Monarch Plumbsoft Solo Ultra water softener

[Thanks]

Hi all,

I had the above water softener fitted about 10 days ago. The water still is hard in all the pipes. The water softener has never made a noise like they do when regenerating. I did manual regeneration 3 times and then I can hear the water emptying in to the waste pipe. The system is not in bypass. When I phoned Monarch, they said to wait for a month. To me the softener is not working. I live in a house built 20 years ago with a hot water cylinder and attic tank. Some one mentioned about the need for a delayed action ball valve in the loft tank. Any advice or suggestions please,

Thanks in advance

 

[oldbuffer]

The softener, when working, softens the water entering the house. In a tank based system this will then replace cold and hot water from the cold water storage cistern (loft?) and hot water cylinder (airing cupboard) as the existing water is used. Given that most cold cisterns are around 240 litres, and hot water cylinders around 150 to 200 litres, quite a bit of "old" water will have to be used before softened water flows from the taps.

Doing multiple regenerations will not speed up this process. The only way to speed it up is to run off hot and cold water from tank fed (upstairs?) taps.

While as you state, the softener is not on bypass, do make sure the bypass valve is closed as well as the valves to feed the softener being open.

 

[JohnD]

I agree. I find three baths will use up the hard water stored in the cylinder and loft tank. If you want to speed it up you can close the stopcock and run the cold bathtap until the tank is drained. After that it will slowly dissolve old limescale in tanks and pipes. You will notice the difference in your WC cisterns. Take a photo in one today, then in a month's time and spot the difference.

A bath uses around 100 litres.

You will know it's flushed through when you wash your hands with soap and they feel slippery. And your washing machine will foam up even if you don't add powder while it washes out the old soap residue from the tub and your towels.

Do you have any cold taps fed with softened water (not via the tank)?

 

[Thanks]

While as you state, the softener is not on bypass, do make sure the bypass valve is closed as well as the valves to feed the softener being open.

You will know it's flushed through when you wash your hands with soap and they feel slippery. And your washing machine will foam up even if you don't add powder while it washes out the old soap residue from the tub and your towels.

Do you have any cold taps fed with softened water (not via the tank)?

Thanks, yes that is what I meant. The softener is on service and the bypass valve is closed.

The tap in my utility room is not from loft tank and water from it is still hard. The dishwasher is fed by a short new pipe from softener and there are still hard water deposits in the vessels washed. I have 2 teenage children and all four of us take at least one shower everyday. That is why I thought by this time, I should start seeing some effect from softened water but none so far to see. I have never heard any sound from the water softener except when I did manual regeneration. What is this delayed action ball valve and has it any role in this situation?

Really appreciate your replies,

Thanks