Don't Get SCAMMED By Water Softener Companies... I Did It Myself For CHEAP *Fleck 9100SXT*

Fleck 9100SXT: amzn.to/4bwlH3e
I finally found the perfect place to build the ultimate car guy compound. Tons of car parts, tools, and a motorcycle were left behind. So today we're going to sort through everything, throw a ton of stuff away, and start cleaning things up. A new house, a new shop, and a place to build cars better than ever before... but the house has some strange secrets of it's own.
Tech Channel: ‪@TechThrowback‬
MERCH: shopWatchJRGo.com
Shop Motul: motul.com
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Common Questions:
What motorcycle do I ride? A few. Ducati 1198, Honda Goldwing, Honda Grom, Honda Ruckus
What do I do for a living? Make KZbin videos.
Can you wheelie? No, I suck.
Are you fast? Sort of. I suck mostly though.
Where can I keep up with you off the bike?
Instagram: WatchJRGo
Facebook: WatchJRGo (or JRGo, FB hates my branding)
Do you go to school? College, for 2 classes.
Why do you ride so dangerously? What do mean? I was doing 25.
Do you go to the track? Of course, hopefully there will be videos in the future.
Do you play video games? No, but I might stream N64 Goldeneye at some point. Twitch: WatchJRGo
Are you afraid the police will watch your videos and arrest you? Something something evidence something something warrants and due process of law
#NewHouse #DreamGarage #CarGuyCompound

[@Mavon2]

Don't get scammed by the bots in the comments more like it

[@WatchJRGo]

True that 😂

[@craiggotgame]

@@jesimss Disagree

[@JUST_ONE_ID10T]

You mean I did not win? 😂

[@zacharywhite8230]

Not all water treatment companies are created equal. I run a small family owned Culligan dealer and I can get you set up with a system at or a little more than online setups. Have the parts and service for the next 20-30 years. I can also repair your fleck/pentair system when it goes down. Fleck pentair used to make twin valves for Culligan back in the day everything Culligan is now proprietary and has been four years. Also not all dealers lock you into a subscription service or contracts.

[@zacharywhite8230]

Also be careful with the clear vinyl tubing we see it collapse and cause a flow restriction to the drain, allowing it to not be able to create the Venturi to suck the salt water out of the tank.

[@lkstaack74]

​@@zacharywhite8230 How can you tell if the salt water isn't being sucked out? I can hear the water draining out, but it doesn't sound like a strong flow. The nylon drain hose has about a 30' run with five 90* fittings. My system is about 6 years old, but the drain has been in place about 17 years.

[@zacharywhite8230]

If your in a high iron environment it is a good idea to change the drain line out. As far as brine draw goes you need good water pressure and a non restrictive drain line. If you force a cycle after the backwash it should draw brine from the salt tank. You should be able to see the water go down in the small brine well inside the salt tank. On our systems you can check vacuum if you take off the brine line. Sometimes it will be strong enough to suck the skin on your finger in and on others you need a gauge or a glass of water to see if it’s sucking. If your system runs multiple times and the water is pushing up the float more than likely you have a restriction somewhere in the Venturi, drain line, or brine line. We have also see the flow restrictor where the drain line connects get chunks stuck in it and cause no brine draw.

[@johnmh7491]

I put the same two tank system from Amazon in 2017 in my house while it was being built. I love that you don't have to worry about when regen happens (it switches to using the other tank). My first backwash iron filter is telling me I have used over 352,000 gallons since 2017, on well water in Florida.

[@avioncamper]

JR, the plumber. Good job.

[@nomad57-u3x]

15 :45 buy a giant skid load of softener salt now (if you can)and save a literal ton of money later by not paying the increased pricing for decades...just a suggestion...

[@stevesnvegas9040]

Ha ha, I feel your pain. Home Depot delivered my water softener upside down (never mind the "this side up" arrows. My brine tank float was jammed. Took me awhile to figure it out.

[@WatchJRGo]

Exactly what happened to mine (well the valve inside)! 😂

[@admranger]

I just bought one from Lowe's and installed when we moved into the house 4 years ago. It holds 120 lbs of salt and was less than $500. It only has a 400 gallon softened water capacity but there's just the two of us in a smaller house so it works fine for us. One box too, not three separate components. Very space efficient.

