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Photo of a home water softener systemWater Softener Resin Loss FAQs
Q&A about water softener resin beads

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Questions & answers about water softner resin loss problems.

This article series describes the symptoms of resin loss from a water softener and suggests how the problem may be repaired. If you see yellow or reddish debris at the water softener drain or at faucet strainers & shower heads, the water softener resin may be deteriorated or an internal part in the water softener may need replacement. Small find debris particles may indicate that the resin needs replacement, while larger particles may mean that a distribution basket or strainer is damaged or broken.

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Causes & Cure for Water Softener Resin Loss

Water flow through a typical water softener (C) InspectApedia.comThese questions & answers about diagnosing & fixing problems with loss of resin beads from a water conditioner or water softener were published originally at x - be sure to review that article too.

On 2019-03-29 by (mod) - How to get manuals and parts for North Star Water Softeners

It occurs tome that if your sofener has not been regenerating properly or even if it has it might have accumulated debris over its years of service and its resin tank may need cleaning and new resin installed.

Let me know what the company tells you.

NORTH STAR WATER TREATMENT SYSTEMS
1890 Woodlane Drive
Woodbury, MN 55125
1-800-972-0135
info@northstarwater.com

On 2019-03-29 0 by Amy

Found label it’s a North Star model number NSC30UD. About 11 years old

On 2019-03-29 by (mod) - how to identify your North Star water softener model

North Star water softener manuals are available from the company at

https://www.northstarwater.com/technical-support/owners-manuals/

Look on your control or on other labels or documentation to find your model number so that you can be sure you have the right manual to download.

[Click to enlarge any image]

On 2019-03-29 19:09:40.838636 by Amy

Sorry I sent picture. I have no idea what make/ model. Would there be a label on back?

On 2019-03-29 by Amy - photo of North Star Water Softner

It’s about 11 years old

North Star Water Softner identification (C) InspectApedia.com Amy

On 2019-03-29 by (mod) -

Well darn.

Softeners normally contain

- resin beads and
below the resin beads
washed gravel

It's odd IMO but perhaps your softener set-up used a sand bed - or it's not just a softener.

What's the brand, model, age?

ANyway in general if we are getting particles out of a softener we figure that a basket/filter at the pick-up tube in the softener is probably loose or damaged.

On 2019-03-29 by Amy

There is a filter before the softener and if I draw a bucket at a faucet right at the well there is no black sediment present there. .

On 2019-03-29 by (mod) - source of cloudy water and gray sand in water supply

Water softeners don't normally contain sandy particles but they do contain small round resin beads like the ones shown in the photo I"ll attach.

If you're seeing sand I suspect there's debris coming out of your well.

Or your water heater anode has deteriorated and needs replacement.

Here is what water softener resin beads look-like.

Purloite water softener resin beads under the microscope (C) Daniel Friedman Purloite water softener resin beads under the microscope (C) Daniel Friedman

On 2019-03-29 by Amy

I have recently started having cloudy water and a very fine black/dark grey “sand” in the bottom of bath tubs could this be caused by my water softener? I am on a well but have a cartridge filter water before it goes into the softener.

Dark gray sandy deposits may be coming from water softnener or from water heater (C) InspectApedia.com Amy

On 2019-03-13 by Hu

Bob, you'll need to replace your resin. With the time, worst with chlorine, the links into the polymer brakes and the resin beads become to be like jelly.


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