Crown water softener overflow

[gordon34]

I have a Crown water softener. It is just 3 years old. I found the overflow dripping today and the plastic tank was half full of water of of course. I emptied it out and opened/closed the service valves to by-pass the softener.
Has anyone got any suggestions as to what might have gone wrong and are there any straightforward checks i could carry out before calling in a repair mechanic? Needless to say I am not at all happy that this expensive appliance is playing up after just 3 years in service in a two person household.

 

[bathjobby]

If its got a high level of water in it, possibly its not drained after flushing filters. Have you checked the drain ?

 

[gordon34]

No bathjobby, apart from emptying the flooded plastic tank and clearing the water from my conservatory where the overflow pipe terminates I've checked nothing as yet. I will disconnect the drain pipe to see if is blocked but, knowing my luck, it's probably going to be something more complicated. I was fortunate that my wife noticed water on the conservatory floor before it had spread too far. There is a dearth of information on the internet regarding faults and repairs on this brand of water softener. That is why I am seeking advice at this forum before I start disconnecting pipework.

 

[bathjobby]

Fair enough on your comments on your findings on this brand, but as with anything, check the obvious first. But I do wonder that if you have fitted the overflow merely to go onto the floor, where the drain may be trying to go !

 

[JohnD]

when you say plastic tank, do you mean the salt bin? It is supposed to have water in it.

If the water level is so high that it reaches the overflow, then probably one or more of the sealing rings is worn or clogged with limescale. It is possible to dismantle the mechanism, clean fit new rings, lube with silicone grease, reassemble, and I once had it done by a serviceman. When I tried it myself on an older machine, I found it so difficult I just changed it for a recon one.

If the control mechanism had jammed in the refill position, water would be running out, not dripping out.

Run it through a regen cycle and watch it carefully.

p.s.
the overflow hose should of course not empty onto the floor.

 

[gordon34]

Thanks JohnD and bathjobby for your comments. The overflow pipe did once terminate outside the house but we had a conservatory added. Hence water dripping onto the conservatory floor. The drain pipe is connected to the kitchen sink trap. If I get the softener working again I will extend the overflow into a nearby drain and not risk a flood in the future.
The plastic box I referred to is the block salt container but it also holds the two softener/regeneration tanks of course and therefore holds a significant quantity of water until the overflow outlet is reached. The normal water level in the plastic box is about 10mm above the block salt platform. I take your point about the water input control mechanism not being jammed but I have no idea how this mechanism works. Is it a ballcock device or is there a valve that is closed as the mechanism rotates ?
I come back to my earlier point however, that an appliance costing £700+, ignoring the installation cost, should give longer than 3 years trouble free service.

 

[JohnD]

it does not have a ballcock. If it is like mine with a large rotating clockwheel, there are cams on the shaft that open and close various valves.

I would have thought 5 - 10 years between faults more reasonable. If you bought it from a local water softener specialist, they probable have a repair service. It's a good thing to check when looking for a supplier.

 

[gordon34]

Further to my previous messages regarding my overflowing Crown Water Softener I left it by-passed for a couple of weeks over the new year. I then took the bull by the horns and after uncoupling the connecting flexibles I pulled it out from the under sink cupboard and re-connected it when it stood on the kitchen floor. I then did a couple of manual re-generations and watched to see if water was coming out where it shouldn't. It is difficult though to see much because of the small space between the two cylinders and the surrounding plastic container. Anyway, i could not see anything obviously wrong so after an hour or so I but it all back and re-connected it.
So far, touch wood, it seems to be working normally. I do, however, remove one of the salt blocks every day to check that the water level is as it should be.
I just wish I knew why it had overflowed on that one occasion. There did not appear to be any blockage in the wash outlet pipe.