Autotrol 1550-TC Softener

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jmlubs
Most softeners regenerated on time. Some had a 6 day , 7 day or 12 day clock. Depending on the hardness of your water (expressed in grains per gallon), the average family used roughly 50 gallons of water per day, this was the bases of sizing a softener. You would have to do a water hardness test, take the grains per gallon multiply by the number of people in the household plus one if you have a dishwasher,multiply by 50 gallons = Number grains per gallon to removed per day. Take the size of your softener and divide by number grains per gallon per day useage = frequency of regeneration.

I don't know your softener size or how may are in your family, Once a week might be alright for the frequency of regeneration. You could do a simple soap test while hand washing in the sink, look at the soap if you have alot of suds, water is soft, if alot of cruds water is hard. Then increase the frequency of regeneration. You may increase the regeneration if you got company staying over a few days.

Some softeners work on the principle of number of people and water usage (they have a little water meter on the discharge of them, that measures number of gallons) One trade name is Meter matic.

Some watersofteners use electronics, by passing a current into the water and measuring hardness. Regenerating only as required. These models save salt. With a trace of iron in the water these models seem to fail early. I have a meter matic style in my house and would say away from the sensematic models.

Other guys may try you sell salt free softeners and these are snake oil salesmen. They don't work.
It would be nice not to lug all that salt into the basement.

You cannot set your softener to regenerate once a month, you would have to have "The Mother Of All Softeners" to paraphrase someone in history.

John Boy
P.S. Read your manual, it will probably take one and one-half to two hours to regenerate. Using roughly 50-60 gallons per regeneration.