My Water Softener Blew Up

**azscoob** · 01-14-2011, 01:47 PM

Yesterday morning I woke up and turned on the shower to let the hot water get through the pipes, the water flow slows to a trickle, I think..What the hell?? so I pop on the tub faucet and I am greeted with a deluge of yellowish resin beads belching out of the faucet. I shut off the water and head to the garage and hit the bypass valve at the softener.

Fast forward to post-work yesterday, I start draining the hot water heater, start pulling the faucets and shower heads apart for cleaning, then I find that the dish washer has a screen on the water inlets, and that a water saver toilet valve can get plugged up as well.

I spent just over 6 hours tearing apart my house to get the water to flow, now I need to look into a new softener, I have no idea if the current one can be repaired, I think the head is shot anyway, but do any of you guys know if a softener is easily repairable??? or should I just get a new one???

avidhomebrewer · 01-15-2011, 02:44 AM

When my softener started dying, I bought a new one (about $400) and installed it. Pretty easy if you know how to sweat pipes and it took me about 2 hours or so to replace/install. The best part about my experience was watching the guys at the drop-off site (where we get rid of all of our stuff in the city) dump about 100# of salt all over the place.

**azscoob** · 01-15-2011, 04:53 AM

I can install a new softener no problem, I am just getting flack from my wife, I am a mechanic by trade and this apparently qualifies me to repair everything, I think I am going to tell her that it is not repairable and just be done with it.

Nova5 · 01-15-2011, 08:41 PM

http://www.freshwatersystems.com/p-782-rusco-spin-down-filter-pe-screen-15.aspx?affiliateid=10050&qid=0&utm_source=Googlebase&utm_medium=Feed&utm_campaign=Product&utm_term=1-1/2-60-F#V11258

a filter like this between the softener and your house will prevent the beads from doing much damage next time it self-destructs. at the worst you shut off the water (put a ball valve on both sides) and remove the clear cover and scrape the crap off. normally you just attach a line to the bottom, open the valve there and purge it. My parents have a pair of these installed between the well tank and house as the head sucks in a bit of sand over time.

**azscoob** · 01-16-2011, 04:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nova5

http://www.freshwatersystems.com/p-782-rusco-spin-down-filter-pe-screen-15.aspx?affiliateid=10050&qid=0&utm_source=Googlebase&utm_medium=Feed&utm_campaign=Product&utm_term=1-1/2-60-F#V11258

a filter like this between the softener and your house will prevent the beads from doing much damage next time it self-destructs. at the worst you shut off the water (put a ball valve on both sides) and remove the clear cover and scrape the crap off. normally you just attach a line to the bottom, open the valve there and purge it. My parents have a pair of these installed between the well tank and house as the head sucks in a bit of sand over time.

one of these would have saved me a load of time! something like this is going into the post softener line on this house and any others from here on out!

Nova5 · 01-16-2011, 12:54 PM

Consider using a pair of them and run them in parallel. both with their own valve pairs. You'll have to T off the water line run to the two incoming valves, then filters, then outgoing valves, then T back together and run out the waterline into the house. Reason behind this is that you can shut one off and clean it while water continues to flow, turn on the clean one, turn off the other, clean it, then turn it back on.

I would only use this one for your purpose (or another just like it) not the Filters from Culligan, etc for whole house filtration. Different style.

**azscoob** · 01-16-2011, 02:28 PM

It looks like those units are for filtering rough sediment out of water coming from a well point, I have municipal water so I wouldn't need it for that purpose but they would definitely do the trick if another softener membrane lets loose, it would catch the beads instead of letting them get into the pipes in the house.

Nova5 · 01-16-2011, 02:52 PM

Thats just what i was suggesting them to be used for and why I mentioned to avoid the others. its only good against sand, etc.

**azscoob** · 01-16-2011, 02:57 PM

Today I am ordering two of them, and when they arrive I will be installing my new 60,000 grain softener.

I wish I could have used that cash for brew related goodies, I guess a water softener will have to do.

certaut · 01-16-2011, 03:02 PM

rebuilt my 40 year old softener got the stuff here http://www.softnerparts.com
they also have RO parts