Where to buy resin locally?

I have a Kenmore Ultra Soft 250 and it is 9 yrs old. I know it isn't the best but it has been pretty good. Only have replaced some of the seals and various gaskets. I probably just jinxed myself by saying that.

Here lately it hasn't been putting out very soft water. So I pulled the top off and the resin when I first put it on my fingers feels like little sand grains, but if I rub them between my finger they go to a mushy feeling. So being 9 yrs old and what I have read on here, it needs to be replaced. My wife would like it done today...lol So where is a good place to buy resin. The part number is 0502272 from sears which seems to be a common number for resin. Is there something in particular I am looking for? I know I need 1 cu ft of it.

If it isn't wise to buy it locally, then is there a place on line that is recommended?

Thanks...

If you want to buy it locally, than call Tommy Dorsey Water in Round Rock. He taught me the water treatment business back in the early 90's and is very fair priced. Tell him Skip said hi.

Thanks, will call him tomorrow and will tell him you said hi.

On the resin, is it suppose to feel like sand grains between your fingers or is it suppose to be larger? In the pictures, it looks larger but that could be just magnified to show the difference.

The resin should feel like mini marbles, it is more of a texture issue than a size issue. It should not feel mushy at all. You need to test the resin at the top of the bed, not from the middle or the bottom. The mushy resin will usually work its way to the top.

ditttohead said:

The resin should feel like mini marbles, it is more of a texture issue than a size issue. It should not feel mushy at all. You need to test the resin at the top of the bed, not from the middle or the bottom. The mushy resin will usually work its way to the top.

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I took a sample of resin from the top of the tank. Like I said, it feels like grain of sand in my finger tips..and if I lightly rub it between my fingers it feels like sand but if I rub it harder it goes to mush. I assume this means it needs to be replaced?

Also, is there any reason to replace the tube and screen at the bottom of the tube?

Thanks...

golferdude1977 said:

I took a sample of resin from the top of the tank. Like I said, it feels like grain of sand in my finger tips..and if I lightly rub it between my fingers it feels like sand but if I rub it harder it goes to mush. I assume this means it needs to be replaced?

Also, is there any reason to replace the tube and screen at the bottom of the tube?

Thanks...

Click to expand...

It is best to replace the center tube when you replace the resin. The screen and tube come as one piece.

Just to educate myself, why is it best to replace the tube? Since it is plastic, does it wear?

golferdude1977 said:

Just to educate myself, why is it best to replace the tube? Since it is plastic, does it wear?

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It is under stress, and the part is very inexpensive. Also, a bottom screen failure is one of the most time consuming problems a water softener can create.

You should not be able to "squish" the resin into a mush, so you are correct, the resin is worn.

mialynette2003 said:

If you want to buy it locally, than call Tommy Dorsey Water in Round Rock. He taught me the water treatment business back in the early 90's and is very fair priced. Tell him Skip said hi.

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I ended up buying from Tommy Dorsey Water in Round Rock. Tommy wasn't there but they told me they would tell him you said hi. As you said, he was priced fairly. I bought the resin and the bottom distributor and tube from him.

I used my shop vac (washed out and cleaned the shop vac first) to remove the salt and stored in another container. I then used the shop vac to suck out the water and resin out of the tank. worked very well. Then I rinsed everything clean. I didn't have a funnel so I took a empty three liter plastic soda bottle made myself a funnel. I taped it on two sides to the tank to keep it stable and down so it wouldn't leak the resin. Put it all in and hooked everything up.

One question I have, when I was taking it apart, the suckion line from the float to the venturi housing, I had to cut the end off of the plastic tube so I could pull the top cover to the salt tank off. When I cut the end off, there was a wire mesh screen in the plastic tube. When I look at the parts manual/diagram, it doesn't show it. Is it critical to have the screen in the plastic tube?

That is a filter screen to protect the injector from fouling. Honestly, it is not critical and it can even cause problems. The brine draw tube is slotted to prevent any debris from getting into the injector. That screen gets clogged up sometimes with junk that would have gone right through the injector anyway. The screen protects the throat of the injector, which has a large hole. The nozzle is the part of the injector that has a tiny hole that can easily clog.

Hope this helps

golferdude1977 said:

Just to educate myself, why is it best to replace the tube? Since it is plastic, does it wear?

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I have seen the bottom basket break which will allow the resin in the water lines. Glad to hear you got everything fixed.

If the distributor tube is cut to the right length for the control valve that is being used, and then installed in the resin tank with the pointy end of the bottom basket is in the dimple of the tank bottom, there is no stress on a distributor tube and no reason to replace one when replacing resin. Well unless you're someone selling distributor tubes and bottom baskets...

You are right for the most part. There are some minor stresses on the bottom screen but if the bottom screen is of good quality, these stresses will not damage or break the bottom screen over time. Most reputable companies use a Fleck, Clack, Phillips, or similar bottom screen. There are some very inexpensive import bottom screens that are a perfect copy of the older style Fleck bottom screen. Their color is slightly darker, and even though these screens look identical, our simulation show stress related failures in as little as a 2 year simulator. The Fleck and Clack screens show no failures even after 20 years simulated. When it comes to systems from the big brand warehousees, where price is the only factor as to who wins a bid to put equipment into a store, the bottom screen is one of the easiest ways to save money. The junk screens that fail our simulator cost as little as 25 cents each, compared to a few dollars for a Fleck or clack screen. Fleck and Clack also make heavy versions of the bottom screens which are the only screens we stock or distribute. A failed bottom screen is a nightmare of a service call and if it can be avoided for $10, I dont begrudge any service technician selling a new one, ever. Your old supplier also used the higher quality bottom screens, so bottom screen failures are not something you should have experienced and if someone didnt replace a bottom screen during a resin or carbon changeout on one of your units, it would be fine.

Screen comparisons.

Standard duty Fleck bottom screen, pass
Heavy duty, high flow Fleck bottom screen, pass
Fleck fake bottom screen, fail



Notice the stress fractures that appear between the slots in the fake Fleck screen. The water flow through the screen, the weight of the gravel and resin pushing against the screen... our simulator simply increases the common, albeit minimal stresses a bottom screen will likely see during its service life. The Heavy duty high flow Fleck bottom screen has proven to be our best, but it is also expensive. It is unique in that it has an extremely high flow rate, and it is almost a fine mesh screen as well. most fine mesh screens have poor flow rates.

Anyway, a good bottom screen can be reused, but considering the low cost, why would you? Like a valve stem on a car tire, sure you can reuse it, but for $10, is it really a bad idea to replace it? (unless it is a new car and the pressure sensor is built into the valve stem and now they cost $100. sigh.)

Fellows, remember we are talking about a Sears unit. For $10.00, isn't it worth the insurance that it won't break and cause loss of resin?

(Sarcasm filter... enabled) I am sure the units Sears sells for $325 use only the best available components that can be sourced. (turn off sarcasm filter now)