Water Boss 550 Manual

INSTALLATION AND
SERVICE MANUAL
waterBoss
® 4343 S. Hamilton Road, Groveport, Ohio 43125
W ater Softeners: waterBoss
fi
550, 700 and 900
Ver. 3.0

QUESTIONS? .................................................................................................................. 1
GETTING MAXIMUM EFFICIENCY FROM YOUR APPLIANCE ..................................... 2
INSTALLATION CHECKLIST ........................................................................................... 3
DO'S AND DON’TS ......................................................................................................... 4
REFERENCE ILLUSTRATIONS ....................................................................................... 5
CYCLES .......................................................................................................................... 10
ALL WATER CONDITIONERS ARE NOT CREATED EQUAL ........................................ 12
INSTALLATION AND START-UP PROCEDURES .......................................................... 13
SETTING THE 4 BUTTON CONTROLLER ..................................................................... 15
CARE, MAINTENANCE AND PARTS ..............................................................................18
TROUBLESHOOTING ..................................................................................................... 27
NOTES .............................................................................................................................29
SOFTENER SPECIFICATIONS ...................................................................................... 30
LIMITED WARRANTY .................................................................................................... 31
Table of Contents
Congratulations
on your decision to place your confidence in a superior WaterBoss
®water treatment appliance.
Recognized worldwide for built-in quality, dependability, and ease of service,
WaterBoss
®
appliances represent state-of-the-art in home water treatment. Important information is con-
tained in this manual which will help you get the maximum benefit and enjoyment from your
particular model.
We urge you to read this information carefully now and any time a malfunction may occur. In
most cases, these reviews will uncover minor problems that you can correct yourself, thereby
saving you time.
When calling the HelpLine, please have this guide and the serial number
available. From 8 am to 5 pm EST, call 1-800-437-8993. Your serial
number may be found on top of your valve assembly (See figures 2-3.)

From 8 am to 5 pm EST, use the 800 HelpLine: 1-800-437-8993
The HelpLine is available to help answer questions about specific water problems,
appliance installation and operation. When calling the HelpLine, please have this guide
and the serial number of your appliance available. Your serial number may be found on
top of your valve assembly (See figures 2-3.)
Date of Installation: __________________________________
Model Number: _____________________________________
Serial Number: ______________________________________
Returned Limited warranty Card Date: ___________________
1
Questions

How To Get The Maximum Efficiency From Your Appliance
1. Fill salt cabinet when water level is above salt level. DO NOT MIX DIFFERENT TYPES OF
SALT. If iron is present in your water, use a salt with an iron-cleaning additive to help keep
resin clean. You may also use a resin cleaner on a monthly basis in place of salt with clean-
ing additives. If iron is not present in your water, a clean pellet, solar or cube type salt is rec-
ommended. The use of rock salt is not recommended because it contains impurities that can
plug up the injector assembly.
2. You may use a salt substitute (such as potassium chloride) in place of water conditioner
salt. If you start with water conditioner salt, you can switch to a salt substitute at any time -
or vice versa. If potassium chloride is used in place of nugget or pellet salt, increase your
hardness setting by 12% (multiply by 1.12). Do not use Potassium Chloride if there is iron in
your water.
3. Should your electricity be turned off for any reason you must reset the time of day if you
programmed your appliance for delayed regeneration.* (see page 16)
4. Protect your system from freezing, including drain line.
5. By-pass the appliance when servicing the well, plumbing, or pump. When work is complet-
ed, turn on the nearest cold water tap until water runs clear before putting appliance back in
service. See figures 4 - 5 - 6.
6. Install after the pressure tank.
* Excludes
WaterBoss
® 550 model.
When calling the HelpLine, please have this guide and the serial number available.
2

3
Checklist Before Installation
1. Water Pressure - Not less than 20 psi constant for W aterBoss
®softeners.
2. Double check hardness - of water with test strips provided to verify that your
WaterBoss
®is the right appliance for the job.
WaterBoss
® 550 FOR MUNICIPALLY-SUPPLIED WATER is for water without iron and up to
25 grains of hardness per gallon.
WaterBoss
® 700 for up to 70 grains hardness per gallon.
WaterBoss
® 900 for up to 90 grains hardness per gallon. (See specifications, page 30.)
3. Water Supply Flow Rate - 5 gallons per minute is recommended as minimum.
4. Drain - Drain appliance to floor drain or washer drain. To prevent back-siphoning,
the installer must provide an adequate air gap or a siphon break. See figure 1.
5. Electricity - The transformer supplied is a standard 120 volt, 60 cycle A.C. for USA or
220 volt, 50 cycle A.C. for outside the USA. See figure 8.
6. Water Quality - If the water supply contains sulfur, bacteria, iron bacteria, tannins,
algae, oil, acid or other unusual substances, then unless the system is represented as
being capable of treating these contaminants in the specifications, other special
treatment of the water supply must be used to remove these contaminants before they
enter this product.
If you have any questions call our HelpLine!
When calling the HelpLine, please have this guide and the serial number available.
From 8 am to 5 pm EST, call 1-800-437-8993. Your serial number may be found on top
of your valve assembly (See figures 2-3.)

