Process control and softening valves for automated treatment trains.
Control Valves for Automated Water Treatment
Control valves are critical components in automated water treatment systems, particularly for water softening applications. They manage the operational cycles of ion exchange systems, ensuring consistent treated water quality and efficient regeneration.
Automated Service and Regeneration Cycles
In water softening, control valves direct the flow of water through the resin bed during the service cycle, where hardness ions are removed. When the resin capacity is exhausted, the valve initiates and manages the regeneration sequence. This sequence typically includes:
Backwash: Reverses flow to lift and clean the resin bed, removing suspended solids and repacking the resin.
Brine Draw: Introduces a concentrated salt solution (brine) to the resin, displacing hardness ions.
Slow Rinse: Flushes residual brine slowly through the resin bed.
Fast Rinse: Rinses the resin bed at a higher flow rate to remove remaining brine and prepare for service.
Brine Refill: Replenishes the brine tank with water to dissolve salt for the next regeneration.
Control Methods
Control valves offer two primary methods for initiating regeneration:
Metered Control: This demand-based method tracks the volume of water treated. Regeneration is triggered only when a preset volume has passed, optimizing salt and water usage by regenerating only when necessary.
Timed Control: This calendar-based method initiates regeneration at predetermined intervals (e.g., every few days or at specific times), regardless of the actual water volume treated. This is suitable for applications with predictable water usage or where a fixed regeneration schedule is preferred.
System Integration
These valves are designed for seamless integration with resin tanks and internal distributor systems. They feature ports for inlet, outlet, drain, and brine line connections, ensuring precise control over the flow paths during both service and regeneration phases.
Capacity Selection and System Design
Selecting the appropriate control valve involves considering several hydraulic and operational parameters:
Line Size: The valve's connection size must match the system's plumbing to minimize pressure drop and ensure adequate flow.
Injector Sizing: For brine draw, the injector (or eductor) must be correctly sized to create the necessary vacuum for drawing brine from the tank at the required rate.
Drain Line Limits: The system's drain capacity must accommodate the peak flow rates during backwash and rinse cycles to prevent backpressure.
Brine Systems
Control valves interface directly with brine tanks, which store the salt solution essential for resin regeneration. The valve's brine draw mechanism ensures the correct volume and concentration of brine are delivered to the resin bed during the regeneration cycle.
Final Verification
For precise system design and performance assurance, engineers must consult the specific hydraulic and electrical data provided by the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) for each valve model. This includes detailed flow curves, pressure drop characteristics, and electrical requirements to ensure compatibility and optimal operation within the overall water treatment plant.
Indexed coverage:China-based brands 2 · International brands 5 · Total 7
China-based brands
Runxin
China-based
Brand profile
Runxin is a Wenzhou-based Chinese water-treatment control-valve manufacturer with more than 25 years of industry experience and trademark registrations across many markets. Its product range covers filter backwash valves, softener valves, cabinet softeners, ball valves, and related residential and system components, making it important for cost-sensitive packaged softening and filtration equipment. Runxin Control Valves's position in control valves is defined by product families such as softener valves, filter valves, regeneration controls, and automated service/backwash valve platforms. The portfolio is best understood inside softening, filtration, residential and commercial pretreatment, small plant automation, and packaged treatment trains, where engineers compare the technology route, family boundaries, and duty fit before narrowing to individual models. First-screening cues are valve size, flow capacity, regeneration logic, brine or tank fit, and spare-parts support. These cues help users understand the brand's strongest fit before moving into the model index and product cards for finer comparison.
Canature WaterGroup is a North American water-conditioning manufacturer with more than 50 years in business, a large ISO 9001:2015 certified manufacturing facility, and residential, commercial, and component product lines. In control valves and softening systems it is relevant where dealers need integrated cabinets, valves, tanks, RO components, media, and private-label manufacturing support. Canature Water Treatment Controls's position in control valves is defined by product families such as softener valves, filter valves, regeneration controls, and automated service/backwash valve platforms. The portfolio is best understood inside softening, filtration, residential and commercial pretreatment, small plant automation, and packaged treatment trains, where engineers compare the technology route, family boundaries, and duty fit before narrowing to individual models. First-screening cues are valve size, flow capacity, regeneration logic, brine or tank fit, and spare-parts support. These cues help users understand the brand's strongest fit before moving into the model index and product cards for finer comparison.
Each brand card links to a brand profile with model profiles and datasheet entries.
