Programming Fleck 5600 and 2510 SXT Water Softener Controls

Fleck 5600 SXT Metered Softener Control Valve Setup Your softener is controlled by a metered electronic control valve. Metered means that it counts gallons of water used rather than time to make its regeneration decisions.

To enter master programming: Use the up and down buttons to set the time of day to 12:01 PM. Must be PM. Then press the “Extra Cycle” button–the button on the left–to save the time.

With the time set to 12:01 PM, press the Up and Down buttons simultaneously and hold for 5 seconds (until the display changes). You are now in Master Programming Mode. The display should show GAL.

Use the Extra Cycle button to advance through the various programming stages. Pressing the button saves the setting on the screen and advances to the next item.

Below are the main items to be programmed. They may not follow this order exactly.

Display Explanation Set your unit to DF Display Format GAL (for gallons)

VT Valve Type dF -1b (downflow, single backwash)

CT Control Type Fd (meter delayed)

NT Number of tanks 1 C

Capacity Capacity of Unit in Grains Per Gallon.

H Hardness Your water’s hardness, in grains per gallon.

RS Reserve Capacity Selection Choose rc RC

Reserve Capacity Multiply the number of people who live in the home by 75 and enter here.

DO Day Override This feature allows you to set a limit on the days that the softener can go without regeneration. Recommeded: 15.

RT Regeneration Time Set to the time you want the unit to regenerate. For example, 2:00 AM.

BW Backwash Duration of the backwash. 10 mintes recommended.

BD Brine Draw Softener draws brine from the salt tank. Recommended: 60.

RR Rapid Rinse Duration of the rinse cycle. Recommended: 10.

BF Brine Fill The softener puts water in the brine tank to make brine for the next regeneration. This determines how much salt the softener will use. For full salt, enter 10 minutes for each cubic foot of resin in the softener.

FM Flow Meter Type t0.7 Leave at default.

When programming is finished, the softener display will alternate between the actual time of day and the number of gallons until the next regeneration. To initiate a manual regeneration for the regularly scheduled time of the current day, press and release the extra cycle button. To initiate an immediate regeneration, press the extra cycle button and hold for 5 seconds, or until the screen changes. The regeneration will start in backwash (BW) and count down the minutes left in the cycle. It will progress through the cycles in this order: Brine Draw, Rapid Rinse, Brine Refill —then return automatically to service position. The full regeneration cycle takes approximately 90 minutes

Setup Instructions for Fleck SXT Filter Controls.

These instructions apply to all SXT-controlled filters, but not softeners. AIO (Air Induction, Single Tank Aeration) Filters are not included.

To enter master programming:

Use the up and down buttons to set the time of day to 12:01 PM. Must be PM. Then press the “Extra Cycle” button–the button on the left–to save the time.

With the time set to 12:01 PM, press the Up and Down buttons simultaneously and hold for 5 seconds (until the display changes). You are now in Master Programming Mode. The display should show GAL.

Use the Extra Cycle button to advance through the various programming stages. Pressing the button saves the setting on the screen and advances to the next item.

When selections are complete, the display will return to service mode.

The display will alternate between the time of day and the number you put in the Day Override setting. Reset the time to the actual time of day. The Day Override number will count downward one number per day until the day of the regeneration is reached, then it will reset itself.

When the filter is in service you can begin a regeneration at any time by pushing and holding the Extra Cycle Button for 5 seconds.

Theory of Global Warming Formulated in Oklahoma by Gene the Bean

by Gene Franks

Sometime around 1948, when I was almost ten years old and was still known to friends and family as Gene the Bean, I put forth the theory of Global Warming.

My family home in Okemah, OK was only two lots off of the three-service-station intersection of red brick North 4th St. and the very busy black-topped Highway 62–the highway that carried all the traffic between Oklahoma City and Ft. Smith.

When I sat on the south porch of the house in summer, it was hot.

