Water-softener resin beads are a vital part of the water-softening process. They are designed to remove hardness minerals from the water through a process called ion exchange. Water softener resin beads replacement is a process of replacing the old resin beads with new ones. The old resin beads are removed from the water softener and replaced with new ones. This process is necessary to maintain the efficiency of your water softener system.
Simple steps below:
1) Remove any existing resin beads from the water softener.
2) Add new resin beads to the water softener resin tank.
3) Start up your water softener and allow it to run for 24 hours before using it again.
Why replace water-softener resin beads
The main reason for replacing the old resin beads include
- The resin beads have reached their life expectancy-Water softener resin does not last forever. They last for about 15-20 years, but this depends on the quality of the water.
- They have been used up and will no longer function properly.
- If they are damaged.
- If there has been a change in water quality
- Part of routine water softener maintenance.
How long do Water softener resin beads last
Water softener resin does not last forever. They last for about 15-20 years, but this depends on the quality of the water.
Once the resin reaches its life expectancy, your salt-based water softener system, such as twin tank water softeners, traditional water softeners, and cabinet-style water softeners does not give out soft water, and at this time, the resin bed needs to be replaced.
Step-by-step guide on water softener resin beads replacement
Water softener resin replacement is a task anyone can do at home you don’t require specialized personnel to do that job.
You only need someone to help you hold the tank as you unscrew.
- Gather all the required material
Make sure all the needed materials are at hand so you do not open the system and find out what is needed is not there.
What you need is:
How much resin do you need?
Measure the resin tank to determine how much resin you need.
Some tanks have a sticker somewhere that tells you the size of the tank.
If the sticker says 1035, 10 is the tank width and 35 is the tank height.
If there is no sticker, you need to take measurements yourself.
Measure the height of the fiberglass and not the decorative plastic jacket or cover placed over the fiberglass to protect the tank.
Then measure the diameter of the tank. Measure the width or use the string to measure around the tank divided by pi 3.14. For instance, if your width or circumference is 30, divide by 3.14, so the width inch is 9.5. Then round down to the whole number, so that is 9 inches.
Example
Width -9inches
Height -35 inches
So your tank size is 9″ x 35.”
Refer to the chart below to see how much resin you need
For the above example, you need 0.75 Cu. Ft. resin
Common Tank Sizes and Amount of Resins Inside
8″ x 35″ 0.64 cu. ft. ( 20,480 grains )
8″ x 44″ 0.75 cu. ft. ( 24,000 grains )
9″ x 35″ 0.75 cu. ft. ( 24,000 grains )
9″ x 40″ 1.00 cu.ft. ( 32,000 grains )
9″ x 48″ 1.00 cu. ft. ( 32,000 grains )
10″ x 35″ 1.00 cu. ft.( 32,000 grains )
10″ x 40″ 1.00 cu .ft. ( 32,000 grains )
10″ x 44″ 1.25 cu. ft. ( 40,000 grains )
10″ x 54″ 1.50 cu. ft. ( 48,000 grains )
12″ x 52″ 2.00 cu. ft. ( 64,0000 grains )
13″ x 54″ 2.50 cu. ft. ( 80,000 grains )
9″ x 48″ – 1.0 cu ft.
10″ x 54″ – 1.5 cu ft.
12″ x 48″ – 2.0 cu ft.
13″ x 54″ – 2.5 cu ft.
14″ x 65″ – 3.0 cu ft.
The standard 9″ tank uses 1 cu. ft., and the 10″ diameter tank uses 1.5 cu. ft.
After you know how much resin you need, purchase the right size.
- Turn off the main water supply valve and disconnect from the electrical – that is your water source to the system
Unscrew the system. Remove the fasteners or all the plumbing that holds the valve head to the bypass valve. You can use screw their easy fasteners to remove
Disconnect the valve head carefully and set it aside. At this point, you may need someone to help you hold the resin tank as you remove the valve head.
Remove the fiberglass inside the decorative plastic jacket or cover, and pour out the old resin beads and gravel. (At this point, you’ll need a helper to lift the tank).
You can save and reuse old gravel, but if it is in bad condition, discard it.
Water softener resin disposal
Try to dispose of the old resin in a container for disposal.
The resin is non-toxic and can be spread on the flower bed or lawn.
Some tanks do not have gravel, and it is not a must for you to use them. If your tank height is less than 12 inches, you do not need gravel.
The gravels are meant to prevent the loss of water softener resins.
Put the tank upright and clean your resin tank.
- Fill the tank with new resin beads
Fill the tank no more than 3/4 of the way. The tank requires enough space on the top for regeneration.
Put the resin tank in place and assemble all the parts back to normal.
Backwash the system and you can run regeneration.
Check for leaks and you are done.
How do you know it is time to replace the resin beads
If your water softener does not give out soft water.
If the resin has reached its life expectancy, most of the brands last for 15-20 years, but if your water is chlorinated, it may last less than the indicated years.
Check if your water softener system is using salt at a regular rate. If it is and your water is still hard after softening processes, then the resins are damaged.
In such a case may be the resins are fouled by iron, metal particles, manganese, silt, and organic compounds.
When the resin is fouled, you first try to clean the resin beads using a resin cleaner.
If the system still produces hard water even after cleaning the resin beads, the resin needs to be replaced.
In addition to the above, there is a case your system is not using the required salt or any salt.
The resin beads are not supplied with enough salt needed, such incidence the resin beads are okay but a bad valve head mostly causes the problem, and you should fix the valve.
Bonus video on how to replace resin in a water softener
