Kenmore 625.3485400 User manual

SAVE THISMANUALUse plasticbag and tie provided, to hang manualsnearby
the softenerforfuturereference.
WaterSofteners
uWarranty
uStartUp/Setting Timer
uHowIt Works
uCareOf
uSpecifications
uRepairParts
Sears,Roebuck andCo., HoffmanEstates,IL60179 USA
OWNER’S
MANUAL
MODELNOS.
625.3485400
SuperCapacityGenius
625.3485500
SuperCapacityGenius
Caution:
Read and Follow
All SafetyRulesand
Operating Instructions
BeforeFirstUse of
ThisProduct.
If you have questionswhen
installing,operating or main-
taining yoursoftener,and
when setting the timer,call
thistoll--free number...
1--800--426--9345
PRINTEDIN U.S.A.

WARRANTY
2
SEARSRESIDENTIALWATERSOFTENER
FULL TENYEAR WARRANTYAGAINST LEAKS
Fortenyearsfromthedateofpurchase,Searswillfurnishandinstallanewcurrentmodelwater
softenertankorsaltstorage drum, free ofcharge,ifeitherthe tankordrumdevelopaleak.
FULL THREE YEAR ELECTRONICSWARRANTY
Fora period of three yearsfromdate ofpurchase,Searswill replacethe BRINETANKLIGHT,
ELECTRONICBOARD,SENSORHOUSING, WIRINGHARNESS,TRANSFORMER,MICRO
SWITCH,DRIVE MOTOR, ORPOWER CABLE,shouldtheybe defectiveinmaterialorwork-
manship.FULL ONE YEAR WARRANTYONWATERSOFTENER
Forone yearfromthe date ofpurchase,when thiswatersoftenerisinstalled and maintained
in accordancewith ourinstructions,Searswill repair, free ofcharge,all otherpartswhichmay
be defectiveinmaterialorworkmanship.
TO OBTAINWARRANTY SERVICE,SIMPLYCONTACT THENEARESTSEARS SERVICE
CENTERTHROUGHOUTTHEUNITEDSTATES.Thiswarrantyappliesonlywhilethisproduct
isin useinthe United States.
Thiswarrantygives you specificlegalrights,and you mayhave other rightswhichvaryfrom
statetostate.
Sears,Roebuck and Co., D/817 WA,Hoffman Estates, IL 60179
Ifyou wantyour watersoftener professionallyinstalled,talk toyour SearsSalesman. Hewillarrange
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-
tybecomes effectivethedate themerchandisein
installed, should the workmanship of any Sears
arranged installation prove faulty within one
year, Sears will, upon notice from you, cause
suchfaultstobecorrectedatnoadditionalcostto
you.
FACTSAND FIGURES TOKEEP
Fill inthe blanks belowand keep thisbookin a safe
placesoyou always havethesefacts.
WaterSoftener Model No.†
Serial Number
DateInstalled
WaterHardness GrainsPerGallon
Iron ContentPartsPer Million
*pHTasteAnd/OrOdor
WaterPressurePounds/SquareInch
WaterFlow RateGallonsPer Minute
†The modelnumberison the rating decal,located
on the rim,underthe saltholecover.

TABLEOFCONTENTS
3
PAGE
NO.
SECTION1SOFTENERSTARTUP
A.SAFETYGUIDES 4
B.CHECKLISTOFSTEP-BY-STEP GUIDES TO INSTALL 5
C.PROGRAMTHETIMER6-7
D.SANITIZINGTHEWATERSOFTENER8
E.FILL THE STORAGETANKWITHSALT9
SECTION2HOWYOUR WATERSOFTENERWORKS
A.FACE PLATETIMERFEATURES 10-11
B.SOFT WATERSERVICE AND REGENERATION12-14
SECTION3CAREOFYOUR SOFTENER
A.SALT:REFILLINGSTORAGETANK,SALTBRIDGE15
B.KEEPINGTHEWATERSOFTENER CLEAN16
C.KEEP THE SOFTENERFROMFREEZING17
D.HELPFULHINTSCHECKLIST18
SECTION4OTHERTHINGSTOKNOW
A.DIMENSIONS/SPECIFICATIONS19
SECTION5SERVICETECH INFORMATION
A.TROUBLESHOOTING20-23
D.ROTARY VALVE SERVICE24
E.WATERFLOWTHROUGHTHE SOFTENERVALVE 25-27
SECTION6REPAIRPARTS28-31

