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Water Softener Fiberglass Tank Replacement

MEP001

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Shipping might be high, but there's softenerparts.com and discountwatersofteners.com
 

Randy

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I would think that the water quality in Juneau Alaska would pretty good, good enough that you wouldn't need a water softener. How hard is the water there?
 

Rainway

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I would think that the water quality in Juneau Alaska would pretty good, good enough that you wouldn't need a water softener. How hard is the water there?
Funny you should ask. I tested it a year ago or so and although I don't recall the exact results - I recall it was soft. But being new to the business we've just been on auto pilot doing what the prior owners showed us to do while making minor improvements where we can. When this tank started leaking we shut the softener system off ... and it seems to be washing cars just fine.

So I'll test the water again and depending on results just leave it off (probably still fix the tank should the need arise), and quit buying water softener. Thanks for the suggestion - you might have just saved me some bucks in which case I'm indebted to ya!

Frankly I bet the installer just assumed it was needed and the two owners before us like lemmings just kept filling the brine tank and never questioned it or tested it...
 

jubalr

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You can set the timers so that you are only running on 1 resin tank and run it as a 1 tank system. If your water is fairly soft coming in and set correctly on the timer, it will still run awhile between regens. I had to that that with mine last year when 1 tank's resin became saturated and I shut it down until I replaced the resin in it.
 

MEP001

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You can set the timers so that you are only running on 1 resin tank and run it as a 1 tank system.
Not with the controls he has. There are no "settings" that allow this, and the lower pistons don't allow any water bypass while that side is regenerating.
 

jubalr

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Not with the controls he has. There are no "settings" that allow this, and the lower pistons don't allow any water bypass while that side is regenerating.
His heads looked the same as mine. Are they not electronic, or are they just manual timers? He has the same lower valve that shows offline while the other tank is in service.
 

MEP001

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If you have the same heads on twin alternating tanks, regardless of the timer, they cannot be run individually, again because the lower piston stops water flow while the other tank is in service. There may be a setting in the electronic timer to run it as a single tank system, but nothing will get water while the single tank regenerates.
 

cantbreak80

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Based on the labeling, the media tank appears to be an uncommon size - 21” diameter x 54” height.

Pentair’s Structural USA brand 21” diameter media tanks are available in heights of 36” and 62”.

Clack’s 21” media tanks are 62” tall.

Therefore, replacing the tank will require an ~8” longer riser tube and reconfiguration of the inlet/outlet plumbing. The riser tube for the Fleck 2900 valve is 1-1/2” OD and should extend no more than 1/4" below the top of the tank.

The electromechanical twin-alternating Fleck 2900 valves are not typically equipped with “Hard Water By-Pass”, so you can’t just close the inlet/outlet valves on the leaking unit…the system will stop all water flow when the active unit goes into regeneration.

Should you decide to keep the softeners online and reduce the reconfiguration brain damage… You might want to contact Watergroup Companies, Inc. to find an exact replacement.

As Ghetto Wash suggested...replace the resin, too.
 

mac

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Wee my first thought is that your current softener may be way oversized. It looks like you are softening water for the entire wash. You really only need soft water to mix chemicals and feed the RO and instead of a twin tank, you can downsize to a single tank unit with a metered head. This way you only regen at night and use much less salt. This doesn't surprise as most softener companies throw on the biggest thing they can fit in the room.
 

jubalr

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If you have the same heads on twin alternating tanks, regardless of the timer, they cannot be run individually, again because the lower piston stops water flow while the other tank is in service. There may be a setting in the electronic timer to run it as a single tank system, but nothing will get water while the single tank regenerates.
What I was doing was I set the meter for single tank, and then watched the meter for remaining gallons and when it got below about 500, I would start the regen and turn on the bypass at the 2" inlet valve. I did that for about 8 or 9 months then got the resin to replace in the bad tank. My tanks are 21x60" and that resin change is a real pain by yourself!
 

Rainway

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Wee my first thought is that your current softener may be way oversized. It looks like you are softening water for the entire wash. You really only need soft water to mix chemicals and feed the RO and instead of a twin tank, you can downsize to a single tank unit with a metered head. This way you only regen at night and use much less salt. This doesn't surprise as most softener companies throw on the biggest thing they can fit in the room.
Yes we are softening for the entire wash.
 
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