WaterTech softmax User manual

OWNER'S MANUAL
SOFTMAX
Whole House Water Softener
with Triton Electronic Control Valve
ACTIVATE YOUR WARRANTY
BY REGISTERING YOUR PRODUCT AT
www.watertech.com or call 888-254-8412

Dealer Contact and Product Information
• DO ALWAYS check your state and local regulations regarding plumbing and electrical connections and
placement of the system before installation.
• DO install the system into the existing cold water supply line before the water heater and before any cold
water outlet that requires treatment.
• DO bypass your system in the event of a water or plumbing related emergency.
• DO inspect the brine tank monthly, if applicable.
• DO contact your WaterTech Dealer if you have any questions about the operation of your system or water
quality issues.
• DO enjoy all the benets of your treated water!
• DO NOT hang or stack items on your equipment. This may cause an equipment imbalance or put a strain
on plumbing and electrical connections.
• DO NOT disconnect or remove any part of the plumbing or electrical cord.
• DO NOT attempt to reprogram your system. Your system has been factory or eld programmed
specically for your application.
• DO NOT overll the brine tank with salt. Approximately 6 inches below the rim is the maximum
recommended ll.
• DO NOT allow your system and attached plumbing to be exposed to extreme temperatures (below 40°
F or above 110° F).
• DO NOT use with water that is microbiologically unsafe or of unknown quality without adequate
disinfection before or after the system.
1
Do's and Do Not's
Dealer Name:
Dealer Phone Number: Installation Date:
Model Number: Serial Number:
PRODUCT MUST BE REGISTERED TO ACTIVATE WARRANTY
VISIT WWW.WATERTECH.COM or Call 888-254-8412

Maintenance
With minimal care, your system is designed to serve you for many years. While constant attention to
your system is not necessary, the following suggestions will insure your system’s performance and your
convenience and satisfaction.
MAINTENANCE
• Salt in the brine tank is used as a resin ‘cleaner’ to remove contaminants during the regeneration process.
Check the salt level of the brine tank on a regular basis to make sure your system is using salt. Your
system will function properly whether the salt tank is near full or near empty, rell when necessary.
• Use only premium-grade regenerant salt that is designed specically for use with water softeners and
conditioners. Sodium (NaCl) salt may be used. Potassium (KCl) is recommended in most applications for
superior taste, odor, aesthetic and environmental benets.
SERVICE ISSUES
• If the Triton control valve system display does not appear, check to make sure the system is plugged in
and that there is power at the receptacle. If the unit does not respond with power present, contact your
WaterTech Dealer.
• The manual bypass valve (which is located at the rear of the unit) is designed to isolate the unit from the
plumbing for servicing or to shut off the water supply to the unit in the event of a leak at the conditioner.
Consult the operating diagram on pages 11-12 of this manual for instructions to position your bypass
valve for either service or isolation.
• If you experience an extended power outage (over an hour in length), you may need to reset the time of
day on the Triton control valve. The internal battery is designed to retain the time of day for up to 24
hours. There is no need to reset any other part of the program as this is kept in non-volatile, permanent
memory. Consult the programming instructions on page 10 of this manual for instructions to set the
electronic time clock of the Triton control valve.
• If you experience a change in water quality:
1. First check to see if your brine tank is empty (see above). If necessary, add regenerant salt.
2. Check to see if your system has power (see above).
3. Check to see if your system is in bypass (see Bypass Illustrations)
4. Check to see if the drain line has a kink that may be restricting ow during regeneration. Correct, if
necessary, or contact your WaterTech Dealer.
5. Place system in manual regeneration (see Displays and Programming)
6. Contact your local WaterTech Dealer
2

Plumbing Connection
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Typical Plumbing Installation
STOP
Check local codes
for minimum run
between unit and
water heater
Important: Brass or plastic
yoke assembly (not shown) is
required to connect piping to the
bypass valve and is available in
either NPT or solvent.
3

Drain Line Connection
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Air Gap
Drain Line
Drain Elbow Nut
PolyTube Insert
Drain Elbow
Locking Clip
CAUTION: Never connect drain line directly into drain,
sewer line or trap. Always allow an air gap of at least
25mm (1 inch) or 2 pipe diameters between the drain line
and waste water to prevent the possibility of sewage
4