My grandfather lived nine miles north on a seldom-traveled gravel country road that ran the mile that separated Last Chance and Morse (combined population of about 75). On hot summer days when I visited my grandfather and sat on his south-facing porch, it was cool and breezy.

It did not take my nine-year-old brain long to figure out that when you’re in a place where the breeze blows through pastures, thickets  and big shady trees, a place where  there are no cars and trucks in sight, it’s a lot cooler than when you’re in a place where the breeze is blocked by houses and greasy service stations and the sun’s heat is being soaked up by red bricks and black pavement and there is a steady stream of cars and trucks with heat-belching exhaust pipes. That’s when I made my prediction that as more and more cars and trucks come on the scene, and we cut down more and more trees and thickets, and we pave more and more of the land, the warmer the world is going to get.

I formed that theory without computer models or sophisticated analytical equipment, proving that “you don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.” It was my theory, and I’m sticking with it.

WOTUS Explained

by Gene Franks

When my grandfather built a house on his farm in Oklahoma just before the Great Depression he decided to leave behind the outdoor toilet and washtubs of his family’s previous home and go with modern indoor plumbing. Indoor plumbing was not yet common in farmhouses at the time.

The new house was in the middle of a 160-acre farm and there were no nearby neighbors, so he saw no problem in simply letting the raw sewage and grey water from the home discharge from a pipe into an empty field that sloped down to a small creek. Except on the days when the wind came from the wrong direction, it was easy to forget that raw sewage was collecting just a few feet down the slope. Conveniently, rain washed everything down the hill and eventually into the creek.

My grandfather built his new house about 50 years before the 1972 Clean Water Act when the concept of WOTUS, which stands for “Waters of the United States,” came into being. He followed the prevailing logic that since the land was his, it was no one else’s business where he discharged his sewer water. In 1972 the initial understanding of what the “Waters of the United States” consists of applied mainly to navigable water so my grandfather’s pasture and the tiny creek his sewage eventually washed into were not a great concern.

In 2025, defining WOTUS has become a complicated on-going political dilemma. The scope of WOTUS changes depending on which party is running the EPA. In broad terms, those who value private property ownership over public wellbeing and water quality, most often Republicans, take the view that my grandfather was within his rights to dump his sewage and his leftover farm chemicals and the used crankcase oil from his tractor on the side of his hill and let the rain wash it into “his” little creek. The other side, the radical lefties, take the view that the “Waters of the United States” concept includes the water on a farm in Oklahoma regardless of who owns the land, that all water is part of the Waters of the United States, just as McElligott’s little pool is part of an underground stream which is part of a river which is part of the oceans.

Under President Obama, WOTUS was broadened and more restriction was placed on what could be done on private land and by private businesses. Greater restrictions were placed on private activities that had an effect on the public water supply. The current administration is now working to redefine WOTUS and thus loosen restrictions on private individuals and businesses. Most recently, the new EPA administrator is seeking to remove wetlands, an essential component of nature’s water management system, from control under WOTUS.

Redefining WOTUS according to the way the political winds blow is now expected.  Today’s rural homebuilders have accepted that they have to have an approved septic system for disposal of sewage. That’s progress. The battle today has shifted to do land developers have to be burdened by bothersome WOTUS rules about draining wetlands to build apartments.

Water News for November 2025

By Riley Kleemeier

The Basics for Backwashing Water Filters for Residential Applications

A backwashing filter is a water filter that cleans itself periodically by rinsing away impurities it has filtered from water. An equally important purpose of the backwash is to resettle the filter’s media bed.

Although a backwashing filter may look like a water softener and be the same size, it’s a different animal. Softeners are “ion exchangers,” not filters.

A backwashing filter is a simple device that consists of a large tank called a “mineral tank” that is filled with a filtering substance called a filter medium. (The plural is media.) Water enters the top of the tank through a special control valve and passes downward through the medium, which removes impurities and holds them. Some media do not hold impurities, but cause a change to occur. Calcite, for example, dissolves and in the process increases the pH of acidic water. The treated water then enters a tube at the bottom of the mineral tank, passes upward through the tube (called a riser), and exits the filter via the control valve.