WATERSOFTENERSTART-UP
SECTION1
4
1A.SAFETYGUIDES
sReadall steps,guides and rules carefullybe-
foreinstalling andusing yournew watersoftener.
Followall steps exactlytocorrectlyinstall. Fail-
uretofollowthemcouldcause personal injuryor
propertydamage.Reading thisbookwill also
helpyou to getall of thebenefitsfromyourwater
softener.
sYourwatersoftenerwill remove hardness min-
erals and “clearwater”iron fromwater,up tothe
limits shown on page 19. Itwill notremove other
types ofiron,acids,tastes and odors,etc. Itwill
notpurifypollutedwateror make itsafeto drink.
sProtect the softenerand piping fromfreezing.
Damagefromfreezing voidsthe softenerwarran-
ty.See page 17.
CAUTIONS
PLEASEREADANDCOMPLYWITHTHEFOL-
LOWING GUIDES TOPREVENTDAMAGETO
THE SOFTENEROROTHERPROPERTY,
PERSONALINJURY, ORPOSSIBLEFATAL
SHOCK.
sTHIS SOFTENERWORKSON24 VOLTS
ONLY.BESURETOUSETHETRANSFORMER
INCLUDED,AND PLUG ITINTOA120VOUT-
LET.
sUnplug thetransformer rightaway if the
powercable sould becomedamaged or
frayed.Make repairsbeforeplugging back
intothepoweroutlet.
sAlways unplug the softenerfromelectrical
powerbeforeremoving outervalve covers.

WATERSOFTENERSTART-UP
SECTION1
5
1B.CHECK LISTOFALL STEP-BY-STEP GUIDES TO INSTALL
Refer to the Installation Manual, part no.
7141417, 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.
4Is the house water flow going INTO the soft-
ener valve INLET? Trace piping to be sure.
See pages 10 and 11.
4Istheplumbingbypassvalve(or3valves)set
for SERVICE? See FIG. 12, page 19 of this
manual.
4Is the valve drain hose connected the right
way, and without sharp bends or kinks that
couldstoporreducewaterflow?Seepage16.
4Is the softener power cable connected to the
transformer?Is thetransformerpluggedinto
an inside, 120V-60Hz electrical outlet? See
page 20.
4Be sure to restart the water heater. See page
20.
brass
plastic
3--valve

WATERSOFTENERSTART-UP
SECTION1
6
1C.PROGRAMTHETIMER
FIG. 1
When the transformer is plugged in, the model
code AR31, and a test number (example: A1.0)
show in the face plate display for 4 seconds.
Then, 12:00 AM and PRESENT TIME begin to
flash.
NOTE:
If AR-- shows in the display, press the UP or
DOWN button until AR31 shows. Then, press
the #1 SELECT button to set, and change to the
flashing PRESENT TIME display.
Tocheckthemodelcode,unplugthetransformer
atthewalloutletandpluginagain.ifotherthan
AR31 shows, see page 18 to reset.
SOUND “BEEPER”:A“beeper”sounds while
pressing buttons for timer set-up. One beep
signals a change in the face plate display.
Repeated beeps mean thetimer will not accepta
changefromthebuttonyouhavepressed,telling
you to use another button. For example, while
setting the hardness (step 2), the beeper sounds
repeatedly when the display reaches 1 using the
DOWN button, or the highest hardness setting
using the UP button.
1.SETPRESENT TIMEOFDAY:
NOTE:
If the words¼PRESENT TIME do not show
in the display, press the #1 SELECT button
(FIG. 1) until they do, or see the notes above.
nPress the UP/DOWN buttons to set the
present time. Press UP to move the display
ahead;pressDOWNtomovethetimebackward.
If the present time is between
noonandmidnight,besurePM
shows.
If the present time is between
midnight and noon, be sure
AM shows.
NOTE:
Each press of the UP/DOWN
buttons changes the time by 1
minute.Holding thebuttonsin
changes the time 32 minutes
each second.

