Gary or Someone Please help, resin in drinking water

[ArayT]

My resin is leaving my softener. What causes this and how can it be fixed? I trippled checked the piping. I was running water from a hose bibb that is located in front of my softener and the water turned orange, it was full of resin. I do not understand how this can happen because the bibb is located prior to the softener. The resin also settled in the filter which is located after the hose bibb but before the softener. (Pump- hose bibb- filter -softener-tank and then to the house). The softener (fleck 7000) has been operation for about 8 months. I don't think it has ever worked properly because we were still getting hard water but I found out that the potassium had gotten hard and was not desolving in my brine tank. This was corrected and I regenerated the system several times before putting back in operation. I bleached and flushed my well out last week and thought all was good. Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks, Ray

[master plumber mark]

The only thing I can tell you is you should immediately put the softener on bypass...you really dont want that crap getting into all your valves and faucets throughout the home

I dont know anything about the fleck valves or how they could siphon out the resin.. I see it a lot with Autotrol units...

I dont suppose you could have the thing plumbed backwards, with the in and out in reverse???

As far as bleaching the well, I hope that you bypassed the water softener and flushed out the bleach before letting it pass through the unit???


you ought to e-mail gary directly about the fleck valve

[ArayT]

Thanks for the advise. Its piped correctly. I did not have my system in bypass, I hope I did not mess up. I did flush everything after. Does Gary have his email address posted?
Thanks Again, Ray

[Gary Slusser]

My resin is leaving my softener. What causes this and how can it be fixed?

(Pump- hose bibb- filter -softener-tank and then to the house)

You need to plumb everything after the pressure tank; pump. pressure tank, hose bib, throw the filter away unless your water is visibly dirty, softener, house.

The way you have it now, when the pump is off, water leaves the pressure tank going back to the softener into THE OUTLET, until the pump comes on and that reverses the flow direction.

You may have resin up into the control valve and will have to take it apart to clean it out.

You may have broken the distributor tube or bottom basket.

Always by pass a softener when shocking a well until the bleach is gone form the water and then, sanitize the softener by using like a 14/4 cup of bleach in a gallon or two of water poured into the water in the salt tank and then do a manual regeneration.

[ArayT]

That make since. I do not believe I've broken anything, nothing has been moved. I'll change the piping tomorrow and clean out the valve. Any advice on cleaning the valve and would you recommend checking the tube or basket?
Want I need to remove the resin to check this?
Thanks a million for the responce!!
Ray

[Gary Slusser]

Yes you should check everything, and take the valve apart, injector, seals and spacers, meter turbine, to make sure there is no resin in it anywhere.

When you unscrew the control the distributor tube will probably come off the bottom of the tank, so you either dump the resin or lay the tank down so you can get the bottom basket in the dimple of the tank bottom so there is no gravel or resin under it and holding it tight, stand the tank up.

[ArayT]

Will Do.
Thank You, Thank You, Thank You again for all the help!!!
Ray

[Gary Slusser]

You're welcome. Let us know how it goes when you're done, or if you have any questions while doing it.

[master plumber mark]

got a clack water softener that is not
useing salt....

it wont pull salt brine from the brine tank
and wont re-fill the tank either.....

thought it might be a suction problem, but it still
should refill the brine tank and overl flow the system..??
correct??.

it is doing niether.... and no kinked suction lines

this Clack unit has been so trouble free with about 100 of them installed, that I have not have to yet really tear one down

I suppose a clogged injector???

do you have a troubelshooting spec sheet on these units that would run me through the diagnosis??

[Gary Slusser]

I've not had the problem of no brine refill; with 1220+. It could be a 2310 valve stuck closed.

Otherwise a blocked injector and/or its screen or, a kinked drain line or blockage to/from the brine piston. Blocked DLFC in drain line elbow bottom.

Hell man, you ought to get a valve and tear it apart. I have had a couple women do it and I'm sure they're shorter than you are!

If it isn't the 2310 valve stuck up/closed. Shut off the water to the softener, open a faucet somewhere to relieve pressure, by pass it, holding a rag around the area, unscrew the injector area nut, you'll get a few tablespoons of water, clean the injector and screen and put it back together, put it in Service and turn the water on. Test fill and suction. It will take you maybe 8 minutes. Next time 3 minutes max.

I want pictures.

[Eric1962]

I've not had the problem of no brine refill; with 1220+. It could be a 2310 valve stuck closed.

Otherwise a blocked injector and/or its screen or, a kinked drain line or blockage to/from the brine piston. Blocked DLFC in drain line elbow bottom.

Hell man, you ought to get a valve and tear it apart. I have had a couple women do it and I'm sure they're shorter than you are!

If it isn't the 2310 valve stuck up/closed. Shut off the water to the softener, open a faucet somewhere to relieve pressure, by pass it, holding a rag around the area, unscrew the injector area nut, you'll get a few tablespoons of water, clean the injector and screen and put it back together, put it in Service and turn the water on. Test fill and suction. It will take you maybe 8 minutes. Next time 3 minutes max.

I want pictures.

HA-HA never heard of any women working water softener valves.

[Gary Slusser]

HA HA they were customers of mine. I've also had a fair mumber of women assemble and install their equipment including chlorination systems, filters and softeners. My record is 4' 11" 73 year old twin spinster sisters that installed a talller than they were softener outside behind their house in FL.

[Eric1962]

Looks can be deceiving and Life does not stop to amaze you. This ladies probably done a better job than some of the yahoos that have been in business forever.

Sulfur Filter