I have had this softener for three years here in Arizona. It was inexpensive compared to units bought from a plumbing contractor but it has been an ongoing battle fighting the electronics from day 1. Generally, I have to unplug the electronics for a day in order for the electronics to reset so I can recharge, clean and reset salt. At least there are no leaks and it does soften water. But it is always a "hold your breath" experience hoping the electronics will come back and work properly. The purpose of this comment is to inform the buying public that Rheem softeners are a combination of Good, Bad and sometimes Ugly.
The right way to do it, would be to find someone that can analyze your water hardness. Was it installed by a professional? The wrong way... If you're sure it's still hard, try raising the H value to 45, regen now, and wait 3 days (or more) and see if there is any improvement. It takes a few days to flush out the hot water heater. (The cold water will change first, of course.) Repeat if necessary.
Okay this is where I am at. I cleaned out the tank where the salt goes I used bleach water and did this 3 times. Then I added the salt pellets and then did a regeneration cycle. The water still had a light musty smell. Rheem said to re-run the cycle but with 3 ozs of bleach. It helped a little so know in the morning I have to let the faucet run for 20 to 30 seconds till there is no smell. I let them know that. They got back to me and said there may still be some bacteria in the resin beads part of the tank and to run a regeneration cycle again add 3oz of bleach but this time to unplug the softener use the bypass valve when all the water from where the salt is in the resin tank let it sit for 20 minutes, this should kill whatever bacteria is still there??? What they did not tell me how long I have to wait for the water to be in the resin tank, I have the RHS32. Do You know how long??? Any help would be appreciated.
The instructions say after adding the bleach and recharging you need to open a faucet to let 50 gallons of water run out. I fill my bathtub and then let it drain out which equal about 50 gallons. This will get rid of any bleach or smells.
Hi sir， i have a question about this softener. Do i need to press the recharge button when i want to soft the water？ or it will just auto to recharge it everyday during the time what i set？ thanks！
It recharges automatically. Normally, you don't have to do anything but add salt once in awhile (and maybe add a cleaner). So, no button pressing is needed for recharging. You do have to set the "Hardness" value. Harder water will have a higher hardness number. (For example, mine is set at H45). I just guessed at my hardness number, but the right way is to have someone test it or send a sample to a lab, I think. There may be test kits available. The softener tracks how much water you use. Based on your water usage, and your hardness number, it calculates when it will recharge. It will normally recharge at night; the default time is usually 2:00 am. (You can change the recharge time) I think mine recycles every week or two. (for two people) If you don't use water for a couple weeks (ex. vacation?), it knows you're not using water, and does not recharge. If you have a bunch of visitors and expect to use a lot of water (ex. showers), you can either press the button for "recharge now" or "recharge tonight". I'm pretty sure that most modern softeners work similar.
In my area I use the salt crystals in the unit its a RHEEM Model RHS32. I have been using the cleaner they recommend every 4 months since I got in April of 2023. Here is my issue the inside of the tank that holds the salt, it appears to have black stuff on the walls, it does not smell but the water that comes out of the sink smells very musty. Page 13 talks about the Bypass Blending Valve. Also I have seen some talk about adding bleach. I am a bit overwhelmed and do not want to break anything. So any help to get rid of the musty mildew smell would be great. I already reached out to my water company and they claim its not on there end.
Have you tried to contact Rheem? It sounds like you'll need to empty the tank and clean it. If it is mold, it can be caused by being in a humid environment. My softener is in a humid basement, but I run a dehumidifier in my basement, located next to the softener.
@robertveldman1901 l did email them about it still no reply. What do l clean it with and do l get behind the tank part part that holds the resin beads.
@@RobertBallMagician I don't know anything about cleaning the tanks. I did a quick search, and someone said scrub with soap and water. But I do know that Rheem does not want you to tip the softener on it's side (to avoid getting resin in the valve assembly). So you'd have to do a lot of sucking with a shop vac. I also saw a reference on-line about bleach, but didn't grab the details. You'd have to get info from the Rheem, to be safe.
Thank you for the great review. How do you like it after using the product for a while ? I see lot of negative reviews on Home Depot website for this product. Most of them complain about leaks. So I’m a little confused if I should buy it or not.
