitize it.
—Itfillsthesalttanktothewaterlevelneed-
ed.
—It gets all the air out of the resin tank.
—It makesthe resin bed (seepage 11) ready
for service.
NOTES:
This recharge takes about 2 hours.
You can sanitize the softener with or with-
out salt in the storage tank.
¡Recommendedby the WaterQualityAssociation.On
some watersupplies,the watersoftenermayneed
periodicdisinfecting.Sanitizewithorwithoutsaltinthe
storagetank.
FIG.3
Water,
About3Gallons
Brinewell
Cover
(remove and add
about3/4 oz.bleach)

WATERSOFTENERSTART-UP
SECTION 1
8
1E.FILL THE STORAGETANK WITHSALT
Brine(saltdissolvedinwater)isneeded foreach
and every regeneration. The water for making
brine is metered into the salt storage tank by the
softener.However,youmustkeepthetankfilled
with salt.
Fill the tank with NUGGET or PELLET water
softener salt. DO NOT use rock salts, as they
have dirt and sediments that will stop the
softener from working.
Before filling, be sure the brinewell cover is in
place on the top of the brinewell. Salt storage
capacity is shown on page 21.
NOTES:
In humid areas, it is best to fill the storage tank
half-full,andtorefillit moreoften. Saltbridging
(seepage 14)occursmoreoftenwhenconditions
are humid.
WATERSOFTENINGSALTWITHIRONRE-
MOVINGADDITIVES—Some salts have an
additive to help the softener handle iron in the
water supply. Although this additive may help
to keep the softener resin clean, it may also
release corrosive fumes that will weaken and
shorten the life of some softener parts.
FIG.4
SODIUM INFORMATION: Water softeners us-
ing sodium chloride for regeneration add so-
dium to the water. Persons who are on sodium
restricted diets should consider the added so-
dium as part of their overall sodium intake.
For example, if your water supply is 15 grains
hard, you would have to drink 3 quarts of
softened water to consume 335 milligrams of
sodium. That is equivalent to eating 2-1/2 slices
of white bread.
Personswhoareconcerned about their drinking
water should consider a Sears Drinking Water
System that will remove or reduce in excess of
90% of the sodium and other drinking water
contaminants.
YOU HAVE NOW FINISHED THE WATER SOFTENER START UP. AFTER THE SANITIZING RE-
CHARGE, ON PAGE 7, THE SOFTENER WILL BE GIVING YOU SOFT WATER.

HOWYOUR WATERSOFTENERWORKS
SECTION 2
9
2A.FACE PLATETIMERFEATURES
RECHARGE NOW—If you have guests visit-
ing, or other times when you use more water
than usual, you could begin to run out of soft
water.Ifthesoftenerisnotscheduledtoregener-
ate for another day or 2, you would get hard
water until then. If this happens, or you think it
might happen, press and hold in the HOLD-RE-
CHARGE NOW button ¤for 3 seconds until
RCHG shows. RCHG will flash in the display
during the regeneration, which lasts under 2
hours.
NOTE:
Avoid using HOT water while the softener
regenerates, because bypass hard water will
refill the water heater (see “Automatic Bypass,”
page 13).
FIG.5
.
.
PM
RCHG
ON/OFF VACATION
HOLDRECHARGENOW
PRESENT TIMEAND DAY
RECHARGETIME
RECHARGEDAY
SET/CLEAR
1
2
3
4
5
VACATION—Thedayyouleaveon vacation,or
other long absence, press (do not hold in) the
ON/OFF VACATION button ¤. VAC begins to
flash in the display (FIG. 6). The timer will keep
time, but the softener will not regenerate to
waste water and salt.
NOTE:
Whie in VACATION, the softener will go
througharegenerationiftheRECHARGENOW
feature is used (see above).
To shut off the water supply to the softener, use
the plumbing bypass valve(s), FIG. 16, page 21.
WHEN YOU RETURN, press the VACATION,
buttonagaintoreturnthesoftenertoservice,and
thecorrecttimeofdayinthedisplay.Remember
to do this or the softener will not regenerate
and you will soon have hard water.
FIG.6
ON/OFF VACATION
HOLDRECHARGENOW
PRESENT TIMEAND DAY
RECHARGETIME
RECHARGEDAY
SET/CLEAR
1
2
3
4
5
ERRORCODE—Anerrorcodecouldappearin
the face plate display if a problem occurs in the
softener electronics. If you see an error code
insteadofthepresenttimeofday,pleasecallyou
local Sears Service Department for service. Continued