[@brians8664]

Make sure you check your chlorine levels. Anything above 1PPM will eventually kill the media. If it’s more than 1PPM get a backwashing carbon filter installed before the softener.

[@CL500MBZ]

JR what might be better is a dedicated run to the water hoses fir the garden or sprinklers to avoid using the soft water for plants.

[@garfixit]

I just added salt to mine yesterday and I keep keep track of the frequency salt consumption with a log sheet love soft water

[@brandonp5175]

Don't need shims. Use a pair of channel locks lean the tank to the side tap it on the top edge of the black bottom piece. Will make the tanks stand straight.

[@simsjam]

Make sure to not have the softened water hooked up to your lawn/plant irrigation. Softened water is bad for plants so your irrigation should be on a separate line. Also my water softener service said I can use my own salt but DO NOT use the pellets. He said use the coarse salt granules because the pellets will settle to the bottom of the tank and set up like concrete (he has had to fix a lot of them for this). He said it is a lot of labor to bust up the salt when it does this.

[@randyarock]

I put the GE whole house filter on first on my deep water well and it was OK. But, I picked up a Morton SystemSaver softener system from the local Menards. It was the model with a built in whole house filter and softener in one. Much, much cheaper than this complex system you got. And I can drink the tap water ( but I still run it through the refrigerator filter again). You have Menards locally JR. You would have paid about 1/4 of that price. 😉😉

[@Astrand1]

I wish there was a water softener made that would not make it so hard to get soap off. That’s always been my complaint with softeners is that slimy feeling trying to wash off the soap.

[@Scotty_in_Ohio]

I was in the same situation - after a while you may actually prefer the feeling (not being "squeaky" after you wash) - I've been told that it's not actually the soap still on your skin but that you're actually clean but without the hard water "residue" - after being in a home with a water softener for the past 5 years we now prefer it - my wife's hands that would always get severely chapped in the winter hasn't been since using soft water and the water tastes better too - at the end of the day it's all in what you're used to and personal preference - our clothes last longer and get cleaner too...

[@Bdubyaful]

If that’s city water I hope you’re planning on putting a dechlorinator in front of it as it’s going to swell your ion exchange resin/media. If there is a lot of chlorine in your water and you start losing water pressure open your tanks and if the resin looks like apple sauce it’s shot from the chlorine. I worked in the business for a long time and see this happening all the time. Get a dechlorinator/carbon media. You’re welcome.

[@cgeary4homes]

Great informative video! Thank you!

[@deweywarner8010]

Watch JR Nest. Still waiting for the Watch JR Go watches at the merch store. I go back to your videos for reference for all types of projects. Really good how to source from cars to ice cream makers. Eric, however, is on another level. His ability to just look at a space and channel how and where everything should go is amazing. Is he for rent? Is there an Eric App?

[@yourtechstation]

I've seen videos on a NuvoH20 water softener not sure if it works as good but a way simpler system.

[@nachobroryan8824]

I thought maybe John was a magician pulling the packing bubbles out of the box.

[@Zerrudo_]

this came to mind; kzbin.info/www/bejne/bmG6ipKmfZaqp9ksi=XmoOY3si3wNdbH4A&t=14

[@TheTalonts]

No bracket to fix the resin tanks to the wall?

[@KNS_Racing]

who do your recommend for sending a water sample for testing?

[@died4us590]

You kit 400,000 subscriber's, it's about time your subs has gone up, because I've been watching for year's, and your content is really good, better than Hoovies garage. Hopefully a million next. G-d bless.

[@novgaladh]

Nah, hoovies videos are more interesting, no one is interested on how to install a water softener or how to install a light switch.... thata why his progression in terms of subribers is so slow

[@KeithZim]

Its different then Hoovie. Tyler is selling silly and its very lucrative.. John is selling "why pay when you can learn" and its way funner but not as popular... I like both..

[@lkstaack74]

Anti-Salt Water Softener types warn people that resign softeners can fail, causing the media to leak into the home plumbing. I don't know if they're right, but I've got my whole house filter installed after the softener just in case.

