water softner help needed

hardknocks1

Hello
My water softner is not going into the backwash cycle. well it goes through all the cycles but does not seem to backwash and has not used any salt in the last week.
its a single tank unit.
any help will be greatly appreciated.
thanks
mike

End Grain

Bear with me on this and consider the following a layperson's checklist. It's always easiest and best to go over the small stuff first.

Is the service valve in by-pass mode? Perhaps it was turned that way by accident.
Is the backwash drain line clogged?
Is what it drains into bone dry or wet?
Is power actually coming into the water softener? Check to see if there's a GFCI outlet that the softener's little AC transformer is plugged into. Perhaps it tripped.
Can you see the digital timer? No clock, no power.
Is the time correct? If not, power loss and backwash time may be way off.
Has the time for backwash been deleted?

I'm a firm believer in leaving the toolbox closed until the obvious stuff gets ruled out.

hardknocks1

hello
osmonics autotrol 440i
1=its not in bypass mode
2=backwash line is not clogged
3=goes down hill into woods, too dark to look now but i just blew through line and it seems fine.
4=has power, clock is running with new gears i just installed 2 weeks ago (worked fine after new gears for a while)
5=no digital timer, just a dial.
when the clock/gears will move the camshaft to backwash then nothing happens?
i have not taken apart the head unit yet, i dont have a diagram.
i can fix most anything but if i take apart without diagram i just may have a anchor. i seen inside one with a bunch of valves but thats all i know.
thank
mike

End Grain

Since you took it apart and worked on its gears, my next suggestion would be to see if once the backwash camshaft is moved, that the other end of that shaft is actually engaged into or onto something - perhaps a mechanical switch - that begins the backwash cycle. Does your unit have such a switch and push-on wire(s) and is one possibly loose, disconnected, corroded, etc? You may have to peek deep inside the head to see where it engages.

hardknocks1

hello
the camshaft lobe is pressing down on its intended part, but nothing engages or you cant hear this stage start to pass water or nothing.
i guess its something inside the head, maybe a valve plugged up?
maybe i will just get a new one as i dont want to throw good money after bad money.
thanks
mike

End Grain

Mike, before you go and buy a new one, if you have the owner's manual, check and see if there is a service/test mode or setting within the unit that prohibits the backwash cycle from starting AND that keeps the softener from actually working. Perhaps the unit is in a service diagnostics mode rather than in an operating one. Just a wild guess. Even without backwashing, you said earlier that it had not used salt so that's the unusual part.

EDIT: Just had another "no cost" thought - see if there's a RESET button on the unit, perhaps on the circuit board itself. Try resetting the unit completely several times so as to clear out anything that may be programmed in to it.

hardknocks1

i bough another one, had to get er done.
thanks for the help
mike