HOWYOUR WATERSOFTENERWORKS
SECTION 2
10
2A.FACEPLATETIMERFEATURES
TIMER“POWER-OUTAGE MEMORY”—If
electrical power to the timer goes off, the
“memory”built into timer circuitry keeps all
settings for 6 hours (minimum) or more. The
display is blank and the softener will not
regenerate.Whenelectricalpowercomeson,1of
2 things will happen.
1. The present time of day will show, meaning
the timer memory has kept all settings.
NOTE:
Ifthesoftenerwasinaregenerationwhenpower
was lost, it will now finish the cycle.
2. The display will show a time, but it will be
flashing.The timermemorydidnot keepthe
timesettingsandtheymustbereset(page6).
The flashing display is to remind you to reset
the timer.
NOTE:
When power comes on, the flashing display
returns to a time of 12:00 AM Sunday, then
begins to keep time again. If you do not reset all
time settings,the softener will regenerate 3 days
each week. However, regeneration will most
likely be on the wrong days and at the wrong
time.
Ifthesoftenerwasinaregenerationwhenpower
wentoff,thevalvewill returnto serviceposition
without finishing the regeneration cycle. If your
water tastes salty:
-- use RECHARGE NOW (see page 9) to start
another regeneration, or
-- open1ormoresoftwaterfaucetsandallowto
run until the salt taste is gone.

HOWYOUR WATERSOFTENERWORKS
SECTION 2
11
2B.SOFT WATERSERVICEAND REGENERATION
SERVICE
When the softener is giving you soft water, it is
called “Service”. During service, hard water
comes from the house main water pipe into the
softener. Inside the softener resin tank is a bed
madeupofthousandsoftiny,plastic resinbeads
(FIG. 7). As hard water passes through the bed,
each bead attracts and holds the hardness
minerals. This is called ion-exchanging. It is
much like a magnet attracting and holding
metals. Water without the hardness minerals
(softwater)flowsoutofthesoftenerand intothe
house soft water pipes.
After a period of time, the resin beads become
coated with hardnessminerals and they haveto
be cleaned. This cleaning is called recharge, or
regeneration.
Regeneration is started at about 2:00 a.m. (facto-
ry setting) by the timer. It takes placein 5 stages
or cycles. These are:
FILL
BRINING
BRINERINSE
BACKWASH
FASTRINSE
1
2
3
4
5
FIG.7WATERFLOWTHROUGHTHE
SOFTENERINSERVICE
hardwater
IN
soft water
OUT
resintank
brine valve
saltstorage
tank(salt
notshown)
resin bed
REGENERATION
¡FILL:Salt, dissolved in water, is called brine.
Brine is needed to clean the hardness minerals
from the resin beads. To make the brine, soft
water flows into the salt storagearea duringthe
fill cycle as shown in FIG. 8.
The length of the fill cycle is factory set to
providesofteningcapacityforanaveragefamily.
You can reset this time when “fine-tuning”the
water softener, pages 18 through 20.
FIG.8WATERFLOWTHROUGHTHE
SOFTENERINFILL
hardwater
IN
soft water
OUT
brine valve
saltstorage
tank
fill water

