Kenmore 625.348670 User Manual

OWNER’S

MANUAL

MODEL NO.

625.348670

Caution:
Read and Follow
All Safety Rules and
Operating Instructions
Before First Use of
This Product.

If you have questions when
installing, operating or main­taining your softener, and
when setting the timer, call
this toll--free number...

1 --800--426--9345

SAVE THIS MANUAL

Genius II Water Softener

u Warranty
u Start Up / Setting Timer
u How It Works
u Care Of
u Specifications
u Repair Parts

Use plastic bag and tie provided, to hang manuals nearby

the softener for future reference.

Sears, Roebuck and Co., Hoffman Estates, IL 60179 USA

PRINTED IN U.S.A.

WARRANTY

SEARS RESIDENTIAL WATER SOFTENER

FULL TEN YEAR WARRANTY AGAINST LEAKS

Fortenyearsfromthedateofpurchase,Searswillfurnish and install anewcurrentmodel water soften­er tank or salt storage drum, free of charge, if either the tank or drum develop a leak.

FULL THREE YEAR ELECTRONICS WARRANTY

For a period of three years from date of purchase, Sears will replace the BRINE T ANKLIGHT, ELEC­TRONIC BOARD, SENSOR HOUSING, WIRING HARNESS, TRANSFORMER, MICRO SWITCH,
DRIVE MOTOR, OR POWER CABLE, should they be defective in material or workmanship.

FULL ONE YEAR WARRANTY ON WATER SOFTENER

For one year from the date of purchase, when this water softener is installed and maintained in accor­dance with our instructions, Sears will repair ,free of charge, all other parts which may be defective in
material or workmanship.

TOOBT AINWARRANTYSERVICE, SIMPLYCONTACTTHE NEARESTSEARS SERVICECENTER
THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES. This warranty applies only while this product is in use in the
United States.

This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may have other rights which vary from state to
state.

Sears, Roebuck and Co., D/817 WA, Hoffman Estates, IL 60179

If you want your water softener professionally installed, talk to your Sears Salesman. He will arrange for a
prompt, quality installation by Sears Authorized Installers.

SEARS INSTALLATION POLICY

All installation labor arranged by Sears shall be
performed in a neat, workmanlike manner in accor­dance with generally accepted trade practices. Fur­ther, all installations shall comply with all local laws,
codes, regulations, and ordinances. Customer shall
also be protected, during installation, by insurance
relating to Property Damage, Workman’s Com­pensation and Public Liability.

FACTS AND FIGURES TO KEEP

Fill in the blanks below and keep this book in a safe
place so you always have these facts.

Water Softener Model No.†
Serial Number
Date Installed
Water Hardness Grains Per Gallon
Iron Content Parts Per Million
*pH Taste And/Or Odor
Water Pressure Pounds/Square Inch
Water Flow Rate Gallons Per Minute

SEARS INSTALLATION WARRANTY

In addition to any warranty extended to you on the
Sears merchandise involved, which warranty be­comeseffectivethedatethemerchandiseininstalled,
should the workmanship of any Sears arranged
installation prove faulty within one year, Sears will,
upon notice from you, cause such faults to be
corrected at no additional cost to you.

† The model number is on the rating decal, located

on the rim, under the salt hole cover.

2

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PAGE

NO.

SECTION 1 SOFTENER START UP

A. SAFETY GUIDES 4
B. CHECK LIST OF STEP-BY-STEP GUIDES TO INSTALL 5
C. PROGRAM THE TIMER 6-7
D. SANITIZING THE WATER SOFTENER 8
E. FILL THE STORAGE TANK WITH SALT 9

SECTION 2 HOW YOUR WATER SOFTENER WORKS

A. FACE PLATE TIMER FEATURES 10-12
B. SOFT WATER SERVICE AND REGENERA TION 13-15

SECTION 3 CARE OF YOUR SOFTENER

A. SALT: REFILLING STORAGE TANK, SALT BRIDGE 16
B. KEEPING THE WATER SOFTENER CLEAN 17
C. KEEP THE SOFTENER FROM FREEZING 18
D. HELPFUL HINTS CHECKLIST 19

