Do It Yourself (DIY) replacement of the resin beads in a GSXF30H 30,000 grain GE cabinet style home water softener. Step by step directions are provided.
Using wet/dry shop vac is a brilliant idea. Sucked the old resin out in about 15 minutes. I got Purolite from Amazon for $117 for a cubic foot. It wouldn't all fit into my Kenmore (14 years old) unit. I stopped putting it in when I got up to about 3 inches from top. Tamped it lightly with a rod as I put it in. The funnel is a well spent $11. Results were great. Full flow and soft water restored. THANKS for vacuum suggestion.
I just did this with my unit and wish I had seen your video first - the shop-vac method is a great idea - much less hassle than removing the whole tank and dumping out. Thanks for all the valuable info.
Excellent video and clear instruction. I followed your instruction and replaced resin in my 18 years old Kenmore softener. It is working like new. Thanks for the great video!
Thanks for taking the mystery out of the resin replacement process! I have to tackle this job myself and yours is the best video I've found that explains the steps simply and concisely. Appreciate you sharing your experience!
Thank you for taking the time to make this video. It was very helpful when it came time to replace the resin in my Whirlpool Water softener. I experienced the same symptoms and then saw your video. I changed the resin following your instructions. Water pressure is back up now. Thank You. May God Bless you.
Thank you SO Much Mike, for this So Very informative video on how to replace the resin in a water softener. It is Much appreciated. I'm pretty sure that my water softener needs this as my resin tank level sits way high up towards top of tank and my water is pretty hard now. It softens when it wants, but I've gotten 14 yrs out of that resin! Time for this process. Thank you for showing us your process, so that we can do it ourselves.
Thank you for giving me the courage to do this! Save me a lot of money. I’ve got iron water, and the upper distribution head was caked over with a mm of rust! It wasn’t distributing too well. I figure if I clean that thing once a year, my resin bed will last longer
Thanks! I didn’t even know replacing these crystals was a thing. My 15-year-old GE softener was no longer doing any softening and this fixed it right up. One tip, when I replaced the head and cleaned up the O-rings, I had a small leak when it recharged. I took it apart again and put a light coating of petroleum jelly on all the O-rings put it all back together and made sure it was seated properly and I am good to go!
Awesome video. This one along with another helped me to replace our resin. We recently had a few water line issues and eventually started experiencing water pressure issues. After troubleshooting and several resolution attempts including flushing the water heater, I realized (in by-passing the softener) that the pressure loss was related to the softener. With that in mind, these videos helped me realize the resin might need replacing. Yep. That did it. Thanks for creating this video!
Huge help today. I didn't know anything about resin, and probably should have watched your video completely before following the step vacuuming it out. That turned into a bigger job than I thought! But helped tremendously. Thank you!
Wanted to take the time to say how much I appreciated this video. Our resin tank lip recently cracked on our GE unit and rendered it inoperable. Your video gave me the confidence that I could remove the resin resin from the broken tank and do the replacement myself. It's working like new again, so thanks for this.
Great video! I'm in N Pinellas myself, and plan to tackle the resin replacement after dealing with the bead sediment for months now in my washer and faucet pipes. My softener is inside my garage and looks brand new even after 11 years. I'm adamant that I can fix this thing and your procedures, including the Venturi valve give me great hope. Thanks again!
Great tutorial. Much appreciated. I have an older mechanical water softener with a separate brine tank. It's perfectly functional and does it's job. Certainly owes me nothing. I'll be replacing the media now, thanks to you.
Thank you for this tutorial video, similar to all comments, I was able to restore the water pressure for the house after replacing the resin. The only additional thing I did was to apply the silicone lubricate to the rubber washers before i put everything back. I really enjoy your video and follow the step by step from you. Thank you so much ...
Thanks, I followed your method as my softer is in the basement. Took me about 4 hours to do a 45 minute job…. LOL. It’s really cool that you are helping so many people out. Great how to video.
Well done! Your description of the process is thorough and perfectly clear and so is your video work. Very helpful! I wasn't planning on changing my media but I think I will do it now. I would suggest one small thing. When you clean the venturi, it's probably better to remove the entire venturi before disassembling it. To do that, all you have to do is pry out the gray wedge with a screwdriver and unscrew the water line. It' just pops out then. In your case, it appears that your unit is in good lighting and not awkward to get at. For most people, including myself, that's not the case. So I take the whole unit to my kitchen sink to work on it. Be very careful with the small parts, especially the two nozzles and the tiny cone-shaped screen in the bottom of the venturi assembly. The two small rubber or plastic nozzles should go with the side with the writing up. Also, when reinstalling the venturi assembly, be sure that each of the two small water tubes that plug in have their little O-rings installed.
Glad you liked the video! I agree, removal of the entire venturi would be helpful in tight quarters or poor lighting. As you say, it's very important to keep track of all the little bits and make sure they go back in their rightful places. Good luck with your project.
just replaced the resin in a unit i bought in 2012.. instructions were perfect and worked like a charm. Thanks so much, you saved me a headache and cost of a new unit! just as an fyi, i bought the high flow resin 10% crosslinked by Wateright 1 cu meter. Thanks so much for the video!
Greetings from a neighbor in Safety Harbor! I actually was only looking for some advice about removing those plastic circlips from the bypass valve (thanks for the info on that!) but ended up watching the whole video, and it was wonderfully informative. I did NOT replace the resin beads on my softener last time, as I thought it would be far too big a deal to remove the tank, open it, clean it and refill it...but now see it is a relatively straight-forward task WITH THE SHOP-VAC METHOD! One thing I could offer: I have pretty much stopped using duck tape for a lot of the tasks it used to be used in; instead, I have bought and been using "Gaffer tape", which has many of the same properties but is absolutely no-residue tape, so it leaves no messy adhesive. I would have chosen that for the distribution tube. Gaffer tape is not as waterproof as duck tape, nor as strong. But it tears very easily, adheres very well, and does not get sticky/messy.
Hello Larry. Thanks for the comments and recommendation regarding the gaffer tape vs duct tape. Yes, duct tape can leave a nasty residue but usually comes off clean during short-term usage. So where does one find gaffer tape?
