Directions for a Waterboss 900 Water Softener

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Program your water softener correctly for the best results.

Softened water not only feels and tastes better than hard water; it can also save you money. Softened water helps cleaning products perform more efficiently, makes clothes last longer and extends the life of appliances such as dishwashers and coffeemakers. The WaterBoss 900 Water Softener is a large capacity, whole-house unit that softens water by removing dissolved calcium and magnesium. Although the WaterBoss 900 requires little user maintenance, it is important to program the WaterBoss 900 with settings tailored to your water and your household’s water usage.

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Step 1

Use a test strip to check the hardness and pH of your water. You can obtain free test strips from WaterBoss or purchase them at home improvement stores. Perform the test according to the test strip’s instructions and make note of the results.

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Step 2

Use the hardness grains per gallon, as determined by the test strip, as your hardness setting number.

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Step 3

Adjust your hardness number if your water has excessive iron and the water’s pH is seven or above. If your water meets both of these conditions, add 15 points to the hardness grains per gallon to determine your hardness setting number.

Step 4

Contact your local water company, if a municipality supplies your water, to determine your water hardness. Ask for the water hardness in grains per gallon. This is your hardness setting number.

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Step 5

Lift off the top of the WaterBoss 900 unit to expose the controller pad and check the softener salt level in the tank. If water is visible above the softener salt in the tank, or if there is not any salt in the tank, add enough softener salt until it is above the level of water.

Step 6

Program your hardness setting into the controller pad. Push the SET button and hold for three seconds to display a default hardness number. Push the CHANGE button until the number displayed matches your hardness setting number, and then press SET to save the number. The WaterBoss 900 hardness display will only go up to 90.

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Step 7

Press the POWERCLEAN button on the controller pad if your water has a high amount of iron present. The powerClean cycle sets the WaterBoss 900 to regenerate every other day, regardless of the hardness setting. Leave the powerClean cycle activated for at least two weeks before deactivating, and activate powerClean again if you begin to notice a decrease in water softness.

Step 8

Press and hold SET and CHANGE to enter the more advanced setting options. The WaterBoss 900 is set to HC (high capacity) by default. High capacity means your softener will regenerate less often, but use more salt. If you want to regenerate more often and use less salt, press CHANGE to set the softener to HE (high efficiency). Press SET to save the setting and start the next option.

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Step 9

Choose between Delayed Mode, where your softener will regenerate at a specific time, and Demand Mode, where your softener will regenerate when the unit has softened a pre-determined amount of water. The WaterBoss 900 is set to Demand Mode by default. Press the CHANGE button to toggle between the two modes, and then press the SET button to save the setting and start the next option.

Step 10

Press the CHANGE button to choose between forcing the unit to go no longer than 96 hours before regenerating, and not forcing it. If you have excess iron in your water, press the CHANGE button until the display shows “96.” Press the SET button to save the setting and start the next option.

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Step 11

Press the CHANGE button to choose between “Gallons” and “Liters.” Press the SET button to save the setting and start the next option.

Step 12

Choose between a 12-hour clock and a 24-hour clock by pressing the CHANGE button. Press the SET button to save the setting and start the next option.

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Step 13

Set the time to the nearest hour by pressing and holding the CHANGE button. Press the SET button to save the setting and start the next option.

Step 14

Press and hold the CHANGE button to set a time for regeneration. Press the SET button to save the setting.

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Step 15

Place the top back on the WaterBoss 900. Slide the salt access door closed. The unit will now soften the water automatically based on your settings. If salt was added to an empty tank at the beginning of the programming process, wait two hours and then start regeneration by pushing the controller pad’s REGENERATE button for three seconds.

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