Water Softeners Discussion Board

Water Softener Resin Tank Bursting

Jules61 — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 23:49:16 GMT

Why would my Kenmore Water Softener Resin Tank Swell and then burst? Anyone know?

Salty tap water

stactech — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 17:53:20 GMT

another source of assistance is kenmorewater.com. this web site has annimations of the softener, how it works and some troubleshooting techniques.

Salty tap water

ThePov — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 17:34:07 GMT

In general, there are 2 causes for this problem. First is that your unit is not completeing or skipping the backwash and / or flush cycles. refer to your owners manual for the process for checking this. The other cause could be a plugged valve drain line. this is the drain line that comes off the valve itself. While you are performing your manual check of the cycles, watch the drain line during the backwash and flush cycles. You should geta good, strong flow during both cycles.

Let us know the results of these tests. You can also get expert help on the manage my home website.

Salty tap water

LarryWH — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 16:53:07 GMT

I had a Sears water softener installed 7 years ago. All of a sudden, my tap water has become very salty. Cause, solution?

water softner

BigMike4511 — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 13:07:24 GMT

With a quick search, I found that the 2 major big box hardware companies have water softener units for anywhere from under $400 to a little over $700. They are simple to install, if you are not handy a plumber should only cost about $200 (top end) to install the unit

Shop around for your best deal, and if you are looking to have the selling company arrange to install the unit, be aware of the reputation that they have.

water softner

madgolfer — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 23:15:07 GMT

Hi 2insonora, there are some very reliable Kenmore water softeners. You can compare the models at Kenmorewater.com. Prices are very reasonable, installation costs vary but a softener is not difficult to install yourself. If you have a water test result, I can help picking the right model. The worst thing to do is buy an undersized model because it was cheaper. The Culligan is a dual tank system which is part of the expense but you also pay a premium for the name.

water softner

ServiceLocally — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 19:43:23 GMT

Have you looked into rentals? See how much a rental would cost. Just a thought.

water softner

2insonora — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 13:45:03 GMT

Live on a road that is called Lime Kiln are water softener went out and we have hard water. Avery thing is turning white. culligan wants 2000.00 for a new one the one that went out was 30yrs old can you (Sear's) have a water softener that could match and coast less?

Why did Sears remove "Recharge Tonight" feature on new models?

JJParker — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 18:09:55 GMT

We just purchased and installed a new Kenmore model 38350 softener to replace our old Kenmore. We were stunned and disappointed to find out Sears has removed the "Recharge Tonight" flash warning on the screen to let people know there's going to a regeneration that evening. This is an extremely useful feature that we are surprised Sears would remove it. Can this automatic feature be added back in?

Help for well water with high lime/calcium levels.

Billfish — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 03:13:41 GMT

Take a sample of your water,maybe 6 oz or so,and take it to a local plumbing supply house.They will have it tested and refer you to a local water treatment specialist.

Help for well water with high lime/calcium levels.

pkd — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 02:52:11 GMT

Our water from our water well is leaving lime or calcium scale on our showers, dishes in the dishwasher, and our hair after showering. I was wondering if a water softener would help or if we need something different to alleviate this problem.

intake pipe to softener is whining when washing machine is running

WengerPlumbing — Sun, 26 Dec 2010 19:08:49 GMT

Try pushing the 'button' on the side of the softener bypass valve. It says 'Push for Bypass' on it. Then try running your water to your washer again. If the noise is not present it comes from inside the softener. If the noise is the same it could be a piece of debris in the pipe connected to the top of the bypass. With the water off and all pressure released (open faucets and let them run until they stop running) you can disconnect the softener from the bypass, remove the bypass and inspect for debris. At that time you could remove the bypass from the supply and outlet pipes to the softener and hold a bucket under the lines while a helper opened the main valve to flush out and possible debris from the pipes. Then look inside the bypass for any debris. Reassemble in reverse order, re-pressurize with faucets closed and check for leaks. Check to see if the noise is gone.