Boy oh boy, was that an afternoon of mess! The wasted beads are really slippery if you get them on the floor. Got the job done without problems so far. Got our resin from company called Watts water. Paid $60 for 1cubic ft. and $30 for shipping. Hope this last another 13 years. Live on well water without chlorine. Thanks again for the video. My installation manual says nothing about replacing resin.
Thanks for posting this. We were losing water pressure at the washer and sinks. We had a plumber over to replace a shower valve and drain. I asked him about the lower water pressure. We checked and it appeared to be the water softer not functioning properly (water pressure was fine with the bypass valve engaged). It was about 9 years old and the exact same one you used in your video (how fortunate was that for me?). He said the resin was bad and the only solution was to replace the water softener at a cost of $850 - $1000. Yikes. I went online and saw your video and decided to go for it. I ordered the resin (cost about $120) and followed your steps. It was easy to do but a mess cleaning out the resin from the tank and in the shop vac and then disposing of it. Anyway, it works great and we now have normal water pressure and soft water. You saved me a lot of money.
Thanks for the great video. Definitely helped me get the softener apart without too much hassle. There are a few things worth adding that no one seems to mention. First, 1cuft of Purolite C100E is the recommended amount and type of replacement resin. Second, you should also clean out the bottom portion of the brine tube assembly because it gets dirty and has a screen filter in it. Third, no one goes over how full the resin tank is after refilling it, which in my case was about 75%. After opening the bypass valve and pressurizing the resin tank the water did not completely fill the tank either - there was still air in the upper dome portion of the tank but that might change after the first recharge. Fourth, you should put about 3 gallons of water in the brine tank before adding salt.
Nice to hear it lasted 8 years. I'm replacing the entire resin tank (with resin) after only one year. The resin was fine but the resin tank neck cracked almost in half and gushed water all over the garage. At least GE honored the warranty. My impression, however, is that water sofetners do not generate too much attention from GE. They make the softeners and stand behind them but, my impression is that they could make them more solid! My unsoftened water is only single digit hardness but the softner only lasted 1 year! Anyway, onwards and upwards...
I have the same GE softener, 7 years old. The flow has been declining lately. I followed your instructions exactly and restored my unit to like new. I have probably the same high chlorine content water here in Palm Harbor. It appears it is legal and recommended here in Pinellas County, Florida to dispose of the old resin beads in the trash.
Thanks so much for this, I just ordered replacement resin from Amazon. We have also noticed a drop in water flow here in Seminole (next to Largo, Fl) due to Pinellas County water treated heavy with chlorine. I will also clean out the salt reservoir to ensure that there is no sediment buildup. My unit is only 4 years old.
@@TheAphex81 Yes it did, all is okay now. I believe I learned my lesson when it comes to regular maintenance with the resin cleaning cycles recommended by the manufacture.
@@bobhall5893 Thanks! Great to hear! Tampa has been switching to Chlorine multiple times a year (and even the entire last month due to shortages of liquid oxygen) so I imagine this is what is causing my problems, combined with my lack of maintenance :)
Thank you Mike for the video presentation. I changed me resin beads following your demo a couple of months ago. House water pressure, especially on the second floor was very low. It is now working great. Although It was a mess but worth-ed. I had to create a cardboard funnel to further prevent spilling some of the bead back to the tank. I purchased the beads at Amazon - made in China.
I don't care that this is 8 years old by now. It perfectly explained how I could change out the resin in my circa 2006 Morton M27 softner. The internals were practically identical to my unit - clamps, clips, bypass water flow counter, valve set up, o rings, DT, venturi, baskets, you name it. I'm looking forward to fewer mineral deposit spots and softer water without spending $$$.
@@gizmoflyslow9854 Glad to see you are still here! Saw that your last video was a year ago and thought you might of moved on. Great tutorial and very much appreciate the time and effort to get this info out to us!
Hey Carl, thanks for checking in! Yeah, I know, I've been collecting footage of different home repairs but haven't taken the time to put together the videos. My bad and I promise at least one this week! 😁
Here is a tip for everyone who has a water softener. It is critical to have a whole house water filter inline before your water softener. Mine is a GE water filter with a clear canister so I can see the filter and know when to replace it. This prevents any contaminants from getting into the water softener and ruining the resin beads. That's why mine lasted so long. I got mine at Home Depot and my water softener has been running for thirteen years but I am finding it is time to replace the resin beads now. I installed mine in June of 2009. It is a GE GNSH45E.
@@digdug5945 Fair enough, but it's true. Whirlpool WHES40, purchased on 9/24/2005 from Lowe's and installed the same day. Yes, I still have the original receipt tucked into the manual. City water runs at 16 grains of hardness as listed on their water report that's available on-line. The softener has kept up with it until the past 6 months, as it is now struggling to keep the hardness at zero as determined with Hach 2745250 Total Hardness Test Strips. Thus my research about replacement resin beads bringing me to this UA-cam tutorial. Softener sits right next to my AO Smith water heater that's the same age and also continues to work flawlessly. Take care of appliance maintenance and you too might accomplish similar rewards.
@@gizmoflyslow9854 Just got done sucking out all the resin. It was bad! ... Now I'm justing waiting for my parts to come!. On bypass til then. It was a lot less scary knowing the details ahead of time.
Great video...very Well explained, thank you! I threw away my GE and replace it with a Whirlpool...I wish I watched you video before, then I might still have a working GE softner...btw, how do you figure out what kind of resin do you need?
Greetings from North Tampa. Great video. My Sears Kenmore water softener looks very similar to your GE softener. It appears that some of the parts look slightly different. I think that most of them are manufactured by the same company . I am going to try this on my unit. Thanks !
Great video. One thing you might want to add is at the end, right before the initial recharge, toss in 1-2 tablespoons of regular, unscented plain old bleach directly into the brine well (not to be confused with the salt tank). This will sanitize the whole system internally from any possibility of bacteria entering from when you had it open. Kenmore manual suggests doing it on a regular basis. I'm on my own private well. Not sure if you chlorinated guys need bother with it.
Thanks for the comment! I wasn't aware that Kenmore suggested that. Don't think I'll update the video but folks can certainly read your comment and proceed as they wish! Thanks again.
