Lots of resin discharged during regeneration, Fleck 5600sxt

[Randy Gunter]

About 9 months ago I bought a 48000 grain water softener. A fleck 5600stx, clack tank 10x54 with resintech 10% crosslink resin. I set it up in my pump house and water is supplied via a submersed well pump from the well into a 250 gallon holding (Aeration) tank then pumped from there thru the water softener to the house. I run 50-70 psi thru the softener to the house. Everything has ran great until about a week and half ago. I noticed the water wasn't soft. I went to look and see what was up and found what was a very large pile of resin on the ground behind my pump house that was discharged from the backwash line. Now the unit doesn't soften water very good. I think it discharged the vast majority of resin out. I checked the filter screens in the unit and the small venture nozzles t0o make sure they were not clogged and they were not. Everything was as clean as a whistle. Why did it do this? Thanks.

 

[Reach4]

Wild. And to go with that, how about a wild idea? What if the DLFC somehow had disintegrated, and the high backwash was blowing the resin out? You can measure the backwash rate by playing the drain into into a bucket for a measured time during the backwash cycle. Typical would be about 2.4 GPM.

Now this seems far-fetched, because isn't that rubber DLFC super simple? I am picturing that maybe it got stuck in the wrong position or something.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[ditttohead]

I am guessing the system did not have a drain line flow control button and was relying on the top screen to prevent resin loss. The top screen is really intended for water dispersion and shipping purposes, not to keep resin in. The lighter weight top screen can fail after repeated hits with resin. Check the water flow during backwash, it should be approximately 2.5 gpm or less.

A drop in water temperature can also cause this. Colder water is more dense and will lift the resin with greater ease so a lower DLFC rate may be needed.

 

[Randy Gunter]

I went and unscrewed the drain line but, the button retainer wouldn't come out I was scared I would break it if I pulled it any harder. I looked inside with a flash light and there appeared to be something behind it I am assuming this is the button itself. Below is a picture of it from the side. I assume 24 means 2.4??

 

[ditttohead]

Correct, 2.4 would be typical. The button retainer unscrews. You can use a flat head screwdriver in one of the 4 slots on the outer rim of the retainer. There is a special tool for it but it is usually not needed.

 

[Randy Gunter]

So I pulled the control head off the tank to look inside and see if any resin was left. The tank is the 10x54 and it was about 7 inchs short of being half full of resin beads. It was suppose to have 1.5 cubic yards of resin in it or a 48000 grain unit. I used a screw driver to remove the button retainer and the button was there and looked fine. It was just a round rubber flat washer looking deal with a small hole in the middle of it. I put it all back together and changed the grain setting on the unit to 32000 grains to try and compensate for the lost media. Although I have no idea how much resin is in it now. Also, there was no basket (screen) in the tube where the tube in the tank meets the control head.

 

[Mialynette2003]

There is a right way and a wrong way to install the drain flow control. If you look at the hole in the center, there is a beveled side and a flat side. The beveled side must go into the valve so the flat side will be visible when you put the retainer back on. Some companies remove things such as the upper basket to reduce the cost of their product. People think they are getting a great deal because it is less expensive. They soon learn why.

 

[Randy Gunter]

A upper basket is 7 dollars. Should it have a upper basket?

 

[ditttohead]

Yes and no. It is cheap enough on this small of a unit that it should have been included. Many online companies do not include it in order to be a tiny bit cheaper than the next company. Similar to the gravel bed...

Top screens are used primarily for transporting the systems. It allows them to be laid on their sides without the media getting into the top screen. They are also a cheap insurance policy. They prevent accidental media loss due to misapplied systems. Primarily systems where the temperature was not properly determined and compensated for. Lower water temperatures will lift the resin out of the tank with ease. A lot of air in the lines can do the same.

Install a top screen. Get a Fleck original, not the cheap knockoffs. The knockoffs can be crushed easily with your hands and offer little protection from this happening again.

The resin should be approximately 2/3 full.

Resin loss over time is normal as proper backwashing will lift the light, broken and worn beads out of the system and through the top screen and out to drain,

Lastly, commercial systems typically do not include top screens only diffusers. So when someone tries to argue that top screens are needed...

 

[Randy Gunter]

Well, it cant be from cold water the water that goes into the water softener comes out of the water tank that sets out on the sun. I suspect air in the system. not long before this happened I drained the storage tank and cleaned it. Bet it got air in it then. Thanks for all your help. I am thinking I am about 1 cubic foot short. Thanks for all your help.

 

[Bannerman]

I am thinking I am about 1 cubic foot short.

From your description, more likely, 0.5 cuft. For a 48,000 grain system, the entire system capacity is 1.5 cuft.

When a softener is newly installed or after adding resin (or if there is air prior to the softener), place the softener manually in Backwash and open the Main water shutoff only slightly so that water flow is restricted and doesn't cause the resin to be lifted and flushed-out to drain. Once the system is completely filled with water pushing the air out through the drain, then return the controller to Service and open the main valve fully. The new resin will become further saturated with water through use.

New resin hasn't been utilized so it does not normally require immediate regeneration but it is recommended to sanitize the resin with a weak un-sented bleach solution prior to use. Since your existing resin capacity has likely been exhausted, it would be appropriate to regenerate right away with at least 18 lbs of salt.

 

[Randy Gunter]

So, I put the backwash hose in a old pillow case and zip tied the case around the line. This way I could save any media that may be discharged out of the back wash hose during back wash cycle. So, it backwashed about two hands full of media in a single backwash. No strainer/basket yet. No high water pressure, no cold water and all the parts seem to be correct. Guess Ill just catch it in the pillow case and after I have a good bit in the case Ill just put it back in.

 

[Reach4]

Measure the backwash rate by putting the drain hose into a container for an amount of time. If it has a lot more than 2.4 gpm, then there is a flaw.

You can measure the amount of water collected by using measuring cups or you can weigh the container and compute. Based on what you see, I think it will be too high. Replacing the DLFC washer would seem warranted, even if you can see the expected 240 molded into the button. If you cannot see the number without pulling the button out, you have it in backwards. If you see a a bigger number than 350, ask the original seller to send you the right one ... If it says 300 350, it could be the better choice for your Florida water. If it says 500, that's too much.

Store the salvaged resin wet.

 

[Randy Gunter]

I already checked it and it is a 240. I made sure to put it back in correctly when I reinstalled it. I am stumped.

 

[Reach4]

Measure the backwash rate by putting the drain hose into a container for an amount of time during backwash. If it has a lot more than 2.4 gpm, then there is a flaw.

 

[Randy Gunter]

Took a 5 gallon bucket and checked the backwash rate. It put out about 2.4 gallons in a minute. I timed it when it came on. What now? It has back washed multiple times now and doesn't seem to be spitting anymore resin out. Wonder what cause the ordeal in the first place?

 

[Reach4]

The best case is that it was filled with too much resin to begin with. Let's go with that. If you find hardness bleedthrough before each regeneration time, you could reduce the C number to compensate for loss of resin.

 

[Randy Gunter]

Checked my pillow case today and she discharged about 16 oz of resin during backwash. Haven't installed a upper basket yet gonna buy one and hopefully that will stop it. This is crazy.

 

[Reach4]

Do you have fine mesh resin?

 

[Randy Gunter]

Not supposed to. Supposed to be 10% crosslinked resintech. Anyway to tell?