How To Perform A Manual Backwash On A Water Softener System
During a backwash of a water softener system, water runs through a resin tank upward. It does this at a fast speed and flushes iron minerals from the resin bed and out to the drain. You can manually set the water softener to perform an extra backwash and fast-rinse cycle before the normal regeneration. This will clean the resin bed before it is regenerated with salt brine. You need to do this only if the water supply contains sediments, and you should switch it off if you want to conserve water.
Step 1
Press the "Select 1" or similar button until "Clean" and "Off" appears on the display.
Step 2
Press the "Up" or "Down" button until the text "On" appears.
Step 3
Press "Select 1" again until "Clean Time" and "7" appears. Seven minutes is the default extra backwash time. You can make this anywhere from one to 15 minutes. Longer is better, but uses more water. The extra backwash will now take place before the normal regeneration sequence.
Tip
Extra backwashing a water softener regularly is beneficial if the water supply contains large amounts of iron or sediment, such as sand or dirt.
A water softener can control some clear water iron. It won't control red water iron. Clear water iron is water that is clear when first poured into a glass but becomes cloudy (from iron) or rust-colored after 15 to 30 minutes. Red water iron is rusty-looking as soon as it comes out of the tap.