Kenmore Water Softener help?

[a12548]

I dont know if Im posting in the wrong forum, but you guys helped me out a few times before. I have a Kenmore Deluxe Water Softener, about 6 years old. Our water pressure has dropped and I narrowed the problem down to the softener by using the bypass valve test.
From what I can guess, the resin may be sludged? Im going to try using the solution to backwash the resin but if that doesnt work is it feasible to replace the resin? Or can you just replace the resin tank as a whole...or am I doomed to by a new one. thanks

[sjh]

(6) year old Sears WS=time for a new one. My $0.02

[hj]

Once the resin bed is plugged, and why it happened should be a question, because the material should be flushed out at every regeneration, it is usually not economically feasible to replace it so a new unit may be the best solution. Especially if the old one was malfunctioning which could have caused the problem with being plugged up.

[Gary Slusser]

The resin can be replaced but in your cabinet model, getting the resin take out of teh salt tank ca nbe difficult until you get the the water out of it so you can lift it out but...

Your softener has a top basket and it could be plugged up with whatever, so you tank the control valve off the tank and clean it if needed. If not needed, then the resin is bad due to chlorine or the bottom basket is blocked up. Possibly with resin dependent on how much water pressure you have.

Usually your brand lasts about 2-5 years before something goes wrong, if yours was working and then you lost water pressure, it may be worth looking into fixing it but it probably won't last long. Then I'd suggest a correctly sized softener for the family size and SFR required by the number of bathrooms and type of fixtures. It would have a Clack WS-1 control valve.