Water softener resin tank leaking from the bottom (solutions)

We use affiliate links and may receive a small commission on purchases. Read more about us

Photo of author
Written By John Roe Stephen

Quick Answer

The cause of the leakage in the bottom of the tank could be a crack in the container.

Stop the water softener, clean the tank, and remove the water to spot the crack in the tank. Small cracks are repairable. Apply the epoxy on the crack and seal the container to make it waterproof again.

How often should water softener resin be replaced?

Usually, the water softener resin comes with 10 years of warranty. The device would have sufficient resin to produce clean water and keep your water connection intact. In some cases, the water condition in the region determines how long the resin will support the water processing. 

The resin content exposes to a high level of contamination would require more processing power to keep the water clean. 

Chlorine, iron, or excessive level of water hardness may reduce the lifespan of the resin. Resin is used to clean a large water unit for a small duration and may last only 4 to 5 years.

This clearly shows that the lifespan of the resin completely depends on the quality of the water.

Typically the resin is made of high-quality crisscrossed strings of polystyrene fibers. These fibers are bond together using the DVB. 

The bread quality determines how long the resin will sustain and protect the system from getting contaminated. The performance of the resin is calculated based on the icon exchange. 

The resin with a capacity of 10% would have a stronger ion exchange capacity than the average size resin with an 8% capacity.

The links in the resin build up the exchange sites in the resin bead. Their job is to seize the positive charge particles and keep them away from the water. 

The positive charge particles of the calcium and magnesium ions are attracted to the resin, and sodium ions are released in the water. 

The performance of the resin ensures the quality of the water, so when you have the water softener in the home, you should moderate the water quality regularly. 

The hardness of the water will tell how the resin is doing inside. The harder the water, the less productive would be the resin in the execution. It may be time to replace the resin with the new one.

How to drain a water softener resin tank?

There will be a time when your water supply will start showing the sign of hard water. It is time to perform the cleaning of the resin tank and entire system. The hard water or smell in the water shows it is contaminated. 

The resin tank may have failed to clean the water using the system. Draining water from the herein tank would remove the contaminated particles from the tank. 

It will give a fresh start to the resin tank and make the water softener work as usual. 

Water coming from the corporate generally processes and then sent to the local household use. However, there is a possibility that the Municipal water supply is not that effective in the cleaning procedure. 

The water supply to your home may have many harmful chemicals and small particles, which may cause you health problems. 

The high amount of iron or manganese in the water is not good for health. Consuming such contaminated water could lead the various health problems.

Also, these materials start filing in the resin bed and foul the whole system. Even the regeneration process may not be able to remove them completely. As a result, over time, they clog the system, and your resin may not be able to work smoothly. 

Why should you clean the resin?

Cleaning the resin is the only way to recover the damaged resin bead. There are specialize resin cleaners build to restore the resin system. It will restore the reduced salt and water usage and enhance the resin life. 

Also, it will guarantee the system will work smoothly after the restoration of the core function. 

Clean resin beads will improve the quality of the water, which can experience the taste of the water. The water flow rate may also go up, and you will be able to process more water from the resin.

In most cases, the resin is cleaned in the interval of 3 to 12 months. The decision of cleaning should be taken based on the water condition in your area. 

If the water starts producing too much hard water, then it is time to clean the resin.

The performance drop can lead to the dirt in the water, and the taste also may annoy you. 

Step by step guide to drain water softener resign tank?

1) Get the specialized resin cleaner from the shop.

2) Desolve the small portion of the resin cleaner in the water and pour from the top on the salt. The other parts go in the brine well. Use the cleaner before you start the regeneration cycle.

3) Some water softener has the dispenser mounted on the top of the brine tank. The dispenser container will drip the set amount of the cleaner during the regeneration process. Any fouling is prevented, and the regeneration process will help the resin to drain quickly. 

4) Next, ensure you remove a cleaner reside in the tank after each regeneration process. 

Flush the softener thoroughly after the regeneration if required, run the cleaning process twice to ensure that the cleaner is removed from the tank before your pass the fresh water in the tank. 

How to replace water softener resin?

Follow the below step-by-step guide to replace the water softener resin bed.

Step 1: Diagnose the problem

Water softener resin bead is the crucial component of the water cleaning process. The performance of the water softener depends on the resin condition. Check the water supply, taste of the water, flow rate when you run the regeneration process. 

The soft water should run out quickly from the water softener. 

If it takes too much time to pass the water, then there is the probability of the damage to resign bed. Typical resin bed lasts for more than 10 to 15 years. 

The excessive amount of chlorine may damage the water. It starts killing the resin bed. Check if your water softener using the salt as normal and regulate the rate. 