SECTION 4 OTHER THINGS TO KNOW

A. DIMENSIONS/SPECIFICATIONS 20

SECTION 5 SERVICE TECH INFORMATION

A. TROUBLESHOOTING 21-24
B. ROTARY V ALVE SERVICE 25
C. WATER FLOW THROUGH THE SOFTENER VALVE 26-28

SECTION 6 REPAIR PARTS 30-33

3

SECTION 1

1A. SAFETY GUIDES

WATER SOFTENER START-UP

s Read all steps, guides and rules carefully be­fore installing and using yournew water softener.
Follow all steps exactly to correctly install. Fail­ure to follow them could cause personal injury or
property damage. Reading this book will also
help you to get all of the benefits from your water
softener .

s Your water softener will remove hardness min­erals and “clear water” iron from water, up to the
limits shown on page 20. It will not remove other
types of iron, acids, tastes and odors, etc. It will
not purify polluted water or make it safe to drink.

s Protect the softener and piping from freezing.
Damage from freezing voids the softener warran ­ty. See page 18.

CAUTIONS

PLEASEREADANDCOMPLYWITH THE FOL­LOWING GUIDES TO PREVENT DAMAGE TO
THE SOFTENER OR OTHER PROPERTY,
PERSONAL INJURY, OR POSSIBLE FATAL
SHOCK.

s THIS SOFTENER WORKS ON 24 VOLTS
ONLY.BESURE TOUSE THETRANSFORMER
INCLUDED, AND PLUG IT INTO A 120V OUT ­LET.

s Unplug the transformer right away if the
power cable sould become damaged or
frayed. Make repairs before plugging back
into the power outlet.

s Always unplug the softener from electrical
power before removing outer valve covers.

4

SECTION 1

1B. CHECK LIST OF ALL STEP -BY-STEP GUIDES TO INSTALL

To be sure you have done all the steps to install the
softener,read the following list. Refer to the Installa­tion Manual, part no. 7183613, for step-by-step
guides.

Page numbers referred to are in the Installation
Manual unless otherwise noted.

4 Is the house water flow going INTO the softener

valve INLET? Trace piping to be sure. See pages
10 and 11.

4 Istheplumbingbypass valve (or 3 valves) set for

SERVICE?Bypassvalve(s)shouldalwaysremain
in soft water service position. Position in “by­pass” onlyifneeded forsoftenerrepairs. SeeFIG.
12, page 20 of this manual.

WATER SOFTENER START-UP

VALVE

INLET

4 Is the valve drain hose connected the right way,

andwithout sharp bends orkinksthat couldstop
or reduce water flow? See page 16.

Page numbers referred to are in the Installation
Manual unless otherwise noted.

4 Is the softener power cable connected to the

transformer? Is the transformer plugged into an
inside, 120V-60Hz electrical outlet? See page 20
in the installation manual, and the wiring sche­matic on page 21 of this manual.

4 Be sure to restart the water heater. See page 20.

3--valve

plastic

Bypass Valve(s)

5

SECTION 1

1C. PROGRAM THE TIMER

WATER SOFTENER START-UP

FIG. 1

signal light

adjust button

salt level

adjust button

Kenmore Water Line

for Customer Assis-

tance

1--800--426-- 9345

on/off button

tank light

low salt

indicator

SALT

LEVEL

ADJUST

SIGNAL

LIGHT

ADJUST

TANK

LIGHT

ON/OFF--HOLD button
(Recharge Tonight--Now)

RECHARGE TO-

ON/OFF

HOLD

LOW SALT

RECHARGE NOW

display

When the transformer is plugged in, the modelcode
HF32,and atestnumber(example: A2.0)showinthe
faceplate display for 4 seconds. Then, 12:00 AM and
PRESENT TIME begin to flash.

SALT

SALT

LEVEL

SIGNAL

LEVEL

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1

LEVEL

SIGNAL

LEVEL

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1

AM

PRESENT TIME

NOTE:

If HF-- shows in the display, press the UP or
DOWN button until HF32 shows. Then, press
the #1 SELECT button to set, and change to the
flashing PRESENT TIME display.

