Water softener resin tank with its control valve next to a storage tank
8 components covered

Field manual · Water Softener

WaterBoss compact softeners (550, 700, 900 Big Boss, 950 City Boss): quick sheet

Covers: WaterBoss low-profile cabinet softeners sold through hardware co-ops and home centers: Model 550 (older, city water to about 25 gpg), Model 700 (22,000 grain, to 70 gpg, 10 ppm ferrous iron), Model 900 'Big Boss' (about 36,400-36,500 grain, to 90 gpg, 10 ppm iron) and Model 950 'City Boss' (22,000 grain, to 35 gpg, chlorine taste and odor reduction, not for iron water). Iron-filter variants 900IF/900CF/900NF share many valve parts. Search terms: WaterBoss 700, Water Boss 900, Big Boss softener, City Boss, WaterBoss E1, WaterBoss powerClean, WaterBoss injector. WaterBoss, Inc. is in Appleton, Wisconsin.

Cross-checkedBrands: WaterBoss8 components

A short (about 30-31" tall) all-in-one softener with a built-in self-cleaning sediment screen in the resin tank, a demand controller with an LCD and four buttons, and a removable controller that slides onto the valve's drive end cap. The salt cabinet holds about 120-160 lb depending on model and edition. Regenerations are short (roughly 20-50 minutes depending on the salt setting). Most calls are salt bridges, a plugged injector or brine refill flow control, a pinched drain line, or E1-E4 drive/home errors that come from a controller not fully seated on the drive end cap.

Safety first

  • Bypass and relieve pressure before removing the injector cap or brine piston housing
  • The transformer plugs into 120 V: unplug before reseating the controller or touching the motor
  • Install a pressure regulator where supply pressure exceeds 70 psi
  • Keep an air gap at the drain and do not let the drain line freeze or kink
  • The 950 model is not for iron water; do not install it on well water with iron

How it works

In service, water passes the integrated sediment filter and the resin bed and out through a turbine that the controller reads to count gallons. Using the compensated hardness (raw hardness plus about 5 gpg per ppm of ferrous iron), the controller decides when to regenerate. Two salt modes are offered: high efficiency (the default, smaller and more frequent salt doses) and high capacity (larger doses, fewer regenerations).

Regeneration is numbered on the display: 01 first backwash (a fast upflow that lifts the resin and flushes trapped sediment out of the filter screen to drain), 02 brine draw and slow rinse, 03 second backwash, 04 brine refill, then HO for service. Because the refill is the last step, the brine cabinet holds water for the next regeneration.

The controller drives the valve through a motor on the drive end cap and watches a home position. If it cannot find home (E1), the motor does not respond (E2), it starts away from home (E3) or the drive sticks at home (E4, usually a stripped or unengaged gear or debris in the valve), it shows an error and stops. E5 is a controller memory failure. Power is 12 V AC from a plug-in transformer.

powerClean mode is for high-iron water: it forces a regeneration every other day with about 5 lb of salt regardless of use, and is meant to run for at least two weeks together with an iron/resin cleaner. A waterMizer flow indicator lights whenever water moves through the unit, which makes it a quick leak detector.

Components & tests

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OnCall Tech is a reference tool for trained technicians and can make mistakes. Always disconnect power and confirm with the manufacturer's documentation before you work. © 2026 OnCall Tech. Original content; not a reproduction of any manufacturer document.Generic part photos (not of this brand): Water softener resin tank with its control valve next to a storage tank by రవిచంద్ర (Ravichandra), CC BY-SA 4.0

Diagnostic guides for this appliance

Guide · Water Softener

Softener brine tank stays dry (no water to make brine)

First decide whether the tank is supposed to look dry: some valves (Clack pre-fill, some cabinet units) keep little water between cycles, while Fleck 5600-style post-fill units should hold several inches of water after every regeneration. If it should have water, the usual causes are a plugged brine line flow control, a stuck float/brine valve, a brine line leak sucking air, a too-short fill time, or a valve that never reaches the refill step.

8 steps ~45 minmoderate
Guide · Water Softener

Softener keeps running water to drain (stuck in regeneration or leaking in service)

Flow to drain is normal only during a regeneration (usually about 1.5-2 hours, overnight). If it continues, either the valve is stuck in a regeneration position (power loss, stalled motor, seized piston) or worn piston seals are leaking service water to drain. Bypass first to stop the waste, then decide which it is.

8 steps ~60 minmoderate
Guide · Water Softener

UV water system alarm, beeping or lamp out

Most UV alarms are the lamp-life countdown reaching zero or a timer that was not reset after a lamp change. A true lamp-failure alarm, a ballast fault or a low-UV reading on a monitored unit means water may not be disinfected: treat the water as unsafe until the cause is fixed and the plumbing is shocked. Exact alarm patterns and reset steps differ by controller, so confirm on the unit's label or manual.

8 steps ~60 minmoderate

Other water softeners & filters manuals

Manual · Water Softener

Fleck 5600SXT metered softener valve: quick sheet

Fleck 5600SXT electronic control on the 5600 piston valve (3/4" or 1" bypass), downflow and upflow softeners and timer filters. Sold under many dealer and online brands; the valve is identified by the Fleck label and the three-button SXT face (Extra Cycle, Up, Down). Mechanical 5600 timers share the valve body but not the electronics.

9 components7 common failuresFleck (Pentair)
Manual · Water Softener

Clack WS1 softener valve (CS, CI, EI and twin variants): quick sheet

Clack Water Specialist WS1 and WS1.25 control valves on residential softeners and backwashing filters: CS (non-programmable OEM-set), CI and EI programmable boards, and twin/alternating setups with an MAV. Sold under many dealer brands; recognised by the red bypass knobs and the Clack/Water Specialist face.

9 components7 common failuresClack
Manual · Water Softener

Whirlpool (WHES) and GE cabinet softeners from big-box stores: quick sheet

All-in-one cabinet softeners sold at home centers: Whirlpool WHES series (WHES30/40/44/48 family; built by Ecodyne Water Systems, later Water Channel Partners per the manuals) and GE GXSH/GXMH series. Kenmore cabinet units from the same maker share most of the design. Not for dealer two-tank systems.

8 components7 common failuresWhirlpool, GE
WaterBoss compact softeners (550, 700, 900 Big Boss, 950 City Boss): quick sheet · OnCall Tech