# Water Sofener Distribution Tube



## rocksteady

I'm sure a ton of you have done this but I also know there's a lot of plumbers that do almost anything to avoid water softeners. Today I replaced a distribution tube in a Fleck Proflow water softener. When a customer complains of resin in the lines, this is the problem 99% of the time. 

Clue #1









Crappy picture of a Fleck Proflow









First, put the unit on bypass and relieve the pressure by running it through a cycle manually.









Spin the head off either by hand or with a huge pair of Chanel Locks and pull the tube out. Tube is missing in this picture.









This is culprit. The strainer at the end broke due to being 12 years old.









This is the new strainer, it goes onto a new piece of 3/4" sch. 40 pvc.



























Cut it to the same length as the old one.









Chamfer the end so it doesn't rip the o-ring on the head.









Done.









Always check the water pressure if you find resin in the lines as high pressure will blow the strainers. This one failed due to age, pressure is fine.


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## Will

Nice job:thumbsup:. How did you get the tube back in the Resin tank? You refill it with media? I just put in a Water Softener from CAI Technologies. Went in easy and was of high quality. 

http://www.caitechnologies.com/


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## rocksteady

Will said:


> Nice job:thumbsup:. How did you get the tube back in the Resin tank?


I push the tube down as far as it will go and then use water pressure to push it the rest of the way down. You can make up a fitting that allows you to connect a washing machine hose to the dist. tube and using just a little bit of water, you can ease the tube to the bottom of the tank.





Will said:


> You refill it with media?


Not this time. I don't think the customer lost even 10% of the media and this w/s is 12 years old. I tried to recommend a new w/s but she wanted this one back online as cheap as possible. No telling how much more time the current resin has and if something else is going to fail. With a unit this old, it's almost an "all or nothing" approach to rebuilding if you really want to warranty anything.





Paul


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## Master Mark

*what was that worth*



rocksteady said:


> I'm sure a ton of you have done this but I also know there's a lot of plumbers that do almost anything to avoid water softeners. Today I replaced a distribution tube in a Fleck Proflow water softener. When a customer complains of resin in the lines, this is the problem 99% of the time.
> 
> Clue #1
> 
> 
> Crappy picture of a Fleck Proflow
> 
> 
> First, put the unit on bypass and relieve the pressure by running it through a cycle manually.
> 
> 
> Spin the head off either by hand or with a huge pair of Chanel Locks and pull the tube out. Tube is missing in this picture.
> 
> 
> This is culprit. The strainer at the end broke due to being 12 years old.
> 
> 
> This is the new strainer, it goes onto a new piece of 3/4" sch. 40 pvc.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Cut it to the same length as the old one.
> 
> 
> Chamfer the end so it doesn't rip the o-ring on the head.
> 
> 
> Done.
> 
> 
> Always check the water pressure if you find resin in the lines as high pressure will blow the strainers. This one failed due to age, pressure is fine.


 





I have never attempted to mess with one of those but am curious as to
 how long it took and how much $$ you charged to make the repairs to that 
12 year old unit... 

In our town, if the unit were over 5 years old..Culligan would
simpy try to sell them a whole new unit...


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## Protech

Not to bust balls here but I think that is called a "riser tube". I call them dip tubes sometimes though too so I'm guilty as well.


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## rocksteady

Master Mark said:


> I have never attempted to mess with one of those but am curious as to
> how long it took and how much $$ you charged to make the repairs to that
> 12 year old unit...
> 
> In our town, if the unit were over 5 years old..Culligan would
> simpy try to sell them a whole new unit...


I offered a new one but she can't afford it and wanted this one repaired as cheaply as possible. I got it done in 90 minutes and also changed some R.O. filters. It would have gone a bit faster if it were in a garage but the whole mess was under the house and not very convenient to get to. The bill was about $210. I did the work with the understanding that the* ONLY* thing guaranteed was the new strainer and tube.




Protech said:


> Not to bust balls here but I think that is called a "riser tube". I call them dip tubes sometimes though too so I'm guilty as well.


 
I've heard them called distribution tubes, down tubes, riser tubes, etc. The place I got the strainer from calls them distributor tubes. 







Paul


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## Will

"riser tube" is the correct way of saying it, but who really cares? I knew what you where talking about, and the home owner doesn't. You could of called it anything followed by tube and the home owner would have believed you. 


