Resin tank was laid on it's side

[Michael P Reilly]

OK, so I have recieved my new Fleck 5600 SXT 64k. It was shipped to my home while I was at work and my well meaning family decided to bring it inside the house since it was occupying most of my front porch. In the process they laid the resin tank, which was shipped with some amount of resin in the tank, on its side on the floor. This is where it stayed until I got home and stood it upright and unpacked everything.

My question is, now what? I have not opened the top yet and do not know what to expect or what to look for or what to do to make sure everything will work correctly.

Advice needed please and thank you.

 

[LLigetfa]

Why do you think it mattered that it was on its side and do you think it remained upright in shipping?

The media inside will stratify on the initial backwash cycle.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Michael P Reilly]

Why do you think it mattered that it was on its side and do you think it remained upright in shipping?

The media inside will stratify on the initial backwash cycle.

Simply because the installation instructions specifically say not to do so.
If the answer is don't worry about it then I am all set. Thanks.

 

[LLigetfa]

When my water guy delivered and installed my system, both the softener and iron filter was on their side in his van and while we carried them into the house. I trust a professional to know what he is doing.

 

[Reach4]

I think if there is a top screen (basket), it should be fine. But I do think premium ship-upright shipping is available.

 

[LLigetfa]

But I do think premium ship-upright shipping is available.

How can you trust they will always stay upright? Seems like a lot of folks working in shipping cannot or do not bother to read. I've received hundreds of packages where "This side up" was not followed.

 

[Reach4]

How can you trust they will always stay upright? Seems like a lot of folks working in shipping cannot or do not bother to read. I've received hundreds of packages where "This side up" was not followed.

Agreed. Lettering on the package won't do it. I do think that upright transport is sometimes available as a premium service.

I agree that there is unlikely to be a problem with being laid over, but asking the seller makes sense.

Always run the water slowly when introducing water to pressurize the system.

 

[LLigetfa]

Always run the water slowly when introducing water to pressurize the system.

Sage albeit generic advice. Each brand and model head requires specific instructions. Slow fill can trap air at the top of the media that when switched to backwash could result in a large inrush sending media into the head or top basket.

 

[Bannerman]

Slow fill can trap air at the top of the media that when switched to backwash could result in a large inrush sending media into the head or top basket.

When initially filling the resin tank with water, the valve should be advanced to the Backwash position while the water is shut-off, and then the water supply valve cracked open only slightly so water will slowly fill from the bottom of the tank which will push air upwards and out to the drain line.

https://view.publitas.com/impact-water-products/2018-catalog-final/page/36-37

 

[LLigetfa]

and then the water supply valve cracked open only slightly so water will slowly fill from the bottom of the tank which will push air upwards and out to the drain line.

You make it sound easy. The valve needs to be opened no more than the equivalent of the hole in the middle of the DLFC button to have a gentle uplift. Most plastic bypass valves are not that smooth and precise. They tend to be a little sticky, even when new and don't improve with age.

I've once had to say a prayer when trying to turn an old bypass valve that had probably never been turned since the day it was installed. Praying didn't help and so I got the building manager to turn it. It was not going to be on me if water to the commercial building had to be turned off until replacement parts arrived.

I make it a point to turn my valves every few months to keep them from sticking so badly. Unfortunately I don't always follow my own advice and tend to forget about the stops under the counters. I recently replaced a 25 year old dishwasher and it took a whole lot of praying and my large channel locks to shut it off. I cringe every time I need to turn off those cheapy plastic stemmed angle stops. You know.. the ones that wind up almost a quarter turn before they "pop" free... but then I digress.

If you manage to go a little wild and drive media onto the top basket, a fast rinse cycle should knock it off. I've had to take apart a head that didn't have a top basket to remove media that jammed things up.

 

[Bannerman]

LL, during the initial resin tank fill, the goal is to not lift the resin beads. Air intially trapped between the beads will make the resin more buoyant compared to once the resin is fully saturated with water, so it is best to barely open the supply valve so as to acheive minimal incoming flow. If the bypass valve is difficult to control, the home's main supply valve maybe utilized to control the initial fill. Once water is continually flowing out through the drain line, then the tank will be filled with water.

Since the backwash setting for most residential softeners is typically programmed for 6-10 minutes, to ensure the backwash setting is maintained during a long, slow fill process, after advancing the control to the Backwash position, the softener's power plug maybe removed from the electrical outlet until the tank is completely filled.

 

[LLigetfa]

The backwash flow rate is controlled by the DLFC. If there is air above the media, then air will exit through the DLFC much faster than water can and so the water will be moving much faster displacing the air (cubic foot for cubic foot). It is not so much about air making the softener media more buoyant although buoyancy is a problem with FilterAG iron filter media (which needs to soak in water for a while).

Keep in mind that the media tank would have more water than air after the initial fill since the air compresses. Factoring the freeboard, all of the media would already be under water unless you used the backwash cycle for the initial fill.

 

[Bannerman]

ll of the media would already be under water unless you used the backwash cycle for the initial fill.

That is exactly as was stated. Keeping the valve in the Backwash position will allow the water to enter through the riser tube to the bottom of the tank. The control valve's drain port will be open so the air being pushed upward will not be compressed at the top of the tank but will be instead expelled out through the drain line.

The DLFC would provide no flow restriction when opening the supply valve only a crack so the incoming flow rate will be less than the DLFC rate.

 

[LLigetfa]

That is exactly as was stated. Keeping the valve in the Backwash position will allow the water to enter through the riser tube to the bottom of the tank. The control valve's drain port will be open so the air being pushed upward will not be compressed at the top of the tank but will be instead expelled out through the drain line.

The DLFC would provide no flow restriction when opening the supply valve only a crack so the incoming flow rate will be less than the DLFC rate.

That is not how I would do it. I would open the supply inlet (keeping the outlet closed) with the softener in softening mode. Then I would close the supply and put it into backwash. The drain line would open and the compressed air pressure would be purged. Then I would crack open the supply as little and as slow as I can to purge the remaining air. I would follow with a short rinse/pack and then prep for a full normal regen.

 

[Michael P Reilly]

Wow...this thread went technical in a hurry. As I have not yet cracked open the instructions to put this thing together (and won't until the room it is going in has been completed) a lot of this simply does not make much sense to me but I am sure it will become useful when I do.

Just as a complete dummy reading through the comments I find myself wondering if before putting on the control top, slowly, manually filling the tank with water once it is filled with resin and in position and vibrating (like you would do for a concrete form) to get the air to surface might be useful to remove the air before assembly?

 

[Reach4]

Wow...this thread went technical in a hurry. As I have not yet cracked open the instructions to put this thing together (and won't until the room it is going in has been completed) a lot of this simply does not make much sense to me but I am sure it will become useful when I do.

Easy takeaway: when adding water, go as slowly as practical. When releasing air go as slowly as possible, but maybe put the softener into backwash to keep air from getting into faucets. But air in pipes is ok, but let it out slowly.

Action item for you: input is on the right as you face the control.