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
Well Chuck, it’s impossible to find a water softener that is not at least partially made overseas, not necessarily in China, however.
I have a Fleck 5600sxt. It’s been running fine for 3 years now. I haven’t had a single issue. The whole made in China thing is horrible. If I would have seen a made in America water softener when I bought the one I have I would of opted for the made in the USA softener. Not because I’m rich (I’m not), but because I believe in supporting American workers first.
Corrected and resubmitted my post due to auto wrong.
Interesting article. The water treatment company who has been treating our water for years – talked us into a Fleck 5000 SXT Acid Neutralizer which they installed on 3-31-2015. In April 2016 we paid them to do a one year service / maintenance to it. Then last month (Feb 2017) less than 2 years since purchase, I noticed our water didn’t seem quite right. They came out & repaired it & charged us over $200 to “replace piston, seals & spacer due to corrosion by the water.” I’m really bothered by this! The acid neutralizer was not cheap to begin with – but we were told it had a five year warranty. Never did he say – oh but we won’t cover parts that wear out due to acidic water. Of course our water is corrosive – hence the need for this to begin with!! Can’t help feeling like we were scammed – by both the manufacturer & the installer.
Yep, that’s how we feel about Fleck valves. US Water Valves are covered for 7 years on all filters. Sorry for your loss.
I have a Fleck 9100, 64K grain, two-tank – older mechanical system (no LED controls)) that I had installed in 2007. Has worked fairly well but I have seen/felt that the performance of the water is not as soft in the past few months. I have been doing more homework on systems in the past few days. Your Genesis product looks interesting. I have a couple of questions:
1. Is the Fusion NLT Control Value a product developed by U.S. Water Systems?
2. Do you ever see adding wireless technology (WiFI, ZWave, etc.) to your Fusion line adding an interface to get stats, alerts, perhaps make setting updates/changes?
3. I have watched some of your companies installation videos installing the Fusion line of a softener. Any reason you don’t pre-fill the resin in your tanks before you ship? I see some other Internet deals do. Just curious if there is a specific reason to don’t or don’t offer the service as an option?
First of all, ours is not a Genesis product. They just try and act like us, copy everything we do… except the tech support and service.
I would love some help to determine who made the control valve that sits on the tank of a unit I got from a car dealership that closed. I have a picture of this unit but dont see a way to get that picture to you here…
Send it to support@uswatersystems.com
“I must say that a couple of years ago we were cancelled as an O.E.M. (Distributor) by Pentair (Fleck) because we were buying “Fleck knock-offs.” "
“Barbara,
We are a Fleck dealer and have been a distributor or dealer starting in the early 1980’s.”
Can you explain the difference in your statements?
I guess I don’t follow what you are asking. What do you want me to explain?
I just purchased and installed a Fleck XST 40,000 before running across your blog. I’m not happy with the company since I can’t talk to a person about some programmed settings. I have to E-Mail my questions and wait for a reply. No back and forth dialogue. Maybe that’s how everybody works. My question was
“I purchased a Fleck XST 40.00 unit 11/22/17 and installed it 11/27/17. I have some questions about the pre programmed settings. I entered the master programming settings to see what they are because I thought the 800 gallons after regeneration was a low quantity.
C- is 24. Shouldn’t that be 40 since I have a 40,000 Fleck unit?
DO (day override)-is set to off. Shouldn’t that be set to some number of days like 7 or more?”
Answer” No on both. It is not efficient to set nor use the entire capacity of a system. The purpose of the day override setting is for occasional use applications (weekend homes, etc.).
Thank you.
Best Regards,
AffordableWater.us
877-848-2532
Would you care to answer if this sounds logical to ser the C- at 24,000 grains not 40,000 grains? There is a SF- 20% safety set in also. Thanks for your help, Bob
Bob,
If you had bought from us, you would have access to talk to live people who have over 200 years of combined field and installation experience, 6 days a week. That’s what you give up when buy from Amazon and most other companies.
What they are telling you is correct, however. Good Luck!
I have a Hague HC III 35 and the control head has quit working correctly no longer pulls water from the brine tank. I already check the brine tank float and such. Do you have a control head I can purchase to replace the existing one on my Hague.
I need some service on mine. Do you have a service person in Orlando?
We do not have service people.