Thanks Mike. Very clear and well presented. I have similar model GXSF39E which I installed in 2005 so it's probably due for a resin transplant. I have done numerous seals and flow plugs in the venturi assy as well as rotor disk seals with success but have been a little reluctant about doing the resin. Your explanation gives me new confidence. Where did you get your resin and how did you determine the quantity and type? Also what should it ballpark cost? Thanks much.
Hello Richard. I bought my resin from a company called Ohio Water. They sell resin beads that are specifically made for high-chlorine city water. I purchased .75 cu feet and it cost me approximately $130. Glad I could be helpful and I hope your resin replacement goes well.
Great and timely video. How much resin was needed as this is the same unit I have. I thought the city had lowered our water pressure until I tried the by pass. Time consuming but must be quite the money saver.
Best video ever! I have viewed many instructional videos since the early days of youtube. Your instruction and video quality are the best! I am considering replacing the resin on my Kenmore softener (very similar to this). I have a quick question. At 18:17 mark, did you hook up a funnel? What type of funnel is it? How did you attach it ? Looks like, you used duct tape to secure the funnel. At 18:39, I don't see it anymore. Congratulations and thanks for your time to produce this great video!
Thank you very much! Glad you found my video to be helpful. The "funnel" was actually a PVC pipe coupling that I taped to the top of the resin tank. Sorry I didn't explain it during the video. It was my first real attempt to produce a DIY video! Thanks again.
Thanks for the detailed explanation. I have a 25 year old Fleck 2500 which needs to be redone. I like how you shoveled the beads in by using a scoop. Great. I do not want to have to buy one of those funnels.
I have a Whirlpool Whes40 water softener that looks identical, so this video will help me greatly for my project. I saw clumps of resin in my sinks and toilets, so I am sure the distribution basket is busted and needs to be replaced, along with a new supply of resin. Just waiting for my wet vac to arrive before tackling it. I noticed you didn't use a funnel. I ordered one for convenience. Also, instead of buying a distribution basket kit, I bought a Fleck High Flow Bottom Distribution Basket for $16 on Amazon. It doesn't come with the tube, which can easily fit a pvc pipe (i think 3/4 inch) that you can find at the hardware store. Just glue the pipe to the basket with PVC glue and you're set. Wish me luck. Will report back how the project went.
Mike Sanford just about ready to start this project and see in your video about shutting of water. Curious why would i need to shut off the water supply to the house if I set on the bypass switch in the bypass position? i guess its safer just in case the bypass fails. It's that back part of the piping that you push on the circular plug.It looks like at first you had the pass in off/flow position. Then I noticed the valve was on/bypass position.
Glad to report that the repair was a success. I did it several months ago and everything still looks good--no more resin in my sinks and toilets. I ended up shutting off the water main just in case. One thing to note was that my bypass valve had a slight leak after the repair. Instead of spending another $80 for a replacement valve, I adjusted it slightly several times until the leak stopped.
Fantastic tutorial sir, thank you! My 25+ year old Sears/Kenmore 625.3484500 High Capacity DIR+ is identical save the cosmetics. This is a lot simpler and quicker than a video the Canadian King of Water Softener Videos shows. It's brilliant to use the wet vac to empty the unit; so easy! And it's also a simpler process to relieve the pressure on the unit. My additional tips: before you start, buy replacement clips with washers and molykote grease for the connection to the bypass valve (these are sold as a unit on the big A). The clips become brittle and the washers wear out over time and are unlikely to survive the work unless the unit is less than a couple years old. Also check how much resin you need before you start. It should be in the manual (as mine was, but buried in the middle). If not, there's a calculation you can google to determine the amount based on the grain capacity. Mine needed 0.77 cubic feet but I could only find it in 0.25 increments, so I bought three 0.25 cft bags and reserved a small amount of the old resin to make the difference. Don't overfill the resin; there has to be some space at the top for proper operation. The old resin seemed okay with discrete beads and no goopiness despite it's age. I could probably have gotten away with using less than required but one of my 3 bags was also about a pound short so I figured it would be better to retain some of the old resin. Thanks again for a great video!
Outstanding tutorial. I'm just getting ready to do this and I would have pulled the tank out. The shop vac idea is a great idea. My softener is a Kenmore brand, but looks the same as yours mechanically. Did you use gravel in the bottom of the tank, or just resin? Also, how much replacement resin did you use? I read something about using 1 cu ft.
Dave, my apologies for not replying sooner. Thanks for your comment. No, I did not put gravel in my tank and I used 1 cu ft of chlorine resistant resin beads.
One big potential problem I had with this style of softener...a nightmare. I did just what he did here except I was shutting my system down for the winter. (I remove the head & dump out part of the water so not to freeze) At the end of that distribution tube is the screen that prevents the resin from getting sucked up into the water system. Well...somehow that screen cap thing came off of the tube & when I charged the water system it allowed all that resin to flow thru my water pipes. 😲 What a mess. All the taps were packed full, the water heater, terlit valves/tanks, showers, sink faucets...all packed with resin. I didn't know this was happening until I went upstairs & thought, I wonder why no water is coming out up here? Hard lesson learned. Now I have a stainless screw holding that cap on. From the Whirlpool factory all that holds that screen cap on originally, is a tiny tab of plastic. It failed miserably. lol Great video btw
Hag, I'm SO sorry you had this happen and I hope you managed to get all the resin cleared out of the pipes in your home. Thanks for the compliment on the video and I certainly hope no one else has to go through something like this at their home. Take care.
A similar thing happened to my system. Luckily I had a whole house water filter placed after the softener that caught the resin. It caused low water pressure, that alerted me to the problem. I had to replace the lower basket.
Glad I stumbled upon your video... Your softener is identical to mine... only difference I've well water with lot's of lime and iron. My unit is probably 14 year's old + - . I installed a rebuild kit in the head and it helped for awhile but basically now nothing..It regenerates likes its supposed to so I'm considering replacing the resin now... I've done a lot of maintenance and cleaning on it... Just was wondering your thoughts on this ? Thank you from Indiana on the Ohio River
Greetings Ed. Well, it sure sounds like you've done everything to keep it running properly so if it's not giving you the soft water it used to I would go ahead and change the resin beads. As others have commented, you'll need about 1 cubic foot of new resin beads and there are many places you can order them online. I don't have any specific sites to recommend but I'm sure a Google search will give you plenty of choices. I would highly recommend buying resin beads designed for your well water with it's lime/iron content. Good luck! Thanks for stopping by!
