Replace just resin tank? resin in plumbing

Users who are viewing this thread

Lucky

Member
Messages
35
Reaction score
1
Points
8
Location
Pennsylvania
I think I got this in 08 or 05 from a local dealer. yesterday I thought my pipes froze. plumber came today and figured out that the resin got out of the tank and was blocking all my supply lines. for some reason my hot water was working but all the colds were clogged to where they were a tiny stream. so is it normal for resin just to go in the cold water? the resin in the tub and sinks was like fine sand

my usage is usually less than 2000 gallons a month.


I wasn't happy with softener performance for the past 3 or 4 years but when i had a guy out a few years ago he told me salt clogged the holes in the tube in the storage tank and it needed unclogged.. so from then on i tried to make sure they were unclogged. but still I guess the resin was bad was the issue.
so can I just get a new tank and resin. is there any need to get an entirely new system? it was about 1400 i think back then so today id imagine we are over 2K from the same place. the plumber that came over quoted me Master Water Softener 30K grain replacement--1 year parts and labor $3134 and with Installation of 13" Carbon filter/ water softener combination unit 5390. i see no need for a filter personally. he said he makes the resin last longer but that 2K i save with no filter probably gets me a few resin replacements I'm sure.


I'm getting old and wish I didn't have to lug salt in so if there are other ways to get soft water id be interested. we have 26 grains here so it's very hard. so we do need something. now off to start researching. also how you see the tanks is the only footprint I have for a softener. the black tank is almost up against my water heater so whatever width is there now has to be maintained. also don't wanna get too close to the boiler pipe to the right.

soften.jpg
 

Reach4

Well-Known Member
Messages
38,795
Reaction score
4,413
Points
113
Location
IL
so can I just get a new tank and resin. is there any need to get an entirely new system? it was about 1400 i think back then so today id imagine we are over 2K from the same place.
Probably has a bad bottom basket, which let the resin pass into the plumbing. And if that is the case, the dealer probably supplied a cheap bottom basket. I am not a pro.

For city water, use 10% crosslinked resin.
 

Lucky

Member
Messages
35
Reaction score
1
Points
8
Location
Pennsylvania
the company is coming thursday to get an estimate on rebuilding the tank. hope isnt too much
 

Lucky

Member
Messages
35
Reaction score
1
Points
8
Location
Pennsylvania
im going with a kinetico. he said uses 2 vs 12 lbs of salt and the tank is nice and small compared to my current tank. also he explained the chlorine killed my existing setup and the price of a declorinator with the old kind of softener that i have is only 800 less than kinetico which includes the declorinator. also since i have a tight squeeze with space i can fit the new twin tanks sideways into the existing 16 inch deep space my existing old fleck setup takes. it's only 15 inch clearance for the new system. then the 3rd tank will go between the resin tank and my boiler pipe . it will only be about 3 inches from my boiler pipe but he said not to worry or i could insulate that part of the boiler pipe. price for existing setup to be replaced with declor is 2600 and 3400 for kinetico. the new salt tank only being 12 x 20 is nice as it will be easier to fill and gives me room for the 3 other tanks to be installed.

he said my old system had some kind of declorinator coating which the govt says now you cannot use so the new units only last 5 years instead of 10 before. unsure if true. but i do know chlorine kills things so i'm sure it killed the inside of this with my super hard water, which he said was 18 now. he said that declor filter only needs changed every 7 years for 300 bucks. i hope true!

i went on the kinetico site and i cannot find any small tanks but he brought in his book so it must be an option.

he asked if im ok using pex with my copper and i said i already have it in my hot water supply so yea sounds good to me


edit found it https://resourcecenter.kinetico.com/owners-support/refill-your-water-softener-salt/
 
Last edited:

Eric Wesson

New Member
Messages
29
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Location
San Diego
My impression is Kinetico is wildly overpriced for what you get.

The claims of greater efficiency or whatever are nonsense. Water softening is an ancient technology; all you need is a good quality softener head - and you absolutely should replace that timed regeneration head with a good digital one, such as the Fleck 5600SXT.

Your resin in the plumbling could easily just be breaking-down resin from chlorinated city water. At that age, it would seem likely.

You can set up the softener to use much less salt than the default settings. This will greatly reduce the salt's toll on your aging body.

Carbon filtration does prolong the resin, but the carbon media saturates and costs about as much per volume as the resin. So there is really no point to installing carbon to protect the resin. Only install a carbon filter if there is something objectionable about the water, such as hydrogen sulfide.

Salt tanks need regular cleaning, as the salt contains muck in it from its original seawater evaporation.

You should regularly, about once a month or so, run phosphoric acid resin cleaner. Or you can just do it when you notice capacity dropping. Dissolved iron plugs up the resin.

You probably ought to just get a new and better head, and a resin refill. Total parts cost for this would be under $500.
 

Lucky

Member
Messages
35
Reaction score
1
Points
8
Location
Pennsylvania
def expensive but given that its almost impossible to get any plumbers out for anything these days, im ok getting new. plus even with what ive read so far, except for pricing nothing really seems bad about them. i called the guy back because i had additional questions. one being do they install the kinetico pre filter or not. he said no they will keep the pre filter they installed before. they dont like the kinetico filters due to design and expense.. he said id get model 2030 and after a bit of digging on the website i saw the smaller salt tank and ill like that. and i can get 18 month no interest so thats nice as well. i will also welcome the new filter because maybe its psychological but now that im drinking out of the tap, the water seems to taste different to me.
 
Top
Hey, wait a minute.

This is awkward, but...

It looks like you're using an ad blocker. We get it, but (1) terrylove.com can't live without ads, and (2) ad blockers can cause issues with videos and comments. If you'd like to support the site, please allow ads.

If any particular ad is your REASON for blocking ads, please let us know. We might be able to do something about it. Thanks.
I've Disabled AdBlock    No Thanks