[@dhyde9207]

Pay attention. This will save you big dollars. Also, if you're on a well, depending on your location, you may need an iron filter.

[@marissabyrum5900]

Do yourself a favor and put a battery backup for the module on the water softener. If not, a power outage will make sure that your tanks are regenerating when you're trying to take a shower or in the middle of a laundry cycle 😂.

[@Robert-j6w5v]

John Ross you need a wife to make your life miserable like some of the rest of us lol 😂

[@FreezyAbitKT7A]

I have never had a softener company. I always have diy

[@ncc74656m]

Less Taste the Rainbow, more Taste the Salt Bro.

[@Bdubyaful]

Don’t run your backwash into a sump, most states it violates code. Also if there is bacteria in the sump it will eventually make its way into the resin making it contaminated. Code is to use an air gap to prevent bacteria from working up into the backwash line. Where is your air gap?????

[@wadetyler5056]

I really don’t mind hard water, but I don’t like the chlorine smell of city water.

[@Cartier_specialist]

That was a ridiculous amount of air bags in that box.

[@gregdiamond6023]

You have a bot fan club? That’s so nice JR.😂

[@HorsleyLandy88]

I would avoid drinking softened water.

[@psubuster]

Hey

[@WatchJRGo]

🥇 boom!

[@jamesbermant]

Salt is cheaper, but potassium is a better choice

[@Symbiiotic]

Isn’t it called brine?

[@MichaelNazar]

I have never understood the need for water softeners. What is so bad in the water that you need a water softener? If you have high blood pressure concerns, can the salt make things worse for you? I have no idea if I have hard or soft water. I live in the Great Lakes area, and we get our water from the city from Lake Ontario. My friend has a water softener and the water tastes weird and slimy. As long as the water is safe to drink, then all is good for me. If you need it then great. I just do not understand why it is needed.

[@Scotty_in_Ohio]

The salt (sodium) doesn't stay in the water - it's used to refresh the media so that minerals can bond to the media. Those minerals really aren't a health risk (generally) but in some situations (like when you have well water or very old city infrastructure) can degrade the flow of your pipes and cause appliances to fail faster. Some people do not like the taste of non-hard water (I think you don't) - you can test for water hardness but again if your pipes are okay and you're not replacing your water heater every 3-5 years it comes down to personal preference. I've gotten used to soft water in the last 5 years and the house's pipes are 36 years old and are in great shape so we'll continue to soften...

[@MichaelNazar]

@Scotty_in_Ohio I thought that copper pipes run clean and will not get a build-up of minerals in them. Cast iron will. My house was built in 1955 and still has some of the original pipes where we have not renovated. As for the taste or texture of the water, no matter where I lived in Ontario, Canada, I have always just drank spring or tap water. I am just used to the natural taste and texture of that water. Kind of like Coke vs. Pepsi. Whatever you drank as a kid is what you usually prefer as an adult. Thanks for the information.

[@miketdavies]

@@MichaelNazar if your water comes from Lake Ontario, odds are you don't need a softener. However lots of places in Ontario (and obviously other areas of the world) where the municipal source is ground water, very hard and mineral filled. You'll know it if you ever try to shower in it!

[@chad2787]

I have moderately hard water I probably would not soften but there is also an iron problem. Very hard to clean orange staining and unpleasant smell. The softener resolves it but has to be run much more often than typical.

[@johnmh7491]

@@chad2787 They make another type of tank system that is for Iron and Manganese (I have it along with my water softener)

[@trapjohnson]

Being a car parts recoverer and reseller, I am sure you WILL reuse all those air packs, or whatever we call today's giant bubble wrap.

[@DaPenceman]

Unpacking giant clear plastic tape worm

[@darrenthompson427]

The salt water will ruin your sump pump eventually

[@died4us590]

I'm early, nice packaging, are you gonna re-use the bubble pack's to send out car parts in lol. It's crazy how much of that crazy, useless bubble pack stuff people use. G-d bless.

[@WatchJRGo]

Absolutely I am! 😂

[@died4us590]

At least you will pack stuff right using it, instead of just putting in a few, while everything is still being smashed by the Amazon employees who don't know how to package thing's so they arrive undamaged. I re-use the bubble wrap, it's cheaper than buying it lol.