I still like it. It's been about 9? months. I haven't seen any leak problems. No issues at all. One word of caution; don't tip it on it's side during transport or across the floor/stairs. There's a warning on the box that I didn't see.
Thank you so much. I got one installed. Pretty good so far. Had to drive to a store that had it in stock and pick it up in a truck. The previous 3 I ordered online were all damaged.
Thank you so much for this video! And replying to everyone! I just installed mine and I didn’t know what I was doing and held the recharge button for 3 seconds a couple of times and now my water is over the salt level (4) is this correct? I pushed it one more time for 3 seconds, it fill up more and I just let it do its thing but it only drained for about 2 seconds and it’s blinking recharge now, the level of the water hasn’t went down yet. I don’t think it’s supposed to be that high? Thank you!!
We gotta remember that I'm not a Softener guy, I'm just a guy with a water softener. That being said.... The blinking display "recharge now" means that it is running the recharge cycle. I can't remember how long the cycle takes, but maybe an hour or so? The softener knows how much water is in the tank; there is a float. It doesn't know how much salt there is; that's why you have to set the initial salt level (you did set the salt level?), and it guesses the salt level after that. Untilthe next time you add salt and reset the level. So, it's possible that the computer knew you had too much water and it drained off the excess? Anyway, just walk away from it for a couple hours, and don't think about it.
@@robertveldman1901 You nailed it!! That’s what I did and now the level of water is just little below the salt hopefully that’s right? And it’s not flashing no more. Thank you!!
If it's leaking through the tank, I don't think there is anyway to repair it. You're sure it's not condensation? Is it still under warranty, or can you return it?
I'm guessing that there is a risk that the resin beads in the inner tank will pour out of that tank into the valve assembly on top of the tank. I also laid mine sideways in my truck! Before I read the warnings. I was lucky, and had no problems. But, I can't say it'll be OK for you.
You don't actually change the salt, you keep adding to it. The salt is used to flush/recharge the resin beads. Then the salt is flushed out the drain. How often you add salt is dependent on the hardness setting, the hardness of your water, and how much water you use. The resin beads usually last the life of the softener.
I’m a bit confused about the ‘power off’ instruction. Which specific power did you turn off? The display was on, so do I need to power off every time I want to add salt?
Sorry, no need to ever turn the power off (unplug). I did a "power off" by unplugging it... to demonstrate a power outage. And to show that your settings will be saved... at least for short power outages. Thanks for watching!
what is the brine valve for ? do I push it in or pull it out ? also when I press recharge now the panel says recharging but I don't see any change in the tank
If you are referring to the white plastic connection on the back of the softener, according to the manual (pg7); Pull the valve handle OUT for normal softener operation. Push the valve handle IN for bypassing the softener. Leave the handle in the OUT position unless you need to remove or service the softener. Do NOT move this valve for adding salt or recharging. When you press and hold the recharge button, the "recharge now" should display and the softener will recycle (if working correctly). According to the manual (pg14): Press the RECHARGE button and hold for 3 seconds, until the words “RECHARGE NOW” begin to flash in the display. The softener enters the fill cycle of regeneration immediately. This regeneration will take about 2 hours to complete.
I never gave it any thought. I would guess the restriction of the water softener is insignificant. I'm on a well and have a well tank. The water pressure will normally vary several psi during normal operation of the well and the tank. That being said, pretty much any device in the water flow (including pipe and fittings) will affect water flow and pressure.
@@robertveldman1901 scoop out what you can. Then use a wet/dry shop vacuum and suck out what is left. It will have to empty the shop vac several times. Add water when you get near the bottom (hot will disolve salt faster. Suck it out till it is clean. I put a hose in mine and flush the tank well. Add a small amount of salt pellets, about 4 inches on the bottom of the tank and had a few gallons of water to the salt and try to regenerate the resin tank. If the regeneration cycle is working properly, the salt level in the bottom of the tank will drop and you will notice it is working. It is does not regenerate and soften your water, I would try one of those softener additives to clean you resin. Good luck.