When the filter medium is saturated with contaminants, the control valve initiates a backwash. The backwash is an operation in which water passes backward through the filter at a rapid rate. It enters the tank at the bottom via the riser tube, then passes upward through the filter medium, exiting at the top, via the control valve. The rapid upward flow, in addition to washing away stored impurities, fluffs and resettles the media bed, preparing it for another filtering cycle.

Media

Filter media are selected according to purpose. Some of the most common are Katalox (iron removal), Zeolite (sediment removal), Calcite (increase pH of acidic water),  and KDF55 (chlorine and lead removal), KDF85 (iron and hydrogen sulfide reduction). Older favorites that are still around but not as widely used as before are Manganese Greensand (iron and sulfide removal), Birm (iron removal), and Filter Ag (sediment reduction).

Some media have numerous applications, like the very useful and widely used GAC, or Granular Activated Carbon, which is used to remove chlorine, the by-products of chlorination, pesticides, herbicides, and chemicals in general. GAC, following proper pretreatment, also removes iron and hydrogen sulfide. It comes in various formulations made from a variety of materials (bituminous coal, coconut shells, wood, etc.), each with its own special properties. Catalytic carbon, a specially processed version of GAC, is aimed at special problems like chloramines in city tap water and iron and hydrogen sulfide in well water. GAC is proving to be an effective treatment for new contaminants like PFAS as well.

The Pure Water Products website includes a useful Filter Media Guide and a second guide that gives flow and backwash features of the various media.

City Water Problems

• Chlorine/Chloramines and Taste/Odor

  The standard medium for removal of chlorine, both free and combined, and for the enhancement of taste and odor in city tap water is granular activated carbon (GAC).  Catalytic carbon, sold under such brand names as Centaur® and Aquasorb,, is a specially processed carbon designed for effective removal of chloramine. KDF55, an excellent long-term remover of free chlorine, is not effective against chloramine or combined chlorine. It is often mixed in small quantities with GAC to enhance its performance.

• Fluoride Reduction

  Unfortunately, there isn’t a practical way to get significant, dependable fluoride reduction with a residential backwashing filter. Activated Alumina, the most commonly used medium for fluoride removal, requires very low flow rates and must be used in large quantities. These problems make it impractical for use in standard “whole house” filters.Although reduction of fluoride by standard GAC is not claimed by manufacturers, the reality is that carbon often reduces fluoride. Although fluoride reduction by carbon filtration may depend on many variables (pH, mineral content of the water, etc.) that make performance uncertain, a good carbon filter is probably your best bet for fluoride reduction in city water. We can’t promise it, but it often works. A specialty carbon called “bone char” (made from animal bones) is often sold as a fluoride treatment. We have not seen evidence that it removes fluoride better than standard GAC.

• Chemical Reduction

  For general chemical reduction — removal of pesticides, herbicides, etc.— carbon (GAC) is the standard. Filter carbon is made from a variety of substances, the most common being bituminous coal. Carbon made from coconut shells is generally regarded as the medium of choice for the removal of chlorinated solvents or Volatile Organics. Catalytic carbon is superior for treatment of chloramine. Catalytic carbon is made from either bituminous coal or coconut shells.

• Hard Water

  “Hardness” is an overabundance of calcium and magnesium. It is removed by a water softener, which is an ion exchanger, not a filter. Go here to see water softeners.

Well Water Problems

• Iron Removal

  You should not simply purchase a filter with “iron removal” media and expect it to solve your iron problems. Although a simple Katalox filter is sometimes all that’s needed, iron removal often requires pretreatment by chlorination or aeration or some other oxidization strategy. In many cases, a common water softener is a great iron removal tool. A free-standing Katalox filter will usually work quite well to remove a reasonably small amount of iron if your water has a pH of 7.0 or higher and there is sufficient dissolved oxygen in the water to be treated. If pH is low, an ordinary water softener may be your best choice for removal of small amounts of iron.