HOWYOUR WATERSOFTENERWORKS
SECTION 2
12
2B.SOFT WATERSERVICEAND REGENERATION
©BRINING:Duringbrining,thebrineismoved
from the salt storage area, into the resin tank.
Inside the resin tank, brine cleans hardness
minerals from the resin beads and they are
discharged out the drain. How much brine is
needed to clean the resin depends on:
-- the amount of resin in the softener.
-- how fast the brine goes through the bed.
The nozzle and venturi (FIG. 9) makes the
suctiontotakebrinefromthesalt tankandputit
into the resin tank. It keeps the brine flow down
to a very slow rate to get the best resin cleaning
with the least salt.
¢BRINERINSE:After all of the brine goesinto
the resin tank, the brine valve closes. Water
keeps flowing the same way it did during
brining, except the brine flow has stopped.
Hardness minerals and brine flush from the
resin tank to the drain.
FIG.9WATERFLOWTHROUGHTHE
SOFTENERINBRININGAND
BRINERINSE
hardwater
IN
hardwater
bypass OUT
brine valve
drain
nozzle&
venturi
brine
£BACKWASH:During backwash, water flows
UP through the resin tank (FIG. 10) at a fast rate
to flush iron minerals, dirt and sediments from
the bed and to the drain. The bed lifts and
expands for good cleaning.
FIG.10 WATERFLOWTHROUGHTHE
SOFTENERINBACKWASH
hardwater
IN
hardwater
bypass OUT
drain
resin bed lifted
and expanded
¤FASTRINSE:Backwash is followed by a fast
flow of water down through the resin tank. The
fastflowpackstheresinbedandgetsitreadyfor
return to service (FIG. 11).
After fast rinse, the softener returns to service.
Hard water goes into the resin tank where the
resin bed again takes out the hardness minerals.
Soft water goes to the house soft water pipes.
FIG.11 WATERFLOWTHROUGHTHE
SOFTENERINFASTRINSE
soft water
OUT
drain
hardwater
IN

HOWYOUR WATERSOFTENERWORKS
SECTION 2
13
2B.SOFT WATERSERVICEAND REGENERATION
AUTOMATICBYPASS
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
HOTwater,ifpossible,becausethewaterheater
willrefillwith hardwater.Thesoftenerregener-
atesfrom2:00AMtoabout4:00AM,(youcanset
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.Settherechargetimeto12:00AM or1:00
AM (page 18). Then regeneration will start and
endthatmuchearlierandyourwaterheaterwill
not refill with hard water if a hot faucet is
opened.

CAREOFYOUR SOFTENER
SECTION 3
14
3A.SALT¼REFILLINGSTORAGETANK/BREAKINGASALT BRIDGE
WHEN TO REFILL WITH SALT: Check the salt
level a few weeks after you install the softener
and every week after that. Refill when the
storage tank is about 1/3 full. Never let the
softener use all the salt before refilling. Without
salt, you will soon have hard water.
IMPORTANT:
You will have a loss in softening capacity and
may get partly hard water if less than 10 inches
of salt is in the storage tank.
PLEASESEE PAGE8FORSALT FILLINGDIRECTIONS.
SALT BRIDGE
Sometimes, a hard crust or salt bridge forms in
thesaltstoragetank.Itisusuallycausedbyhigh
humidityorthewrongkindofsalt.Whenthesalt
bridges, an empty space forms between the
waterandsalt.Then,saltwillnotdissolve(melt)
in the water to make brine. Without brine, the
resin bed does not regenerate and you will have
hard water.
Ifthestoragetankisfullofsalt, itishardtotellif
youhaveasaltbridge.Saltislooseontop,butthe
bridge is under it. The following is the best way
to check for a salt bridge.
Salt should be loose all the way tothe bottom of
thetank.Holdabroomhandle,orliketool,upto
the softener as shown in FIG. 12. Make a pencil
mark onthe handle, 1,or 2, belowthe top height
of the rim. Then, carefully push it straightdown
into the salt. If a hard object is felt before the
pencil mark gets to the top of the tank, it’s most
likely a salt bridge. Carefully push into the
bridge in a few places to break it. Do not try to
break the salt bridge by pounding on the
outside of the salt tank. You may damage it.
If thewrong kindof salt made the bridge, takeit
out. Then fill the tank with nugget or pellet salt
only.
FIG.12 A SALTBRIDGE
BroomHandle