My guess is that is not normal. Was is full to the overflow hose/outlet? Is powered on? Is the blue light flashing? It sounds like you may need to call for service.
@@robertveldman1901 its not overflowing but the place where you put the salt is just water. It was salt a few weeks ago. Its on but the blue light isnt flashing. Might just call the landlord. Thanks
@@vunsicks It can be normal to have some water in the bottom; maybe a foot? But, no salt and not flashing,,, that's odd. Check the setting for the salt level. When you add salt, you need to manually change the salt level. It might think there is salt in there, when there is nothing. And a reminder... I am not a softener expect.
So far, so good. I haven't had it too long. It's not very different than the Kenmore softeners I've had since 1982(?). I'd guess each of those lasted about 10 years.
If it says clean, per the manufacturers recommendation, it wants you to add the cleaner RHWSC and flush (I did another video on that). I cleaned mine once and don't plan to do it again. One gentleman says that cleaning is needed if you have heavy minerals that don't come out with a simple salt flush.
On pg12 of the manual, if you have rapid flashing and the display says "SET TIME", you need to set the clock. Or rapid flashing and display an error code; "Err", you need to look at the codes listed on pg19... you could have a real problem.
I have had this softener for three years here in Arizona. It was inexpensive compared to units bought from a plumbing contractor but it has been an ongoing battle fighting the electronics from day 1. Generally, I have to unplug the electronics for a day in order for the electronics to reset so I can recharge, clean and reset salt. At least there are no leaks and it does soften water. But it is always a "hold your breath" experience hoping the electronics will come back and work properly.
The purpose of this comment is to inform the buying public that Rheem softeners are a combination of Good, Bad and sometimes Ugly.
Sorry I missed your message.
Thanks for your clear and concise critique of the Rheem softener.
Sorry for your experience.
Thank you for making this video!
glad it helped!
Awesome! I can’t wait to put mine in.
Good for you!
Thanks mr.
I live in St. John’s Florida have it set at 35 hardness still getting scale any recommendations?
The right way to do it, would be to find someone that can analyze your water hardness. Was it installed by a professional?
The wrong way... If you're sure it's still hard, try raising the H value to 45, regen now, and wait 3 days (or more) and see if there is any improvement. It takes a few days to flush out the hot water heater. (The cold water will change first, of course.)
Repeat if necessary.
Try going to 50, and check it out.
Okay this is where I am at. I cleaned out the tank where the salt goes I used bleach water and did this 3 times. Then I added the salt pellets and then did a regeneration cycle. The water still had a light musty smell. Rheem said to re-run the cycle but with 3 ozs of bleach. It helped a little so know in the morning I have to let the faucet run for 20 to 30 seconds till there is no smell. I let them know that. They got back to me and said there may still be some bacteria in the resin beads part of the tank and to run a regeneration cycle again add 3oz of bleach but this time to unplug the softener use the bypass valve when all the water from where the salt is in the resin tank let it sit for 20 minutes, this should kill whatever bacteria is still there??? What they did not tell me how long I have to wait for the water to be in the resin tank, I have the RHS32. Do You know how long???
Any help would be appreciated.
Sorry, I don't know how long. You're into something I've never experienced.
I'll certainly remember that Rheem told you it was OK to use bleach.
The instructions say after adding the bleach and recharging you need to open a faucet to let 50 gallons of water run out. I fill my bathtub and then let it drain out which equal about 50 gallons. This will get rid of any bleach or smells.
Hi sir， i have a question about this softener. Do i need to press the recharge button when i want to soft the water？ or it will just auto to recharge it everyday during the time what i set？ thanks！
It recharges automatically. Normally, you don't have to do anything but add salt once in awhile (and maybe add a cleaner). So, no button pressing is needed for recharging.
You do have to set the "Hardness" value. Harder water will have a higher hardness number. (For example, mine is set at H45). I just guessed at my hardness number, but the right way is to have someone test it or send a sample to a lab, I think. There may be test kits available.
The softener tracks how much water you use. Based on your water usage, and your hardness number, it calculates when it will recharge. It will normally recharge at night; the default time is usually 2:00 am. (You can change the recharge time)
I think mine recycles every week or two. (for two people)
If you don't use water for a couple weeks (ex. vacation?), it knows you're not using water, and does not recharge.