To check the model code, unplug the transformer at
the wall outlet and plug inagain. If other than HF32

shows, see page 19 to reset.
SOUND “BEEPER”: A “beeper” sounds while

pressing buttons for timer set-up.One beep signals a
change in the faceplate display. Repeated beeps
mean the timer will not accept a change from the
button you have pressed, telling you to use another
button.Forexample,whilesettingthehardness(step

2), the beeper sounds repeatedly when the display
reaches 1 using the DOWN button, or the highest
hardness setting using the UP button.

#1 SELECT

NIGHT

SELECT

1

SELECT

2

#2 SELECT

button

UP button

Genius II Water Softener

DOWN button

button

1. SET PRESENT TIME OF DA Y:

NOTE:

If the words¼PRESENT TIME do not show in
the display, press the #1 SELECT button (FIG. 1)
until they do, or see the notes above.

n Press the UP/DOWN buttons to set the
present time. Press UP to move the display ahead;
press DOWN to move the time backward.

SALT

If the present time is between
noon and midnight, be sure PM
shows.

If the present time is between

LEVEL

SIGNAL

LEVEL

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1

midnight and noon, be sure AM
shows.

NOTE:

Each press of the UP/DOWN
buttons changes the time by 1

SALT

LEVEL

SIGNAL

LEVEL

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1

minute. Holding the buttons in
changes the time 32 minutes each
second.

2. SET WATER HARDNESS NUMBER:

n Press the #1 SELECT button once to display25

(flashing) and HARDNESS.

SALT

SIGNAL

LEVEL

The grains per gallon (gpg)
hardnessofyour watersupplyis
onyourwateranalysisreport.Be
sureto enterwatertest resultson
page 2, for future reference.

LEVEL

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1

PM

PRESENT TIME

AM

PRESENT TIME

HARDNESS

6

SECTION 1

1C. PROGRAM THE TIMER

WATER SOFTENER START-UP

n Press the UP/DOWN buttons to set
your water hardness number in the display. The
DOWN button moves the display to 1. The UP
button moves the display to the highest setting (see
maximum setting for your model in the specifica­tions).

NOTE:

If your water supply contains iron,compensateforit
by adding to the water hardness number. For

example,assume yourwateris 15gpghardand contains 2
ppmiron.Add 5 to the hardness number for each1 ppm of
iron.In this example, you woulduse 25 for your hardness
number.

15 gpg hardness

2 ppm iron x 5 = 10 +10

(times) 25 HARDNESS NUMBER

NOTE:

Each press of the UP/DOWN button changes the
display by 1 between 1 and 25. Between 25 and the
highest number,the display changes 5atatime¼25,
30, 35, etc. Holding the UP or DOWN button in
changes the display twice each second.

3. SETRECHARGE(REGENERATION)TIME:

n Press the #1 SELECT button to display 2:00

AM (flashing) and RECHARGE TIME.

At the 2:00 AM RECHARGE
TIME setting, the softener be­gins regeneration (see pages 13
and14)at2:00AM,endingabout
4:30 AM. This is a good time in

LEVEL

SIGNAL

LEVEL

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1

RECHARGE

AM

TIME

SALT

most households because water is not being used
(see AUTOMATIC BYPASS, page 15). If a different
RECHARGE TIME setting would be better for your
household, do the following.

n Press the UP/DOWN buttons to set the
desired RECHARGE starting hour. Be sure to ob­serve the AM-PM as you did when setting the
present time of day.

NOTE:

4. SET CLEAN FEA TURE OPTION:

n Press the SELECT button to display OFF
(flashing) and CLEAN.

This feature is beneficial on wa­ter supplies containing iron
and/or high amounts of sedi­ments (sand, silt, dirt, etc.).
Whensetto ON,a backwashand
fast rinse cycle will occur first,
preceedingthenormalregenera­tionsequence (see page 13).This
provides extra cleaning of the

SALT

LEVEL

SALT

LEVEL

SIGNAL

LEVEL

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1

SIGNAL

LEVEL

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1

CLEAN

CLEAN

resin bed before it is regenerated
with the salt brine. To conserve water, if your water
supply does not contain iron or sediments, be sure
this feature is set to OFF. Use the UP / DOWN
buttons to change the ON / OFF displays.