CAREOFYOUR SOFTENER
SECTION 3
15
3B.KEEPINGTHEWATERSOFTENER CLEAN
COVERS
To keep your new Kenmore water softener
looking nice, apply a coat of paste wax and
repeat once a year. When dusty, wipe it with a
damp cloth to keep it sparkling.
NOTE:
Never use cleaners having ammonia or abra-
sives. They may scratch and dull the surface.
NOZZLEANDVENTURI
Acleannozzleandventuri(FIG.13)isamustfor
thesoftenertoworkright.Thissmallunitmoves
brine from the salt storagetank to the resin tank
during regeneration. If itbecomes plugged with
sand, silt, dirt, etc., the softener will not work
and you will get hard water.
To get to the nozzle and venturi, remove the
softener top cover. Be sure the softener is in
service cycle (no water pressure at nozzle and
venturi), then turn off the cap from the nozzle
and venturi housing. DO NOT LOSE THE
LARGE O-RING SEAL. Lift out the screen
supportandscreen,then thenozzleandventuri.
Wash and rinse the parts in warm water until
clean.Ifneeded,useasmallbrushtoremoveiron
or dirt. Also check and clean the gasket, small
screen and flow plug.
Carefully replace all parts in the correct order.
Lubricate the o-ring seal with silicone grease or
Vaseline and place in position. Install and
tighten the cap, by hand only. Do not overtigh-
ten and break the cap or housing.
FIG.13
NOTE:Be sureholes inthe
gasketalignwiththeholesatthe
bottomof the nozzle&venturi
housing.
*INSTALL WITH
NUMBEREDSIDEUP
CONCAVE SIDEDOWN.
Cap
O--ring Seal
Screen Support
Screen
Nozzle& Venturi
Gasket
*FlowPlug
(HVDC)
Nozzle& Venturi
Housing
Screen
*FlowPlug
(1--EP)
IRONFROMTHERESINBED
Your water softener takes hardness minerals
(calciumandmagnesium)outofthewater.Also,
it can control some “clear water”iron0see
maximum allowed in the specifications on page
21. With clear water iron, water from a faucet is
clear when first put into a glass. After 15 to 30
minutes, the water begins to cloud or turn rust
colored. A water softener WILL NOT remove
any iron which makes the water cloudy or rusty
as it comes from the faucet (called red water
iron).Totake redwater ironout ofwater,orover
themaximumofclearwateriron,anironfilteror
other equipment is needed. Your local Sears
store has trained people to help you with iron
water problems.
If your water supply has clear water iron, even
though lessthan the maximum allowed, regular
resinbed cleaning is needed. Sears has resinbed
cleaner, Stock No. 42-34426 for this. Clean the
bed at least every 6 months. If iron shows up in
thesoftwater before6 months,cleanmoreoften.
Printed instructions are on theresin bedcleaner
bottle.
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT CLEANING AND MAINTAINING YOUR SOFTENER,
CALL TOLL FREE, NUMBER 1-800-426-9345.

CAREOFYOUR SOFTENER
SECTION 3
16
3C.KEEP THE SOFTENERFROMFREEZING
If the softener is installed where it could freeze
(summercabin,lakehome,etc.),youmustdrain
all water from it to stop possible freeze damage.
To drain the softener —
1. Close the shut-off valve on the house main
water pipe, near the water meter or pressure
tank.
2. Open a faucet in the soft water pipes to vent
pressure in the softener.
3. LookingatFIG.16onpage21,movethestem
in a single bypass valve to bypass. Close the
inlet and outlet valve in a 3-valve bypass
system, and open the bypass valve. If you
want water in the house pipes again, reopen
the shut-off valve on the main water pipe.
4. Unplug the transformer at the wall outlet.
Remove the salt hole cover and the main
cover. Take off both drain hoses.
5. Carefully remove the large holding clips at
the softener inlet and outlet (see Key No. 61,
on page 34). Separate the softener from the
adaptors or bypass valve.
6. Remove the brinewell cover and disconnect
the brine valve tubing at the nozzle and
venturi assembly(see page 34).Lift the brine
valveoutofthebrinewell.Tipthebrinevalve
upside down to drain out water.
FIG.14 DRAINWATERFROMTHE
SOFTENER
7. Looking at FIG. 14, lay a piece of 2 inch thick
boardnear thefloordrain.Move thesoftener
close to the drain. SLOWLY and CAREFUL-
LY tip it over until the rim rests on the wood
blockwiththeinletandoutletoverthedrain.
Donotallowthesoftener’sweighttoreston
the inlet and outlet fittings or they will
break.
8. Tipthebottomofthesoftenerupafewinches
and hold until all water has drained. Leave
the softener laying like this until you are
ready to use it. Plug the inlet and outlet with
rags to keep dirt, bugs, etc. out.