WATERSOFTENERSTART-UP
SECTION1
7
1C.PROGRAMTHETIMER
2.SETWATER HARDNESS NUMBER:
nPress the #1 SELECT button once to
display 15 (flashing) and HARDNESS.
The grains per gallon (gpg)
hardness of your water sup-
ply is on your water analysis
report. Be sure to enter water
test results on page 2, for
future reference.
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
each1 ppmof iron.Inthis example,youwould use25
for your hardness number.
15 gpg hardness
2 ppmiron x5=10 +10
(times)25 HARDNESS NUMBER
nPress the UP/DOWN buttons to set your
water hardness number in the display. The
DOWN button moves the display to 1. The UP
button moves the display to the highest setting
(see maximum setting for your model in the
specifications).
NOTE:
EachpressoftheUP/DOWNbuttonchangesthe
display by 1 between 1 and 25. Between 25 and
the highest number, the display changes 5 at a
time¼25, 30, 35, etc. Holding the UP or DOWN
buttoninchangesthedisplaytwiceeachsecond.
3.SETRECHARGE(REGENERATION)TIME:
nPressthe#1SELECTbuttontodisplay2:00
AM (flashing) and RECHARGE TIME.
At the 2:00 AM RECHARGE
TIME setting, the softener be-
gins regeneration (see pages
12 and 13) at 2:00 AM, ending
nolaterthan4:00AM.Thisisa
goodtimeinmosthouseholds
because water is not being
used (see AUTOMATIC BY-
PASS, page 14). If a different
RECHARGE TIME setting
would be better for your
household, do the following.
nPress the UP/DOWN buttons to set the
desired RECHARGE starting hour. Be sure to
observethe AM-PMas youdid whensetting the
present time of day.
NOTE:
Each press of the UP/DOWN buttons changes
the display 1 hour. Holding the buttons in
changes the display twice each second.
nPress the #1 SELECT button once again, to
return the present time, and RECHARGE TO-
NIGHT in the display.
IF YOU NEED HELP PROGRAMMING THE TIMER, CALL TOLL FREE, NUMBER
1-800-426-9345.
SEE PAGES 10 AND 11 FOR OTHER FACE PLATE TIMER FEATURES.

WATERSOFTENERSTART-UP
SECTION1
8
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 resinbed (see page 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.
FIG. 2ADD WATER
Water,
About3Gallons
Brinewell
Cover
(remove and add
about3/4 oz.bleach)
Brinewell
hose
SaltHole
Cover
¬Recommendedby theWaterQualityAssociation.On
somewatersupplies,thewatersoftenermayneedpe-
riodicdisinfecting.

WATERSOFTENERSTART-UP
SECTION1
9
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 19. Be sure to set the
salt monitor system (see page 10).
NOTES:
The salt monitor system page 10, is calibrated to
the density of nugget or pellet water softener
salt. The monitor will not work as accurately
with othertypes ofsalt includingrock andsolar.
In humid areas, it is best to fill the storage tank
half-full,and torefillit moreoften. Saltbridging
(seepage15)occurs moreoften whenconditions
are humid.
WATERSOFTENINGSALT WITHIRON RE-
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. 3ADD SALT
Sodium information: Water softeners using so-
dium chloride for regeneration add sodium to
the water. Persons who are on sodiumrestricted
diets should consider the added sodium 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.
Personswho areconcernedabout theirdrinking
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 havenowfinishedthewatersoftenerstartup.Afterthesanitizingrecharge,on
page8,thesoftenerwill begiving yousoftwater.