5. SET SALT TYPE (sodium chloride or potas­sium chloride, see page 9):

n Press the SELECT button to display nACl, the
default setting.

If you will use potassium chloride (KCl) instead of
standard sodium chloride (NaCl) water softener
salt, be sure to set KCl in the display using the UP
button. The KCl setting adjusts regeneration cycle
times to compensate for the variable dissolving rate
of potassium chloride.

SALT

SIGNAL

LEVEL

LEVEL

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1

n Pressthe#1SELECTbutton once again, to return
the present time, and RECHARGE TONIGHT in the
display.

SALT

SIGNAL

LEVEL

LEVEL

8
7

RECHARGE TONIGHT

6
5
4
3
2
1

SALT

LEVEL

SIGNAL

LEVEL

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1

KCl

PM

Each press of the UP/DOWN buttons changes the
display 1 hour. Holding the buttons in changes the
display twice each second.

If you need help programming the timer, call toll free, number 1-800-426-9345.

See pages 10, 11 and 12 for other face plate timer features.

7

SECTION 1

1D. SANITIZING THE WATER SOFTENER

WATER SOFTENER START-UP

Care is taken at the factory to keep your water
softener clean and sanitary. Materials used to make
thesoftenerwillnotinfectorcontaminateyourwater
supply, and will not cause bacteria to form or grow.
However, during shipping, storage, installing and
operating, bacteria could get into the softener. For
thisreason,sanitizingas follows is suggested¬when
installing.

1. The first time you sanitize your softener,be sure
to do all steps in the installation manual, and on
pages 5, 6 and 7 of this manual first.

2. Liftthesalthole coveranduseapailorhosetofill
the salt storage tank with at least 3 gallons of
water.

3. Remove the brinewell cover (FIG. 3) and pour
about 3/4 ounce of common 5.25% household
bleach (Clorox, Linco, BoPeep, White Sail, Eagle,
etc.) in the softener brinewell.

4. Press the ON/OFF-HOLD button and hold for 3
secondstostartarecharge.Thisfirstrechargedoes

several things.

FIG. 2 ADD WATER

salt hole
cover

hose

water,

about 3 gallons

brinewell

cover

(remove and add

about 3/4 oz. bleach)

brinewell

— Itdraws the bleach into and through the soft-

ener to sanitize it.
— It fills the salt tank to the water level needed.
— It gets all the air out of the resin tank.
— Itpreparesthe resin bed(see page 13) forser-

vice.

NOTES:

This rechargetakes about 2-1/2 or 2-3/4 hours,
depending on the salt type setting (page 7).

You can sanitize the softener with or with­out salt in the storage tank.

¬

Recommended by the Water Quality Association. On
somewater supplies, thewater softener may needpe­riodic disinfecting.

8

SECTION 1

1E. FILL THE STORAGE TANK WITH SALT

WATER SOFTENER START-UP

Brine(salt dissolvedinwater)is needed for each and
every regeneration. The water for making brine is
metered into the salt storage tank by the softener.
However, you must keep the tank filled with salt.

Fill the tank with NUGGET or PELLET water
softener salt. DO NOT use rock salts, as they have
dirt and sediments that will stop the softener from
working.

Before filling, be sure the brinewell cover is in place
on the top of the brinewell. Salt storage capacity is
shown on page 20. Be sure to set the salt monitor

system (see page 10).

POTASSIUM CHLORIDE, alternate to salt: The
design of this softener allows for the use of potas­sium chloride in place of salt (sodium chloride).
Potassium chloride does not add sodium to the
water, and is more ecologically friendly. Disadvan­tages include higher cost, irregular dissolving fac­tors, and the need for longer softener regeneration
times.Ifyou douse potassiumchloride, seepage 7to

set the timer for its use.