SOME DO'S
1. Do comply with all local plumbing and electrical codes.
2. Do install pressure-reducing valve if inlet pressure exceeds 90 psi.
3. Do install gravity drain on salt storage cabinet. See figure 7.
4. Do secure drain line on appliance and at drain outlet. See figure 3.
5. Do allow a minimum of 8 to 10 feet of 3/4” pipe from the outlet of the water conditioner
to the inlet of the water heater. See figure 1.
SOME DON’TS
1. Do not install if checklist items are not satisfactory.
2. Do not install if incoming or outlet piping water temperature exceeds
120 degrees Fahrenheit. Please see specification on pages 30.
3. Do not allow soldering torch heat to be transferred to valve components or
plastic parts.
4. Do not overtighten plastic fittings.
5. Do not place appliance right up against a wall which would deny access to
plumbing. See figure 1.
6. Do not install the appliance backwards. Follow arrows on inlet/outlet.
See figure 2.
7. Do not plug the transformer into an outlet that is activated by an on/off switch.
See figure 8.
8. Do not connect the drain and the overflow (gravity drain) together.
See figure 1.
When calling the HelpLine, please have this guide and the serial number available.
From 8 am to 5 pm EST, call 1-800-437-8993. Your serial number may be found on
top of your valve assembly (See figures 2-3.)
4
Do’s And Don’ts

Use this diagram as a location and installation guide for your WaterBoss
® 700,
WaterBoss
® 900, and
WaterBoss
® 550, water conditioners. This diagram applies to all types
of installations (i.e. basement, slab, crawl space, outside).
Bypass Valves. To simplify installation and servicing, a one-piece or a three way bypass valve
system is recommended when installing your appliance. A bypass system also provides access to
untreated water when required (i.e. for lawn and gardening purposes.)
Also, see figures 4 through 6.
Caution: If less than 10 feet of pipe connect the water treatment appliance(s), to the water heater, then
a Check Valve must be installed between the water treatment appliance and the water heater. Install
the Check Valve as close to the water heater as possible.
When calling the HelpLine, please have this guide and the serial number available.
From 8 am to 5 pm EST, call 1-800-437-8993. Your serial number may be found on
top of your valve assembly (See figures 2-3.)
5
Reference Illustrations
Figure 1- Installation Guide

6
Reference Illustrations
CONNECTING DRAIN LINE
CAUTION! The drain line must not be
kinked, crimped or restricted in any
way. The drain line should be 1/2" inside
diameter and cannot be reduced in size.
Figure 2
Figure 3
PLUMBING CONNECTIONS
S/N 29350185
When calling the HelpLine, please have this guide and the serial number available.
From 8 am to 5 pm EST, call 1-800-437-8993. Your serial number may be found on
top of your valve assembly (See figures 2-3.)
S/N 29350185

7
Reference Illustrations
When calling the HelpLine, please have this guide and the serial number available.
From 8 am to 5 pm EST, call 1-800-437-8993. Your serial number may be found on
top of your valve assembly (See figures 2-3.)
Figure 4 Bypass Valves
Figure 5
Part #93884
<push/pull>
for service or bypass.
This part may be available through your local hardware store, plumber or call
our HelpLine to order.
Figure 6

Figure 8
8
Reference Illustrations
When calling the HelpLine, please have this guide and the serial number available.
From 8 am to 5 pm EST, call 1-800-437-8993. Your serial number may be found on
top of your valve assembly (See figures 2-3.)
PLUGGING IN TRANSFORMER
Do not plug transformer into an out-
let that is controlled by on/off switch.
Figure 7
OVERFLOW
CONNECTION

9
Reference Illustrations
Figure 10
ADDING SALT TO
THE BRINE CABINET
WaterBoss
®
700,
WaterBoss
®
900,
and
WaterBoss
®
550
2 GALLONS
Figure 9