Autotrol Control Valves
International
Brand profile
Pentair is a broad water equipment group whose water-treatment brands include control valves, softening components, filter housings and cartridges, pumps, membrane housings, and X-Flow membrane modules. Its influence comes from installed-base breadth: many residential, commercial, industrial, and packaged water systems are designed around Pentair components, so selection often depends on service parts, controls, and compatibility as much as on the individual product rating. Autotrol Control Valves's position in control valves is defined by product families such as Automatic Flow Control Valves and Spare Parts. The portfolio is best understood inside softening, filtration, residential and commercial pretreatment, small plant automation, and packaged treatment trains, where engineers compare the technology route, family boundaries, and duty fit before narrowing to individual models. Representative series on this page include Autotrol 255 / 460, Autotrol 255 Logix and Autotrol 368. First-screening cues are valve size, flow capacity, regeneration logic, brine or tank fit, and spare-parts support. These cues help users understand the brand's strongest fit before moving into the model index and product cards for finer comparison.
Clack Corporation is an OEM-focused water-treatment component manufacturer known for control valves, mineral and retention tanks, brine systems, filter housings, RO accessories, and filtration media. Its WS control valves are positioned for flexible high-flow softening and filtration applications, so selection should focus on valve platform, programming, stack technology, service parts, and tank compatibility. Clack Control Valves's position in control valves is defined by product families such as 1" Control Valve, 1,25" Control Valve, 1,5" Control Valve and 2" Control Valve. The portfolio is best understood inside softening, filtration, residential and commercial pretreatment, small plant automation, and packaged treatment trains, where engineers compare the technology route, family boundaries, and duty fit before narrowing to individual models. Representative series on this page include Clack 2572 WS1, Clack 2607 WS1CS and Clack 2610 WS1CI. First-screening cues are valve size, flow capacity, regeneration logic, brine or tank fit, and spare-parts support. These cues help users understand the brand's strongest fit before moving into the model index and product cards for finer comparison.
Pentair is a broad water equipment group whose water-treatment brands include control valves, softening components, filter housings and cartridges, pumps, membrane housings, and X-Flow membrane modules. Its influence comes from installed-base breadth: many residential, commercial, industrial, and packaged water systems are designed around Pentair components, so selection often depends on service parts, controls, and compatibility as much as on the individual product rating. Pentair Control Valves's position in control valves is defined by product families such as Fleck Control Valves, SIATA Control Valves, Autotrol Control Valves and Valve Controllers. The portfolio is best understood inside softening, filtration, residential and commercial pretreatment, small plant automation, and packaged treatment trains, where engineers compare the technology route, family boundaries, and duty fit before narrowing to individual models. Representative series on this page include Fleck 2750, Fleck 2850 and Fleck 2910. First-screening cues are valve size, flow capacity, regeneration logic, brine or tank fit, and spare-parts support. These cues help users understand the brand's strongest fit before moving into the model index and product cards for finer comparison.
Pentair is a broad water equipment group whose water-treatment brands include control valves, softening components, filter housings and cartridges, pumps, membrane housings, and X-Flow membrane modules. Its influence comes from installed-base breadth: many residential, commercial, industrial, and packaged water systems are designed around Pentair components, so selection often depends on service parts, controls, and compatibility as much as on the individual product rating. Pentair Water Softeners's position in control valves is defined by product families such as Fleck valve LT-compact softener › Power, Fleck valve LT-compact softener › TWIN Softeners - one valve & two tanks softeners, Fleck valve LT-compact softener › High Performance Control Valve and Fleck valve LT-compact softener › Network Controller. The portfolio is best understood inside softening, filtration, residential and commercial pretreatment, small plant automation, and packaged treatment trains, where engineers compare the technology route, family boundaries, and duty fit before narrowing to individual models. Representative series on this page include Fleck 5600, Fleck 5600 SXT and Fleck 6700 XTR. First-screening cues are valve size, flow capacity, regeneration logic, brine or tank fit, and spare-parts support. These cues help users understand the brand's strongest fit before moving into the model index and product cards for finer comparison.
Pentair is a broad water equipment group whose water-treatment brands include control valves, softening components, filter housings and cartridges, pumps, membrane housings, and X-Flow membrane modules. Its influence comes from installed-base breadth: many residential, commercial, industrial, and packaged water systems are designed around Pentair components, so selection often depends on service parts, controls, and compatibility as much as on the individual product rating. Siata Control Valves's position in control valves is defined by product families such as Valves and Controllers. The portfolio is best understood inside softening, filtration, residential and commercial pretreatment, small plant automation, and packaged treatment trains, where engineers compare the technology route, family boundaries, and duty fit before narrowing to individual models. Representative series on this page include V132A Softener Body, V230A Softener Body and V240A Softener valve body. First-screening cues are valve size, flow capacity, regeneration logic, brine or tank fit, and spare-parts support. These cues help users understand the brand's strongest fit before moving into the model index and product cards for finer comparison.