[@AndyZ325is]

Close to 1st?

[@WatchJRGo]

You always are!! 💯

[@intentionaloffside8934]

When using plastic fittings you just don’t feel confident putting a lot of torque on a wrench.

[@sondralarkins4196]

Williams Melissa Rodriguez Lisa Moore Angela

[@Bdubyaful]

Looks like way too much water in your brine tank, did you set your float. Salt bridging coming to a softener near you😂😂😂

[@witmoe]

Let's

[@WatchJRGo]

Yeah Buddy!! 💯

[@maxxmich]

So did u sell ur other house? U should also sell the mini resort to afford your "new" house

[@just-a-waffle]

You're pronouncing Knipex wrong (k'Nip-ex)

[@pops55650]

That’s some high quality H20 you got there!

[@brenton728]

Gatorade

[@GrantfromEarth]

No Colonel Sanders You're Wrong, mama's right

[@steveseattle6791]

I have been running a similar system since for ~3 years and love it! Mine is the same control valve, but for a local appliance company. I think it was $1200 installed (for a size smaller than yours)...this vid makes me glad I didn't install it myself lol

[@mortimergladbreath]

I installed my Star Water Systems single tank setup in 1994, and it's still going strong today! I change the media about every 8 years. I have sediment filters on the input and carbon filters on the output (2 each in parallel for extra flow) and my water is great! No clogged shower heads ever. I think I paid $500 for the system at Lowes back in 1994! Your setup rocks!

[@Mrwilder2012]

Right on, nice system. Couple of tips on your water main you have a plastic PVC elbow with female threads to a male adapter - I would replace this The pex adapter female and PVC male it's a very common failure point I fix quite a bit. This will split over time. The question is how long. The other small issue they're typically not filled up that high has it allows the media to "fluff up" properly during regen.

[@brenton728]

Gday, from Australia... Great video. This is a complete foreign subject for me over here, so it was interesting for me to watch. Cheers.

[@Devastator0]

Yeah this is a totally foreign subject for us Aussies. I’ve never heard of water softeners being used in a residential environment as we have really good water over here. Only ones I’ve seen use/have them are professional automotive detailers.

[@eamon1648]

Absolutely, the water in most of WA is terrible but apparently its still better than USA.

[@speedyg2577]

OMG, the drama with you, whiner.

[@WatchJRGo]

This is literally zero drama in this video 😂😂😂

[@katypurry8527]

LOL, if you think so JR. You seem to over dramatize everything.

[@nsh0325ppp]

On leveling water softener tanks, on mine "not Fleck" the plastic base swivels to wobble and get the perfect plumb install since they go in unfinished areas fairly often. Might be the same on yours

[@billchuplis9460]

Good job. Only thing I noticed is I think you need to create an air gap for the drain tube. You don't want it directly going in there. If there's a back up or a minor flood, unsafe water can get sucked back into the tanks. Mandatory when draining into your sewer pipe.

[@dviljoen]

In twenty years I've had exactly two issues with water softeners. I had to replace the beads once (about $100). And the water meter (the spinny wheel thing on the water line) went bad. That was about another $100. Incredibly reliable. I have a Culligan/Fleck unit right now. Excellent.

[@GrotrianSeiler]

Great video. Very revealing. Very informative. Cool.

[@ThriftMachine]

Now setup a wash bay for cars and nasty parts. The softer water should help with water spots. Good leaf blower to dry them off

[@WatchJRGo]

Yup! Putting spigots in the garage for the car wash 💯

[@georgeblind1827]

Should the water level in the brine tank be that high? have a different brand, Kinetico, but I imagine the principle should be the same, the water level in my brine tank is only about approximately 8-10” high.

[@jrmason]

I find when replacing my under sink water filter it's always a good idea to have an extra "O" ring for the job. They can get slightly stretches and then you can't get it to seat right. Also a little petroleum jelly or food safe silicone makes the ring slide to prevent stretching.

[@NorthShoreWaves]

Speaking from experience, don’t drain the output from the softener into the sump pump. The salt water will eventually destroy to pump and you will have a flood on your floor. Drain it into the floor drain.