10
Cycles
When calling the HelpLine, please have this guide and the serial number available.
From 8 am to 5 pm EST, call 1-800-437-8993. Your serial number may be found on
top of your valve assembly (See figures 2-3.)
Water by-passes your appliance during regeneration to allow iron, sediment, hardness, etc. to
be washed down the drain. After regeneration,
WaterBoss
®returns to service,
providing your home with treated water.
Regeneration cycles:
1. First up-flow backwash. A rapid up-flow of water flushes out the resin bed and
cleans the sediment filter.
2. Brine. Brine is drawn out of the brine cabinet and up through the media tank,
cleaning the resin bed and releasing accumulated hardness and iron.
3. Slow rinse. A slow up-flow rinse process then flushes out the brine, hardness and iron.
4. Second up-flow backwash. This up-flow backwash flushes out any remaining brine
solution and sediment from cycle 2.
5. Downflow soft water brine refill. Soft water is directed to the brine cabinet to prepare
the brine for the next regeneration sequence.
6. Return to service. Regeneration is complete and the appliance is returned to normal
operation.

11
Cycles
When calling the HelpLine, please have this guide and the serial number available.
From 8 am to 5 pm EST, call 1-800-437-8993. Your serial number may be found on
top of your valve assembly (See figures 2-3.)
Figure 11
1 First up-flow backwash 2 Brine 3 Slow Rinse
4 Second up-flow
backwash 5 Downflow soft water
brine refill 6 Return to service

12
All Water Conditioners Are Not Created Equal.
When calling the HelpLine, please have this guide and the serial number available.
From 8 am to 5 pm EST, call 1-800-437-8993. Your serial number may be found on
top of your valve assembly (See figures 2-3.)
Conventional Water Conditioner Exhaust Pattern.
Much of your resin could be wasted!
Exhausted Resin Regenerated Resin Water
Unused
Resin
Directional
Flow
Screen
Directional
Flow
Screen
Exhaust Pattern assures more usable resin capacity.
Water
Resin
Typical Tank Design Operation Hardness Breakthrough Slippage/Exhaustion
DDiirreeccttiioonnaallFFlloowwSSccrreeeennDDiissttrriibbuuttiioonnSSyysstteemm
Directs flow evenly through bed for most efficient use.

13
Installation And Start-Up Procedures
When calling the HelpLine, please have this guide and the serial number available.
From 8 am to 5 pm EST, call 1-800-437-8993. Your serial number may be found on
top of your valve assembly (See figures 2-3.)
Each WaterBoss
®water conditioner and filter includes water test strips and 8' of
drain line.
1. Placement: Place your
WaterBoss
®appliance in desired location. Turn off electricity and
water supply to water heater. Make sure inlet/outlet and drain connections meet the applicable local
codes. Check arrows on valve to be sure water flows in proper direction. See figures 1, 2, & 3.
CAUTION: DO NOT PLUMB APPLIANCE IN BACKWARD.
2. Drain Line: must be a minimum of 1/2"-5/8” I.D. tubing and should make the shortest run to a
suitable drain. The drain line may be elevated up to 8 feet from the discharge on the appliance as
long as the water pressure in your system is 40 psi or more. If drain line is 25' or longer, increase
drain line to 5/8" I.D. Also, the end of the drain line must be equal in height or lower than the control
valve. See figure 1. All overhead drains for filter installations must be 3/4” I.D.
3. Flushing: Before placing your
WaterBoss
®appliance in service, it is very important to flush the
cold water lines of any debris. Turn on water supply, open the nearest cold water tap and let the
water run for 2 to 3 minutes until the water flows clear. Then put the by-pass in the Service posi-
tion. See figures 4 through 6.
4. Check Leaks. Close faucet and check for leaks. If leaks are found, turn off main water supply
and open the nearest cold water faucet to depressurize lines. Close faucet to eliminate siphoning
action. Repair leaks. Turn on water supply and electricity to water heater. Place the bypass valve
in the Service position. See figure 6.
5. Connect Overflow Line. The overflow line must end at a drain that is at least 3" lower than the
bottom of the overflow fitting. It is a gravity line and cannot be run overhead.
See figure 7.
6. Complete The Installation. Open a cold water tap and allow the appliance to flush for 20 minutes
or until approximately 72 gallons has passed through the appliance per NSF
requirements.
7. Plug In Transformer. See figure 8.