HOWYOUR WATERSOFTENERWORKS
SECTION2
10
2A.FACE PLATETIMERFEATURES
EXTRA RECHARGE
Sometimes, a manually started regeneration
(recharge) may be desired, or needed. Two
examples are:
--You have used more water than usual (guests
visiting) and you may run out of soft water
before the next timer started regeneration.
--Youdidnotrefillthesoftenerwithsaltbeforeit
was gone.
Youcanstartaregeneration rightaway,oryou
canset thetimer toregenerateatthe next2:00
AM (or other preset recharge time). Do the
following.
RECHARGENOW
nPress the ON/OFF-
HOLDbuttonandholduntil
RECHARGE NOW, SERV
and FILL begin to flash in
the display. Upon reaching
fill, the first cycle of regen-
eration, the flashing SERV
goes off and FILL is on
steady. RECHARGE NOW
continues to flash. This re-
generation will last for
about 2 hours. After the 2
hours, you will have soft
water again.
RECHARGETONIGHT
nPress and release (do not
hold) the ON/OFF-HOLD
button. RECHARGE TO-
NIGHT flashes in the dis-
play, and the softener be-
gins regeneration at the
next preset recharge time.
Press and release the ON/
OFF-HOLD button once
moreifyoudecidetocancel
the regeneration, and RE-
CHARGE TONIGHT.
SALT MONITORSYSTEM
The face plate timer has a low salt monitor with
an indicator light to remind you to refill the
storagetankwithsalt.Tosetthismonitorsystem:
1.Liftthesaltholecoverandlevelthesaltinthe
storage tank.
2.The salt level decal, on the brinewell inside
the tank, has numbers from 0 to 8 (see
drawing on page 9 and below). Observe the
number the leveled salt is at or closest to.
NOTE: To light the salt storage area, press the
TANK LIGHT button on the face plate.
3.Now,presstheSALTLEVELADJUSTbutton
until black bars display up to the salt level
number. For example, the pictures below
show the salt level at 6.
4.Finally, set the level you want the low salt
indicatorlight tocomeon.PresstheSIGNAL
LIGHT ADJUST button until a (T) shows
opposite this number. In the example below,
the light will come one when the stored salt
dropstolevel 2.At level2, thestoragetankis
about 1/3 full. This is the lowest you should
allow the stored salt level to drop to. To turn
the salt monitor off, press the button until
OFF shows.
NOTE:
For accurate salt monitor operation, always use
nugget or pellet water softener salt. See page 9.

HOWYOUR WATERSOFTENERWORKS
SECTION2
11
2A.FACE PLATETIMERFEATURES
TANK LIGHT
To light the inside of the salt
storage tank, press the TANK
LIGHT button on the face
plate. Press the same button
againto turnthe lightoff,orit
will go off automatically in 4
minutes.
WATERFLOWRATETHROUGHTHE SOFTENER
To view the gallon per minute water flow rate
through the softener, if not already displayed,
press the #2 SELECT button.
Ifsoft water isbeingused,the
flow rate to the closest 1/10
gallon shows. If all faucets
and water using appliances
areoff,thedisplaywillshow0
flow.
AVERAGEDAILYGALLONS
Press the #2 SELECT button
again to show the average
number of gallons of soft wa-
ter the household uses each
day.Thiswaterusagefigureis
adjusted daily by the face
plate timer. To turn this dis-
play off, press the #2 SELECT
button once more.
PROGRAM MEMORY
If electrical power to the softener goes off, the
time display is blank but the face plate timer
keeps the correct time for about72 hours. When
electrical power comes on again, you have to
reset the present time only if the display is
flashing. The HARDNESS and RECHARGE
TIME never require resetting unless a change is
desired.
Even if the timer is incorrect after a long power
outage, the softener works as it should to keep
your water soft. However, regenerations may
occuratthewrongtimeofdayuntilyouresetthe
timer to the correct time of day.
ERROR CODE
Anerrorcodecouldappearin
the face plate display if a
problemoccursinthesoftener
electronics. If yousee an error
code instead of the present
time of day, please call you
local Sears Service Depart-
ment for service.

HOWYOUR WATERSOFTENERWORKS
SECTION2
12
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. 4). 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)flowsoutofthesoftenerandintothe
house soft water pipes.
After a period of time, the resin beads become
coated with hardnessminerals and they have to
be cleaned. This cleaning is called regeneration
or recharge. Regeneration is started at 2:00 a.m.
by the electronic timer (see page 14). It takes
place in 5 stages or cycles. These are:
FILL
BRINING
BRINERINSE
BACKWASH
FASTRINSE
1
2
3
4
5
FIG. 4WATERFLOWTHROUGHTHE
SOFTENERINSERVICE
REGENERATION
¡FILL: Salt, dissolved in water, is called
brine. Brine is needed to clean the hardness
mineralsfromtheresinbeads.Tomakethebrine,
water flows into the salt storagearea during the
fill stage as shown in FIG. 5. Fill cycle length
depends on how much soft water making
capacity you have used since the last regenera-
tion.Asyouusemorewater,filltimeincreasesso
morebrineis made.Thegreateramountofbrine
cleans more hardness minerals from the resin
bed.
FIG. 5WATERFLOWTHROUGHTHE
SOFTENERINFILL