• pH Increase

  Backwashing filters with calcite can increase the pH of acidic water to neutral. They can also remove sediment and, if the water is properly oxidized, they can remove iron. Increasing pH is often necessary as a pretreatment for iron removal with a backwashing filter.

• Hydrogen Sulfide Removal

  Small amounts of hydrogen sulfide, the noxious gas that produces the “rotten egg” smell that wells are sometimes plagued with, can be removed by carbon filters and KDF/carbon combinations. If the problem is significant, you’ll get best results by treating with aeration or chlorination before filtering with carbon. This is a case where catalytic carbon works better than standard GAC.

• Sediment

  Most standard filter media will provide some filtration of larger particles, 20 microns and larger. Zeolite filters are superior for sediment removal and can effectively remove particles down to 5 microns or smaller.

• Hard Water

  “Hardness” is an overabundance of calcium and magnesium. It is removed by a softener, not a filter. Go here to see water softeners. Hardness can also be “sequestered” by filtration through poly-phosphate, though this is not commonly done with backwashing filters.

• Bacteria

  Filters are not designed to make water contaminated with bacteria safe to drink. For that, you need a chlorination system or an ultraviolet system.

Fleck 5600 Backwashing Filter.  Our popular Fleck 5600 SXT series of backwashing filters.

How Backwashing Filters Work.

Practical Advise for Residential City Water Applications

Carbon filtration is a valuable resource for providing all around good tasting, aesthetically pleasing water for the whole home or for drinking. Be sure the product you select is adequately sized, then renew the carbon media is replaced before it is spent.

The article above is adapted, very freely, from a Calgon Corporation article. See original at Water Online.

Water News for September 2025

Raw Sewage Taints the Delaware River

Philadelphia discharges an incredible 12.7 billion gallons of raw, diluted sewage into the Delaware River’s watershed each year according to a new report. The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Amazing Recovery of the Klamath River after Hydroelectric Dam Removal

The final of four hydroelectric dams was removed last year from the Klamath River, in the largest project of its kind in US history. The following July, 28 teenage tribal representatives completed a 30-day journey that spanned roughly 310 miles (500km) from the headwaters in the Cascades to the Pacific. They were the very first to kayak the entirety of the mighty river in more than a century. The Guardian.

Water Projects Ordered Cancelled May Not Be Cancelled

A week after the White House signaled its intention to “immediately” pause or cancel $11 billion worth of water projects in 12 states that lean politically toward Democrats, it’s unclear what — if any — work might be affected.

The Army Corps of Engineers, which would oversee those projects, lacks the authority to cancel work authorized by Congress, multiple former corps officials said.

A former corps official, who is now senior adviser at Dawson and Associates, a Washington firm specializing in federal water regulation and environmental permitting, said he doesn’t know of any funds being paused or redirected away from blue-state projects. E&E News.

Severe Drought in Washington

Unprecedent drought conditions in Washington’s Yakima River Basin has made necessary a population-wide total ban on irrigation and lawn or garden watering. This is Washington’s third straight drought year in a row. Seattle Times. 

Congresswoman Seeks Release of PFAS Report

A drinking water report studying the toxicity of perfluorononanoic acid, or PFNA, from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency finalized in mid-April has yet to be released to the public, sparking concerns from Representative Chellie Pingree.

PNFA is a type of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance, or PFAS. PFAS encompass thousands of man-made chemicals found in everyday items like non-stick cookware, firefighting foams, grease-resistant food wrappers, water-resistant clothing and other items. PFAS, known as “forever chemicals” because of the long time it takes the chemicals to break down, can cause harm in high exposure amounts.

During the breakdown process, PFAS can leach into the soil and water supply. These chemicals also threaten the water supply when products containing them are dumped onto the ground or into lakes and rivers. A 2023 study from the U.S. Geological Survey found that PFAS are present in the tap water of nearly half of U.S. homes.