14
Installation And Start-Up Procedures
8. Setting Number. For WaterBoss
®
700, 900 , and 550 for municipally-supplied water,
determine your controller setting number. Do not guess at the setting; continued water quality
problems or damage to the unit could result.
Municipal water - call your local water company to determine your water hardness in grains
per gallon. This will be your setting number. Or, follow the instructions on the hardness test
strip provided with your
WaterBoss
®
550 to determine your hardness
reading. This will be your setting number.
Well water - follow the instructions on the pH and hardness test strips provided with your
WaterBoss
®to determine the pH and hardness of your water.
Iron adjustment: if pH is 7 or above and you know your water has iron, add 15 to
your hardness reading in grains per gallon and enter the result as your setting #.
Example: hardness in grains per gallon from test strip is 20 + 15 = 35 = setting #.
This is a temporary setting until you have an accurate water test.
If the result of your hardness test strip reaches the test maximum of 25 grains per
gallon, mix 1 cup tap water with 1 cup distilled water, then retest for hardness. Multiply your
reading x 2 and use this number as your setting number. If the test strip result is still 25
grains per gallon, call your HelpLine. Or, contact the company below to test for hardness,
iron and pH.
WATERSCREEN
National Testing Laboratories, Inc.
1-800-458-3330 - 9 am - 5 pm EST
If you feel you have an abnormal amount of iron, push the powerClean®button for models
WaterBoss
®
700 and WaterBoss
®
900 only. Also, be sure to use salt with an iron-clean-
ing additive. Be aware that WaterBoss
®
550 for municipally-supplied water is not
designed to treat water with iron. If pH is below 7, Call your HelpLine.
9. Adding Water & Salt. Be sure to remove any packaging or installation materials before
adding salt. Next, add not more than 2 gallons of water to the brine cabinet. Then add salt
to the brine cabinet, wait 2 hours then push the immediate recharge button and hold for 5
seconds. A regeneration cycle will begin and continue as follows:
WaterBoss
®
900 , 53
minutes;
WaterBoss
®
550 for municipally-supplied water, 31 minutes; and WaterBoss
®
700 38 minutes. After the first regeneration, your softener will automatically refill the correct
amount of water in the brine cabinet. See figure 10.
10. Refill Salt when the salt level drops below the water level in the brine cabinet. Always
keep salt above water level. See figure 10
CAUTION! Failure to install, operate and maintain your water treatment
appliance as instructed will VOID the product limited warranty.
NOTE! Make sure the Owner's Limited warranty Card is filled in and mailed
within 30 days of installation. NO POSTAGE REQUIRED.

Setting The 4 Button Controller
15
DEMAND REGENERATION
You won’t have to worry about vacation settings or extra guests because the controller measures
water usage and regenerates based on need. The appliance will regenerate using only the neces-
sary amount of water and salt. If power has been turned off, your appliance will ret ain programmed
settings indefinitely. See figure 9.
1) ENTERING YOUR HARDNESS SETTING
See page 14 for determining your setting number. The water hardness setting number shown in
thedigital readout will increase 1 grain each time you push the "SET" button. Af ter 70 grains for
WaterBoss
®
700 (90 grains for WaterBoss
®
900 and 25 grains for WaterBoss
®
550 )the
read-out will return to 1, and continue to count up from 1 until the display number matches the hard-
ness number. After 5 seconds the display will change to show "gallons remaining (x 100). To
recheck the hardness, touch "SET."
2) GALLONS REMAINING
After setting water hardness, gallons remaining until the next automatic regeneration is shown in the
digit al display. NOTE: Gallons remaining are in hundreds. 12=1,200 gallons
3) RECHARGE/REGENERATION STATUS
Regeneration cycle numbers are shown during regeneration. The read-out will flash with the cycle
number. The flashing regeneration numbers are:
(C1) First Backwash
(C2) Brine/Slow Rinse
(C3) Second Backwash
(C4) Brine Refill
(HO) Service
See pages 11 and 12 for cycle descriptions and illustrations
To quickly advance through the regeneration cycles, press and hold the Regenerate button for 2
seconds. Wait for the cycle to begin, af ter 20 seconds press and hold the Regenerate button until
the cycle number changes (about 2 seconds.) Each cycle can be advanced in this manner.
4) waterMizer
The waterMizerfiwheel will turn whenever water is being used. See figure 9.
5) REGENERATE
Tostart an immediate regeneration, press The Regenerate button and hold for 3 seconds. The
Regenerate button is used when starting your water conditioner, tostart an immediate regeneration,
or to restore capacity if you have run out of salt. If your
W aterBoss
fihas run out of salt, you may
not have soft water available. Remove the salt lid and add salt. Wait two hours, then press the
"REGENERATE" button and hold for 3 seconds. See figure 9.

