Replacing Water Softener Resin in 5 Easy Steps

The effective lifetime of ion exchange water softener resin depends on regeneration frequency, pH balance, and number of gallons used, in other words too many variables to make a practical prediction. The best way to test the effectiveness of a resin bed is to check its output. A simple water hardness testing kit should do the trick. After a regeneration the hardness level in your water should be 0 (zero). If it is any higher than that, a weakened resin bed should be suspected.

Replacing the softener's resin bed can be quite simple but you will first need to find out how much resin you need. You will also want to consider what brand and style of resin to use. Resin specifications will be covered in another article. The amount of resin you'll need is easy to find. Measure the dimensions of your tank (height by diameter) and match your dimensions up to the chart.

Tank Dimensions (inches)	Cubic Feet of Resin
8x44 9x48 10x44 10x54 12x48 13x54 14x65	0.75 1.00 1.25 1.50 2.00 2.50 3.50

Once you have acquired the proper amount of resin for your softener, it is time to replace it. Your softener should have an integrated bypass valve feature which allows you to bypass your water supply away from the softener itself. Place the bypass valve into bypass mode. Often times this is as simple as moving a lever but sometimes requires turning two valve handles. Once your softener is bypassed you can advance the control valve to the regenerate position (Regen. or Backwash) to relieve pressure from the resin tank and control valve. The tank and valve will still retain water and precautions should be taken to ensure none of it is spilled onto carpeted or wooden flooring.

Now unplug the power cord from the outlet, disconnect the brine line and the drain line from the control valve and remove the softener control valve from the water pipes. The method of removal will depend on the make and model of softener and bypass valve combination you own. Check the service manual for your softener for specific information.

Now that the softener is disconnected from the plumbing and power outlet, the resin tank can be moved away from the brine tank and plumbing connections. It is helpful here to have someone hold onto the resin tank while you remove the control valve.

Most softener control valves use 2.5-inch by 8 (threads per inch) threads. Because most softener control valves are made of Noryl, it is inadvisable to use any type of leverage tool to unscrew the valve. A dishtowel can sometimes prove useful for maintaining grip on the valve. Unscrew the control valve from the resin tank. There will be a distributor tube running up into the bottom of the control valve and it may or may not come out as you remove the valve. If the distributor pipe begins to follow the control valve as you lift it from the top of the mineral tank simply grasp the pipe and pull it out of the bottom of the control valve. There is nothing holding it in except friction from an o-ring.

Now you can set the control valve aside and move the mineral tank to a location where it is safe to pour off the excess water. The mineral tank will be full of water and about half full of resin beads. Try to avoid dumping the resin beads down a drain or sump pump. You can now remove the distributor tube and dispose of the old resin. A recommendation by the US EPA states that the resin beads can be contained in a plastic trash bag and set out for trash pick-up. It has proved useful in the past to first pour the resin beads onto the ground to let any water drain off and then scoop them up with a shovel into a trash bag. It really does not matter if you also scoop up some dirt or sand in the process.

The mineral tank and distributor tube should now be rinsed to get any stubborn resin beads removed. The distributor fits back into the resin tank and is centered at the bottom by a depression at the base of the mineral tank. It does not matter that the top of the distributor does not hold center at this time. Cover the top end of the distributor tube with a piece of tap or some type of easily removable cap. Resin beads should not be allowed to enter the inside of the distributor tube.

The tank is now ready to receive resin. If you ordered resin from Water Value, you will have a media funnel. Place the media funnel on top of the mineral tank with the distributor inside the center of the funnel. Check the tape or cap on the distributor to ensure that no media will get inside of it and pour in your resin. With ion exchange resin it is often best to use a scoop or large measuring cup to scoop the resin out of the bag and into the funnel. Pour all of the resin beads into the tank. You will notice that the mineral tank is not full and this is normal. There should be a certain amount of "freeboard" at the top of the tank to account for resin bed expansion during the regeneration cycles. Most softener tanks will accept 50% to 60% of its volume in resin.

It is very important now to clean off any resin beads that might still be on the neck of the media tank. If even a few small beads are left in place, the o-ring seal on the control valve will fail and a leak will occur. It is now safe to remove the cap or tape from the distributor tube opening. Replace the control valve taking care to insure that the distributor tube is inserted into the center of the control valve. Firmly hand tighten the control valve. Move the tank/valve assembly back into position for reconnection and hook the brine line, drain line and water pipes back up. Slowly re-introduce water pressure back into the softener by opening the bypass valve. Once the pressure equalizes you should check for water leaks around all of your connections. With any leaks eliminated it is time to plug the power cord back in and run a manual regeneration. Your owner's manual will cover the specifics of a manual regeneration.

That's all there is to it. You can have a 15 or 20 year old water softener and think it needs replacing when all that is required to make it perform like new is a resin bed change. Even if you were to hire a professional to perform the task it should still only cost a couple of hundred dollars for a smaller system to replace the resin. So while the replacement resin bed may indeed last another 15 or 20 years, it is unlikely that the rest of the system will function without at least some preventive maintenance from time to time.