On October 16, Pingree, a Democrat from Maine, sent a letter to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin asking him why the report has yet to be released and who is responsible for its delay, among other questions. Newsweek 

After Decades, Camp LeJeune Water Scandal Still On Hold in Congress

Decades after Marines and families at North Carolina’s Camp Lejeune bathed and drank in poisoned water, the law meant to bring them justice has stalled. The 2022 Camp Lejeune Justice Act — intended to finally allow victims their day in court — has instead become mired in legal backlogs and procedural fights.

As medical bills mount from lifetimes of chronic illness and loved ones pass away, families say Washington’s delays have turned a promise of justice into yet another bureaucratic waiting game.  Fox News for full article.

Another Chemical Industry Lobbyist Being Appointed to EPA

The US Senate is poised to approve Donald Trump’s nomination of an industry lobbyist to lead the US Environmental Protection Agency’s chemical safety office. If the nominee, Douglas Troutman, is confirmed, the top four toxics office positions at the EPA will be held by former chemical industry lobbyists, raising new fears about the health and safety of the American public, consumers and workers, campaigners say.

“The lunatics are running the asylum, and industry is firmly in charge of chemical safety,” said Scott Faber, vice-president of government affairs for the Environmental Working Group non-profit, which lobbies on chemical safety issues. “They will stop at nothing to reverse the progress that we’ve made in recent years on toxic chemicals.” The Guardian

Politics and the Waters of the United States

In 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court narrowed the definition of the Waters of the United States in the case Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency. The result of that decision is estimated to have eliminated more than half of the nation’s wetland acres eligible for protections by the Clean Water Act. Iowa Public Radio.

Nobel Prize for Chemistry

Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson and Omar Yaghi were awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2025.Using techniques that they discovered, other scientists are applying their techniques to applications that include separating PFAS from water, breaking down traces of pharmaceuticals in the environment, capturing carbon dioxide or harvesting water from desert air. Water Online.

Lead Pipe Removal Lags As Federal Government Fails to Release Funds

The Trump administration is months behind schedule in distributing an estimated $3 billion to remove and replace lead water pipes, delaying infrastructure projects critical to protecting people from the toxic heavy metal. The 2021 infrastructure law included $15 billion to help fund the replacement of millions of lead-based drinking water pipes nationwide. The money has been divvied up and distributed in tranches to states each year, typically in the spring.

But nearly five months after EPA announced other funding this year for water projects through the State Revolving Funds, money for lead pipes remains held up. At least three states with a large number of lead pipes — Wisconsin, Michigan and Massachusetts — said the delay could push back construction schedules for pipe replacement projects. Politico Pro

Heavy Rains Increase Microplastics in Water

Research conducted in India and South Africa demonstrates a sharp increase in microplastics in water after heavy rains. Yahoo News.

Microplastics Are Concentrated in Brain Tissue

A new study at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences, which examined the bodies of 47 cadavers, found microplastics in the brain are much higher in concentration than other parts of the body.The worst part is that this concentration has increased by 50% in only eight years. Researchers found 4,800 micrograms of microplastics per gram of brain tissue, the equivalent of a plastic spoon in total. Though the exact impact is unknown with these microplastics, One of the researchers said, “We start thinking that maybe these plastics obstruct blood flow in capillaries. There’s the potential that these nanomaterials interfere with the connections between axons in the brain. They could also be a seed for aggregation of proteins involved in dementia. We just don’t know.” Yahoo News.

Residential Removal of Microplastics from Water

Avoiding microplastics in the environment is becoming increasingly difficult. Removing them from drinking water is relatively easy.

Standard treatments for drinking water like reverse osmosis and carbon filtration do an excellent job on microplastics, so no special equipment is needed.

Reverse osmosis, which filters out particles down to 0.001 microns, is the best treatment, but standard carbon filtration also works very well. Highest removal percentages with carbon filtration are obtained with carbon block filters. The tighter the filter, the better the result, but even small end-of-faucet filters and pitcher filters are reasonably effective. Changing cartridges frequently is important.