Clack WS1 & WS1.25 Installation & Startup Guide (2026)

This is the installation and startup guide for the Clack water softener on the WS1 (1″) or WS1.25 (1.25″) EE control valve, written from the installs our team supports every week. It covers identifying your valve, checking the shipment, tank prep, plumbing, the brine line, startup, programming, how to confirm it's working, and troubleshooting. Everything below follows our 2026 installation guide; download it to keep at the install site.

For valve exploded drawings and part numbers, Clack's own WS1 service manual is the reference. This guide covers installing and starting up the complete softener as we ship it.

Which control valve do I have?

Both valves use the same EE display, buttons and programming. The differences are internal porting and distributor tube size, and they matter in exactly one programming step (2CS).

1. Before you start

Check the packing list

• EE control valve and mineral tank. The drain line flow control (DLFC) is attached at the valve before shipping; confirm it's in place.
• Softener resin (see the tank prep table below for what's preloaded and what ships in bags).
• Brine tank, safety float assembly, 3/8″ brine tubing and the EZsalt Smart Sensor.
• Bypass valve and two fittings.
• 50′ coil of ½″ ID poly drain line tubing.
• 12V power adapter.
• Funnel, included only when the resin isn't preloaded.

There is no gravel in the tank in any configuration. The resin bead size makes an underbed unnecessary; older guides that call for gravel don't apply to these systems.

Tools

Pipe cutter and solvent-weld tools as appropriate for your plumbing, adjustable wrenches, channel locks, Teflon tape, a bucket and towels, and a garden hose.

2. Tank preparation (before any plumbing)

1. Check the shipment against the packing list and tank prep table, and do the weight check above.
2. If resin has to be loaded on site: the distributor tube doesn't ship capped, so tape over the top or stuff a clean rag in the opening first, so no resin falls down the tube.
3. Add the resin with the included funnel.
4. Remove the tape or rag carefully, without pulling the distributor tube up.
5. Apply a small amount of vegetable oil or silicone grease to the tank threads. Never petroleum grease, Vaseline or pipe-joint compound; they attack the valve's O-rings.
6. Screw the control valve onto the tank by hand until snug. Don't use a pipe wrench.

3. Plumbing and piping

1. Connect the bypass valve to the plumbing, following the in/out arrows on the valve body.
2. Optional but recommended: a gate or ball valve before and after the softener for easier servicing later.
3. Optional: a hose bib after the softener and before the final shut-off, for rinsing at startup and hardness testing.
4. Run the included 50′ drain line (½″ ID) to an approved drain with the air gap your local code requires. The line can run up and over before dropping to the drain.
5. Don't solder copper directly to the plastic bypass. Finish all soldering first, and keep joints at least 6″ from any drain fitting.

The bypass valve has four positions: Normal, Bypass, Diagnostic and Shut-Off. Arrows on the body show the flow for each, and it works identically on the WS1 and WS1.25.

4. Brine line

1. Connect the 3/8″ brine tubing from the brine tank to the refill elbow on top of the valve.
2. Point the elbow toward the brine tank, push the tubing into the fitting and hand-tighten the nut. It seals on an O-ring: no Teflon tape, pipe dope or sealant.
3. High-capacity systems (typically a WS1.25 with a larger injector) may use an optional ½″ refill line for a faster brine draw; check your order.

5. Brine tank setup

1. Add about 5 gallons of water to the brine tank.
2. Fill with salt up to the tank's rated capacity. Extra coarse salt or potassium chloride both work.
3. Set up the EZsalt Smart Sensor per its instructions and pair it with your phone for low-salt alerts.

6. Initial rinse and startup

1. Close the valve after the softener. Connect a garden hose to the hose bib (or use an unaerated indoor fixture) and open it.
2. Slowly open the main water supply and run until the water is clear. Check every connection for leaks.
3. Plug in the control valve and set the time of day (section 7).
4. Hold REGEN for 3–5 seconds to start a manual regeneration.
5. Stay with the system through every cycle, about 90 minutes: backwash, brine draw, second backwash, rinse and refill. Check fittings, unions and connections for leaks throughout, not just at the end.
6. Confirm the brine tank draws down partway through and refills at the end.

7. Programming the EE control valve

Set the time of day

Press NEXT until the time screen shows, hold ▼ until SET TIME flashes, set the hour with ▲/▼, press NEXT, set the minutes, then press NEXT to exit.

Softener programming

8. How to confirm it's working

• After the first regeneration the display returns to the normal service view (gallons or days remaining).
• A hardness test strip at the hose bib reads 0 grains.
• The brine tank drew down partway and refilled with water at the end.
• No leaks at any union, the bypass or any fitting after running water for several minutes.
• The bypass handles point in the direction of the engraved arrows for normal operation.

9. Troubleshooting

Replacement pistons, seals, injectors, DLFCs and bypass parts are in our Clack parts collection.

10. Warranty and support

5-year limited warranty on the control valve and 10-year limited warranty on the tanks, plus free replacement parts for life on this system through Aqua Home Supply. If anything in this guide doesn't match what's in front of you, stop and call before guessing: 1-800-374-2143 or support@aquahomesupply.com.

The systems this guide covers: Clack WS1 water softener · Clack WS 1.25 EE water softener · Clack WS1 softener + carbon filter. Compare models and sizing on the Clack water softeners page.

Aqua Home Supply is not responsible for damage to any system, residence or business resulting from incorrect installation.