Samantha,
This is an old thread and I expect you've filled your pool, but for next time....
I am not familiar with the particular Kenmore water softener that you have, but the high efficiency feature is likely proportional brining. Proportional brining will regenerate partly used softener capacity with a smaller volume of brine. It wastes less salt. Typically, the partial regeneration is at night, as with delayed meter-initiated regeneration. It "looks ahead" and regenerates the capacity before you run out, but uses only the best estimate of the amount of salt needed instead of a full charge.
Filling your pool a portion at a time with the rated gallon capacity of the softener will not trigger proportional brining. If you run enough water through the softener in one day to trigger the meter-initiated regeneration, then it will regen with a full volume of brine, just like it would with the partial brining turned off.
This is an old thread and I expect you've filled your pool, but for next time....
I am not familiar with the particular Kenmore water softener that you have, but the high efficiency feature is likely proportional brining. Proportional brining will regenerate partly used softener capacity with a smaller volume of brine. It wastes less salt. Typically, the partial regeneration is at night, as with delayed meter-initiated regeneration. It "looks ahead" and regenerates the capacity before you run out, but uses only the best estimate of the amount of salt needed instead of a full charge.
Filling your pool a portion at a time with the rated gallon capacity of the softener will not trigger proportional brining. If you run enough water through the softener in one day to trigger the meter-initiated regeneration, then it will regen with a full volume of brine, just like it would with the partial brining turned off.
Aloha BigIslandPoolService,
Thanks for the help and the link to the unit we have, using that I was able to find the Owners Manual for it, http://www.managemylife.com/mmh/lis_pdf/OWNM/L0811488.pdf.
The thing about CA is on page 24 of the PDF file, here is some of what it says:
California Efficiency Requirement
Your Kenmore WaterSoftener has a "HighEfficiency"
feature with an "ON"or"OFF" setting. This softener
setting is shipped in the "OFF" position, which utilizes
the maximum rated capacity while most often achieving maximum salt efficiencies.
When installing this unit in the State of California, you MUST turn this setting to
the "ON" position which may initiate more frequent recharges,
however it will operate at 4000 grains per pound of salt or higher.
EFFICIENCY MODE
When this feature is ON, the water softener will operate
at salt efficiencies of 4000 grains of hardness per pound
of salt or higher. (May recharge more often using smaller
salt dosage and less water). Installations in the state of
California require this setting to be turned ON. This
softener is shipped in the OFF setting.
Does this change things any? Is running it in this mode a good idea?
I am not sure if our well pump will even put out that much water in a day, (or if we want to try), it is about 18 years old now, and the last thing we need to do is over do it and have that go out on us.
Based on what you have said we are thinking "maybe" try and get 1,000-1,500 recharge the softener, then maybe another 1,000-1,500, and call it a day, repeat the following day or maybe even wait a day or so.