CAREOFYOUR SOFTENER
SECTION 3
17
3D.HELPFULHINTSCHECKLIST
... TOHELPYOUSAVEMONEY
NOTE:
1. Read “ERROR CODE”, page 9.
2. If your water softener fails to work, make the following easy checks. Often, you will find what’s
wrongyourselfandyouwon’thavetocallandwaitforservice.If,aftermakingthechecks,yoursoften-
er still does not work right, call your Sears Service Department, or call toll free, number
1-800-426-9345 for telephone assistance.
You can find the model number of your water softener on the rating decal, on the brine tank rim. See
page 32.
PROBLEMCAUSECORRECTION
NOSOFT WATERNosaltinthestoragetankRefill withsalt(see page 8).UsetheRECHARGE
NOWbutton tostartaregeneration (see page 9).
Transformerunpluggedat thewall
outlet, orpowercabledisconnectedCheck forloss ofpowerandcorrect. Reset the times, then usetheRECHARGENOWbutton to
startaregeneration (see page 9).
Fuseblown,circuitbreakerpopped,or
circuitswitchedoff—SEE PAGE10,
“TIMERPOWER-OUTAGEMEMORY”.
Replacefuse,resetcircuitbreaker,orswitchcircuit
on.Reset timesandusetheRECHARGENOW
button tostartaregeneration.
Timerinthevacation (VAC)position See VACATIONfeaturetoreturnthesoftenerto
service(page 9).
Noregenerations seton thetimerSee pages18-20 toselectand programa
schedule.UsetheRECHARGENOWbutton to
startanimmediateregeneration.
Manualbypass valve(s)inbypass
position See FIG.16,page 21.Movesteminsinglebypass valvetoSERVICE.
SaltinstoragetankbridgedRefertopage14tobreak.
Dirty,pluggedordamagednozzle&
venturiTake apartandclean(see page 15)or replace damaged parts.
Valvedrain hosepluggedHosemustnothavekinks,sharp bends,orany
waterflowblockage(see page16inyour
installation manual).
Loworhighsystemwaterpressure(Low
pressuremaydisruptbrinedrawduring
recharge.Highpressuresmaycause
innervalvepartsfailure.)
If pressureislow,increasewell pumpoutput toa
minimumof20psi.Addapressurereducingvalve,
inthesupplypipetothesoftener,ifdaytime
pressureisover100 psi(see installation manual).
WATERHARD
S
O
M
E
T
I
M
E
S
Regenerationstoo fewRefertopages18-20 tofindcorrectsetting.
W
A
T
E
R
H
A
R
D
SOMETIMES MorewaterbeingusedSee pages18-20 forcorrectregeneration setting.
Hotwaterusedwhensofteneris
regeneratingAvoidusinghotwaterasthewaterheater refills with hardwater (see “AutomaticBypass” on page
13).
Possibleincreaseinwaterhardness AskyourSearsretail orcatalogstoreforanew
wateranalysis.
LeakingfaucetortoiletvalveAsmallleakwillwastehundredsofgallonsofwater
inafewdays.Fixall plumbingleaksandalways
fullyclosefaucets.

