Problematic Water Softener (Fleck 5600SXT)

[nuthole2003]

Hi all,

I've had a softener for nearly six years that has been nothing but a headache. About once a year--sometimes twice a year--something would happen where it would spit resin in my pipes, and I'd have to blow all the pipes out. Whenever it regenerates, air gets into the pipes. We know when it has regenerated because when we go to use the bathroom first thing in the morning (what you naturally do first when you wake up), the toilet chokes and sounds likes it's going to die (and not from what we just put in it).

I've got a Fleck 5600SXT with a 10" x 54" tank. I've replaced the distributor tube, screens, and resin about four years ago, though they looked fine when I took them out. I've replaced the float assembly in the brine tank as well about two years back, trying to figure out how air is getting in the pipes.

I'm in the process of replacing the distributor tube and screens again--because I don't know what else to do--this time with the Fleck high-flow bottom screen (it just had a standard screen before).

Now, I noticed that my resin tank is a Vortech tank. Noticed it before but didn't think much of it. Anyhow, I decided to research it a bit before putting this whole shabang back together again, and realized it's some high-tech thing-a-ma-bob tank that has a distributor tube permanently attached to the bottom screen.

Mine does not.

So apparently I have an OLD Vortech tank that the tube or screen failed long ago, and now just have a standard tube and screen that sits on the hole of the screen in the Vortech tank. And here I thought that little hole was perfect and designed to hold my tube and bottom screen in place.

So, my questions are:

• What do I do with the tank?
  • Do I just stick the tube and bottom screen down there like before, dump the resin in, and be done with it?
  • Do I or can I put a bed of gravel in the old Vortech tank (gravel seems to be a good thing)?
  • Do I just say "screw it" and get a new "standard" tank?
• Any ideas why air keeps getting in the pipes when it regenerates?
• Any ideas about resin getting in the pipes 1-2x per year?

 

[Reach4]

I don't know how the original Vortech tanks handled the distributor tube.

Any ideas why air keeps getting in the pipes when it regenerates?

Could be a bad air check valve, or the pump sucks air because the water levels fall.

Any ideas about resin getting in the pipes 1-2x per year?

If the air got concentrated into the pressure tank, it could come burping into the softer hard during backwash. Then the big bubble throws resin high. No top screen to keep the resin in place.

IMO, your title was more drama than descriptive. I am not a pro.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[ditttohead]

Many companies use absolute junk bottom screens. They cost about 15 cents. A real bottom screen will not fail except in the most abusive of applications. But... carefully check to make sure that your system is installed correctly and not plumbed in backwards.

Air in the lines... post a picture of your brine tank and the brine well. Some imported tanks use real junk air checks/float assemblies. These leak air during the draw.

 

[nuthole2003]

Many companies use absolute junk bottom screens. They cost about 15 cents. A real bottom screen will not fail except in the most abusive of applications. But... carefully check to make sure that your system is installed correctly and not plumbed in backwards.

Air in the lines... post a picture of your brine tank and the brine well. Some imported tanks use real junk air checks/float assemblies. These leak air during the draw.

Right on. I ordered one of the Fleck High Flow bottoms this time around. I just need to know if I can actually use gravel or should use gravel on the bottom of the Vortech tank (the tank still has the old bottom screen, but no distributor tube).

I replaced the air check and float assembly a few years back with the Fleck brand as well.