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Fleck 5600SXT Manual: Programming Guide
This Fleck 5600SXT manual guide gives the button sequences, programming screens, cycle times and error codes from Fleck manual 42684 Rev B, notes where Pentair's later manuals differ, and asks you to match your board.
By the Water Softener Guide editors · Updated
Disclosure: watersoftenerguide.net is owned by the team behind SoftPro Water Systems and Quality Water Treatment, which sell some of the parts and systems we link to. Our steps follow the makers' manuals and published instructions, checked October 2026. Always check your own model's manual first. Ownership disclosure
View at Quality Water Treatment
On this page
- Which Fleck 5600SXT manual matches your valve?
- What do the 5600SXT display and buttons do?
- How do you change user settings on a 5600SXT?
- How do you enter Fleck 5600SXT master programming?
- What cycle times does the 5600SXT use?
- What do Fleck 5600SXT error codes mean?
- How do you reset a 5600SXT?
- Common questions
Key takeaways
- Every step and code here is tagged with its source: Fleck 5600SXT service manual P/N 42684 Rev B (2008), Pentair's SXT timer manual 42713 Rev K (2016) or Pentair's 5600SXT system manual 4005293 Rev B (2022).
- Master programming (42684): set the clock to 12:01 PM, press Extra Cycle, then hold Up and Down until the DF screen appears.
- User settings (42684): hold Up and Down for 5 seconds while the time is anything but 12:01 PM.
- Each regeneration step takes 0 to 199 minutes or OFF; OFF also cancels every later step (42684).
- Err 0 and Err 1 mean different things in 42684 and in Pentair's 4005293 manual, so read the code against the manual for your board.
- Quality Water Treatment's install guide programs BW 10, BD 60, RR 10 and BF 12 minutes on a 32,000-grain system.
Fleck 5600SXT numbers, with their manuals
- 12:01 PMClock setting that unlocks master programmingFleck 5600SXT service manual 42684
- 0–199 minRange for each regeneration step, or OFFFleck 5600SXT service manual 42684
- 25 sHold Extra Cycle and Down for a soft resetFleck 5600SXT service manual 42684
- 6 minValve travel time that triggers Err 0 (cam sense)Pentair 4005293 Rev B
- 99 daysDays without regeneration that trigger Err 2Pentair 4005293 Rev B
Which Fleck 5600SXT manual matches your valve?
Use the manual printed for your control and board, and check its part number and revision before following any step. Three maker documents cover the 5600SXT control, and they mostly agree on buttons but not on every error code or time-out.
| Document | Part number and date | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Fleck Model 5600SXT Downflow Service Manual | 42684 Rev B, 6/25/08 | Main source here: programming, resets, error codes |
| Fleck SXT Timer Service Manual | 42713 Rev K, 2016 | SXT control on several valves; later error-code wording |
| Pentair 5600SXT Softener System Operation Manual | 4005293 Rev B, 2022 | Pentair's own VT-11-01, VT-17-01 and VT-23-01 systems |
| Quality Water Treatment Fleck 5600SXT Install Guide | v2021a | The values that store programs on the units it sells |
For other valves, start at the water softener settings guide.
What do the 5600SXT display and buttons do?
The control has three buttons: Extra Cycle, Up and Down. Extra Cycle accepts a value and moves on, and also starts manual regenerations; Up and Down change the number on screen, and pressed together they open the programming menus.
The 42684 manual describes several flashing displays that are normal:
- Step number flashing: the valve is still driving to that regeneration step.
- Flow indicator flashing: water is passing through the meter.
- Service icon flashing: a regeneration is queued for the next regeneration time.
- Time of day flashing: the power has been off; press any button to stop it.
A flashing "Err" code is a fault, covered below.
How do you change user settings on a 5600SXT?
Hold Up and Down together for 5 seconds while the valve is in service and the clock reads anything except 12:01 PM; that opens user mode in the 42684 manual. Press Extra Cycle to accept each screen. The 42684 manual says the timer discards changes and leaves user mode after sixty seconds with no button press, and that some screens may not appear, depending on configuration.
- Day override (DO). The most days allowed between regenerations. Pentair's 4005293 manual gives Off to 99 days; Quality Water Treatment programs 14.