The amount of resin you need is based on the size of your resin tank. Check your make and model of softener and I'm sure Google can tell you how much you need. Most seem to use 1.0 cubic foot of resin. Hope this helps.
I appreciate you taking the time to make this very helpful video. Question: How much resin do you use and how much did it cost and where you purchase it ? Thanks in advance:)
+Mundo Evelyn Sorry for the delayed response. I believe it was .75 cu ft, it cost approximately $130, and I bought it from a place called Ohio Water. Hope this helps.
No worries Mike I appreciate you taking the time to respond that's just what I needed to know. I'm in the process of rebuilding a GE softener and your video helped me a lot now I need to find a water supply store near me. Thanks again and take care buddy.
excellent video. Probably will never do this repair since I already put money into my unit but found this video very well done.. I have a newer GE version that I had to replace the seals on already. The parts on things these days cost 1/3 of the entire cost to replace the unit. I need to go into the parts business cause these new things are not engineered to last long.
Hello. Glad you enjoyed the video and found it helpful. Unfortunately, I really don't know how you could service a unit in the attic, other than to bring it down to ground level to replace the resin beads.
I didn't know this was so involved. your video opened my eyes! so a good shop vac is $80, the beads $130. I wonder if by just having the service company do this would be easier and not much more cash for me?? thanks for the great video!
ya, I would. anyway the GE name brand resin cost me $159 on amazon and I will buy a shop vac tomorrow. without this video I would have never known... my system is 12 years old so I wonder what to expect tomorrow when I open it up... maybe just slime haha. thanks.
Just bought a new one. Good to know! Question. How fast does the water come out of the drain hose during regen? The manual state it comes out slowly but you mentioned it has a lot of pressure. Mine discharged slowly on the first regen and wondering if this is normal.
Thanks for taking the time to make this video. I just completed the task. A hardness strip indicates we have soft water flowing again. It was messy, time consuming, but successful. Is the old resin suitable for normal trash collection? Thanks again.
That is the best detailed video I saw about replacing the resin water softener and also very informative for me with my new house. Thanks a lot.
You're most welcome! Happy to help and congrats on the new house.
Thanks a lot.
Using wet/dry shop vac is a brilliant idea. Sucked the old resin out in about 15 minutes. I got Purolite from Amazon for $117 for a cubic foot. It wouldn't all fit into my Kenmore (14 years old) unit. I stopped putting it in when I got up to about 3 inches from top. Tamped it lightly with a rod as I put it in. The funnel is a well spent $11. Results were great. Full flow and soft water restored. THANKS for vacuum suggestion.
Hello Jack! You are most welcome and I'm glad your resin replacement was such a success! Thanks for your comment!
I just did this with my unit and wish I had seen your video first - the shop-vac method is a great idea - much less hassle than removing the whole tank and dumping out. Thanks for all the valuable info.
Glad I could help!
Excellent video and clear instruction. I followed your instruction and replaced resin in my 18 years old Kenmore softener. It is working like new. Thanks for the great video!
I have seen no fewer than 5 other videos on this and this is by far the best and most informative!
Great expalnation and clear video.
Nice job
Thanks so much! Good luck with your repairs. Merry Christmas!
Thanks for taking the mystery out of the resin replacement process! I have to tackle this job myself and yours is the best video I've found that explains the steps simply and concisely. Appreciate you sharing your experience!
You are most welcome! Good luck with your repair.
Thank you for taking the time to make this video. It was very helpful when it came time to replace the resin in my Whirlpool Water softener. I experienced the same symptoms and then saw your video. I changed the resin following your instructions. Water pressure is back up now. Thank You. May God Bless you.
You are most welcome!
Thank you SO Much Mike, for this So Very informative video on how to replace the resin in a water softener. It is Much appreciated. I'm pretty sure that my water softener needs this as my resin tank level sits way high up towards top of tank and my water is pretty hard now. It softens when it wants, but I've gotten 14 yrs out of that resin! Time for this process. Thank you for showing us your process, so that we can do it ourselves.
Geared UpKim You're very welcome! Glad I could help. 😀
Thank you for giving me the courage to do this! Save me a lot of money. I’ve got iron water, and the upper distribution head was caked over with a mm of rust! It wasn’t distributing too well. I figure if I clean that thing once a year, my resin bed will last longer
Thanks! I didn’t even know replacing these crystals was a thing. My 15-year-old GE softener was no longer doing any softening and this fixed it right up. One tip, when I replaced the head and cleaned up the O-rings, I had a small leak when it recharged. I took it apart again and put a light coating of petroleum jelly on all the O-rings put it all back together and made sure it was seated properly and I am good to go!
Yeah that was one thing he didn't mention in this how to video. You should always clean & re lube all the o rings when you do this job.
Thank you for taking the time to post this video. You sir are awesome. You just saved me a ton of money by rebuilding instead of purchasing a new one
You are most welcome! Glad to help!
Awesome video. This one along with another helped me to replace our resin. We recently had a few water line issues and eventually started experiencing water pressure issues. After troubleshooting and several resolution attempts including flushing the water heater, I realized (in by-passing the softener) that the pressure loss was related to the softener. With that in mind, these videos helped me realize the resin might need replacing. Yep. That did it. Thanks for creating this video!
You are most welcome! Glad the video helped!
Bravo! One of the better fix-it videos I'v seen. Keep up the good work. I have a new version of your softener so I will be doing this in about 8 yrs!
Thank you!
This video has been the most helpful one for trouble shooting my water softener. And thank you for the encouragement, "keep doing it yourself!"
Very happy to help! Good luck with your repairs.
Huge help today. I didn't know anything about resin, and probably should have watched your video completely before following the step vacuuming it out. That turned into a bigger job than I thought! But helped tremendously. Thank you!
Happy I could help!
Wanted to take the time to say how much I appreciated this video. Our resin tank lip recently cracked on our GE unit and rendered it inoperable. Your video gave me the confidence that I could remove the resin resin from the broken tank and do the replacement myself. It's working like new again, so thanks for this.
You are so welcome! Glad I could help and congratulations on your successful repair!
