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Left-Handed, NOT Left-Winged! |
My water heater started leaking a day or so ago and I called the plumber I usually use. He called this morning and said they could replace it tomorrow morning, but then called later and said they could do it this afternoon. Great. Prices are a lot higher now compared to last time, and I called a couple other places that quoted higher prices. So they did the install and they asked me to bleed a hot water line and I did that, then the water was running OK and they left. I went to bleed the other lines and they starting plugging up the aerators. Turned on the bathtub faucet and I got rusty looking water from the cold side, and realized quickly it's the resin beads from the water softener. So I turned the bypass valve on the softener and went about removing the aerators and flushing the lines, ran the hoses for the fridge water and washing machine water into a bucket to flush them out. Various other things but you get the idea. Now I'm draining and filling and draining the new water heater to get the resin out of it. So the question - is there any possible connection to the water heater replacement? The softener is upstream of the water heater and affects all inside water. Just a bad coincidence? Or the in-rush of water to the new water heater on first fill cause the water softener membrane for filter or whatever holds the media in to fail? The softener is 21 years old and is due for replacement. I called about a re-bed a while back and it was too old for that service. I live near the Aqua Systems factory so I go direct with them. | ||
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Member |
If the plumber opened the main faster than the old softener could handle it, it could be damaged or just puking. I had a plumber doing work on my house and he told his apprentice to open the main. He cranked it wide open quickly and It blew apart one of the flow master toilet valves. The plumber didn't even blink. He went to his truck and replaced the damaged valve in 10 min. He explained to his apprentice to always open vales slowly or it could damage things. He didn't charge me for the valve. | |||
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Member |
I see no possible connection. | |||
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semi-reformed sailor |
Yup. The input flow was more than the outflow of the softener, effectively flushing the media out of the softener and into the system…and the water heater. You should talk to the plumber and explain the problem the or his guy created. I would do it in a nice calm manner and ask what he thinks a solution should be. If he offers money take it, if not then never call that guy again. "Violence, naked force, has settled more issues in history than has any other factor.” Robert A. Heinlein “You may beat me, but you will never win.” sigmonkey-2020 “A single round of buckshot to the torso almost always results in an immediate change of behavior.” Chris Baker | |||
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Member |
Unless the media basket/retainer is compromised, it's not happening. | |||
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Left-Handed, NOT Left-Winged! |
Pretty sure all they did was turn off the valve on the water heater inflow pipe. The main is in the crawlspace and they didn't go down there, and the cold water wasn't turned off to the house while they were doing the work as far as I noticed (there is city service shutoff at the meter). | |||
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Nullus Anxietas |
Your water softener resin bed is trashed. Time for a new one--resin bed or entire softener. "America is at that awkward stage. It's too late to work within the system,,,, but too early to shoot the bastards." -- Claire Wolfe "If we let things terrify us, life will not be worth living." -- Seneca the Younger, Roman Stoic philosopher | |||
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semi-reformed sailor |
Yes. But the valve just before the filter is at full pressure. If you have city water this can be up to 60psi. Just opening a valve at 60psi quickly can do damage to old parts like the filter bed/cage. The valve should have been opened slowly to allow the pressure increase slowly. Or this action could have nothing to do with your issue. The filter and out-flowing media could have just met it’s match after your recent work and was going to happen anyway. Which is why I suggested speaking to the actual plumber who did the work. "Violence, naked force, has settled more issues in history than has any other factor.” Robert A. Heinlein “You may beat me, but you will never win.” sigmonkey-2020 “A single round of buckshot to the torso almost always results in an immediate change of behavior.” Chris Baker | |||
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