If you have a bunch of visitors and expect to use a lot of water (ex. showers), you can either press the button for "recharge now" or "recharge tonight".
I'm pretty sure that most modern softeners work similar.
In my area I use the salt crystals in the unit its a RHEEM Model RHS32. I have been using the cleaner they recommend every 4 months since I got in April of 2023. Here is my issue the inside of the tank that holds the salt, it appears to have black stuff on the walls, it does not smell but the water that comes out of the sink smells very musty. Page 13 talks about the Bypass Blending Valve. Also I have seen some talk about adding bleach. I am a bit overwhelmed and do not want to break anything. So any help to get rid of the musty mildew smell would be great. I already reached out to my water company and they claim its not on there end.
Have you tried to contact Rheem?
It sounds like you'll need to empty the tank and clean it.
If it is mold, it can be caused by being in a humid environment.
My softener is in a humid basement, but I run a dehumidifier in my basement, located next to the softener.
@robertveldman1901 l did email them about it still no reply. What do l clean it with and do l get behind the tank part part that holds the resin beads.
@@RobertBallMagician I don't know anything about cleaning the tanks. I did a quick search, and someone said scrub with soap and water. But I do know that Rheem does not want you to tip the softener on it's side (to avoid getting resin in the valve assembly). So you'd have to do a lot of sucking with a shop vac.
I also saw a reference on-line about bleach, but didn't grab the details. You'd have to get info from the Rheem, to be safe.
@@robertveldman1901 is it normal for the salt in the tank to feel wet at the top??
@@robertveldman1901 l assume if l do this l have to use the bypass valve while l clean out the tank??
Thank you for the great review. How do you like it after using the product for a while ? I see lot of negative reviews on Home Depot website for this product. Most of them complain about leaks. So I’m a little confused if I should buy it or not.
I still like it. It's been about 9? months. I haven't seen any leak problems. No issues at all.
One word of caution; don't tip it on it's side during transport or across the floor/stairs. There's a warning on the box that I didn't see.
@@robertveldman1901Thank you so much. I got it installed yesterday, so far so good.
Thank you so much. I got one installed. Pretty good so far. Had to drive to a store that had it in stock and pick it up in a truck. The previous 3 I ordered online were all damaged.
Thank you so much for this video! And replying to everyone!
I just installed mine and I didn’t know what I was doing and held the recharge button for 3 seconds a couple of times and now my water is over the salt level (4) is this correct?
I pushed it one more time for 3 seconds, it fill up more and I just let it do its thing but it only drained for about 2 seconds and it’s blinking recharge now, the level of the water hasn’t went down yet. I don’t think it’s supposed to be that high? Thank you!!
We gotta remember that I'm not a Softener guy, I'm just a guy with a water softener.
That being said....
The blinking display "recharge now" means that it is running the recharge cycle. I can't remember how long the cycle takes, but maybe an hour or so? The softener knows how much water is in the tank; there is a float. It doesn't know how much salt there is; that's why you have to set the initial salt level (you did set the salt level?), and it guesses the salt level after that. Untilthe next time you add salt and reset the level.
So, it's possible that the computer knew you had too much water and it drained off the excess?
Anyway, just walk away from it for a couple hours, and don't think about it.
@@robertveldman1901 You nailed it!! That’s what I did and now the level of water is just little below the salt hopefully that’s right? And it’s not flashing no more.
Thank you!!
@@robcbr91 fingers crossed!
Hi sir, I have a question I have the same water softener and mine leaks water from the bottom,what should I do?
If it's leaking through the tank, I don't think there is anyway to repair it.
You're sure it's not condensation?
Is it still under warranty, or can you return it?
So what happens if it is laid on its side? That was the only way I could bring it home.? I did not have a truck to stand it up.
I'm guessing that there is a risk that the resin beads in the inner tank will pour out of that tank into the valve assembly on top of the tank.
I also laid mine sideways in my truck! Before I read the warnings. I was lucky, and had no problems. But, I can't say it'll be OK for you.
how often do we have to change the salt?
You don't actually change the salt, you keep adding to it.