Starting Up the System
Flushing, Conditioning and Sanitizing
Did you connect the drain line securely to the valve?
Did you connect the brine line securely to the valve?
Step 1. Make sure the system is in the “Bypass” position before turning the main water back on. See
page 12.
Make sure the drain line provided is connected securely to the control valve and is properly
located over a drain.
It is recommended that a separate drain line, not provided, is connected to the overow elbow on
the brine tank and is properly located over a drain.
Make sure the brine line is connected to both the air check in the brine well and the control valve.
Make sure the control valve is plugged into an operating outlet with the correct voltage and is
properly grounded.
Step 2: Press and Hold the REGEN button on the Triton until you hear the motor engage. This will initiate
an immediate manual regeneration of the system. Refer to the table on page 9 for Triton cycles
of operation. Turn the bypass valve to "diagnostic" mode position (see gure 3 on page 10). (You
should hear water entering the system.) Wait a few minutes to ensure the control valve can draw
water and does not leak. Allow the system to backwash until the water going to drain is clear. If
everything is working, press and release the REGEN button. You will hear the motor engage and
move the piston into the “Brine Dn” position. Check the brine line for leaks or suction. You should
hear the valve drawing brine. Continue to skip cycles by pressing and releasing the REGEN button
(wait for the motor to stop before pressing REGEN) until you reach the “Brine Fill” position. This
ensures that water will go to the brine tank. Fill tank 3"to 4"above salt grid. Make sure enough
water is in the brine tank to dissolve the correct amount of salt for regeneration (1 gallon of water
will dissolve 3 lbs. of sodium chloride). Allow the brine tank to ll with water to air check level.
If the system needs 6 lbs. of salt to regenerate, then at least 2½ gallons of water must be in
the brine tank above air check in the brine well. The extra ½ gallon is an additional measure for
evaporation or loss. (6 ÷ 3 = 2 gallons of water plus ½ gallon). Fill the brine tank with salt. (We
recommend potassium chloride (KCl) instead of rock salt.) Once the brine tank is lled to this level,
press REGEN once more to return the valve to service. You should hear the motor engage for a
short period and then a long period.
Step 3: To ensure sanitary conditions in the mineral and brine tanks, place 1.5 ounces common household
bleach into the brine tank. Press and hold the REGEN button for 3 seconds to move the control
valve into “1st Backwash” position. Once the motor stops, press and hold the REGEN button to
move the control valve to the “Brine Dn” position. This cycle normally takes about 60 minutes,
however 10 minutes should be sufcient to pull the chlorine from the brine tank. After 10 minutes,
press and hold the REGEN button to move the control valve to the “2nd Backwash” position. Let
the valve complete this cycle and also the “Brine Rinse” and “Brine Fill” cycles which will come
next.
STOP
5

Starting Up the System
Step 3 continued :
Once the valve has completed the “Brine Fill” cycle it will automatically return to service. In step 5
you will set the valve to “Regen Today” so that it will regen tonight at the specied time. If there
is any residual chlorine, it should be removed tonight.
Step 4: Make sure that the bypass valve is completely set in the “Normal Operation” position. Let the
water in the taps of the building run for several minutes to purge the unconditioned water out of
the pipes. After several minutes, take a water sample and test for hardness from the running tap.
If a hardness test reads “soft” water, the installation is correct.
Step 5: Press and release the REGEN button. You should see “Regen Today” appear on the LCD screen.
This will instruct the control valve to regenerate tonight at the specied time (usually 2:00 am).
Step 6: Drain hot water heater and let it rell with conditioned water. We suggest draining the hot water
by turning on the hot water taps in the house. We recommend doing this just prior to bedtime.
6