Please note that if you are not extremely comfortable and suitably skilled to do the above job you should call a plumber or softener installer who does this daily. It would be a very simple and inexpensive task for a qualified person, but could cause an unqualified person lots of headaches (and leaks!).

Hard water treatmenat

TheTradesman — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 17:49:05 GMT

Greetings!

In my 38 year trade as a veteran plumber I've installed only conventional water softeners. About a decade ago, I did install one time, at a customers request, a system that was introduced as one that cleaned up and softened the water just like a conventional water softener but.....after a couple years in service this new-age system proved to be only an extra large (water softener sized) carbon filtration device complete with back-wash cycle. The system never did correct/improve the home owner's hard water condition. The home owner did have clean-clear tasty water but the hardness remained and still tainted new household plumbing fixtures. With the home owner suffering from great regret and the loss of a hefty chunk-of-change for the phony system, he had me remove the carbon system in favor of a conventional water softener. So far, sorry to say, there is no substitute for a water softener other than those phony systems that are sold and advertised as a substitute.

The warning above from Billfish is right-on accurate!

Hard water treatmenat

Billfish — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 17:02:14 GMT

It's been fairly well documented and scientifically proven that at this time,there is only one (1) method of cost- efficient and effectively treating hard water (i.e removing calcium)in a residential setting,and that is the traditional ion-exchange method,using a resin bed that gets cleaned occasionally by brine.Be wary of anybody who tries to sell you anything different.I have seen several presentations of equipment that purports to do so,but their science has been faulty every time.They dont (and can't) work.

Hard water treatmenat

Hoagie2 — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 16:05:58 GMT

I am looking to install a system for treating hard water and do not want to use the traditional softeners. What options are there and do you knlw of people I can contact that have used them?

intake pipe to softener is whining when washing machine is running

photomattz — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 17:12:23 GMT

I have a kenmore softener that whines when i run the washing maching. this would be the hard water from outside as it comes in to the softener. what's the deal? is the pipe flow restricted from calcium or something else? it's getting louder.

Water softener for well water?

dichide — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 20:48:44 GMT

We have well water and the Kenmore Elite Softener. We are completely happy with the system. The rotten egg smell comes from your hot water tank Anode. You need a special Anode for well water and you also have to flush out your hot water tank at least every 6 months. The smell should go away. Also the Anode will probably only last 3-4 years.

Water Softener recharges immediately when plugged back in if unplugged for a few days

Chris7879 — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 16:10:48 GMT

I have a Sears Model # 625-393060 water softener. I am on a well for my water and when I am going to be gone for more than a couple of days, I unplug the water softener. When I plug it back in, the softener immediately regenerates. The last time I did this, I didn't have the water turned on so there wasn't enough water in my tank to finish the softener cycle and there was also standing water left in the tank. When I realized this, I turned the water on and regenerated the softener again, but there was still water left standing in the tank. And now the softener wants to regenerate every night. Is there a fix for this or is it time to get a new softener?

Installation without a loop pipe

RetailMac — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 17:42:28 GMT

Water softener installations can be fairly simple or extremely involved depending on how your home builder routed the plumbing. This is the main reason Sears sells installation to so many customers. I have seen jobs that were so involved and costly they were about 5 times as much as the unit to install the softener. Basically though you need to find where the water enters the home, but has already passed the outside faucets. If your builder ran the outside faucets off of the inside lines you should not use salt, and some areas it will not pass code no matter what. You also need a drain, and electrical within about 5' - 7' of the softener. Plan the location, do your research, and you should be able to get it installed and allow the softener to correctly protect your home. I have seen people though end up installing a softener after the water heater, so all of the hot water was hard water. You may want to consider at least getting an estimate from Sears (or any plumber really) and know what you are getting into.

Installing Water Softener outside with digital screen

Redcrosskey — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 15:33:42 GMT

I am concerned about the digital screen (our current water softener is dials and does not have a computer). Do we need to be concerned with outside placement and the computer. We are in Florida and the water softener is in blazing sun most of the day since it is on the east side of the house. Does anyone have any idea if this is an issue to be concerned about or have one currently outside?