OTHERTHINGSTOKNOW
SECTION 4
18
4A.HOWTO“FINE-TUNE”YOUR SOFTENER
It is not hard to fine-tune your softener, but it
does take a few minutes of your time to do it
right.You may save up to 500 pounds or moreof
salt each year with proper tuning. Read the
following carefully.
To have soft water all the time, the softener must
regenerate,orrechargeacertainnumberoftimes
in each 7 day period. How many times to
regenerate (set the timer) depends on 3 things.
1.The number of people in your home —tells
you how much water is used.
2.Thegrainspergallon(GPG)hardnessofyour
watersupply—listedonyourwateranalysis
report (see page 2 inyour Installation Manu-
al, or page 2 of this manual).
NOTE:
If your water supply contains iron, compensate
for it by adding to the water hardness number.
For example, assume your water is 15 gpg hard and
contains2ppmiron.Add5tothehardnessnumberfor
each1ppmofiron.In this example, youwoulduse25
for your hardness number.
15 gpg hardness
2 ppmiron x5=10 +10
(times)25 HARDNESS NUMBER
3.How much salt is used each regeneration —
determinedbythelengthofthefillcycle(see
pages 19 and 20).
REGENERATIONTABLE:The table (page 20)
makesiteasyfoyoutopickthebestregeneration
and fill time setting to use.
Step 1 —Go down the side of the table to the
numberofpersonsinyourfamily,orthenumber
of people in the house using water.
Step 2 —Across the top of the table, find the
column listing the grains per gallon hardness of
your water, or hardness number for iron water.
Step 3 —Read across and down thetable to find
the point where steps 1 and 2 meet. At this
meeting point, suggested days to regenerate,
and fill cycle minutes needed are shown.
TOSET THETIMERFORDAYSOFREGEN-
ERATIONANDFILL MINUTES,DOTHEFOL-
LOWING.
NOTE:
Remember, the timer is factory set for Monday,
WednesdayandSaturdayregenerationsstarting
at 2:00 AM. Fill time is factory set for 8minutes.
1.SETDAYSANDTIMEOFREGENERA-
TION,OR RECHARGE
a.Press the RECHARGE TIME button ©once
to display the factory set regeneration days
andstartingtime(flashing).Tochangethere-
generation start time, do step b following.
Otherwise go to step c.
FIG.15
ON/OFF VACATION
HOLDRECHARGENOW
PRESENT TIMEAND DAY
RECHARGETIME
RECHARGEDAY
SET/CLEAR
1
2
3
4
5
.
.
AM
MOWE SA
NOTE:
Read“AutomaticBypass”page 13, whenchoos-
ing a regeneration starting time other than 2:00
AM.
b.PresstheSET/CLEARbutton£untilthede-
sired regeneration starting time shows inthe
display.
NOTE:
Press SET/CLEAR and quickly release to move
the display ahead 1 hour at a time. Or, hold the
SET/CLEARbuttontomovethedisplayahead2
hours each second.
WRITEINYOUR RESULTSHERE.
1.MTWTHFS SUSuggested days to
---circlesuggested days--- regenerate
2.______Fill Cycleminutesneeded

OTHERTHINGSTOKNOW
SECTION 4
19
4A.HOWTO“FINE-TUNE”YOUR SOFTENER
c.Press the RECHARGE DAY button ¢and
SUnday begins to flash.
---- If you want regenerations on Sunday (from
regeneration table), press the SET/CLEAR but-
ton £to display ON.
----IfyoudonotwantSundayregenerations,press
SET/CLEAR button £to display OFF.
d.Press the RECHARGE DAY button ¢again
todisplayaflashingMOndayandON(facto-
ry set recharge). As you did in step c, use the
SET/CLEARbutton£tochangethedisplay
from ON to OFF, or from OFF to ON.
e.PressRECHARGE DAY button ¢to display
a flashing TUesday, WEdnesday, etc., each
timeusingtheSET/CLEAR button£todis-
play either ON or OFF as needed.
After recharge is either set or cancelled for
SAturday, press the PRESENT TIME AND
DAYbutton¡onceagaintoreturnthe pres-
ent time and day display.
2.SET THEFILL CYCLEMINUTES
a.Press and hold the RECHARGE TIME button
©until FILL shows in the display, then re-
lease button ©. After a few seconds, the fill
cycle minutes (factory setting¼8) will flash.
b.Press the SET/CLEAR button £to set the
minutes of fill cycle needed, as shown in the
regeneration table.
NOTE:
You may get hard water between regenerations
ifyousetthetimerforfewerfillminutesthanthe
Regeneration Table shows you to set. A higher
setting than needed will waste salt.
NOTE:
Press SET/CLEAR and quickly release to move
thedisplayahead1minuteatatime.Or,holdthe
SET/CLEARbuttontomovethedisplayahead2
minutes each second. THE DISPLAY BEGINS
OVER AT 0 AFTER PASSING 59.
c.Press PRESENT TIME AND DAY button ¡
to return the present time and day display.
TO SET THE PRESENT TIME OF DAY, AND
DAY OF WEEK, SEE PAGE 6.
IF YOU NEED HELP TO PROGRAM THE TIMER, CALL TOLL FREE,
NUMBER 1-800- 426-9345.