FIG. 3 ADD SALT

salt

storage

tank

brinewell
cover

brinewell

NOTES:

The salt monitor system, page 10, is calibrated tothe
density of nugget or pellet water softener salt. The
monitorwillnotworkas accurately with othertypes
of salt including potassium chloride, rock and solar.

In humid areas, it is best to fill the storage tank
half-full, and to refillitmoreoften.Salt bridging (see
page 16) occurs more often when conditions are
humid.

WATER SOFTENING SALT WITH IRON REMOV ­ING ADDITIVES — Some salts have an additive to

help the softener handle iron in the water supply.
Althoughthis additive mayhelpto keep thesoftener
resin clean, it may also release corrosive fumes that
will weaken and shorten the life of some softener
parts.

Sodium information: Water softeners using sodium
chloride for regeneration add sodium to the water.
Persons who are on sodium restricted diets should
consider the added sodium as part of their overall
sodium intake.

For example, if your water supply is 15 grains hard,
you would have to drink 3 quarts of softened water
to consume 335 milligrams of sodium. That is
equivalent to eating 2-1/2 slices of white bread.

Persons who are concerned about their drinking
water should consider a Kenmore Drinking Water
Systemthatwill removeor reducein excess of 90%of
the sodium and other drinking water contaminants.

Thedesignof this softener alsoallowstheuse of potassium
chloride as an alternate to salt (see above, left). Potassium
chloride does not add sodium to the water.

You have now finished the water softener start up. After the sanitizing recharge, on
page 8, the softener will be giving you soft water.

9

SECTION 2

H

2A. FACEPLATE TIMER FEATURES

HOW YOUR WATER SOFTENER WORKS

EXTRA RECHARGE

Sometimes, a manually started regeneration (re­charge) may be desired, or needed. Two examples
are:

--You have used more water than usual (guests
visiting)andyoumayrunoutofsoftwaterbeforethe
next timer started regeneration.

--Youdidnotrefillthesoftenerwithsaltbeforeitwas
gone.

You can start a regeneration right away, or you can
set the timer to regenerate at the next 2:00 AM (or
other preset recharge time). Do the following.

RECHARGE NOW

SALT

SIGNAL

n Press the ON/OFF-HOLD
button and hold until RE­CHARGE, SERV and FILL be­gin to flash in the display.
Upon reaching fill, the first

LEVEL

LEVEL

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1

Serv
Fill

PM

RECHARGE

cycleofregeneration,theflash­ing SERV goes off and FILL is on steady. RE­CHARGE continues to flash. This regeneration
willlast for about 2-1/2to 2-3/4hours. Afterthis
time, you will have soft water again.

*NOTE:

If the CLEAN feature is set to ON, a cleaning
backwash precedes the recharge.CLEAN and Bkwsh
orRinseflashesinthedisplay,alongwiththeminutes
of the clean cycle remaining.

RECHARGE TONIGHT

SALT

n Press andrelease(donothold)
the ON/OFF-HOLD button.
RECHARGE TONIGHT
flashes in the display, and the
softenerbegins regenerationat
the next preset recharge time.
Press and release the ON/OFF-HOLD button
once more if you decide to cancel the regenera­tion, and RECHARGE TONIGHT.

LEVEL

SIGNAL

LEVEL

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1

PM

RECHARGE TONIG

SALT MONITOR SYSTEM

The faceplate timer has a low salt monitor with an
indicatorlight toremindyoutorefillthestoragetank
with salt. To set this monitor system:

1. Lift the salt hole cover and level the salt in the

storagetank(presstanklightbuttontolightinside
of tank).

2. The salt level decal, on the brinewell inside the

tank, has numbers from 0 to 8 (see drawing on
page 9 and below). Observe the number the
leveled salt is at or closest to.

3. Now, press the SALT LEVEL ADJUST button

until black bars display up to the salt level
number. For example, the pictures below show
the salt level at 6.

