# Resin leaking into the plumbing system, how to flush?



## azheat112 (May 19, 2012)

I had a job today that had tons of resin in the whole system. I put the softener into bypass mode but still had tons of resin coming out. I thought maybe the bypass on the softener head wasn't working right so I installed my own bypass behind the head with some ball valves and tees just to be sure. The cold side has no resin coming out now but the hot side still does. I drained the water heater twice all the way down and ran probably 500 gallons through the drain hose on the water heater with pressure on it as well to try and flush it through. Was thinking about replacing the water heater tomorrow do you guys think this will fix it or am I wasting money and should just keep flushing all of the fixtures?


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## Nealfromjpt (Oct 10, 2012)

keep flushing it will come out ....it will take awhile but it should clear up


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## FL pipe dope (Dec 3, 2014)

^^^^^

This.


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## Fox (Dec 10, 2014)

azheat112 said:


> I had a job today that had tons of resin in the whole system. I put the softener into bypass mode but still had tons of resin coming out. I thought maybe the bypass on the softener head wasn't working right so I installed my own bypass behind the head with some ball valves and tees just to be sure. The cold side has no resin coming out now but the hot side still does. I drained the water heater twice all the way down and ran probably 500 gallons through the drain hose on the water heater with pressure on it as well to try and flush it through. Was thinking about replacing the water heater tomorrow do you guys think this will fix it or am I wasting money and should just keep flushing all of the fixtures?



Ive had lots of riser tubes and upper screens break in softeners and go throughout the whole systems and water heaters are the worst (that and the laundry screens).Patients and time will work it out.


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## azheat112 (May 19, 2012)

Got it 99% flushed out the other day.Flushed water heater 3 times, 2 shower valve stems and aerator clogs later got it done. I did it for family so no worry on the money but I can't see flat rating something like that it could take an hour or in my case like 6. Thanks for the replies it helped


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## chonkie (Jul 31, 2014)

Maybe a noob question, but what kind of resin are yall talking about? I can think of a few types of resin but none should be in plumbing. How did it get in the h2o supply?


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## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

chonkie said:


> Maybe a noob question, but what kind of resin are yall talking about? I can think of a few types of resin but none should be in plumbing. How did it get in the h2o supply?



The tiny filter media beads inside the water conditioner.


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## Plumbergeek (Aug 16, 2010)

I'm soooooooo happy we have good water here in my area of Jawga
None of that water softener crap for me! :thumbup:


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## Plumbtastic1 (Jul 5, 2014)

Plumbergeek said:


> I'm soooooooo happy we have good water here in my area of Jawga None of that water softener crap for me! :thumbup:


 I here that buddy! I'm in the atown too.

from the long lost app


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## wookie (Dec 16, 2008)

Hard water sucks but softeners make for more work! I try to sell an install with a tankless water heater job.


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## czplumbing (Nov 24, 2014)

another thing that may be causing resin to get into the house besides a cracked or broken distributor tube can be not enough gravel in the tank. or some times in a new install the resin level is to high and when it goes into a back wash it will pull material into a house. check the GPM on the back wash to high of a rate will pull material in to.


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## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

you would be wise to take the supply lines off the toilets in the home and put on a 36 inch flex supply and blast the water into the toilet bowl for about 3 or 4 minutes until you blow all the resin out of the toilet supply lines.. If you dont do this the ballcocks can keep running ..and cause major horror and grief down the road.......


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## paultheplumber1 (May 1, 2014)

Be sure to clean up the resin. We had a tank in our junk pile break. Holy smokes are those tiny beads slippery.


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## Dpeckplb (Sep 20, 2013)

I have had it before when the shipper had one laying down in transport. I usually pull the shower stems and put sheetmetal in the hole to flush them out. I've seen a water softener ruin a tankless before.


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