OTHERTHINGSTOKNOW
SECTION 4
20
4A.HOWTO“FINE-TUNE”YOUR SOFTENER
SEE INSTRUCTIONSFORUSINGTHETABLE, PAGE 18.
R
E
G
E
N
E
R
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A
B
L
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R
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R
A
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I
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A
B
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E
WATER HARDNESS -- GRAINS PERGALLON
Upto5 6 to10 11 to
15 16 to 20 21 to 25 26 to 30 31 to 35 36 to 40 41 to 45 46 to 50
1
PERSON
INTHE
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MMMMMMMMM
THM TH1 PERSON
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PERSONS
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MMMMM
THM THMW
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MT
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PERSONS
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HOUSEHOLD2235332332
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3
PERSONS
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M M M
THM THMW
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HOUSEHOLD2323333323
I
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4
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HOUSEHOLD2533232233
I
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5
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INTHE
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I
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HOUSEHOLD3332233344
I
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6
PERSONS
INTHE
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M M
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MT
TH
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MT
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INTHE
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HOUSEHOLD3332333457
I
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HOUSEHOLD
7
PERSONS
INTHE
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H
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L
D
M M W
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MW
S
MT
THF
S SU
MT
THF
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EVERY
DAY EVERY DAY EVERY DAY EVERY
DAY 7
PERSONS
INTHE
H
O
U
S
E
H
O
L
D
I
N
T
H
E
HOUSEHOLD4 2 3 2 3 3 4 5 8
I
N
T
H
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HOUSEHOLD
8
PERSONS
INTHE
H
O
U
S
E
H
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L
D
M M W
S
MT
TH
S
EVERY
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INTHE
H
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L
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I
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T
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HOUSEHOLD5 3 3 2 3 4 5 8
I
N
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HOUSEHOLD
9
PERSONS
INTHE
H
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E
H
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L
D
M
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S
MT
THF
S SU
MT
THF
S SU
EVERY
DAY EVERY DAY EVERY DAY 9 PERSONS
INTHE
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I
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HOUSEHOLD2323458
I
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10
PERSONS
INTHE
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THMT THF
S
MT
THF
S
EVERY
DAY EVERY DAY EVERY DAY 10 PERSONS
INTHE
H
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S
E
H
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L
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I
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HOUSEHOLD3 2 3 3 4 7
I
N
T
H
E
HOUSEHOLD
DAYS TOREGENERATE:M=Monday,T=Tuesday,W=Wednesday
TH=Thursday,F=Friday,S=Saturday,SU=Sunday
(factory set for Monday,Wednesdayand Saturday)
MINUTE-LENGTHOF FILL CYCLENEEDED
(factory set for8minutes)
MTW
THF
S SU
4
LEGEND:
MINUTES OF FILL @0.3GPM
POUNDSOFSALT USEDEACH REGENERATION
2 3 4 5 5 7 8 9 10 minutes
minutes
pounds
pounds1.82.7 3.6 4.5 5.4 6.3 7.2 8.1 9