4. Finally, set the level you want the low salt

indicator light to come on. Press the SIGNAL
LIGHT ADJUST button until a (T) shows oppo­site this number. In the example below, the light
willcomeon whenthe storedsaltdropstolevel2.
At level 2, the storage tank is about1/3 full. This
is the lowest you should allow the stored salt
level to drop to. To turn the salt monitor off,
press the button until OFF shows.

indicator light

brinewell

salt

level

SALT

LEVEL

8

7

6

bars, salt
level

decal

SALT

LEVEL

ADJ.

SIGNAL

LIGHT

ADJ.

TANK
LIGHT

NOTE:

For accurate salt monitor operation, always use
nugget or pellet water softener salt. See page 9. If
potassium chloride is used, be sure to adjust the
timer to the KCl setting on page 7.

SALT

LEVEL

LOW SALT

SIGNAL

LEVEL

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1

10

SECTION 2

2A. FACEPLATE TIMER FEATURES

HOW YOUR WATER SOFTENER WORKS

OPTIONAL ADJUSTABLE SETTINGS

Following is a list of other timer features that are
adjustable, and the default setting for each. The
defaults automatically set when electrical power is
applied to the timer. If you want to change from any
ofthe defaultvalues,scrollthroughsteps 1 - 5below,
and reset as desired.

1.Pressandholdthe#1SELECTbuttonfor3seconds
until the faceplate display changes. Then, press and
release the #1 SELECT button to display 12 hr.

"12 or 24 Hour clock - defaultsto 12 hr: At the12

hr default setting, all time displays are shown in

standard clock time (1 to 12 PM; and 1 to 12 AM). If
military time displays are desired (0100, 0200, etc.),
set to 24 hr by pressing the UP button.

SALT

LEVEL

SIGNAL

LEVEL

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1

AM
PM

TIME TIME

SALT

LEVEL

SIGNAL

LEVEL

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1

occur within a number of days, use this feature. For
example,ifyourwatersupply contains iron and you
wantthesoftenertoregenerateatleastonceeveryfew
days to keep the resin bed clean, set the display as
typically shown below.Setting is available from 1 to
15 days by using the UP and DOWN buttons.

NOTE:

Setting a number in this display may override the
function of the water meter and timer computer (see

page 15). For example, assume the meter/computer
would initiate softener regenerations every 6 or 7
days. If you have maxdays setto 4, as shown below,
regenerations will occur every 4 days instead of
every 6 or 7.

SALT

SIGNAL

LEVEL

LEVEL

8
7
6

RECHARGE

5
4
3
2
1

default display

4. Press #1 SELECT BUTTON

DAY

SALT

LEVEL

SIGNAL

LEVEL

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1

RECHARGE

DAY

example: set to
4 days maxi­mum between
regenerations

2. Press #1 SELECT BUTTON

" Gallon or Liter readings - defaults togallons:

Waterusage and flow displays areshown in gallons.
Ifyouprefertohave thesamedisplays inliters,press
the UP button until Liter shows.

SALT

LEVEL

SIGNAL

LEVEL

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1

GALLONS

SALT

LEVEL

SIGNAL

LEVEL

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1

LITERS

3. Press #1 SELECT BUTTON

" Maximum Days Between Regenerations -

default is zero days: The faceplate timer automati -

cally controls regeneration frequency (see page

14).Thisprovidesthegreatestoperatingefficiency,
and normally the maximum days feature is not
needed.If you want to be certain a regenerationwill

" CLEAN featureminutes - defaultis 7minutes:

If you have set this featureto ON (page 7), thelength
of the extra backwash cycle automatically sets to 7
minutes.However,youcan adjust this time from1to
15 minutes in length. If you have a minimum of iron
or sediments, a 3 or 4 minute clean cycle may be
enough to keep the resin bed clean. If you have a
higheramountofironor sediments, a setting ofover
7 minutes may be needed. To change this cycle time,
usetheUP button to increasethetime,or the DOWN
button to shorten the time.

SALT

SIGNAL

LEVEL

LEVEL

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1

CLEAN

MIN

TIME

default minutes example: time set to 3 minutes

5. Press #1 SELECT to return the present time
display.

SALT

LEVEL

SIGNAL

LEVEL

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1

CLEAN

MIN

TIME

11