The salt is used to flush/recharge the resin beads. Then the salt is flushed out the drain.
How often you add salt is dependent on the hardness setting, the hardness of your water, and how much water you use.
The resin beads usually last the life of the softener.
I’m a bit confused about the ‘power off’ instruction. Which specific power did you turn off? The display was on, so do I need to power off every time I want to add salt?
Sorry, no need to ever turn the power off (unplug).
I did a "power off" by unplugging it... to demonstrate a power outage. And to show that your settings will be saved... at least for short power outages.
Thanks for watching!
what is the brine valve for ? do I push it in or pull it out ? also when I press recharge now the panel says recharging but I don't see any change in the tank
If you are referring to the white plastic connection on the back of the softener, according to the manual (pg7); Pull the valve handle OUT for normal softener operation. Push the valve handle IN for bypassing the softener.
Leave the handle in the OUT position unless you need to remove or service the softener. Do NOT move this valve for adding salt or recharging.
When you press and hold the recharge button, the "recharge now" should display and the softener will recycle (if working correctly).
According to the manual (pg14):
Press the RECHARGE button and hold for 3 seconds, until the words “RECHARGE NOW” begin to flash in the display.
The softener enters the fill cycle of regeneration immediately. This regeneration will take about 2 hours to complete.
@@robertveldman1901 ty sir!
How is your water pressure effected by the unit? If at all
I never gave it any thought. I would guess the restriction of the water softener is insignificant.
I'm on a well and have a well tank. The water pressure will normally vary several psi during normal operation of the well and the tank.
That being said, pretty much any device in the water flow (including pipe and fittings) will affect water flow and pressure.
@ I wouldn’t think that it is bothered much, but there’s always wonder!
I accidently added fine grain salt when I was supposed to add course and now it wont soften any ideas?
Sorry. No idea. Try digging out as much as you can?
I'm surprised it doesn't work.
@@robertveldman1901 scoop out what you can. Then use a wet/dry shop vacuum and suck out what is left. It will have to empty the shop vac several times. Add water when you get near the bottom (hot will disolve salt faster. Suck it out till it is clean. I put a hose in mine and flush the tank well. Add a small amount of salt pellets, about 4 inches on the bottom of the tank and had a few gallons of water to the salt and try to regenerate the resin tank. If the regeneration cycle is working properly, the salt level in the bottom of the tank will drop and you will notice it is working. It is does not regenerate and soften your water, I would try one of those softener additives to clean you resin. Good luck.
I rent a house and it has this machine in it. It is full of water. Is that normal?
My guess is that is not normal. Was is full to the overflow hose/outlet? Is powered on? Is the blue light flashing?
It sounds like you may need to call for service.
@@robertveldman1901 its not overflowing but the place where you put the salt is just water. It was salt a few weeks ago. Its on but the blue light isnt flashing. Might just call the landlord. Thanks
@@vunsicks It can be normal to have some water in the bottom; maybe a foot? But, no salt and not flashing,,, that's odd.
Check the setting for the salt level. When you add salt, you need to manually change the salt level. It might think there is salt in there, when there is nothing.
And a reminder... I am not a softener expect.
What’s the salt you used?
I have always used Morton Yellow... except the one time I didn't, and it "bridged".
Everyone poo poo's on box store water softeners. How is it holding up?
So far, so good. I haven't had it too long. It's not very different than the Kenmore softeners I've had since 1982(?). I'd guess each of those lasted about 10 years.
It's been 7mo. Still good!
What should I do if it's blinking "CLEAN"? How do you remove and clean the float?
If it says clean, per the manufacturers recommendation, it wants you to add the cleaner RHWSC and flush (I did another video on that).
I cleaned mine once and don't plan to do it again.
One gentleman says that cleaning is needed if you have heavy minerals that don't come out with a simple salt flush.
What about if it's blinking rapidly? HELP please, I have the exact same softener! Thank you.🫵👍😎💪🙏
On pg12 of the manual, if you have rapid flashing and the display says "SET TIME", you need to set the clock.
Or rapid flashing and display an error code; "Err", you need to look at the codes listed on pg19... you could have a real problem.