Fleck 5600 Econominder Mechanically Metered Water Softeners

Fleck 5600 Econominder Maintenance

Add salt (or potassium) as needed based on usage. Mineral and brine tanks generally last a lifetime unless damaged by weather, acts of God, improper installation, or excessive water pressure above 80 PSI. The 8% crosslink resin lasts 5-10 years under average operation; water quality affects longevity.

SoftPro RO Maintenance

Bottom three filters (sediment + carbon) every 6-12 months, alkalizing filter every 1-2 years, RO membrane every 2-3 years — water quality affects these timelines.

Whole House Catalytic Upflow Carbon Filter Maintenance

Carbon media lasts 5-10 years under typical use. Adding ½ cup of household non-perfumed bleach cleaner to the system once a year helps the media perform better; no other regular maintenance needed. On a private well: like any carbon filter, piston, spacers, and seals can wear or stick if iron, sediment, or manganese are present — these parts are generally inexpensive to replace.

Warranty (Fleck Water Softeners and Filters):

5-year warranty on the control valve (excludes wear parts like piston, spacers, seals), 10-year warranty on tanks, 1-year warranty on the distributor, no warranty on resin.

Warranty (Whole House Filter Systems):

Limited lifetime warranty on the control valve (excludes wear parts and circuit board/injectors), lifetime warranty on the tank, no warranty on media.

Warranty (SoftPro Green RO Water System):

5-year manufacturer warranty.

Installation:

Our systems can be installed by a local plumber, a handyman, or DIY.

Want more programming control? Check out the popular Fleck 5600 SXT instead.

This system eliminates the hard water causing scale buildup and dragging down your soap's efficiency — a complete whole-house softening setup running on the higher-efficiency Fleck 5600 mechanical metered control valve. Kill the hard water, and you extend the life of your plumbing and appliances right along with it.

It uses a mechanical water metering system that keeps working even during a power failure — no batteries, no backup capacitor needed, because there's nothing electronic to lose power to. The metered design still gives you high-efficiency regeneration to cut salt use. Standard setup is a two-tank configuration with a separate poly brine tank.

Features:

• Removes hard water — ion exchange strips out the calcium and magnesium causing the problem
• Extends the life of your plumbing and appliances
• Meter-based regeneration — measures actual water use to determine regen cycles; higher demand means more frequent regeneration to keep up
• Genuinely easy mechanical design
• User-friendly, effortlessly programmable controls
• Economical — minimal annual power consumption
• Handles flow rates up to 20 gallons/minute
• 7 GPM backwash rate
• Durable, non-corrosive, UV-resistant, fiber-reinforced poly valve body
• Double backwash design
• Saves up to 50% on salt
• Uses less water
• Lower maintenance cost than electronic controls
• 5-year valve warranty

Unit includes:

Fleck 5600 Econominder mechanical metered valve, mineral tank (10-year warranty), poly brine tank, ¾" or 1" bypass valve, 8% high-capacity resin, media funnel (64,000 grain only), and free lifetime technical support.

Sizing options:

24,000 / 32,000 / 40,000 / 48,000 / 64,000 grains.

Full specs by capacity:

• 24,000 grains — 7 GPM flow rate, 8x44 mineral tank, 18x33 brine tank (safety float, grid plate, brine well), 0.75 cuft of WQA Gold Seal NSF-approved 8% high-capacity resin, ¾" or 1" bypass valve, preloaded
• 32,000 grains — 9 GPM flow rate, 9x48 mineral tank, 18x33 brine tank, 1.0 cuft resin, preloaded
• 40,000 grains — 11 GPM flow rate, 10x44 mineral tank, 18x33 brine tank, 1.25 cuft resin, preloaded
• 48,000 grains — 13 GPM flow rate, 10x54 mineral tank, 18x33 brine tank, 1.5 cuft resin, preloaded
• 64,000 grains — 15 GPM flow rate, 12x52 mineral tank, 18x33 brine tank, 2.0 cuft resin, preloaded, ships with a media funnel to add resin on install

Approvals:

WQA Gold Seal systems, NSF Standard 44 certified, UL registered component.

The recurring theme: people replacing 15-20-year-old softeners (often another Fleck) with this one, and reporting the same reliable performance they remember. DIY installs typically run 1-3 hours with basic plumbing skills, with several reviewers specifically praising the mechanical meter's simplicity over fumbling through digital settings. A handful mentioned the printed instructions could be more detailed, particularly for less common configurations, but consistently credited fast, responsive phone and email support for filling the gaps.

Dependable performance · Easy programmability · Flow rates up to 20 gallons per minute · Older-style (but easy-to-use) mechanical meter design · Efficient salt usage, 5 & 10-year warranties (valve and tanks) · Energy efficient · Manufactured by one of the most trusted brands in the industry

What We Don't Like:

Older mechanical design, limited warranties.

Best For:

Residential properties with predictable water flow demands; those looking for an entry-level system from a well-known brand.

Review Summary:

"If it's not broken, don't fix it." The Fleck 5600 Econominder is the original, non-digital 5600 water softener that Fleck is known for — a long-time bestseller in millions of homes, delivering reliable water softening at an entry-level price point. It loses points on the old-fashioned mechanical valve control, which doesn't match the efficiency or programming options of today's newer LCD digitally metered softeners. But if you want the greatest upfront savings and the brand recognition of Fleck, this is genuinely hard to beat.

Bottom Line:

If you want an inexpensive, dependable water softener that's not quite as advanced or efficient as newer systems, the Econominder is a practical choice. If long-term savings matter more to you, consider a higher-efficiency system instead.

Every purchase through our LoveWater Partnership provides a family with clean water for a full year. Clean water for you. Clean water for someone who needs it. Same order.

Fleck 5600 Econominder Maintenance

Add salt (or potassium) as needed based on usage. Mineral and brine tanks generally last a lifetime unless damaged by weather, acts of God, improper installation, or excessive water pressure above 80 PSI. The 8% crosslink resin lasts 5-10 years under average operation; water quality affects longevity.

SoftPro RO Maintenance

Bottom three filters (sediment + carbon) every 6-12 months, alkalizing filter every 1-2 years, RO membrane every 2-3 years — water quality affects these timelines.

Whole House Catalytic Upflow Carbon Filter Maintenance

Carbon media lasts 5-10 years under typical use. Adding ½ cup of household non-perfumed bleach cleaner to the system once a year helps the media perform better; no other regular maintenance needed. On a private well: like any carbon filter, piston, spacers, and seals can wear or stick if iron, sediment, or manganese are present — these parts are generally inexpensive to replace.

Warranty (Fleck Water Softeners and Filters):

5-year warranty on the control valve (excludes wear parts like piston, spacers, seals), 10-year warranty on tanks, 1-year warranty on the distributor, no warranty on resin.

Warranty (Whole House Filter Systems):

Limited lifetime warranty on the control valve (excludes wear parts and circuit board/injectors), lifetime warranty on the tank, no warranty on media.

Warranty (SoftPro Green RO Water System):

5-year manufacturer warranty.

Installation:

Our systems can be installed by a local plumber, a handyman, or DIY.