Great video! I'm in N Pinellas myself, and plan to tackle the resin replacement after dealing with the bead sediment for months now in my washer and faucet pipes. My softener is inside my garage and looks brand new even after 11 years. I'm adamant that I can fix this thing and your procedures, including the Venturi valve give me great hope. Thanks again!
Hey neighbor! Hope my video can help you get your softener back up to par. Good luck with your repairs!
Great tutorial. Much appreciated. I have an older mechanical water softener with a separate brine tank. It's perfectly functional and does it's job. Certainly owes me nothing. I'll be replacing the media now, thanks to you.
You're most welcome. Happy to help. Good luck with your repairs.
Excellent video. Followed your instructions and it went perfect. Three and a half hours and I am basically done. Just cleanup is left.
Mike Murphy Glad I could help!
Thank you for this tutorial video, similar to all comments, I was able to restore the water pressure for the house after replacing the resin. The only additional thing I did was to apply the silicone lubricate to the rubber washers before i put everything back. I really enjoy your video and follow the step by step from you. Thank you so much ...
Thank you! Very happy to be of assistance and congratulations on a successful DIY adventure! Take care.
Very good instruction. You've really helped us out. We are in your debt. Commendable work!
Thank you so much! Happy to help!
Thanks, I followed your method as my softer is in the basement. Took me about 4 hours to do a 45 minute job…. LOL.
It’s really cool that you are helping so many people out. Great how to video.
Thank you very much 😊. I'm glad my video was helpful and I hope your softener gives you many more years of service.
Well done! Your description of the process is thorough and perfectly clear and so is your video work. Very helpful! I wasn't planning on changing my media but I think I will do it now.
I would suggest one small thing. When you clean the venturi, it's probably better to remove the entire venturi before disassembling it. To do that, all you have to do is pry out the gray wedge with a screwdriver and unscrew the water line. It' just pops out then. In your case, it appears that your unit is in good lighting and not awkward to get at. For most people, including myself, that's not the case. So I take the whole unit to my kitchen sink to work on it. Be very careful with the small parts, especially the two nozzles and the tiny cone-shaped screen in the bottom of the venturi assembly. The two small rubber or plastic nozzles should go with the side with the writing up. Also, when reinstalling the venturi assembly, be sure that each of the two small water tubes that plug in have their little O-rings installed.
Glad you liked the video! I agree, removal of the entire venturi would be helpful in tight quarters or poor lighting. As you say, it's very important to keep track of all the little bits and make sure they go back in their rightful places. Good luck with your project.
just replaced the resin in a unit i bought in 2012.. instructions were perfect and worked like a charm. Thanks so much, you saved me a headache and cost of a new unit! just as an fyi, i bought the high flow resin 10% crosslinked by Wateright 1 cu meter. Thanks so much for the video!
Happy to be of assistance. Thank YOU for the info on the resin type/brand/qty. Every little bit helps!
Think I am going to try it also...
Although I have a diferent system and well water, your video was very informative and thorough. Thank you for taking your time to create this video.
Oscar Mayorga You are most welcome! Glad to help!
Greetings from a neighbor in Safety Harbor! I actually was only looking for some advice about removing those plastic circlips from the bypass valve (thanks for the info on that!) but ended up watching the whole video, and it was wonderfully informative. I did NOT replace the resin beads on my softener last time, as I thought it would be far too big a deal to remove the tank, open it, clean it and refill it...but now see it is a relatively straight-forward task WITH THE SHOP-VAC METHOD!
One thing I could offer: I have pretty much stopped using duck tape for a lot of the tasks it used to be used in; instead, I have bought and been using "Gaffer tape", which has many of the same properties but is absolutely no-residue tape, so it leaves no messy adhesive. I would have chosen that for the distribution tube. Gaffer tape is not as waterproof as duck tape, nor as strong. But it tears very easily, adheres very well, and does not get sticky/messy.
Hello Larry. Thanks for the comments and recommendation regarding the gaffer tape vs duct tape. Yes, duct tape can leave a nasty residue but usually comes off clean during short-term usage. So where does one find gaffer tape?
Well done sir! Just what I needed to do the job today.
Thanks from Brandon, FL
trent33511 You are most welcome! Glad to help!
Boy oh boy, was that an afternoon of mess! The wasted beads are really slippery if you get them on the floor. Got the job done without problems so far. Got our resin from company called Watts water. Paid $60 for 1cubic ft. and $30 for shipping. Hope this last another 13 years. Live on well water without chlorine. Thanks again for the video. My installation manual says nothing about replacing resin.
Congratulations! Glad I could help. Hope it lasts another 13 years! 😆
Thanks for posting this. We were losing water pressure at the washer and sinks. We had a plumber over to replace a shower valve and drain. I asked him about the lower water pressure. We checked and it appeared to be the water softer not functioning properly (water pressure was fine with the bypass valve engaged). It was about 9 years old and the exact same one you used in your video (how fortunate was that for me?). He said the resin was bad and the only solution was to replace the water softener at a cost of $850 - $1000. Yikes. I went online and saw your video and decided to go for it. I ordered the resin (cost about $120) and followed your steps. It was easy to do but a mess cleaning out the resin from the tank and in the shop vac and then disposing of it. Anyway, it works great and we now have normal water pressure and soft water. You saved me a lot of money.
Hello Robert. So very glad I could help you take care of this problem and save you some $$$ at the same time! Gotta love the UA-cam DIY community!
Thanks for the great video. Definitely helped me get the softener apart without too much hassle. There are a few things worth adding that no one seems to mention. First, 1cuft of Purolite C100E is the recommended amount and type of replacement resin. Second, you should also clean out the bottom portion of the brine tube assembly because it gets dirty and has a screen filter in it. Third, no one goes over how full the resin tank is after refilling it, which in my case was about 75%. After opening the bypass valve and pressurizing the resin tank the water did not completely fill the tank either - there was still air in the upper dome portion of the tank but that might change after the first recharge. Fourth, you should put about 3 gallons of water in the brine tank before adding salt.
where is the info about recommended resin bead type?
Nice to hear it lasted 8 years.
I'm replacing the entire resin tank (with resin) after only one year. The resin was fine but the resin tank neck cracked almost in half and gushed water all over the garage.
At least GE honored the warranty.
My impression, however, is that water sofetners do not generate too much attention from GE.