HOWYOUR WATERSOFTENERWORKS
SECTION2
13
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. 6) make suction to
take brine from the salt tank and put it into the
resin tank. They keep the brine flow down to a
very slow rate to getthe best resin cleaning with
the least salt.
¢BRINE RINSE: After all of the brine goes into
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. Brining and brine rinse
together vary in the length of time they take,
relative to the fill cycle length.
FIG. 6WATERFLOWTHROUGHTHE
SOFTENERINBRININGAND
BRINERINSE
£BACKWASH: During backwash, water flows
UPthroughtheresintank(FIG.7)atafast rateto
flush iron minerals, dirt andsediments fromthe
bed and to the drain. The bed lifts and expands
for good cleaning.
FIG. 7WATERFLOWTHROUGHTHE
SOFTENERINBACKWASH
¤FAST RINSE: Backwash is followed by a fast
flow of water down through the resin tank. The
fastflowpackstheresinbedandgetsitreadyfor
return to service (FIG. 8).
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. 8WATERFLOWTHROUGHTHE
SOFTENERINFASTRINSE

HOWYOUR WATERSOFTENERWORKS
SECTION2
14
2B.SOFT WATERSERVICEAND 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
HOTwater, ifpossible, becausethe waterheater
willrefillwith hardwater.The softenerregener-
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.Set therechargetimeto 12:00AMor1:00
AM (page 7). Then regeneration will start and
endthatmuchearlierandyourwaterheaterwill
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
softenervalveoutlet.Aswaterflowsthroughthe
meter, it sends electric pulses to the computer.
Thecomputerchangesthepulsestoameasurein
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-
nessmineralsitwilltakeoutofthewaterbeforea
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 sincethelastregeneration.
Thecomputeralwaysadjuststhispatterntoyour
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
determinesthatonlyenoughcapacityremainsto
provide soft water up to the next regeneration
startingtime(2:00AM,orasotherwiseset)itwill
schedulearegeneration.RECHARGETONIGHT
displaysuntiltheregenerationbegins.Whenthe
regeneration begins, TONIGHT goes off and
RECHARGE NOW flashes during the 2 hour
regeneration.

CAREOFYOUR SOFTENER
SECTION3
15
3A.SALT¼REFILLINGSTORAGETANK/BREAKINGASALT BRIDGE
WHEN TO REFILL WITH SALT: The Salt
Monitor System (see page 10) will turn on the
lowsaltlighttowarnyouwhentorefillwithsalt.
Check for a low salt light a few weeks after you
install the softener, and every week after that.
Always refill at about the #2 salt monitor level.
At thislevel, the tank isabout 1/3 full. Neverlet
the softener use all the salt before refilling.
Without salt, you will soon have hard water.
NOTE:
You will have a loss in softening capacity and
may get partly hard water if less than 10 inches
(saltmonitorlevel2)ofsaltisinthestoragetank.
PLEASE SEE PAGE9FORSALT FILLINGDIRECTIONS.
BE SURETORESET THE SALTMONITOR,PAGE10.
SALT BRIDGE
Sometimes, a hard crust or salt bridge forms in
thesalt storagetank. Itis usuallycaused byhigh
humidityorthewrongkindofsalt.Whenthesalt
bridges, an empty space forms between the
water and salt. Then salt willnot dissolve (melt)
in the water to make brine. Without brine, the
resin bed does not regenerate and you will have
hard water.
Ifthe storagetank isfull ofsalt,itis hardto tellif
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. 9. Make a pencil
markonthehandle,1²or2²belowthetopheight
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 thewrongkind of saltmade the bridge, takeit
out. Then fill the tank with nugget or pellet salt
only.
FIG. 9SALTBRIDGE
BroomHandle
pushtool intosalt
bridge to break
Salt
SaltBridge
WaterLevel
Pencil
Mark
1”-- 2”