Displays & Programming Instructions
GENERAL OPERATION: When the system is in
operation, one of two displays will be shown. The user
can alternate between the two displays as desired
by pressing the ‘NEXT’ button. System operation is
not affected by pressing the ‘NEXT’ button. One of the displays is always the current time of day. The
second display is one of the following: either a) days remaining or b) gallons remaining.
Days remaining is the number of days left before the system goes through a regeneration cycle. Capacity
remaining is the number of gallons that will be treated
before the system goes through a regeneration cycle.
Also, when the system is in service and if water is owing through the system,
the word “Softening” ashes on the display. If the unit says “Filtering” instead of
“Softening”, it must be reprogrammed. Contact an authorized WaterTech dealer.
REGENERATION MODE: If the system meter control has called for an automatic regeneration,
the words “REGEN TODAY” will ash on the display to indicate that the system will regenerate at the
upcoming preset delayed regeneration time. Typically a system is set to regenerate at a time of low
water usage. The default preset time is 2:00 am. If
there is a demand for water while the system is
regenerating, untreated water is available through the
automatic internal bypass feature.
MANUAL REGENERATION: Sometimes there is a need to regenerate the system sooner than the
system calls for. This is usually referred to as ‘manual regeneration’ because it is only started manually.
If there is a period of heavy water usage (because of guests or a heavy laundry day, for example), a
manual regeneration may be initiated to bring the system to full capacity.
To initiate a manual regeneration at the upcoming preset delayed regeneration time, (when the
regeneration time option is set to “NORMAL” or “NORMAL + on 0”) press and release “REGEN”. The
words “REGEN TODAY” will ash on the display to indicate that the system will regenerate at the
preset delayed regeneration time. If you pressed the “REGEN” button in error, pressing the button again
will cancel the request. NOTE: If the regeneration time option is set to “on 0”, there is no set delayed
regeneration time so “REGEN TODAY” will not activate if “REGEN” button is
pressed.
To initiate a manual regeneration immediately, press and hold the “REGEN” button
for three seconds. The system will begin to regenerate immediately. The request cannot be cancelled.
Once the control valve begins a regeneration cycle, it can be rapid-advanced through the remainder of
the cycles by pressing the “REGEN” button after the drive motor completes each cycle shift.
When the system begins to regenerate, the display will change to include information about the step of
the regeneration process and the time remaining for that step to be completed. The system runs through
the steps automatically and will reset itself to provide treated water when the regeneration has been
completed.
REGEN TODAY will Flash if a
regeneration is expected “Tonight.”
or
REGEN TODAY will Flash if a
regeneration is expected “Tonight.”
7

Set Time of Day / Power Loss
The user can also set the time of day. Time of day should only need to be set after extended power outages
or when daylight saving time begins or ends. If a power outage lasting longer than two hours occurs, the
time of day will ash on and off which indicates the time of day should be reset. All other inputs will be
retained by the system and will not need to be reprogrammed.
STEP 1
Press SET CLOCK.
STEP 2
Current Time (hour): Set the hour of the day using the 5or 6
buttons. AM/PM toggles after 12. Press NEXT to go to step 3.
STEP 3
Current Time (minutes): Set the minutes of the day using the 5or
6 buttons. Press NEXT to exit Set Clock. Press REGEN to return
to previous step.
ERROR MESSAGE
If the word “ERROR” and a number are alternately ashing on the
display, contact an authorized WaterTech dealer for service help.
This indicates that the valve was not able to function properly.
This is a rarely encountered malfunction.
8

Bypass Valve Operation
The bypass valve is typically used to isolate the control valve from the plumbing system’s water pressure
in order to perform control valve repairs or maintenance. The 1" full ow bypass valve incorporates four
positions including a diagnostic position that allows service personnel to work on a pressurized system
while still providing untreated bypass water to the facility or residence. Its completely non-metallic, all
plastic design allows for easy access and serviceability without the need for tools.
The bypass body and rotors are glass-lled Noryl and the nuts and caps are glass- lled polypropylene. All
seals are self-lubricating EPDM to help prevent valve seizing after long periods of non-use. Internal o-rings
can easily be replaced if service is required.
The bypass consists of two interchangeable plug valves that are operated independently by red arrow-
shaped handles. The handles identify the ow direction of the water. The plug valves enable the bypass
valve to operate in four positions.
Refer to corresponding bypass valve illustrations on the following page.
Figure 1. Normal Operation Position: The inlet and outlet handles point in the direction of ow indicated by
the engraved arrows on the control valve. Water ows through the control valve during normal operation
and this position also allows the control valve to isolate the media bed during the regeneration cycle.
Figure 2. Bypass Position: The inlet and outlet handles point to the center of the bypass, the control valve
is isolated from the water pressure contained in the plumbing system. Untreated water is supplied to the
plumbing system.
Figure 3. Diagnostic Position: The inlet handle points in the direction of ow and the outlet handle points to
the center of bypass valve, system water pressure is allowed to the control valve and the plumbing system
while not allowing water to exit from the control valve to the plumbing.
Figure 4. Shut Off Position: The inlet handle points to the center of the bypass valve and the outlet handle
points in the direction of ow, the water is shut off to the plumbing system. If water is available, on the
outlet side of the softener, it is an indication of water bypassing the system (i.e. a plumbing connection
somewhere in the building bypasses the system).
9