16
Setting The Controller - Continued
6) POWERCLEAN
The powerClean feature is a service/maintenance step for water supplies that have an excessive
amount of iron. Activating this feature is a simple push of the powerClean button on the con-
troller. PowerClean will appear in the display when this feature is activated. The appliance will
regenerate every other day with five pounds of salt. Leave the powerClean feature on for a mini-
mum of two weeks. The frequent regeneration will elimate iron buildup in the resin bed. The use
of salt with an iron cleaning agent or iron out cleaner is recommended for continuous use as a pre-
ventive measure against iron fouling of the resin bed. To deactivate this feature, simply press the
powerClean button. Use this feature every six months as a part of your routine maintenance pro-
cedure to insure a long service life for your water treatment appliance. See figure 9.
HARDNESS SETTINGS
1. Hold down SET for 3 seconds to enter basic customer settings mode.
2. "Set Hardness" and a default hardness number is now displayed. Pressing and releasing the
CHANGE button will increase the hardness setting # by one. As a short cut, pressing and releas-
ing the POWER CLEAN button will advance the display by 10. But the CHANGE button alone can
be used to advance the display one digit at a time to the correct number. If "Gallons x100" was
selected, 01 = 100 gallons. If "Liters x 1000" was selected, 01 = 1,000 liters. Pressing and releas-
ing SET will save the hardness number and put the unit into operation. The unit is now ready for
use as recommended. To fine-tune the programming further
ADVANCED CUSTOMER SETTINGS:
Your WaterBossfi can be programmed for High Capacity (HC) or High Ef ficiency (HE). High
C a pacity means the unit will regenerate less of ten, but use more salt. High Ef ficiency will make the
unit regenerate more often and use less salt. See Specification/Capacity Chart, pg. 30.
1. Hold down SET and CHANGE for 3 seconds to enter advanced customer settings mode.
While SET and CHANGE are being held down, the display should show only the controller type
(see chart below). After the 3 seconds, the entire screen is lit for a half second, and then "HC" will
appear.
2. Pressing and releasing the CHANGE button will toggle the digit display between "HC" and "HE".
Pressing and releasing the SET button will advance programming to the next step. Default is "HC".
3. The controller will now display "Demand Mode." Each press of the CHANGE button will switch
between "Demand Mode" and "Delayed Mode".
Delayed Mode allows regeneration at a specific time (e.g. at 2am when less water is being used.)
Demand Mode triggers a regeneration as soon as softening capacity is exhausted.
Pressing and releasing the SET button will advance programming to the next step. Default is
"Demand Mode".

17
Setting The Controller - Continued
4. "96 Hours" is now displayed. Pressing and releasing the CHANGE button
will toggle this on and off.
If "96 Hours" is selected, the unit will work no more than 4 days without a regeneration.
Note: If there is iron in your water, select this option.
Pressing and releasing the SET button will advance programming to the next step.
Default is for "96 Hours" to be ON.
5. "Gallons X100" is now displayed. Pressing and releasing the CHANGE button will toggle
between "Gallons X100" and "Liters X1000". Choosing gallons sets the controller to English units,
and choosing liters sets it to metric units. Pressing and releasing the SET button will advance pro-
gramming to the next step.
6. If "Gallons" was chosen "12" is now displayed. If "Liters" was chosen "24" is displayed. Pressing
and releasing the CHANGE button will toggle between "24" and "12". This controls the selection of
a 12-hour (AM/PM) or 24-hour clock. If 24-hour, 00=midnight. Default is "12".
7. "Set Time" and "12" is now lit. To set the time, press and hold the CHANGE button to advance
the numerical display, and switch from "PM" to "AM" if appropriate. Note: set the time to the near-
est hour. Pressing and releasing the SET button will save the time displayed and advance to the
next menu. Pressing and releasing the SET button will advance programming to the next step.
Default is 12 PM.
8. "Set Reg. Time" and "02" is now displayed. To set the regeneration time, press and release the
CHANGE button to advance the numerical display. Pressing and releasing the SET button will save
the "regen. time" displayed and put the unit into operation. Default is 2 AM.
PROGRAMMING IS NOW COMPLETE
Alert!
“E1” Error message: If “E1” appears on the controller screen along with an audible beeping sound,
the controller cannot find the home magnet disk position. Make sure the controller is firmly seated
on all four “tabs” of the drive end cap. (See pages 18 and 22.). Note: if all is in place, and the
motor and magnet disk do not turn, it could indicate an obstruction in the valve body.
“E2” Error message: If “E2” appears on the controller screen along with an audible beeping sound,
the motor is disconnected. Plug in the motor. Wait 30 seconds or unplug/replug the transformer into
the controller to re-set.