So, you think you want a water softener with a Fleck valve?
Let me clarify one thing at the beginning - Fleck does not make water softeners. Fleck makes water softener control valves, like one below. Fleck Controls used be called L.W. FLECKENSTEIN, INC. and people would say they had a "Fleckenstein valve." They are now called "Fleck Controls" and are owned by Pentair Water, a world conglomerate of water-related companies.
We still sell water softeners using Fleck control valves, just not as many as we used to. Fleck Controls makes a number of water softener control valves for residential applications including the following:
- Fleck 1500
- Fleck 2510
- Fleck 4650
- Fleck ProFloSXT
- Fleck 5600
- Fleck 5600SXT
- Fleck 5812
- Fleck 9000
- Autotrol 255
- Autotrol Performa 263/268
Yes, they have been around a long time. Yes, they are time-proven - 60+ years and counting, but like many large conglomerates, it seems to many people that they have forgotten their roots: the customer. I have been made painfully aware of this recently when it comes to warranty claims. You see, Fleck Controls offers a five-year (5) warranty on their control valves, however if you try and send in a piston and/or seal kit, they generally will not honor it. They call it "excessive war and tear." Two years old... and the piston and seal kit is bad? Too bad - it's excessive wear and tear! I have a hard time with that! Our customers deserve better, so when Fleck fails to honor their warranty, at US Water we always do. We know we can't treat our customers the way Fleck treats theirs. We eat the cost of a new piston and seal kit and make the customer happy.
Today, most of Fleck's patents have expired, and we now sell water softener control valves that use "Fleck technology" updated for the 21st Century with better seals and spacers, better brine valves and improved cantilever technology that creates less stress on the single moving part. Bottom line: they work better and last longer. Our systems have seven or ten year warranties on the valve and that includes the piston and seals.
What does that mean for you if you are wanting to buy a Fleck valve water softener? It means you should think hard, because our warranty on our Matrixx Smart Metered Water Softener is 10 years on all the parts in the valve and the electronics. PERIOD!
That's double what Fleck offers, and we include everything - the piston, motor, seals, brine valve, electronics - EVERYTHING! Well, there has to be a disclaimer (now you are thinking "got 'cha") and I have to admit that we don't cover everything that there is. If you run into it with a truck, an airplane crashes into it, a tornado, hurricane or tsunami destroys it, or if your house burns down (and any other Act of God), it is not covered! Otherwise, normal wear and tear is not an excuse.
It's my belief that you either have a warranty or you don't. At US Water we have warranties that we honor... none of this "wear and tear" stuff. If it has a bad part, we will replace it. How hard is that? When you build it better (and we do) you can guarantee it better... and we do! Why doesn't every company sell a product as good an reliable as our Fusion NLT? I'll clue you in - a dealer once told me "I couldn't make any money on service with that." At US Water Systems, our business model is not to make money on service. Our business model is to sell water softeners that don't need service for 10-20 years. Consumers love that business model!
54 Comments
I need my fleck control head repaired or replaced. Do you have someone in Orlando, Florida?
No we do not.
The control head on my (Pentair) Omnifilter OM26K just died. I was wondering, would it would make sense to replace it with one of your control heads instead of replacing the entire system? The Fusion NLT head sounds like the way to go and I would prefer to save money and not replace the tanks if I don’t need to!
You can use that.
Why does US Water Systems own Flecksystems.com and sell Fleck products if the Fusion NLT is so superior and Fleck has quality issues compared to Fusion NLT?
https://www.flecksystems.com/about
I am shopping around and just trying to separate the marketing and opinions from the facts before I purchase.
Thanks
We have sold Fleck for 45 years and have many customers who use the product.
We have over 30 employees at US Water and none have a Fleck system. There’s a reason, but if people are just determined to get a Fleck product, we sell it.
We are not saying it is a bad product, it’s just that US Water Softeners are dramatically better.
Wow, the confusion. I used to sell Kinetico. GREAT systems just way over priced.
Currently I have 32k softener with a Fleck 6600 head. It’s been a real workhorse and has moved with me. I test it (hardness) every 6 months still never had a repair or problem. it’s now well over 10 years old and we moved again. Time for a new one as it’s not going with us this time.
This time it unfortunately must be outside in the elements. The fleck 2510 sxt is the only one I know of thats in a waterproof enclosure, are any of yours?
The 2510 is not completely waterproof. Putting any softener out in the direct sunlight and elements is going to cut it’s life expectancy in half. Therre is a simple solution:
https://blog.uswatersystems.com/2017/05/outside-water-softener-installations/
You can buy water softeners anywhere, but it’s what happens AFTER the sale that differentiates us: Our Technical Support is legendary. Most other companioes don’t even attempt it.
Check out any of our softeners: https://www.uswatersystems.com/systems/water-softener-system I think you will be impressed!
We have a water softener from our local Mills Fleet Farm, not a Fleck softener, and the brine tank developed a hairline crack. Fleet Farm told us they won’t sell a brine tank separately. Our water softener system and valves are fine and working fine. We only need the brine tank. I found one online that looks exactly the same as ours, but it has the Fleck system. Can these brine tanks be used universally with our system?
You can use either one of these brine tanks:
https://www.uswatersystems.com/parts/water-softener-parts-and-accessories/brine-tanks
You can check best 3 water softeners comparison here to choose the best one.
http://bestwarezone.com/best-fleck-water-softeners
Thanks for posting this link. If anyone is dumb enough to believe this is a site for comparing water softeners, they are dumber than a bag of hammers. You pay these guys money and they will say whatever you want about their products. Be careful what you read on the internet and be careful about believing testimonials.
Have a Fleck 1500 water softener installed in 1978, bought the house in 1986 with the softener and it has been a work horse. Have replaced a couple of timers, rebuilt the value head 1 time and replace the salt-holder 1 time (float value rusted out) over 30 years. Would like to know what the factory default setting are for RED DIAL (BACKWASH – Time In Minutes: 24), WHITE DIAL (BRIME & RINSE – Time in Minutes: 6) and YELLOW DIAL (SAULT USED PER REGENERATION 6/10 Pound Per Minute. Would also like to know what you have as a replacement and if parts can be bought on-line for a person doing their own repair work. Thanks!
My first inclination is to say “Buy a new softener.” The resin has to be exhausted. I peronally think it is a waste of time to try and fix a 40 year-old system.
I have a softener with Fleck control head. The valve operates well and trouble free. The instruction pamphlet that came with it is useless and their website is too.
Simple problem here: my water is too soft. Rinsing after a shower feels like I’m being soaked in WD 40. I’d like to “harden” my water a little. Can I?
Also, salt use is excessive…salt setting at 8 by installing plumber. I live alone and go thru 50 lbs every two weeks.
I trust your site a lot…can you advise me Please? Thanks.