Storm season is upon us, and we want you to be prepared!
Power outages are unfortunately becoming more and more common, as is the use of portable generators. Here are a few tips and tricks to ensure you water treatment equipment and/or pump is working properly when the lights come back on!
Losing Power During a Regeneration:
If you lose power while your water treatment system is going through a cycle, it will “freeze” in that part of the cycle – like pausing your Youtube video.
When the power returns, the system will pick up the regeneration where it left off.
What to Do:
- If you have no water and no generator to run your pump, you don’t have to do anything. You will just have to wait until the power comes back on.
- If you have a whole house generator, and you are not going to be using water this time, you don’t have to do anything. You can simply let the unit finish its regeneration as normal
- If you have a whole house generator and will be using water while the unit is regenerating, you will need to force the unit to stop the cycle so the water you get in the home will be treated. (Using water during a regeneration of any unit runs the risk of allowing untreated water into your home , which can cause staining, odor and scaling).
Manually Starting/Stopping a Regeneration:
- If you have a digital valve, it is often only a matter of hitting the “NEXT” button until the display screen reads “In Service)
- If you have a non-digital valve, you need to turn the “oven knob” in the center until “Service” is displayed in the cutout on the gear.
- If you do need to stop the unit mid-cycle, and are not able to let it finish when the power comes back on, it is best to do a manual regeneration at your earliest convenience. Please see how to here.
Well Pumps and Generators:
- If you are running your well pump off a generator, please be sure to check the pump’s Starting Amps to your generator’s capabilities. It is not uncommon for a submersible pump’s starting amps to be 3-5 times higher than running amps! This means if you try to run your pump from your generator it may not work and you will still be without water, despite other appliances in your home running. For more information, view this article.
Once the Power’s Back:
- Check the Time of day on your water treatment equipment. For those with a battery backup feature, the battery will power the cell that stores your programming information AND keep the correct time of day. If you are without power for an extended period of time, however, there may not be enough battery lift to maintain the Time of Day and you will need to manually correct.
- If you do not have a digital valve with a battery backup feature, you will need to manually correct the Time of Day. Learn how to update the Time of Day for a variety of valves here.
- If you have no water once the power’s back, make sure your breaker to your well pump has not been tripped.
- If you have a “Low Flow” switch on your pressure tank you may need to manually engage the pump by holding the lever until enough water enters the pressure tank to begin the “cut in/cut out” cycle.
The best thing to do is be aware of what is going on. When you lose power, check your pump and water treatment equipment. Don’t hesitate to call us to walk you through making sure your water system is working correctly after a storm!