- Regeneration time (RT). When a delayed, queued or day-override cycle starts. Quality Water Treatment enters 2:00 am, or any hour the house is quiet. The manuals state no factory default, so check yours.
- Feedwater hardness (H). Grains per gallon; 4005293 lists 1 to 199. Convert mg/L by dividing by 17.1 and rounding up, as SoftPro's Elite install guide advises (Nebraska Extension's hardness table lines up 1 gpg with 17.1 mg/L), and see the hardness testing guide.
- Reserve capacity (RC). The fixed reserve, where the system uses one.
- Current day (CD). Used by the day-of-week control type.
For 2 to 3 ppm of clear-water iron, Quality Water Treatment's guide sets DO to 7 and cuts one more day if stains continue; above that range it calls for an iron filter.
How do you enter Fleck 5600SXT master programming?
Master programming holds the settings that define the system, and the 42684 manual opens each page of it with a caution to contact your local water dealer first. Its entry sequence:
- Set the time of day to 12:01 PM.
- Press Extra Cycle to leave the clock setting.
- Hold Up and Down together until the programming icon replaces the service icon and the Display Format (DF) screen appears.
Press Extra Cycle to accept each screen; at the last one the control saves and exits. The 42684 text says changes are dropped after 5 minutes with no input, while the chart page of the same manual says sixty seconds, so work without long pauses.
| Screen | What it sets | Quality Water Treatment guide v2021a |
|---|---|---|
| DF | Display format: GAL, Ltr or Cu | GAL |
| VT | Valve type (St1b = single backwash) | 1b |
| CT | Control type: Fd meter delayed, FI meter immediate, tc time clock, dAY day of week | Fd |
| NT | Number of tanks | 1 |
| C | Unit capacity in grains (metered types only) | 32,000 for that system |
| H | Feedwater hardness (metered types only) | 20 in its example |
| RS | Reserve type: safety factor or fixed reserve | SF |
| SF or RC | Safety factor 0–50%, or fixed reserve up to half the capacity | SF 15 |
| DO | Day override | 14 |
| RT | Regeneration time | 2:00 am |
| BW, BD, RR, BF | Cycle step times | see next section |
| FM | Flow meter: t0.7 = 3/4" turbine, P0.7 = 3/4" paddle | t0.7 |
Capacity and reserve. The 42684 manual says the control divides unit capacity by feedwater hardness and subtracts the reserve to get system capacity in gallons. Pentair's own systems are rated at 31,100 grains with 9 lb of salt for 1.0 cu ft, 46,600 with 13.5 lb for 1.5 cu ft and 62,200 with 18 lb for 2.0 cu ft (4005293). Enter the capacity for your own tank and salt setting. The regeneration frequency guide shows how these numbers set the interval. To sanity-check the result, Penn State Extension's worked example has 4 people using 75 gallons a day at 10 gpg, or 3,000 grains a day, so a 20,000-grain capacity lasts about 6 to 7 days.
What cycle times does the 5600SXT use?
On a single-backwash downflow valve the 42684 manual lists Backwash (BW), Brine draw and slow rinse (BD), Rapid rinse (RR), Brine tank fill (BF), then Service. Each step accepts 0 to 199 minutes or OFF: OFF disables that step and every one after it, while 0 skips only that step. The Fleck manuals give no factory step times; the job sheet is left blank for the installer.
| Step | 32,000-grain system | With SST-60 resin |
|---|---|---|
| BW backwash | 10 min | 6 min |
| BD brine draw / slow rinse | 60 min | 60 min |
| RR rapid rinse | 10 min | 6 min |
| BF brine fill | 12 min | 7 min |
Quality Water Treatment notes that BF depends on system capacity, because the fill time sets how much water goes into the brine tank and so how much salt dissolves. A wrong BF time is one cause of too much brine; see brine tank full of water.
Manual regeneration (42684). Hold Extra Cycle for 5 seconds to start at once; each further press advances one step, and a press after brine refill returns the valve to service. A single short press queues a cycle for tonight's RT, and another press cancels it. The regeneration guide explains each step.
Diagnostics (42684). Hold Up plus Extra Cycle 5 seconds to view flow rate (FR), peak flow (PF), hours in service (HR), volume used (VU), reserve (RC) and software version (SV). The display exits after 60 seconds without a press.
What do Fleck 5600SXT error codes mean?