[@trappedinkalifornee]

that packing material reminded me of a circus clown scarf act...😀👍👍

[@Mrshoujo]

Always use the cheapest salt you can stand. We bought salt pellets from Aldi for years until we moved into a place with a well with high iron content & then we needed rust remover salt. Our 1st softener came from Sears & when the activator motor burned up, we were able to order that specific replacement part to fix it. Also we were advised to fill the brine tank of salt to the top.

[@tjm5492]

While I've never had to live with softened water, some relatives and friends have, so I've experienced it. You're right about the short list of positives JR but the 1 big negative is that oily feeling in the shower. It's as if you can't get all the soap off. Not a big fan.

[@Hotlog69]

Exactly! Though, I'm sure you'd get used to it after a few weeks.

[@KeithZim]

Squeaky Clean or I feel dirty..

[@ClassicNathan]

That oily, not clean feeling would mean they have their softner set too soft.

[@jeffrogers2180]

It isn't oily... Just "slippery"

[@marcusdamberger]

As JR stated in the video, you can adjust how much softness is added. So like another poster here said, in those cases they probably had it set too soft. But yeah, I hate it when you try and clean yourself, and you realize the water is too soft and your perpetually trying to get the oily feeling off your skin and it doesn't go away. Then just realize it's the way the water is. I've always lived in places that had decent water that didn't need extra softness added. I mostly came across softened water where the house or business was on a water well.

[@wesasher87]

I maintain our water system at work. This is scaled down of what we use to pretreat feed water to an RO. It's cool to see the install process at home.

[@CS_1989]

So how does water softener wrk? Is like a filter or add minerals or something??

[@WatchJRGo]

Ion exchange in the resin tanks. The salt/brine basically replenishes the resin so it’s ready to go again

[@CS_1989]

Cool, learn something new every day

[@Scotty_in_Ohio]

the minerals (making water "hard") are attracted to the media (tiny beads JR added to the two tanks) when the water flows through them based on a molecular attraction. every so often the media needs to be "refreshed" the salt water (brine) washes the media and that brine water is flushed with fresh water. there's not really a "filter" in this type of system other than the sediment filter JR replaced early in the video. There's a few good videos on how these systems work - for the most part unless the system uses a series of filters they work pretty much the same way.

[@michaelmahoney8887]

Hey I think I might have made the early squad tonight

[@WatchJRGo]

🥉 yes you did!

[@starkyslp16]

I had no idea Culligan ran on a monthly subscription model or that it was that outrageously expensive! Glad I live in an area with good water that doesn't need softening.

[@Tempsho]

Pretty sure it’s just a monthly subscription for the salt based on how much you use. The unit itself you just pay for once and your done.

[@Cartier_specialist]

Hey

[@WatchJRGo]

🥈 yo George!

[@FreedomPhoenix]

Dude. I wanted to get one and do it my self but after watching this video it looks hella complicated and seemed easy to you cuz you messed with them before. Idk by myself.

[@olibusta10]

I would like to add a water softener but my home isn’t pre plumb. Any advice will definitely be helpful I can send photos? Of my main water line and water heater

[@chrispixx]

That's a massive system 80,000 grain you plan on running a hotel or something? According to my calculations with my water harness I would be able to run 5,900 gal through that thing before it needs to regen.

[@alansmith4734]

I filter my tap water, to make Hot Tea. I got Zero Water from Home Depot, and it included a PPM Meter. My Tap Water was 305. Zero Water was 0. The water boiled weird, and lacked taste. I then got a Brita Filter and the PPM was 266. Problem for me was solved! For years I got Great Value Spring Water from Walmart, but the store supply dried up during the Pandemic. Project Farm tested Water Filters here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oJKTmqKOa6yGsJI

[@Cartier_specialist]

They probably just changed the name of their bottled water. I saw a short clip about it on PBS in one of those micro commercials they put between America's Test Kitchen and Cook's Country.

[@annechang6459]

I buy Great Value spring water all the time from Walmart. Does exist in Midwest for sure.