CAREOFYOUR SOFTENER
SECTION3
16
3B.KEEPINGTHEWATERSOFTENER CLEAN
COVERS
To keep your new Sears water softener looking
nice, applya coatof pastewax 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.
NOZZLE&VENTURI
Acleannozzleandventuri(FIG.10)isamustfor
thesoftenertoworkright.Thissmallunitmoves
brine from the salt storagetank to the resintank
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 support and screen, then
the nozzleand venturi.Wash and rinse the parts
inwarm wateruntilclean.If needed,useasmall
brush to remove iron or dirt. Also check and
clean the gasket.
Carefully replace all parts in the correctorder.
Lubricatetheo-ringsealwithsiliconegreaseor
Vaseline and place in position. Install and
tightenthecap,byhandonly.Donotovertigh-
ten and break the cap or housing.
FIG. 10 CLEANINGTHENOZZLE &
VENTURI
*INSTALL WITH
NUMBEREDSIDEUP
CONCAVE SIDEDOWN.BE
SURETHEFLOWPLUGWITH
THELARGESTCENTER HOLE
ISLOCATEDINTHENOZZLE
& VENTURIHOUSING.
IRONFROMTHERESIN BED
Your water softener takes hardness minerals
(calciumandmagnesium)outofthewater.Also,
it can control some “clear water”iron. See
maximum allowed in the specifications on page
19. 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
resinbedcleaning isneeded. Searshas 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 bed cleaner
bottle.

CAREOFYOUR SOFTENER
SECTION3
17
3C.KEEP THE SOFTENERFROMFREEZING
If the softener is installed where it could freeze
(summercabin, lakehome, etc.),you mustdrain
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.Referto FIG.12 onpage 19.Move thestemin
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 30). 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 page30). Lift thebrine
valveoutofthebrinewell.Tipthebrinevalve
upside down to drain out water.
FIG. 11 DRAINWATERFROMTHE
SOFTENER
7.Looking atFIG. 11, laya pieceof 2 inch thick
boardnearthefloor drain.Movethesoftener
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
SECTION3
18
3D.HELPFULHINTSCHECKLIST
... TOHELP YOUSAVE MONEY
Ifyourwatersoftenerfailstowork,makethefollowingeasychecks.Often,youwillfindwhat’swrong
yourselfandyouwon’thave tocallandwait forservice.If,after makingthechecks,your softenerstill
does not work right, call your Sears Service Department.
NOTE:
1. Also read ERROR CODE, page 11.
2.Ifanerrorcodeisnot dispIayed,pressandholdthe#1SELECTbuttonuntil(example:000- -)shows
in the display. Then, press the #1 SELECT again and hold until a flashing AR code appears. It must
show AR31. If AR 17, 22, 39 or 60 shows, the face plate computer is working on incorrect input and
would probably be the cause of the problem. To set AR31, press either the UP or DOWN button.
WhenAR31shows,pressthe#1SELECTtoreturnaflashing12:00AMdisplay.Resetthepresenttime,
hardness number and recharge time, pages 6 and 7.
PROBLEMCAUSE CORRECTION
NOSOFT WATER Nosalt(orsaltbridged)inthe storage tankRefill withsalt, orbreakthe saltbridge
(page 15).Press ON/OFF-HOLD
(RECHARGENOW)button and holdfor3
secondstostartaregeneration (see page
10).
Transfomerunplugged at the wall outlet, or
powercableleadsloose, fuse blown,circuit
breakerpopped,orcircuitswitched off.
Check forloss ofpowerdue to anyof
these and correct. Withthe powerback
on,lookat the time displayand read
PROGRAM MEMORY,page 11.
Manualbypass valve(s)in bypass position LookatFIG. 12 on page 19.Movethe
steminasinglevalvetoservice. In a
3-valve bypass,open the inletand outlet
valves,and be suretofully closethe
bypass valve.
Dirty,plugged ordamaged nozzle&venturiTake apartand clean or replace damaged
parts(see page 16).
Valve drain hose plugged The drain hosemustnothavekinks,sharp
bends,orbe raised too high abovethe
softener (see page 16 inyourinstallation
manual).
WATER HARD
SOMETIMES Hardness numbersetting too lowPress and releasethe SELECTbutton until HARDNESS showsinthe display.
Read the hardness numberinthe display
and be surethe same grainspergallon
numberis shownonyourwateranalysis
report. See page 7 toreset. Press and
releasethe SELECTbutton until the
present timeshowsinthe display.
Using hotwaterwhen softeneris
regenerating Avoid using hotwaterduring thistime becausethe waterheater refillswith hard
water (see AutomaticBypass,page 14).
Increaseinthe grainsofhardness inyour
watersupplyAsk yourSearsretail orcatalog storefora new wateranalysis.Then make a new
hardness numbersetting (page 7).