The water condition is still hard, and no soft water is generated, then the resin bead is damaged, and it is no longer effective in cleaning the water. 

Resin beds generally get recharge automatically with the brine water supply. If the resin bed is not getting sufficient recharge, then it will not work correctly. 

You have to fix this problem to enhance the performance of the resin bed.

Step 2: Replace the Resin Bed

Unlock the top unit using the tools. The top head holds the valve head, which is responsible for bypassing the valve. Pull the entire unit gently and disassemble the plumbing device. 

Carefully put all the parts in a safe place, especially the O-Rings or seals. They are required again when you assemble the system back to the water softener. 

In the first step, remove the resin bed from the container and clean them. 

If the resin bed has too much damage or dirt in it, it would be impossible to clean them. In that case, you have to replace the water softener resin. The entire cleaning process may take 4 hours to complete.

Empty the resin tank into the large bucket or the container. Measure the resign during this process. 

When you are done with removing the resin, you can order the new resin from the local store. Use the unit count you have measured to tell the shop owner how much resin you required. 

It is advisable to use high-quality resin for the tank. The cheap stuff gets decay easily. Also, they are not effective in cleaning the water. 

Check if your water softener supports the mixer of the gravel. You can buy them separately to fill the tank. You may also require the resin funnel while filling the resin in the tank.

Before you begin the installation, first cut the new riser tube at the same length. Compare it with the old tube to ensure that you have a properly cut tube. Now insert the tube into the water softener resin tank. Next, start willing the resin in the tank till the head. Cover the resin in the entire tank. 

Reinstall the valve head with the screw. Connect the bypass valve and other water pipelines as it was before. Turn the valve to the active mode and see if the water drip from the head or any other places. 

The softener is now ready, and resin would work at its best performance. Run the regeneration process for few times to settle the resin in the tank. It will improve the water condition and taste of the water.

Is water softener resin hazardous waste?

No. The water softener doesn’t contain any hazardous waste. You can remove the resin from the tank and dispose of it in the trash. If required, put a small amount of the salt in the trash to avoid the bacteria’s from happening on the resin. 

How do you flush the resin out of a water softener?

Follow below resin flushing technique. 

1) Firstly, close the valves of the water. Next, open the bypass valve.

2) Flush the entire water heater and drain the water.

3) Disable all the screens on your faucet.

4) Go to your home and open the cold water valves.

5) Flush the water supply available in the washer.

6) Activate any appliance that runs using the water, including the dishwasher, washing machine, sinks kitchen sinks.

7) Remain the water running until you find partials in the water. Ensure there is no resin left in the water. You will get 100% clean water from the pipe.

8) Moderate appliance for the resin beads in the water. It may clog the appliance and make the water overflow from the top.

9) Flush hoses to clean the beads and rerun the same process. 

10) When you see the water is immaculate, you are done with the cleaning process.

What can you do with old water softener resin?

The water softener resin generally lasts for 10 to 15 years. The lifespan of the resin is good if it is well maintained. The resin is made of non-recyclable polystyrene. When it is time to replace the resin, you remove them and dispose of the resin as a general waste product. 

How do I dispose of water softener resin?

Resins are made of non recycle material. Put the resin in a separate bag before dumping them in the trash. The bag will avoid spreading the resin all over the place. Do not try to flush the resin in the toilet. It may clog your toilet and also may produce more pollution.

Does water softener resin go bad? 

The resin is made of a tiny bead of plastic. It has a long lifespan, so chances of getting them bad are very tiny; they are durable and may not stink.

How long should water softener resin last?

Generally, when the water condition is good, the resin lasts for more than 15 years. However, it would help if you moderated the water condition frequently to ensure that you do not have the damaged resin in your water softener.

How do you dispose of old resin?

  • Do not pour the resin water into the drain or toilet.
  • Collect the resin in the bag and take the resin bags to the nearby disposal center. If the resin contains the liquid hazardous material, put them in a separate hazardous material disposal container. 
  • Before throwing the resin container in the waste trash, ensure that the cap is tight and no liquid water or resin will spill from it.
  • Inactive resin can be thrown into normal garbage trash. 
  • Mix resin may contain harmful material. Dispose of using the proper method. Contact the nearby disposable center asks them to collect the bags from your home. They will apply treatment before disposing of the material and remove the contaminated material from the trash.

Is water softener resin biodegradable?

No. The water softener resin is made of a non-recyclable polystyrene product. The material is made from the synthetic process, and it cannot be placed in the ground for the biodegradation process. 

You should put them in the baggage or container and avoid them from spilling on the landfill. Dispose of it with the proper procedure to avoid them ending up in a nearby place.

Continue Reading….

Was this article heplful?

Yes No