Error codes appear on the in-service display, and their meanings depend on the manual for your board. Pentair's later manuals rename Err 0 and Err 1, so match the code to the document printed for your control before acting.
| Code | Fleck 42684 Rev B | Fleck 42713 Rev K and Pentair 4005293 Rev B |
|---|---|---|
| Err 0 | Drive motor stalled | Cam sense error: valve took longer than 6 minutes to reach the next position |
| Err 1 | Drive motor running continuously | Cycle step error: unexpected cycle input |
| Err 2 | More than 99 days (7 in day-of-week mode) since regeneration | Regen failure: same 99-day and 7-day limits |
| Err 3 | Control board memory failure | Memory error |
Recovery in 42684. For Err 0 and Err 1, unplug the unit; the code clears when power returns, and if it comes back the manual says not to troubleshoot further. Err 2 clears after a regeneration. For Err 3, do a master reset, and stop if the error returns.
Recovery in 4005293 and 42713 Rev K. For Err 0 and Err 1, Pentair's SXT manual says to unplug and inspect the powerhead and cam switches, and call technical support if it returns. Err 2 clears with a manual regeneration; Err 3 needs a master reset and reprogramming.
A board that keeps failing can be replaced: Quality Water Treatment sells a Fleck 5600SXT replacement circuit board (sold by Quality Water Treatment, our store), Pentair part BR43346-EO, priced from $215 (October 2026), to restore a failed control.
How do you reset a 5600SXT?
The 42684 manual gives two resets, and Pentair's 4005293 and 42713 Rev K give the same button sequences:
- Soft reset: in service, hold Extra Cycle and Down for 25 seconds. Parameters return to defaults, except volume remaining (metered) or days since regeneration (time clock).
- Master reset: hold Extra Cycle while plugging the control back in. All parameters reset, so check every master programming screen afterwards.
After a power failure the time of day flashes. The 42684 manual says settings stay in non-volatile memory, and any regeneration the outage skipped waits for the next RT. The reset guide covers when each reset fits.
If the valve body itself is worn out, Quality Water Treatment sells the complete Fleck 5600SXT 3/4" electronic meter valve (sold by Quality Water Treatment, our store) as a replacement control head, from $469 (October 2026). Compare repair and replacement in the control valve guide.
Related guides
SettingsAll softener settings in one place
FixHow to reset a water softener
FixWater softener troubleshooting
How we put this page together
Sources: Fleck manual 42684 Rev B (2008), Pentair manuals 42713 Rev K (2016) and 4005293 Rev B (2022), the v2021a install guide from Quality Water Treatment and SoftPro's Elite install guide, all read in October 2026; prices are from the store's own product pages. Factory default step and regeneration times are absent because the manuals do not give them, power-backup hours are omitted because the manuals disagree, and so are error meanings from boards or manuals not read here.
Common questions
Why can't the 5600SXT open master programming?
The clock has to read exactly 12:01 PM first; at any other time, holding Up and Down opens user settings instead. Set 12:01 PM, press Extra Cycle, then hold Up and Down together until DF appears, as the 42684 manual describes.
Which control type should a 5600SXT softener use?
The 42684 manual lists Fd (meter delayed), FI (meter immediate), tc (time clock) and dAY (day of week). Quality Water Treatment programs Fd on its units, which waits for the regeneration time once capacity runs low. Use the type your system was sized and sold for.
Does a 5600SXT lose its settings when the power goes out?
The 42684 manual says configuration is kept in non-volatile memory; the clock blinks once power is back and should be checked. Any regeneration it missed runs at the next scheduled RT.
Why does the H screen not appear on my 5600SXT?
In the 42684 manual, unit capacity and hardness show only when the control type is metered (Fd or FI). On a time-clock or day-of-week setup the screens are skipped, because the calendar alone triggers regeneration.
Where is the software version on a 5600SXT?
Enter diagnostics (Up plus Extra Cycle, held 5 seconds) and step to the SV screen, per the 42684 manual. Note it before calling a dealer about error codes, since meanings vary between board versions.
What does the 42684 manual mean by St1b?
St1b is the valve type for a standard downflow or upflow valve with a single backwash. Quality Water Treatment's guide shows it as "1b" and leaves it as set; change it only if the valve was built for a different cycle.
More help: see our guide to water softener care.