They make the softeners and stand behind them but, my impression is that they could make them more solid!
My unsoftened water is only single digit hardness but the softner only lasted 1 year!
Anyway, onwards and upwards...
I have the same GE softener, 7 years old. The flow has been declining lately. I followed your instructions exactly and restored my unit to like new. I have probably the same high chlorine content water here in Palm Harbor. It appears it is legal and recommended here in Pinellas County, Florida to dispose of the old resin beads in the trash.
How much resin is used to replace the old resin?
Mike you are amazing plumber and good tutorial teacher than for time and being very clear explanation thanks
Thanks so much for this, I just ordered replacement resin from Amazon. We have also noticed a drop in water flow here in Seminole (next to Largo, Fl) due to Pinellas County water treated heavy with chlorine. I will also clean out the salt reservoir to ensure that there is no sediment buildup. My unit is only 4 years old.
Glad to help. Good luck with your repairs!
I'm having the same problem here in Tampa. Unit is 4 years old and water pressure has dropped considerably. Did the replacement resin help?
@@TheAphex81 Yes it did, all is okay now. I believe I learned my lesson when it comes to regular maintenance with the resin cleaning cycles recommended by the manufacture.
@@bobhall5893 Thanks! Great to hear! Tampa has been switching to Chlorine multiple times a year (and even the entire last month due to shortages of liquid oxygen) so I imagine this is what is causing my problems, combined with my lack of maintenance :)
Great job !!! good pace and level of detail. Master explainer!
Thank you! Glad you found the video helpful. Good luck on your repairs.
Very well done. Thank you very much for putting this video together for us handy types.
You are most welcome. Glad to help. I know how much I appreciate finding good DIY videos to help me with my projects.
Thank you Mike for the video presentation. I changed me resin beads following your demo a couple of months ago. House water pressure, especially on the second floor was very low. It is now working great. Although It was a mess but worth-ed. I had to create a cardboard funnel to further prevent spilling some of the bead back to the tank. I purchased the beads at Amazon - made in China.
Glad I could help!
I don't care that this is 8 years old by now. It perfectly explained how I could change out the resin in my circa 2006 Morton M27 softner. The internals were practically identical to my unit - clamps, clips, bypass water flow counter, valve set up, o rings, DT, venturi, baskets, you name it. I'm looking forward to fewer mineral deposit spots and softer water without spending $$$.
Thanks for your compliment on the video and I'm glad I could help you get your softener back in action. Good luck with your repair!
@@gizmoflyslow9854 Glad to see you are still here! Saw that your last video was a year ago and thought you might of moved on. Great tutorial and very much appreciate the time and effort to get this info out to us!
Hey Carl, thanks for checking in! Yeah, I know, I've been collecting footage of different home repairs but haven't taken the time to put together the videos. My bad and I promise at least one this week! 😁
Awesome, just used your video and rebedded my GE water softener.
Glad to help!
Excellent video you made there, and saves hundreds of dollars verses replacement. Thanks
You're welcome!
Nice video sir! It is extremely helpful and I appreciate the detail you went into that explanation.
You are most welcome! Happy to help and hope your repair was successful.
Thanks for this video. Very clear and well done. Allowed me to tear apart my Kenmore clone with confidence!!
You are most welcome! Glad I could help!
Outstanding work. Thanks for a very helpful demonstration.
You're most welcome. Glad to help. Good luck with your repairs!
Here is a tip for everyone who has a water softener. It is critical to have a whole house water filter inline before your water softener. Mine is a GE water filter with a clear canister so I can see the filter and know when to replace it. This prevents any contaminants from getting into the water softener and ruining the resin beads. That's why mine lasted so long. I got mine at Home Depot and my water softener has been running for thirteen years but I am finding it is time to replace the resin beads now. I installed mine in June of 2009. It is a GE GNSH45E.
Hmm. My city water connected Whirlpool is 19 years old, never had a filter system, and just now it needs new beads. So much for your critical theory.
@@nortonics5745 I don’t buy what you said.
@@digdug5945 Fair enough, but it's true. Whirlpool WHES40, purchased on 9/24/2005 from Lowe's and installed the same day. Yes, I still have the original receipt tucked into the manual. City water runs at 16 grains of hardness as listed on their water report that's available on-line. The softener has kept up with it until the past 6 months, as it is now struggling to keep the hardness at zero as determined with Hach 2745250 Total Hardness Test Strips. Thus my research about replacement resin beads bringing me to this UA-cam tutorial. Softener sits right next to my AO Smith water heater that's the same age and also continues to work flawlessly. Take care of appliance maintenance and you too might accomplish similar rewards.
The Hatch 145300 total hardness test kit is a better option for testing water.
@@Huskerj1000 Hey, thanks for this heads-up. Do you know if this kit has an expiration date, or does it last indefinitely?
Thanks the the video, Gizmo! About to tackle this my self on my Morton m27.
You are most welcome! Good luck with your repair!
Excellent instructional video! I am planning to replace resin in my unit.
Thank you! Hope this video helps you with this project.
thanks for this nice tutorial! the head of my ecowater is exactly the same
Awesome video! Thank you! Got me through the whole process.
You're most welcome! Glad to help!
Thanks for the excellent detailed explanation. 👍
You are most welcome. Happy to help.
Thank you, Thank you for making this detailed video! It's going to be of great help for me.
You are most welcome. Glad I could help! Good luck with your project!
@@gizmoflyslow9854 Just got done sucking out all the resin. It was bad! ... Now I'm justing waiting for my parts to come!. On bypass til then. It was a lot less scary knowing the details ahead of time.
Great video...very Well explained, thank you! I threw away my GE and replace it with a Whirlpool...I wish I watched you video before, then I might still have a working GE softner...btw, how do you figure out what kind of resin do you need?
Great video. Helped a lot!
Greetings from North Tampa. Great video. My Sears Kenmore water softener looks very similar to your GE softener. It appears that some of the parts look slightly different. I think that most of them are manufactured by the same company . I am going to try this on my unit. Thanks !
7smr You're very welcome! Best of luck with your repairs! 👍
Great video. One thing you might want to add is at the end, right before the initial recharge, toss in 1-2 tablespoons of regular, unscented plain old bleach directly into the brine well (not to be confused with the salt tank). This will sanitize the whole system internally from any possibility of bacteria entering from when you had it open. Kenmore manual suggests doing it on a regular basis. I'm on my own private well. Not sure if you chlorinated guys need bother with it.