How much would a fleck water softener of that capacity cost new?


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## Pipe Rat

Thanks for the pics. I have never seen the inside of those. I always assumed it was something failed in the head unit that caused that. :blush:


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## user2090

I dislike having to repair a 12 year old softener. They can go for a long time so its fine, but still.

Have you installed and clack head yet?

Will, why in the world are you using the old style autotrol heads?


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## rocksteady

Indie said:


> Will, why in the world are you using the old style autotrol heads?


I'm not a fan of the Autotrol either. When I worked for BF that's all they'd sell but I think it was because they got them cheaper than anything else. 


I haven't installed a Clack yet, I sell Fleck based units exclusively. 





Paul


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## gusty60

How long did it take to get the media out of all the valves, angle stops, aerators, etc.?


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## rocksteady

gusty60 said:


> How long did it take to get the media out of all the valves, angle stops, aerators, etc.?


That took longer than the w/s repair, for sure. Probably 2 hours cleaning everything out. I didn't have to replace anything except for one fill valve though, just a lot of cleaning.








Paul


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## PLUMBER_BILL

rocksteady said:


> I'm sure a ton of you have done this but I also know there's a lot of plumbers that do almost anything to avoid water softeners. <SNIP>
> 
> For those that do service water softeners. I am talking here about a cabinet model... I made a wrench that I could put down into the brine part of the cabinet put the strap around the softener tank and hold back or screw-in the tank when the head must come off.
> 
> My elaborate 18" long strap wrench is still around here someplace.
> 
> Anybody interested I will dig it up and post a photo.


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## rocksteady

I've never had a head that wouldn't come off, even in a cabinet model. I'll unhook the drain and brine lines and then give it a few good whacks. It usually spins the mineral tank around though, sometimes a few full revolutions before the head breaks free but it always comes off.. I'd be interested in seeing your strap wrench Bill. It might make some of these cabinet models less frustrating.






Paul


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## Richard Hilliard

Around (Sarasota) water softners on county or city water last 3-5 years due to the high concentration of chlorine. On a well I would think less. I am surprised it is still working properly.


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## Tankless

Richard Hilliard said:


> Around (Sarasota) water softners on county or city water last 3-5 years due to the high concentration of chlorine. On a well I would think less. I am surprised it is still working properly.


 
You should start selling carbon filters. 1 to 2 cu/ft units will at least tripple the life of the media. Chlorine is the #1 cause of media failure. I'll fix any softener but often times I can feel the piston and either rebuild it all or just replace it for the same money...plus the new softener of course. Rock, I like that head.....very low hit on the pressure with the proflo....infact it's the exact same as the 7000's


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## PLUMBER_BILL

rocksteady said:


> I've never had a head that wouldn't come off, even in a cabinet model. I'll unhook the drain and brine lines and then give it a few good whacks. It usually spins the mineral tank around though, sometimes a few full revolutions before the head breaks free but it always comes off.. I'd be interested in seeing your strap wrench Bill. It might make some of these cabinet models less frustrating.
> 
> Ok I dug up the wrench ... I made it from a piece of 1" pipe. I ground a slit in the end [bottom]. In the top I brazed in a socket so I can use a ratchet or a breaking bar for leverage.
> 
> Photo [1] shows tool in use [bucket] represents tank.
> Photo [2] shows full length w/breaking bar.
> Photo 3 shows business end with slit.
> To use you make a loop in the belt, insert the loop on the inside of the pipe. Wind a couple of turns [6 or so] then insert the loose end in the roll of the strap and wind it up. It really can pull tight. The direction you want to turn the item [clockwise or counter clockwise] is determined by which way you start the wind and how you tuck in the loose end.


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## Richard Hilliard

Tankless said:


> You should start selling carbon filters. 1 to 2 cu/ft units will at least tripple the life of the media. Chlorine is the #1 cause of media failure. I'll fix any softener but often times I can feel the piston and either rebuild it all or just replace it for the same money...plus the new softener of course. Rock, I like that head.....very low hit on the pressure with the proflo....infact it's the exact same as the 7000's


 
That is correct. We rarely sell softners, we sell the coconut carbon filters.We have a lot of clients that cannot drink soften water due to high blood pressure and heart issues. We are not fans of osmosis systems that need to be installed in order to get rid of the sodium.


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