OTHERTHINGSTOKNOW
SECTION4
19
4A.DIMENSIONS/SPECIFICATIONS
FIG. 12 BYPASS VALVES
INCHES CM
A SaltTankHeight40-1/4 102.2
BResinTankDiameter (nominal)9 22.7
C ResinTankHeight(nominal)40 101.6
DInlet-OutletHeight41-1/2 105.4
EOverall Height46 116.8
F1Length 19-1/2 49.5
F2Width 16-1/2 41.9
—Distance between inlet-outlet
centerlines3-3/8 8.6
MODELNO. 625.3485400 AND 625.3485500 TIMER AR CODEAR31
NOTE:Please see the rating decal for water softener operating capacity, salt usage and service flow
rate/pressure loss performance specifications. Performance specificationsare validatedby the Water
QualityAssociation (WQA).The ratingdecal islocated ontherim,under thesaltholecover (seepage
28).
WATERSUPPLYTOWATERSOFTENER
MINIMUMWATERSYSTEMFLOW(gpm)3
MINIMUM-MAXIMUMWATERPRESSURE(psi)20-120
MAXIMUMWATERTEMPERATURE(°F)120
MAXIMUMWATER HARDNESS (gpg)110
MAXMUM“CLEARWATER” IRON(ppm)8
SALT FORWATERSOFTENER
TYPE OFSALTNEEDED Nugget/Pellet
ALTERNATETYPE OFSALTPure,evaporated,compacted
watersoftenersalt
STORAGECAPACITY(pounds)200
OTHERS
TYPE OFIONEXCHANGEMATERIAL(resin)High Capacity
AMOUNTOFRESIN(cu.ft.)1.0
REGENERATION(RECHARGE)CYCLETIME(min.)
FILL 2.7-10.3
BRINING/BRINERINSE 97-106
BACKWASH7
FASTRINSE 3
TOTALREGENERATIONTIME109.7-126.3
gpm=gallonsperminute psi=poundspersquareinch
gpg =grainspergallon ppm=partspermillion

SERVICETECH. INFORMATION
S
E
C
T
I
O
N
5
2
0
TROUBLESHOOTING
Keep this manual with your water softener. If repairs are needed, the service technician must have the
information on the following 8 pages. For telephone assistance, call toll free, 1--800--426--9345.
ALWAYS MAKETHESE INITIALCHECKSFIRST
1.Doesthetimedisplayshow thecorrect timeofday?
----Ifdisplayisblank,checkpowersourcetothesoft-
ener.
----Iftimeisflashing,powerwasoffforover24 hours.The
softener resumesnormaloperation butregenerations
occurat thewrongtime.
----Ifanerrorcode(Example:Err3)showsinthefaceplate
display,gotoAUTOMATICELECTRONICDIAGNOS-
TICS.
2.Plumbingbypass valve(s)mustbeinFull Service
position.
3.Theinletand outletpipesmustconnect tothesoftener
inletand outletrespectively.
4.Isthetransformerpluggedintoa“live”,groundedwall
outlet,and thepowercablefastenedsecurely?
5.The valve drain hosemustbefree ofkinksand sharp
bends,and notelevated over8ft.above thefloor.
REMOVE THETOPCOVERAND SALT TANKCOVER
6.Istheresaltinthestoragetank?
7.Isthebrinetubingconnected?(See waterflow
diagrams).
8.Isthebrine valve floatsetright?(See page 23).
9.Press the #1SELECTbutton 2timesto displaythe
hardness setting.Besureitisthecorrectsettingforthe
household’swatersupply.(Makeahardness testofthe
raw waterand comparewiththehardness setting.Also
testasoft watersampletoverifyifaproblemexists.)
Press the #1SELECTbutton twicemoretoreturnto
present timeinthedisplay.
Ifyou do notfind theproblemaftermakinginitialchecks,
do theMANUALINITIATEDELECTRONICDIAGNOSTICS,
and theMANUALADVANCEREGENERATIONCHECK.