[@eamon1648]

Yes you want some minerals in water for tea and coffee. Why would you buy bottled water?

[@PinkWillowRanch2024]

Do you have a playlist of your water system set up?

[@stevewaller6577]

Anyone else getting Star Wars vibes when the display cover goes on?

[@keithgillette9537]

Yep. Manufacturer has to be calling those Darth Vader Helmets internally.

[@douglasbray3563]

Good Evening John Ross

[@WatchJRGo]

Hey Douglas! 🍻

[@albertcoburn5674]

From experience with those things: Don't put too much salt in it, periodically check that it is using salt. Make sure the lines going to the sump NEVER gets pinched

[@n9wox]

Putting too much salt in mine tweaks the plastic and makes the float valve stick. If it sticks, water keeps running and rinses all the salt away.

[@eldonerc2524]

You can use KY lube if you can't find food grade silicone.

[@Scotty_in_Ohio]

The plumbing company's sales staff always have it (KY Lube) on hand just before they give you the quote ;-)

[@worldofrandometry6912]

What a complicated and expensive setup. I'm lucky that I can drink soft water straight from the tap here in my part of the UK.

[@SixWheelsDown]

...and when the bank forces you to sell all of this like they did the warehouse, someone else will have a nice place...

[@69Dartman]

I've got to replace the the heating elements in my water heater, have the parts, just dreading tearing it down. We don't need water softeners here and we usually get our water from Bull Run water shed. My car lived in Washington across the river for a while and has water spots all over it I need to deal with. Water is soft here, sudses really nicely and tastes great. I guess most places like your area has hard water so there you are having to install the softener but it is what it is, glad you got it dealt with and have the option. 👍

[@qsock6228]

Is that actually 80k grains capacity? If so, you're probably massively oversized for 3k gallons/month unless your water is rock hard. This is going to waste salt and cause infrequent regeneration. Not regenerating at the correct frequency can lead to resin contamination.

[@glassvial]

I got quoted $6K for a system years ago, it's probably even higher with inflation now, but unfortunately it looks like this system wouldn't work for me, I don't have a drain/sump anywhere near my water inlet for the house. Hope this system works well for you, JR.

[@Sealdog8321]

Thanks brotha every time my dad watches your vid he has more faith in something we're about to do n being that hebwas n electrician well still is he 77 being doing it since he was 16 but with new tech he get lil nervous but we watch your vids n then he all good , dont matter if it has. Shit to do with are project

[@blaakrose]

I have a rainsoft system in my house. Had it since 2005. No monthly fees. Menards seems to have cheapest salt. Do you have a water pressure regulator on your water line? High water pressure can cause the rubber seals in that unit to wear out. I had to put one on my water line. My pressure was at least 100 pounds coming in from city.

[@kerrylewis2581]

JR, I must wipe my vehicle down quickly after a wash, or it will leave water spots. Which system do I need to reduce that issue or, better yet, prevent it from happening?

[@RealRickCox]

Where I'm at in Utah (just up the street from Stradman) - you open the faucet and rocks come out. We have some of the worst water... I've got the salt based water softeners, but after seeing what you have, I'm thinking I might need to upgrade.

[@93LT1RamAir]

Costco near us sells a all in one unit. I replaced our old broken unit with the costco softener and it's done very well for us. It was a lot simpler install.

[@VanisleNSX]

No need for water softeners here in the Pacific Northwest as our water is naturally soft. No filters either.

[@DanielLaFave-c2c]

I think you proved that most people are not going to want to do this install themselves.

[@dmccull6773]

SALT for the Brine tank cheaper at Sam’s Club Or Costco ❤

[@wollywotsit]

400k, well done from the U.K.

[@bikeman1x11]

its pretty lame you need a softener system if you pay for water

[@stevec5000]

We got a Whirlpool model at Goodwill for $79 that works great!

[@JRandallEllis]

Felt like we were starting off with a "Watch JR Do Magic"

[@moomae1]

Why bot some plumbers tape to control that leak 19:34

[@qdood]

Yo

[@WatchJRGo]

Yo yo! 🍻

[@batmansk6]

The controls on that thing look super old school

[@garfixit]

Use liquid Teflon on the connections nice job