Water softner

[neb]

Installed a water softener ( 2.5 years old, culligan gold) in my friends house. I know the it was set on its side for a moment ( not dropped ) to remove excess water; some resin obviously came out. When installed in the new house, there was some resin going through the lines which I thought would happen, but it doesn't seem to be stopping. Today he was filling up his hot tub and a large amout of resin came out of the line ( that particular takeoff is before the water softner, approx 1 ft from the softner inlet ) which makes NO sense to me. I'm looking for a cross section of a water softner so I can troubleshoot, but there are few and far between.

Neb

 

[Markts30]

Might be the pick up tube's filter (on the end/bottom of the tube in the resin tank). They are easy to damage and will result in what you describe if you do damage them...
I would check that first...

 

[Sponsor]

 

[neb]

How would I check that? I'm not sure of the warranty length on the rig, so I'll call tomorrow.

P.S Thanks for the quick reply

 

[Master Plumber Mark]

Check the inlets

I have pulled this stunt only once.....

did you accidentely hook up the water lines backwards????


That will usually mess up a water conditioner and after a few days it will siphon out theminerals from the tank...

 

[neb]

No, thankfully the softner has arrows that indicate water flow into and out from it. The thing that boggles me is that the resin burp was from a line before the softner ( soldered about 1 ft upstream of softner). I'm wondering if during the regen cycle the resin container ( torpedo) gets pressurized and forces the resin back up the "up tube" through a broken strainer. Does anyone know if during the regen cycle the bypass valve is automatically selected to bypass? If it did that kills my theory

Neb

 

[Gary Slusser]

www.kenmorewater.com and click on Animations.

Since the softener isn't connected backwards, I don't have a clue as to how resin gets into the distributor tube, through the control valve, through the by-pass valve and goes backwards through the inlet pipe to the tee. And I hate being stumped by any problem a softener can have.

If the distributor tube was busted, or the bottom basket on it was busted, he'd have all the resin from the point of the break going into his house plumbing. If the bottom basket busts, he'd get all of it in the house plumbing... but why is it going backwards to that tee on the inlet pipe?

ummmm City water pressure with no PR valve, better would be one that's busted to allow water to flow backwards through it, pressurizing an expansion tank on the cold water side of the water heater pushing water back into lower pressure water before the softener because he's filling the hot tub, going to the hot tub?

How about a 3 way manual by pass valve system and no Culligan by pass valve on the control valve?

You're absolutely, positively and definitely sure this is resin?

 

[neb]

Yup its resin. We use similar stuff at work ( different application though). We have a service call out to culligan so it will be resolved soon. I'm the same as you. I don't like NOT knowing what the problem, even if it is beyond my mechanical ability to fix.
Nice animations by the way

 

[neb]

to close the loop

Culligan tech came by, dissassembled the unit and found nothing wrong. The only thing he said was that the resin level was two inches too low. Expected, as I said the unit was on its side for draining. For the kids at home, DON'T PUT A WATER SOFTNER ON ITS SIDE!!! He also said it may have been a previous softner problem combined with ours. So we'll flush the lines and wait for the clean water.

Again thanks for the replys

neb