Bypass Valve Illustrations
FIGURE 1
NORMAL OPERATION POSITION
FIGURE 2
BYPASS OPERATION POSITION
FIGURE 3
DIAGNOSTIC MODE POSITION
FIGURE 4
SHUT OFF MODE POSITION
10

WaterTech Industries Residential SOFTMAX Softener
5/10 Year Warranty
Applicable to: SOFTMAX Series
WaterTech Industries (WTI) hereby warrants said equipment, only to the original purchaser at the original installation location.
THIS WARRANTY PERIOD BEGINS at the time of initial installation and use. The warranty becomes valid upon registration of the equipment.
10-YEAR WARRANTY ON CONDITIONER TANK AND 5-YEAR WARRANTY ON BRINE TANK — WaterTech Industries will replace or repair
(at WTI option) any conditioner tank OR brine tank that becomes unusable because of leakage, corrosion or rupture due to manufacturers
defect . All internal mechanical components are warranted for a period of ve (5) years from date of installation.
5-YEAR WARRANTY ON CONTROL VALVE — Your water system has been equipped with the highest quality water conditioning control
valves available. If, upon factory inspection, the control valve body or PC board is found to be defective, WaterTech Industries will furnish
repair or replacement (at WTI option) of the control valve body and/or the PC board. All internal mechanical components are warranted
from manufacturers defect for a period of ve years from the date of installation.
EXCLUSIONS AND LIMITATION OF LIABILITY — WaterTech Industries' liability for special, incidental, or consequential damages is expressly
disclaimed. In no event shall WaterTech Industries' liability exceed the obligation of repairing or replacing any part that becomes defective
under valid warranty coverage as described above. Cosmetic damage that does not affect the process functionality of the equipment is
not covered. WaterTech Industries makes every effort to ensure that all illustrations and specications are correct. However, these do not
imply a warranty that the product is merchantable or t for a particular purpose, or that the product may not vary from the illustrations
and specications.
The warranty contained herein is in lieu of all other warranties, expressed or inferred, including any implied warranty of tness for a particular
purpose. Labor and transportation costs incidental to the delivery or replacement of parts other than WTI factory repairs are not covered
under this warranty. In the event of a warranty replacement or repair, WTI will cover the cost of shipping the covered components. This
warranty expressly excludes any system which has been damaged by accident, re, ood, Act of God, abuse, neglect, freezing, excessive
temperature (below 40° F or above 110° F.), inappropriate pressure (below 20 psi or above 100 psi), misuse, alteration of product in any
way by owner or installing company, product identication tampering, misapplication, installation or operation not consistent with WTI
instructions and installation outside of applicable plumbing codes and local regulations. Furthermore, this warranty expressly excludes
any system which has been out of service for more than 90 days continuously. Fulllment of the warranty coverage by WTI is contingent
on proper execution of the procedures set forth in the WTI Warranty RGA policy. No person or representative is authorized to assume for
WaterTech Industries any liability on its behalf, or in its name, except to refer the purchaser to this warranty. This warranty gives you
specic legal rights, you may also have other rights which vary from state to state.
WHAT MUST YOU DO TO OBTAIN WARRANTY SERVICE — The warranty registration (via post card or website) must be completed and
returned to WaterTech Industries within Ninety (90) days of installation to validate the Warranty. Repair work should be performed by an
authorized WaterTech Dealer. In the event that authorized dealer service is not available, defective components may be returned directly
to WaterTech Industries for warranty service. The registered owner must contact WaterTech for return instructions and return the defective
component, freight prepaid, with proof-of-purchase, within the applicable warranty period.
Warranty 17-02-040
PRODUCT MUST BE REGISTERED TO ACTIVATE WARRANTY
VISIT WWW.WATERTECH.COM OR CALL 888-254-8412
16-03-050 06-01-2013