Brine Pickup 500 with Aircheck for Pentair Autotrol and Fleck Valves and Clack 3/8in Tube 36in (915mm)

The Brine Pickup 500 with Aircheck is the float-operated safety valve assembly that sits in the brine well of a water softener's salt tank, drawing brine during regeneration and shutting off automatically once the correct refill level is reached. Fitted with a 36" (915mm) length of 3/8" tube to connect back to the control valve's brine line, it's a common design used across Pentair Autotrol, Fleck and Clack systems. The Aircheck function is what stops the brine tank being overfilled with water if the valve fails to draw correctly, protecting against salt bridging and mushing. This assembly is stocked by WrekinWater for replacing a worn or faulty brine pickup on any of these brands.

Technical specifications

Symptoms that mean you need this part

• The brine tank is overfilling with water because the float or Aircheck valve isn't shutting off correctly
• No brine is being drawn during regeneration, leaving the softener running on plain water and going hard
• The 3/8" tube is cracked, kinked, perished or has come away from its fitting
• Softening capacity has dropped or salt is bridging/mushing in the tank due to inconsistent water refill levels
• The float or valve mechanism inside the brine well is visibly worn, stuck or seized

Why it fails / why it matters

The brine pickup sits in the brine well and does two jobs: drawing concentrated brine solution up the tube to the control valve during the brine draw phase of regeneration, and then shutting off the water refill automatically once the tank has taken on the correct volume of water for the next cycle. The Aircheck float is what provides that automatic shut-off, and if it sticks, wears or fails, the tank can either overfill (leading to salt bridging and wasted salt) or fail to draw brine at all (leading to a softener that stops softening even though it appears to be regenerating). Because this is a sealed mechanical assembly, a worn or faulty pickup is usually replaced as a complete unit rather than repaired.

Why buy this from WrekinWater

WrekinWater has supplied brine tank and control valve parts to installers and DIY customers for over 15 years from its Bettisfield, Shropshire base, and stocks compatible parts across Pentair Autotrol, Fleck, Clack and Kinetico ranges. With more than 50,000 customers served and an Excellent Trustpilot rating, WrekinWater makes it easy to get the correct pickup and tube length back in stock quickly when a softener has stopped softening properly.

How to fit it

1. Isolate the softener at the bypass valve before starting work on the brine tank
2. Empty any brine solution from the tank and lift out the existing brine well cover to access the pickup assembly
3. Disconnect the 3/8" tube from the control valve's brine line fitting and remove the old pickup and float assembly
4. Fit the new Brine Pickup 500 with Aircheck into the brine well, checking the float moves freely
5. Reconnect the 3/8" tube to the control valve's brine line, trimming to length if needed
6. Refit the brine well cover, restore the water supply to the tank, and run a manual regeneration to confirm brine draw and correct refill shut-off