[Red Baron]

I have a 10 year old softener with the above control head. I noticed the brine tank was practically full of water and called out the installing companies. The service man said the control head needed replacing since parts were no longer available for it and the brine float valve (in the brine tank or in the 255?) was not sealing and needed replacing. He further added that the Autotrol was a poo design and they have had problems with it allowing city water to bypass it and therefore not get softened water. He suggested a new softner would be cheaper than trying to repair the existing one. I said I would like both prices. They came back and the repair is about a third of a new one. They would replace the Autotrol with a Fleck 5600 and I guess replace the brine float valve.

Are parts available for the 255? What parts woud I need? I would like to try the repair myself, I have the manual on the 255 and it does not look too complicated? What about the brine float valve...is it in the brine tank or where and how do you service/replace it?

Thanks.

[Gary Slusser]

He has lied to you or simply does not know what he is talking about.

Yes the 255 can be totally rebuilt. I don't know what brine valve he is talking about because Autotrol doesn't have a brine valve.

Before you can fix the valve, you need to know what is wrong with it. Too much water in the salt tank is caused by lose brine line connections allowing air to be sucked instead of heavy salt water and then the valve adds back to the salt tank the volume of water it should have sucked out causing the water level to rise until it over flows onto the floor unless, they used a Fleck 2310 safety brine system in the salt tank that has a float hanging on it.

Other causes are a blocked injector or its screen or a blocked/kinked drain line.

Put the softener into the brine draw/slow rinse position and see if there are air bubbles going up the brine line to the control valve. If so find and fix the air leak. If no bubbles and it doesn't suck water up to the valve, clean the injector and screen. You shut off the water to the softener and relieve the pressure in the plumbing.softener before taking anything off the valve.

[Red Baron]

Gary,

I followed your suggestions and there is no air going into the brine line that I can see. I assume if there is any air bubbles would appear in site glass/air check housing and there are none. Also the tubing is in good shape and connections are tight.

There is a 3-1/2"-4"round plastic cylinder in the brine tank with a brass float arrangement, perhaps the Fleck device you mentioned. I pushed the rod down a number of times and the float pops back up but it is still submerged in the brine.

I ran the softner thru the regen cycle and the level in the brine tank does not fall, says about 4-6" below top. I never has overflowed but there are salt deposits on the outside of the tank where brine has flowed out a 1/4" or so plastic/nylon ell type fitting, perhaps an overflow for the float since it is on the outside of the tank opposite the float.

Any more suggestions? I have pictures but the files are too big to upload and I don't know how save in different format so I can attach them. If important I can seek help to do so.

Thanks.

[Gary Slusser]

Not drawing brine means the injector, its screen or, the drain line is blocked.

[Wil]

I plan on doing maintance on my 255, the directions in the manual states: To Relieve system presure by opening value No. 5. Can you tell me what value N0.5 looks like and were it is located on the rear of the unit. Also uis there there a kit that contains the items I need for service i.e new screen and injector etc.

Thanks
Wil

Originally Posted by Gary Slusser

He has lied to you or simply does not know what he is talking about.

Yes the 255 can be totally rebuilt. I don't know what brine valve he is talking about because Autotrol doesn't have a brine valve.

Before you can fix the valve, you need to know what is wrong with it. Too much water in the salt tank is caused by lose brine line connections allowing air to be sucked instead of heavy salt water and then the valve adds back to the salt tank the volume of water it should have sucked out causing the water level to rise until it over flows onto the floor unless, they used a Fleck 2310 safety brine system in the salt tank that has a float hanging on it.

Other causes are a blocked injector or its screen or a blocked/kinked drain line.

Put the softener into the brine draw/slow rinse position and see if there are air bubbles going up the brine line to the control valve. If so find and fix the air leak. If no bubbles and it doesn't suck water up to the valve, clean the injector and screen. You shut off the water to the softener and relieve the pressure in the plumbing.softener before taking anything off the valve.

[Gary Slusser]

Counting the flapper valves from the front to the back, on the cam shaft, the 5th one is the brine valve.

Any dealer that sells Autotrol can sell you the parts to rebuild the valve but, how do you know you need new parts?

Clean the injector, injector screen and the ball in the drain line flow control and see how it does.