Hello. We replaced our resin bed two days ago. Ever since our water has had a fishy smell. We've run a regen cycle several times, and have run the tap for five minutes a couple times a day to try to flush the smell, but it keeps coming back. I'm assuming it has something to do with the new resin off-gasing. Is this harmful? Is there any way to get the smell out? Thanks for any help!
Resin bed replaced, water now has a fishy smell
- Thread starter Bryony
- Start date
Users who are viewing this thread
ditttohead
Water systems designer, R&D
Common with cheap resin. Add a 1/2 cup of bleach to the brine tank and regenerate, this has been surprisingly effective at correcting this problem. Otherwise several pounds of citric acid also help. Do not mix Citric acid and bleach.
Sponsor
Paid Advertisement
Thank you for the suggestion. I added the recommended amount of bleach and it's regenerating right now. I'll update once it's finished. Fingers crossed!
It's been a few days since I sanitized the new resin. The fishy shell had gone away, but now there is a plastic/chemical smell. I've call the company who assured me this was normal and would go away in time, but I'm concerned that is doesn't seem to be getting any better. We're using the water to wash with, but have been buying bottled water to drink. I'm mostly concerned with whatever chemicals are getting released into the water.
Does anyone know if this is normal for new resin? Will the smell go away on its own? Is this unhealthy in any way? Thank you for any help.
Does anyone know if this is normal for new resin? Will the smell go away on its own? Is this unhealthy in any way? Thank you for any help.
Bannerman
Well-Known Member
Near the end of regeneration, the resin bed is tightly packed which may delay release of any volatile compounds in the resin remaining from the manufacturing process. An extended backwash may assist those compounds to be released and flushed away as backwashing will expand the spaces between the individual resin beads, to allow rinse water and brine increased access to the entire surface of each bead.
To extend backwash, manually advance the controller to Backwash and remove the electrical plug. After about 30 minutes or more, restore power. While you could advance the controller to Rapid Rinse to repack the resin bed to continue using soft water without regeneration, some softening capacity will have been consumed during the extended Backwash so you may wish to allow the controller to proceed with the remainder of the regeneration cycle after restoring power. Each regeneration cycle will provide further opportunity for compounds to be eliminated.
To extend backwash, manually advance the controller to Backwash and remove the electrical plug. After about 30 minutes or more, restore power. While you could advance the controller to Rapid Rinse to repack the resin bed to continue using soft water without regeneration, some softening capacity will have been consumed during the extended Backwash so you may wish to allow the controller to proceed with the remainder of the regeneration cycle after restoring power. Each regeneration cycle will provide further opportunity for compounds to be eliminated.
Last edited:
I would think several pounds of citric acid would be about 5 pounds. Let us know how that works for you. After dissolving the citric acid, and starting the regen, you could put the softener into bypass about 10 minutes into the the brine-draw (BD) cycle, or watch the level and bypass as soon as the liquid level in the brine tank is near mininum. That should let the citric acid solution sit with the resin longer. Maybe hold that for -- I don't know-- 30 minutes? Restore the bypass to normal, and maybe follow with another regeneration right after the current one completes.
Softners are better designed to finish drawing the brine after about 15 minutes, and the rest of the brine draw minutes are slow rinse. Often a higher-flow injector gets used, and the actual brine is drawn by about 10 minutes. It also could be 20 minutes. Thus watching would be best, but 10 minutes would be a good number if you don't watch. You would still have to wait out the backwash to start timing, unless you know how to step right to the BD cycle on your unit.
Softners are better designed to finish drawing the brine after about 15 minutes, and the rest of the brine draw minutes are slow rinse. Often a higher-flow injector gets used, and the actual brine is drawn by about 10 minutes. It also could be 20 minutes. Thus watching would be best, but 10 minutes would be a good number if you don't watch. You would still have to wait out the backwash to start timing, unless you know how to step right to the BD cycle on your unit.
Bannerman
Well-Known Member
I suspect Reach4 actually meant to pull the power plug and manually bypass the system during Brine Draw, once the fluid has been drawn from the Brine tank. This will increase the contact time for the citric acid to act on the resin.
Manual bypass is achieved with a single handle or two handle bypass valve on the rear of the softener if a bypass was installed with the softener, or by use of 3 valves if the bypass is part of the home plumbing system.
Last edited:
Ah, I see, I misunderstood. Thank you for clarifying.
While I did not mean to pull the plug during brine draw, that would work too. The effect would vary with different softeners. With some softeners, the control would come up in service mode. Then regenerating would start with backwash. I was thinking that after the soak, with no plug pulling, the rest of the BD cycle would let the citric acid do a nice slow exit, perhaps having some additional therapeutic effect on the way out slowly.
Thanks for clarifying. Still new on how the system works, so I appreciate the help.
Bannerman
Well-Known Member
Pulling the plug will ensure the controller cannot advance the valve to another cycle. If the system is in Brine Draw mode when power is cut while not manually bypassed, then Slow Rinse will continue to occur after all fluid has been drawn from the resin tank. If the system is manually bypassed immediately after fluid is drawn from the brine tank, then, no further Slow Rinse will occur. Cutting power will then increase the cleaning chemical contact time with the resin.
What control valve is your softener equipped with?
What control valve is your softener equipped with?
Sorry for the late reply, Bannerman. We were out of town for a few days. I don't know what control valve my softener is equipped with, as everything was in place when we purchased the home. As far as I can see there isn't any branding on it, either. I did try the citric acid yesterday when we got back, as suggested. This hasn't seemed to help much with the plastic smell and bitter taste.
Is it possible we got a bad batch of resin? Or is it normal for there to be some off tastes/smells for the first few weeks? Thanks for the help.
Is it possible we got a bad batch of resin? Or is it normal for there to be some off tastes/smells for the first few weeks? Thanks for the help.
Bannerman
Well-Known Member
Of course.
As Dittohead mentioned, common in cheap resin and then he recommended the usual effective remedies. Will the problem eventually go away? Who can say for sure? Perhaps you need to discuss the issue with whoever supplied and installed the resin for you, to ensure you actually received what you requested and paid for.
I asked about the valve brand & model only to confirm what will happen when power is cut and then later restored during regeneration.
You could post some photos of your control valve with any easily removable covers already removed. Someone here will likely be able to identify the valve and assist you to obtain the appropriate user manual.
Last edited:
Dom Piazza
bigdom324
I know this thread is old, but did you ever solve the problem with taste of the water? I am having a very similar problem.
Similar threads
