Treatment Installation
The "Clack WS1 control valve" is the heart of most treatment installations. This valve is at the top of the treatment vessel and it has 3 or 5 buttons next to the display depending on the model. The same valve is used for treatment units in a well pump-house and for an under-sink application. The Clack brand is world renowned for its performance, reliability and durability.
All systems supplied by us are pre-programmed with the settings for your application from your water report, this is the most tricky part and we do all this for you.
Installation Basics
The Clack valve is configurable in a number of ways to make installation a breeze. We will talk you through each step:
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All Clack valves need a standard wall socket for power.
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All valves have a water inlet and a treated water outlet. By default we supply all valves with 3/4" male BSP fittings as this is the most common size in Ireland. A number of other options are available and in stock such as 1" male BSP or PVC Solvent connections, just let us know if you need something different.
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All valves have a drain connection, typically this is a 3/4" connection which we always supply with optional nut (Clack part V3192), this allows you to connect 5/8 x 1/2 Polypropylene tubing to a convenient drain point. We can also supply the tubing if needed. Some of the larger filter units are supplied with a 1" drain connection.
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Softeners and some select special treatment units also have a brine tank connection. In these situations we supply the required tubing which is 3/8" tubing.
Installation is as simple as connecting your water In & Out and bringing your drain to a suitable area. For well water applications the drain line is typically run to a soak-way, or to a grass area etc. where water can be sent during the backwash/regeneration cycle. For under-sink systems the drain is simply run to a waste pipe similar to a washing machine or dishwasher however a siphon is available should you require (see below).
For softeners we supply a suitably sized brine tank for your application with internal valves fully set up. This is where the salt will go. Supplied tubing connects this to the Clack valve head.
There are a number of optional accessories available, your system will run fine without them but you may be interested:
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The WS1 Bypass Valve (Part V3006) is an indispensable addition, it allows easily isolation and bypassing of the unit for servicing activities and also makes troubleshooting installations very straightforward.
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The WS1 Mixing / Blending Valve (Part V4099) is used mostly in two scenarios, about 5% of pH correction units will over-correct due to the water chemistry composition, the mixing valve allows you to blend some of the original water with the treated water to pin point your required pH. The second application is with softeners, since all hardness is removed with a softener some customers add a blending valve to add in some of the original water to retain a small amount of hardness.
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The Clack Service Wrench (Part V3193) is a multi-tool allowing for quick disassembly of valve to all its primary parts if every required.
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The Clack Motorized Alternating Valve (Part V3069) is used to shut off water to users while regeneration / back-washing is in progress on 5-Button units.
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The Clack Vertical 90 Degree Adaptor Kit (Part V3191-01) can be useful to change the entry position of the water In & Out connections from directly in the back of the unit to in from the top.
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Drain Siphon: As mentioned above most under-sink installations in Ireland run the drain to a waste pipe similar to a washing machine or dishwasher. For neater pipe work and a more professional installation a siphon is available. This also prevents backflow of unpleasant odours from the sewerage system which can be problematic in some installations.
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Softener Hygiene Guard: Designed for Ecomix softeners and softeners for chlorine disinfection systems. It is seamlessly integrated into the valve, replacing the microswitch's position.
Turning on your system for the first time:
Great, so everything is plumbed up and ready to go. Plug in your unit. We first need to set the time. On the left is setting time on a 3-Button Unit, on the right is setting time on a 5-Button Unit. Click images to enlarge.
Now slowly open the water supply to your unit. Once your system is fully primed check for leaks and in general monitor the system for the first couple of days. It is common for the water to contain microscopic & macroscopic air bubble for the first few hours until air is cleared from the system.
For filters (typically 3-Button units) in general they will be programmed to backwash nightly (2am) and there is no more you need to do with these units. For softeners (typically 5-Button units) add salt to your brine tank, about half full is plenty. On the valve head push the "REGEN" button once. This will override the unit to regenerate tonight, this will add water to the brine tank and your unit will operate as normal from this point forward.
General Maintenance:
Clack WS1 valves are renowned for their reliability and durability. In general units do not have any scheduled maintenance plan and commonly operate without any intervention. For challenging applications with high levels of Iron, Manganese, etc. a disassembly and clean every year or so can keep your unit in top shape.
Useful Literature:
Both the 3-Button & 5-Button Clack units share the same valve body and so have the same disassembly procedure. You can download the service manual here for future use should you need.
Grants for Water Treatment Equipment
Below is some relevant information that may help our customers; Under the Rural Water programme, there are grants available to improve a private water supply in rural areas where public water supplies cannot be accessed.
To qualify for a grant, your house must be more than 7 years old and not connected to a public or group scheme. You can get a grant to:
Fix a private water supply
This grant covers 85% of the approved costs of rehabilitation works to your well, up to a maximum of €3,000.
Improve the water quality
This grant covers 100% of the approved costs of improving water quality in your well, up to a maximum of €1,000. The work may include filtration or Ultra Violet treatment.
The minimum grant you can get is €750.
To apply for a grant, you should complete an application form (pdf) and send it to the rural water section of your local authority. For further information see the Department’s terms and conditions for the grants.
How does the process usually work?
We have helped customers with self installation of equipment under the grant scheme but not all local authorities may be used to this scenario, the process typically:
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Water test is carried out
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You contact your local authority, submit application and grant is approved
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It is common that you will be asked to provide our tax clearance certification.
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Equipment is purchased and installed.
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Water test is carried out to ensure water parameters are now within allowable values
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Grant is paid by local authority