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how to dispose of water softener resin tank
how to dispose of water softener resin tank?Alright, folks, let’s talk about getting rid of that old water softener resin tank. I had to deal with this myself recently, and boy, was it a learning experience. I’m no plumber, just a regular guy trying to save a few bucks, so I figured I’d share my process, bumps and all.
how to dispose of water softener resin tank?
First Things First: Safety!
Before I even touched anything, I made sure to turn off the main water supply to the house. No one wants a surprise shower, especially a salty one. Then, I unplugged the softener – electricity and water don’t mix, you know?
Getting the Water Out
Next up, I had to drain the tank. My softener had a bypass valve, which I switched to “bypass” mode. This stops water from flowing into the tank. Then, I triggered a manual regeneration cycle – basically, I just followed the instructions on the softener itself to start a backwash. This helped push most of the water out of the tank and down the drain.
I disconnected any hoses attached, I put the hose outside on the grass to drain the brine tank.
Disconnecting Everything
This is where the real work began. I grabbed my trusty wrench and started disconnecting the pipes connecting the tank to the water softener system. It wasn’t rocket science, just unscrewing stuff, but some of the connections were pretty tight. A little bit of elbow grease (and maybe some grunting) got the job done. Just be prepared for some leftover water to spill out, so have a bucket and some towels handy.
Getting Rid of the Resin
Now, the tank was empty of water, but it was still full of those little resin beads. I found out you usually can’t just throw these in the regular trash – check your local regulations. There are a lot of them!
- scoop them out.
- dump the tank over.
- wet/dry vac.
I started with the shop vac. that was slow going. So then I resulted to scooping. Finally I dumped out the last remaining by tipping the tank over.
The Tank Itself
With the resin gone, I was left with the big, empty tank. Some areas will let you put it out with the regular trash, but again, check your local rules. I ended up calling my local waste management company, and they told me I could just leave it by the curb on trash day. Easy peasy!
Final Thoughts
Honestly, the whole process was a bit messy and took longer than I expected, maybe a couple of hours total. But I did it! If I can do it, I bet you can, too. Just remember to take your time, be careful, and double-check those local disposal rules. Good luck, and happy DIY-ing!