18 year old water softener

[Lost Californian]

Lost water in my house this morning, nothing coming out of any of the sinks, toilets wouldn't refill. Puzzled cuz I just paid the bill, I put the water softener in bypass, and voila! Water everywhere. Internet search says check resin bed. Any other advice on what I might look at? Or is it just time to replace? I have repaired this more than once already, parts are getting scarce. Just a standard Whirlpool from Lowe's, 18 years ago.

Thanks, y'all

 

[Cameramonkey]

also check your toilet tanks. Apparently the resin beads can get loose as well. You can tell it has happened because the beads will collect in the tanks.

 

[tim87tr]

Was told by Culligan, in TH where you live, that resin tanks last about 8 years. I had to get a new one and system works fine now. The valve that engages for the system to soften the water lasts about 4 years.

 

[Michigan Slim]

18 years. Yeah, time to pony up for a new one.

 

[mmpsteve]

Lost water in my house this morning, nothing coming out of any of the sinks, toilets wouldn't refill. Puzzled cuz I just paid the bill, I put the water softener in bypass, and voila! Water everywhere. Internet search says check resin bed. Any other advice on what I might look at? Or is it just time to replace? I have repaired this more than once already, parts are getting scarce. Just a standard Whirlpool from Lowe's, 18 years ago.

Thanks, y'all

Funny that it would stop water flow all at once, instead of a slow decline in flow. If you get a new one, do you have a pre-filter device? My pre-filter catches a lot of rust before it gets to the softener.

That said, my softener is going on 25 years. There are treatments to recharge the insides, but I've not had it done. I don't think mine does as good a job as it did new, so I might just replace it soon.

.

 

[Denny347]

I've had the same Aqua Systems softener for the last 20yrs. 5 years ago, by resin bed dissolved enough to get pushed through the faucets. Clogged everything. I had no idea they needed maintenance. I had the bed replaced and everything works great. The still sell the exact model I've had all these years. With proper maintenance, they will last decades.

 

[BigBoxaJunk]

I’ve read that softener resin lasts much longer if you’re on well water, since chlorine breaks it down. When the resin in mine quit working, it didn’t clog, it just stopped softening. I got new resin online and changed it out myself. Works fine again.

 

[Bill2905]

I had a Culligan system in the 90's. At 10+ years of age on the resin tank, I started getting occasional reduced water pressure. I found that I could improve it by cycling the bypass valve a few times which apparently caused a slight pressure spike and would break things free. By the time it was 12-13 years, the resin tank was shot. The service guy who came to replace it told me it had done it's job and was ready to be retired.

 

[INP8riot]

I always use the Morton with the extra rust protection in the brine tank. I imagine it probably has something like Iron Out mixed in with it and it helps a little because my well has quite a bit of rust. I also use resin bed rejuvinator every 6 months. Let the brine tank get low on salt and add in the rejuvinator in the brine tank and run a backwash cycle. Very easy and under $20.

 

[INP8riot]

I always use the Morton with the extra rust protection in the brine tank. I imagine it probably has something like Iron Out mixed in with it and it helps a little because my well has quite a bit of rust. I also use resin bed rejuvinator every 6 months. Let the brine tank get low on salt and add in the rejuvinator in the brine tank and run a backwash cycle. Very easy and under $20. Remembering to do it...harder!

 

[Lost Californian]

I took the salt out of the brine tank, no salt bridge. Put the salt back in. Cycled the bypass valve a few times. Crap and tarnation, water flows freely again. I dunno. Did check the toilet tanks, no sign of resin beads in any of the three. See if it happens again. Probably just get a replacement softener eventually.

 

[Mgderf]

If it were me, I'd pull the old softener and leave it at that.
I can't stand soft water.

 

[Michigan Slim]

We get at least two calls a month for low water pressure. It's ALWAYS a softener. Open the bypass and there it is.

 

[OutdoorDad]

I took the salt out of the brine tank, no salt bridge. Put the salt back in. Cycled the bypass valve a few times. Crap and tarnation, water flows freely again. I dunno. Did check the toilet tanks, no sign of resin beads in any of the three. See if it happens again. Probably just get a replacement softener eventually.

weird. best guess is a failure in the bypass valve?
salt bridge wouldn't do anything but act like there was no salt. if concerned about salt bridge, i drive a crowbar into the salt a few inches to be sure.
my resin tank let go a few years ago. There was no question what happened. Enough of the beads came through to make it obvious. like tiny bobo beads.
And for the price and improvement in tech... you'd probably come out ahead scraping and paying someone to install new. All the better if you can sweat a joint and do it yourself.

 

[ZurokSlayer7X9]

At least you don't have to deal with one of these:

Allegedly it's supposed to last a lifetime, but we'll see. It should increase the life of my water heater and softener when I get to installing that.

 

[Hoosier Carry]

I took the salt out of the brine tank, no salt bridge. Put the salt back in. Cycled the bypass valve a few times. Crap and tarnation, water flows freely again. I dunno. Did check the toilet tanks, no sign of resin beads in any of the three. See if it happens again. Probably just get a replacement softener eventually.

Maybe when the unit went through a regeneration cycle, the valve failed to return to the in service location.
If so, you could force the softener to regenerate and listen to how the motor operates throughout the bypass/service positions. Is it binding up? Does the board show signs of corrosion and need cleaned.

$70 part is a lot better than a $700 softener.

 

[Lost Californian]

Well, whadayaknowboutthat. I hit the recharge button, and nothing happens. It is scheduled to happen at midnight. I have replaced the plastic gear that the motor drove, then some time latter I had to replace the motor. Or maybe the other way around, it's been a few years. Circuit board is clean. Hmm.

 

[duanewade]

We've got a Kenetico (on demand style) water softener that my parents had installed in the early 90s and it has never had anything done to it other than an o-ring being replaced about 5 years ago. Our water is very hard and I'm amazed and thankful that it has worked so well all these years.

 

[Leo]

Now you are scaring me with these short life predictions. I bought this house with a Kinetico softner 12 years ago. The man I bought it from said it came with the house when he bought the place. I have done nothing but add salt. My "new" water heater was installed in 2015, and did need a T&P valve replaced, but is still running. I am probably right at the edge of something expensive.

 

[WebSnyper]

Now you are scaring me with these short life predictions. I bought this house with a Kinetico softner 12 years ago. The man I bought it from said it came with the house when he bought the place. I have done nothing but add salt. My "new" water heater was installed in 2015, and did need a T&P valve replaced, but is still running. I am probably right at the edge of something expensive.

When you own a home, you are always at the edge of something expensive.