WS-P213

Overview

The Hobart WS-P213 is a water softening system covered by Hobart’s water softener installation instructions and replacement-parts catalog. Its manual explains that the system removes hardness from water and regenerates its softener media using salt or potassium chloride solution held in a brine drum. It includes specifications for both overdrive and alternating operation. The manual is prepared for trained Hobart Service Technicians and cautions that it is not intended for people who are not properly qualified.

Key Features

• Brine regeneration: During the brine rinse cycle, solution is drawn from the brine drum through the softener media to regenerate it.
• Adjustable brine delivery: The amount of solution drawn is set with an adjuster tube. The float cup height controls how much softened water returns to the brine drum to prepare for the next regeneration.
• Selectable meter disc: The correct disc is selected according to compensated hardness and operating mode. The manual provides disc tables for overdrive and alternating operation.
• Plumbing connections: Installation instructions cover inlet and outlet adapters, a bypass valve, connecting pipes, drain plumbing, and the brine drum.

Specifications

• Operating modes covered: Overdrive operation and alternating operation.
• Salt usage per regeneration: 15 lb or 25 lb.
• Capacity: 60,000 grains at the 15 lb salt setting; 70,000 grains at the 25 lb salt setting. These figures are listed for both overdrive and alternating operation.
• Efficiency: 4,000 grains/lb at the 15 lb salt setting; 2,800 grains/lb at the 25 lb salt setting. Listed for both operating modes.
• Dosing: 6.0 lb/cu. ft. at the 15 lb salt setting; 10.0 lb/cu. ft. at the 25 lb salt setting. Listed for both operating modes.
• Float cup setting: 10.5 in. at the 15 lb salt setting; 12 in. at the 25 lb salt setting. Listed for both operating modes.
• Compensated hardness calculation: Hardness in grains per gallon plus three times ferrous iron in mg/L: compensated hardness (gpg) = hardness (gpg) + [3 × Fe (mg/L)].
• Overdrive disc selection:
  • Disc numbers 1–8, in order, have compensated-hardness values of 5, 10, 14, 17, 21, 25, 30, and 35 at 15 lb salt.
  • Disc numbers 1–8, in order, have compensated-hardness values of 6, 12, 16, 20, 24, 30, 35, and 40 at 25 lb salt.
  • Peak flow during regeneration for discs 1–8, in order: 28.0, 28.0, 28.0, 20.7, 15.7, 12.4, 10.0, and 8.3. The manual does not show a unit for these values in the supplied text.
• Alternating-operation disc selection:
  • Disc numbers 1–8, in order, have compensated-hardness values of 6, 12, 18, 24, 30, 35, 40, and 45 at 15 lb salt.
  • Disc numbers 1–8, in order, have compensated-hardness values of 7, 14, 21, 28, 34, 40, 45, and 51 at 25 lb salt.
  • Flow during regeneration at 15 psig for discs 1–8, in order: 20, 20, 20, 20, 15.7, 12.4, 10.0, and 8.3. The supplied text does not state a unit for these values.
  • Gallons per regeneration for discs 1–8, in order: 8,922; 4,461; 2,974; 2,231; 1,784; 1,487; 1,275; and 1,115.

Installation & Requirements

The Hobart instructions are for trained service technicians. They direct the installer to disconnect electrical power to the machine and follow lockout/tagout procedures. The WS-P213 should be placed on a flat surface. If sand, silt, or turbidity is present, the manual calls for a separate prefilter.

Install bypass valving and observe the inlet and outlet arrows on the valve head. Connect the inlet and outlet adapters to the softener using properly sized plumbing, then complete the plumbing needed for the bypass valve. The manual notes that bypass-valve installation can vary and must follow applicable state and local codes. For plastic components installed in line, it recommends putting grounding straps in place before cutting the lines so the ground is not broken.

Do not solder brass adapters while they are inserted in the module base; heat can damage plastic and rubber parts. Keep solder and flux away from the media tanks, control module, and related components. Once plumbing is complete, but before connecting equipment, open the bypass and flush the inlet and outlet lines to rinse out debris.

The supplied installation kit contains four O-rings, two pipes with O-rings, and a silicone packet. Apply silicone to the O-rings and fit them to the inlet/outlet adapters. Connect the main tank with the softener valve to the adapters and secure it with the plastic E-clips; confirm all three tabs on each clip are fully inserted. Connect the remote tank to the main tank with the connector pipes, links, and pins, using both links and pins.

Run a drain line to the discharge point and follow local codes. Check for obstructions or kinks before connecting the unit. The manual specifies Teflon tape on the pipe threads at the side of the softener valve before fitting the supplied fittings and connecting the drain line. Provide an air gap for drain lines as required by applicable plumbing codes. For a drain line that must travel more than 8 ft up and 30 ft over, the manual recommends placing the 5/8 in. drain line that fits the valve inside a larger-diameter line or pipe. Where brine-drum overflow could cause damage, install a 1/2 in. I.D. overflow line on the drum’s barbed overflow fitting and connect it to a drain; the drain must not be higher than the fitting.

Operation

The brine drum stores salt or potassium chloride solution used to regenerate the softener media. During the brine rinse cycle, the solution is drawn through the media. The adjuster tube sets how much solution is drawn, while float cup height sets how much softened water returns to the brine drum for the next regeneration.

To determine the settings, test raw water at the installation site for hardness and iron. The manual identifies the Pro Products #2401 Field Analysis Kit as its recommended test kit. Calculate compensated hardness by multiplying ferrous iron in mg/L by three and adding the result to hardness in grains per gallon. Use the compensated-hardness result and the applicable disc-selection table to determine the salt setting and meter disc. Then use the WS-P213 brine-valve settings table to set the adjuster tube and float cup: the adjuster tube setting is 1.25 for the 15 lb salt setting and K for the 25 lb setting; the corresponding float cup heights are 10.5 in. and 12 in.

The adjuster tube is set by cutting and removing tabs on both sides. Cut horizontally along the channel in the plastic and break off tabs individually until the required setting is reached; the remaining number or letter on the tab identifies the setting. Set float cup height by measuring from the base of the brine valve assembly to the top of the float cup. Do not drop the brine valve assembly into the drum, as this can lower the float cup and alter its setting. Position the assembly in the brine well with the 3/8 in. bent tube along the back of the well, away from the drum wall. The tube snaps into a notch and extends about 1 in. from the brine drum.

Cleaning & Maintenance

When changing a meter disc, the manual directs the technician to remove the level-one cap cover, balance piston, balance piston O-ring and spring, meter drive pawl, and meter disc. Install the selected disc and reassemble in reverse order. Confirm all components are correctly installed. Start cap screws by turning them backward until they drop into the thread, then tighten in an alternating, crossing pattern to ensure the cap fits correctly.

Add a clean grade of salt. The manual recommends higher grades of pelletized salt for purity and solubility, and specifically says not to use rock salt or solar salt. For iron-bearing water, it recommends salt containing resin-cleaning additives.

For startup after plumbing and adjustments, open the inlet valve slowly so the tanks fill slowly. Water will run to the drain until the unit is full and pressurized. With the unit in service and under pressure, allow the brine drum to fill until the brine valve shuts off. Once fully pressurized, purge air from the lines by opening the soft-water outlet. Check for plumbing leaks and verify proper operation.

Applications

The WS-P213 is identified in the supplied documentation as a Hobart water softening system for commercial kitchen equipment. Its installation instructions describe connecting the softener into water plumbing before connecting equipment. The manual’s disc-selection procedure lets a qualified technician match the setting to measured incoming-water hardness and iron levels.