Fleck Commercial Water Softener (9500 SXT & 2900 NXT)
Fleck Commercial Water Softener
What to Consider when Buying a Water Softener for Business Use…
One of the first considerations when selecting a commercial water softener is sizing it appropriately to ensure a constant flow of soft water into your company or apartment complex.
Commercial water softeners come in a variety of sizes, and depending on the use, your water softener may be the incorrect size. Using the incorrect size water softener can result in a lack of flow through your business or apartment building, insufficient flow through the softener for an extended period of time, resulting in channeling through the resin bed, affecting the water’s quality. Low flow rates can also affect the accuracy of the water softener meter, affecting the softener’s regeneration.
Therefore, when looking for a commercial water softener, contact a professional water treatment firm for assistance in sizing and selecting the appropriate softener for your application.
Sizing Your Water Softener System
The following is a link to our simple-to-use Water Softener Sizing Calculator. Numerous variables contribute to selecting the appropriate water softener size, and specific criteria may be required in certain applications. The following are some of the most important things to consider when determining the appropriate size water softener for your company or apartment complex.
How to Size Your Commercial Water Softener
Flow rate (Gallons Per minute) The flow rate indicates how many gallons per minute are being circulated around your company or apartment complex during peak and off-peak hours.
Water Hardness (Grains Per Gallon aka GPG ) If you are uncertain about the hardness of your water, check the municipal supply, the water quality report for your region, or contact your local municipality to test a private well. You want to avoid under sizing the softener, as this will result in it having to regenerate too often, costing your business a fortune in maintenance, salt, and waste water.
Total GPD (Grains Per Day ) Total GPD is the daily softening needs expressed in grains per day. For example, if your water hardness is 20 GPG and you consume 500 gallons of water per day on average, your softener will remove 10,000 grains of hardness per day.
How to Size Your Commercial Water Softening Needs?
Water Softener Calculator – CLICK HERE
Numerous variables contribute to choosing the appropriate water softener size, and some criteria may apply on an individual basis. However, the following are the basic important considerations to consider when determining the appropriate size of water softener for your commercial company.
| Flow rate (Gallons Per Day) | Flow rate refers to the possibility of how quickly water will need to travel throughout your facility and during peak times. |
| Water Hardness (Grains Per Gallon) | Water hardness is the measurement of calcium and magnesium found in the water supply in grains per gallon. |
| Total GPD (Grains Per Day) | Total GPD refers to the daily softening requirement measured in grains per day. |
| Volume | How much water per day at peak times. |
We use these factors to calculate water softener size with a simple equation:
Flow Rate × Water Hardness = Total GPD
Answer These Questions…
- What are my peak flow rates through the building?
- What are my non-peak flow rates?
- What is the water hardness?
- What are my business hours?
- What size is the water supply line pipe in the utility room where the softener will be installed?
Commercial Water Softeners are NOT all the Same…
One of the most common errors we find is that when sizing a water softener, only the peak flow rates are considered. In certain cases, the disregarded non-peak flow rates are too low for the softener to accurately meter water use ( this can cause the system to miss hundreds of gallons that has passed through the softener causing the system to run out of soft water before a regeneration ) Low flow rates may also create channeling problems in the resin bed, causing the softer to overlook hardness minerals.
Here is some examples on channeling:
Tank diameter:
- 16” tank needs an average daily flow rate of 2.79 gallons per minute to reduce channeling
- 18” tank needs an average daily flow rate of 3.53 gallons per minute to reduce channeling
- 21” tank needs an average daily flow rate of 4.8 gallons per minute to reduce channeling
- 24” tank needs an average daily flow rate of 6.3 gallons per minute to reduce channeling
The Solution
Use a smaller twin tank softener that is set up as a progressive flow softener to achieve peak flow rates needed without having metering or channeling issues. For more information on sizing a commercial water softener properly please contact Quality Water Treatment at 1-866-278-4130 or email us help@qualitywatertreatment.com
Water Softener Options by Fleck
Fleck Commercial Water Softener is one of the most popular water softener solutions for both residential homes and commercial applications. Here are our most popular commercial and industrial water softening systems:
Fleck 3900 Water Softening System (3-inch Valve)