Thanks for the comment! I wasn't aware that Kenmore suggested that. Don't think I'll update the video but folks can certainly read your comment and proceed as they wish! Thanks again.
Michael Menges.
What’s the diff between brine well and salt tank?
Thanks Mike. Very clear and well presented. I have similar model GXSF39E which I installed in 2005 so it's probably due for a resin transplant. I have done numerous seals and flow plugs in the venturi assy as well as rotor disk seals with success but have been a little reluctant about doing the resin. Your explanation gives me new confidence. Where did you get your resin and how did you determine the quantity and type? Also what should it ballpark cost? Thanks much.
Hello Richard. I bought my resin from a company called Ohio Water. They sell resin beads that are specifically made for high-chlorine city water. I purchased .75 cu feet and it cost me approximately $130. Glad I could be helpful and I hope your resin replacement goes well.
Great and timely video. How much resin was needed as this is the same unit I have. I thought the city had lowered our water pressure until I tried the by pass. Time consuming but must be quite the money saver.
I believe it took about 1 cubic foot.
Best video ever! I have viewed many instructional videos since the early days of youtube. Your instruction and video quality are the best! I am considering replacing the resin on my Kenmore softener (very similar to this). I have a quick question. At 18:17 mark, did you hook up a funnel? What type of funnel is it? How did you attach it ? Looks like, you used duct tape to secure the funnel. At 18:39, I don't see it anymore. Congratulations and thanks for your time to produce this great video!
Thank you very much! Glad you found my video to be helpful. The "funnel" was actually a PVC pipe coupling that I taped to the top of the resin tank. Sorry I didn't explain it during the video. It was my first real attempt to produce a DIY video! Thanks again.
Well done. You must be an engineer.
Thanks for the compliment. 😆
ok I see. so replaceing the beads prevented further clogging of the filter with disintegrated old beads that made it past the lower basket.
Very nicely explained 👏👏👌
Thank you for your compliment. I'm glad you found this video helpful. Good luck with your repairs.
Fellow Harley rider here, thanks man!
You're most welcome! Safe travels!
Nice video. Well done! Thank you.
You are most welcome! Hope it was helpful.
Thanks for the detailed explanation. I have a 25 year old Fleck 2500 which needs to be redone. I like how you shoveled the beads in by using a scoop. Great. I do not want to have to buy one of those funnels.
You are most welcome! Glad I could help!
Replaced the beads using a plastic milk jug with the top and opening cut back, as a funnel. Softener now back in service.
Excellent! Thanks for offering your DIY tip!
Absolutely great video
Thank you! Glad I could help!
Great video. Thanks Sarge.
You're welcome! Glad to help!
Thank you, great video and doable for a 73 yr old DIY guy. I hope :)
OK Ray! I hope so too! Good Luck!
Great job brother
Thank you!
thank you ! great video,big help!
You're most welcome. Glad to help!
I have a Whirlpool Whes40 water softener that looks identical, so this video will help me greatly for my project. I saw clumps of resin in my sinks and toilets, so I am sure the distribution basket is busted and needs to be replaced, along with a new supply of resin. Just waiting for my wet vac to arrive before tackling it. I noticed you didn't use a funnel. I ordered one for convenience. Also, instead of buying a distribution basket kit, I bought a Fleck High Flow Bottom Distribution Basket for $16 on Amazon. It doesn't come with the tube, which can easily fit a pvc pipe (i think 3/4 inch) that you can find at the hardware store. Just glue the pipe to the basket with PVC glue and you're set. Wish me luck. Will report back how the project went.
Vinny. Glad I could be of assistance. Good luck on your repairs and resin replacement. Looking forward to your report.
Mike Sanford just about ready to start this project and see in your video about shutting of water. Curious why would i need to shut off the water supply to the house if I set on the bypass switch in the bypass position? i guess its safer just in case the bypass fails. It's that back part of the piping that you push on the circular plug.It looks like at first you had the pass in off/flow position. Then I noticed the valve was on/bypass position.
Glad to report that the repair was a success. I did it several months ago and everything still looks good--no more resin in my sinks and toilets. I ended up shutting off the water main just in case. One thing to note was that my bypass valve had a slight leak after the repair. Instead of spending another $80 for a replacement valve, I adjusted it slightly several times until the leak stopped.
Thank you, very useful video, helps a lot.
You're most welcome. Glad to help. Good luck with your repairs.
Two thumbs up on this great video!!
Thank you!
Thank you for the great video. How much replacement resin goes in the tank?
Check to see how much your particular softener holds. Most use about 1 cubic foot of resin and it will run you about $125.
Fantastic tutorial sir, thank you! My 25+ year old Sears/Kenmore 625.3484500 High Capacity DIR+ is identical save the cosmetics. This is a lot simpler and quicker than a video the Canadian King of Water Softener Videos shows. It's brilliant to use the wet vac to empty the unit; so easy! And it's also a simpler process to relieve the pressure on the unit. My additional tips: before you start, buy replacement clips with washers and molykote grease for the connection to the bypass valve (these are sold as a unit on the big A). The clips become brittle and the washers wear out over time and are unlikely to survive the work unless the unit is less than a couple years old. Also check how much resin you need before you start. It should be in the manual (as mine was, but buried in the middle). If not, there's a calculation you can google to determine the amount based on the grain capacity. Mine needed 0.77 cubic feet but I could only find it in 0.25 increments, so I bought three 0.25 cft bags and reserved a small amount of the old resin to make the difference. Don't overfill the resin; there has to be some space at the top for proper operation. The old resin seemed okay with discrete beads and no goopiness despite it's age. I could probably have gotten away with using less than required but one of my 3 bags was also about a pound short so I figured it would be better to retain some of the old resin. Thanks again for a great video!
Outstanding tutorial. I'm just getting ready to do this and I would have pulled the tank out. The shop vac idea is a great idea. My softener is a Kenmore brand, but looks the same as yours mechanically. Did you use gravel in the bottom of the tank, or just resin? Also, how much replacement resin did you use? I read something about using 1 cu ft.
Dave, my apologies for not replying sooner. Thanks for your comment. No, I did not put gravel in my tank and I used 1 cu ft of chlorine resistant resin beads.
One big potential problem I had with this style of softener...a nightmare. I did just what he did here except I was shutting my system down for the winter. (I remove the head & dump out part of the water so not to freeze) At the end of that distribution tube is the screen that prevents the resin from getting sucked up into the water system. Well...somehow that screen cap thing came off of the tube & when I charged the water system it allowed all that resin to flow thru my water pipes. 😲 What a mess. All the taps were packed full, the water heater, terlit valves/tanks, showers, sink faucets...all packed with resin. I didn't know this was happening until I went upstairs & thought, I wonder why no water is coming out up here? Hard lesson learned. Now I have a stainless screw holding that cap on. From the Whirlpool factory all that holds that screen cap on originally, is a tiny tab of plastic. It failed miserably. lol Great video btw
Hag, I'm SO sorry you had this happen and I hope you managed to get all the resin cleared out of the pipes in your home. Thanks for the compliment on the video and I certainly hope no one else has to go through something like this at their home. Take care.
A similar thing happened to my system. Luckily I had a whole house water filter placed after the softener that caught the resin. It caused low water pressure, that alerted me to the problem. I had to replace the lower basket.
Glad I stumbled upon your video... Your softener is identical to mine... only difference I've well water with lot's of lime and iron. My unit is probably 14 year's old + - . I installed a rebuild kit in the head and it helped for awhile but basically now nothing..It regenerates likes its supposed to so I'm considering replacing the resin now... I've done a lot of maintenance and cleaning on it... Just was wondering your thoughts on this ?
Thank you from Indiana on the Ohio River
Greetings Ed. Well, it sure sounds like you've done everything to keep it running properly so if it's not giving you the soft water it used to I would go ahead and change the resin beads. As others have commented, you'll need about 1 cubic foot of new resin beads and there are many places you can order them online. I don't have any specific sites to recommend but I'm sure a Google search will give you plenty of choices. I would highly recommend buying resin beads designed for your well water with it's lime/iron content. Good luck! Thanks for stopping by!
thank you very educative.
Is there a way to clean up the top basket? Mine looks rusty red with some sandy stuff around the rim by outer o ring.
Awesome! Thank you
You're most welcome! Good luck with your repair!
Pretty good job thank you!
Thank you! Glad to help.
Well done, thank You.
Thank you so much and you are most welcome! I hope you had great success with your repairs.
Excellent video! i want ask about how much resin should be uses. it's full tank, isn't it?
Hạnh Đức I think it is 0.75 cubic feet for this model.
Great video! Did you replace the o-rings during the resin replacement?
Glad you liked it! No, I did not replace any o-rings Thanks!
How much , or how many resin bags, or what level did you fill the resin tank to? Thank you for the great video.
The amount of resin you need is based on the size of your resin tank. Check your make and model of softener and I'm sure Google can tell you how much you need. Most seem to use 1.0 cubic foot of resin. Hope this helps.
I appreciate you taking the time to make this very helpful video.
Question: How much resin do you use and how much did it cost and where you purchase it ?
Thanks in advance:)
+Mundo Evelyn Sorry for the delayed response. I believe it was .75 cu ft, it cost approximately $130, and I bought it from a place called Ohio Water. Hope this helps.
No worries Mike I appreciate you taking the time to respond that's just what I needed to know. I'm in the process of rebuilding a GE softener and your video helped me a lot now I need to find a water supply store near me.
Thanks again and take care buddy.
excellent video. Probably will never do this repair since I already put money into my unit but found this video very well done.. I have a newer GE version that I had to replace the seals on already. The parts on things these days cost 1/3 of the entire cost to replace the unit. I need to go into the parts business cause these new things are not engineered to last long.
hola que cantidad de resina lleva gracias
Love it thank you
also were the beads mushy. I have water pressure problems through the softener too. it's about 10 yrs old. wondered if it's the beads
Yes, as I said in the video, our old resin beads were mushy.
Nice job, thx
Thank you!
Thanks for your video....very good and educative :)
I have the unit in the attic :(
.......any input ....ideas on how to service it there :)
thank you
Hello. Glad you enjoyed the video and found it helpful. Unfortunately, I really don't know how you could service a unit in the attic, other than to bring it down to ground level to replace the resin beads.
at 28.38 talked about shutting off bypass must depressurize it also please before disconnecting it
Thanks Gizmo...!
You're most welcome! 😎
Great video Great instructor where do i purchase the beads Thanks
Thanks! There are many places to order the resin beads. Prices range from $110 and lower for 1 cubic foot. Google is your friend!
Great video, I have the exact unit that needs new resin, this will help a lot. Do you know how much resin was required to refill it?
One cubic foot should be enough.
@@gizmoflyslow9854 Thanks! I just read in the manual that it says 1cf.
@@Mr.SisterFisster Excellent. I am a pretty good guess....I guess. LOL!! Good luck on your resin replacement!
I didn't know this was so involved. your video opened my eyes! so a good shop vac is $80, the beads $130. I wonder if by just having the service company do this would be easier and not much more cash for me?? thanks for the great video!
Aaron Nelson Give them a call and get a quote? Then make your decision. And don't forget to add in what YOUR time is worth as well. Good luck!
ya, I would. anyway the GE name brand resin cost me $159 on amazon and I will buy a shop vac tomorrow. without this video I would have never known... my system is 12 years old so I wonder what to expect tomorrow when I open it up... maybe just slime haha. thanks.
oh, btw, I didn't even bother calling anyone because it would be a minimum plumber charge of one kidney and a left leg.
It is smart to use shop vac
Just bought a new one. Good to know! Question. How fast does the water come out of the drain hose during regen? The manual state it comes out slowly but you mentioned it has a lot of pressure. Mine discharged slowly on the first regen and wondering if this is normal.
gamebent I know mine squirts out pretty fast. Yours may be different. As long as it softens the water! 😉
Thanks for taking the time to make this video. I just completed the task. A hardness strip indicates we have soft water flowing again. It was messy, time consuming, but successful. Is the old resin suitable for normal trash collection? Thanks again.
Glad my video was helpful. As far as I know, the resin is biodegradable and may be disposed of as normal waste.
Good job old man
Thank you!