-- I put in a two stage filter for the water.
What are you wanting to filter and what does that filter filter?

-- Now, I put in the Kenmore water softner that was left behind.
Wonder why it was left behind?

-- I ran the tap for about 5 minutes, as the water was coming out really really dark and dirty.
Perhaps the answer to why it was left behind

--Should I be worried about what is being put into the drinking water?
YES

1. Was the softener sitting dry or was there water in it?

2. Is the water going into the softener clean and clear?

3. Have you had your water tested so you know what needs to be treated?

BYPASS THE SOFTENER.
No I wouldn't touch or drink that water until you resolve this problem and know that the softener is treating what needs to be treated and is sanitized.

Not a bad idea to sanitize the entire plumbing system.

You pulled a really boneheaded move. You probably just introduced some nasty bacteria into your home's plumbing system because you wanted to save $1.98 and re-use a questionable piece of equipment. It's like putting in a junkyard gas tank into your collector car without first flushing it out and assessing if it would actually do the job, and then finding out it was full of algae that's now contaminated the entire fuel system.

SSSSSHhhhh..... How many mistakes can one guy make?

I just bypassed the softener.......

I put in plumbing fixtures to perform the bypass, so I'm sure water is not flowing from the tank..

Here's the full information:

-- The house was built in 1999, and the water softener has a date code of: 97286. So, according to the Sears site, it was manufactured in 1997.

-- The softener had never been used, (the plastic wrapped installation parts were still in *plastic shrink wrap*. This includes: the tanks plumbing parts needed to install, the transformer, and the wire between the tank and transformer, etc. Everything in the tank looked brand new (nothing on the bottom of the tank, no signs of any discoloration, etc).

-- The tank was dry with no signs of ever being used.

-- When taking a scoop of the water and smelling it closely, the only smell is a slight smell of Clorox.

-- Kenmore's have a âÂÂtank in tankâ design. Basically, the resin tank is inside the brine tank. The brine tank is where you add salt.

-- Before I did the flush, I turned the water on in a basement fixture and:

++ The water coming out of the basement fixture was really dark brown. I took 3-4 minutes to finally run clean.
++ I looked into the salt (brine) tank and saw that black stuff was oozing out of the bottom of the resin tank. Being the dumb ass that I am, it did not occur to me that this is bad.

-- We had the water checked several times (after putting in the two filters). There are minimal nitrates in the well water. The water is hard: 19 gpg.

-- When we moved in, there was no filter nor water softener installed. all the toilets and sinks were stained red. However, when testing the water (past the two filters) there is no Iron in the water. So, I guess it is rust from the well pipe??

-- The two filters I used are:
++ Stage #1: GE FXHSC filter (30 Micron): This traps lots of dark red silt and dark red stuff.
++ Stage #2: GE FXHTC filter (25 Micron): This filter turns dark red with time.

****** So, just some possibilities of what the problem could be.

1.) This is just the way Kenmores were made back then.

2.) This 14 year old softener, while not used, has been in locations where humidity allowed 'bad stuff' to grow in the resin tank.

3.) The in/out pipes have been open for 14 years. God knows what has crawled in and out of the thing.

************ So, what do you guys think. I could clean out the resin tank, do another Clorox flush. Or, I should dumb this thing and get a new water softener??

Thanks for your help!

Best Regards,
Stan

Stan,

You needn't have started a new thread when you had one going already.

There is no limit to the number of mistakes anyone can make when they don't know what they're doing and continue to make the problem worse. You might consider asking questions before you act impulsively and do something that jeopardizes your family's health..

Sears softeners are a cabinet design with the resin tank is in the brine tank as you describe. Not great softeners and a real PITA to work on.

Here's what I would do...

Remove the softener and junk it.

Remove the filters you installed and set them aside.

Have the house's entire plumbing system and appliances sanitized by someone who knows what they're doing.

Have a comprehensive test done on your water. At minimum test for hardness, pH, iron (ferric and ferrous), manganese, TDS, nitrates and bacteria

Now, answer these questions...

* Well or water system?
* How many people in the house?
* How many bathrooms?
* Any high water use appliances like a Jacuzzi or monster shower?

With that info you can get a correctly sized softener and if properly set up your problems should be over as long as you do minimal maintenance.

This post was edited by justalurker on Sat, Jan 12, 13 at 13:49

Justalurker: I'll follow your advice. Thanks so much! To answer your questions:

* Well or water system?

--> Well.

* How many people in the house?

-- My wife and I have five chidren. But, only two life at home at this time. But, we do have many family functions.

* How many bathrooms?

--> Four full bathrooms. Two upstairs. a full bath{{gwi:807}} (instead of a power room) on the main floor. Then a full bath in the basement.

* Any high water use appliances like a Jacuzzi or monster shower?

--> Nope. Except for one daughter who insists that she: wash her hair 3 times, and cream rinse three times.

--> I'll get you the test data as soon as I can get all the other stuff done.

Thanks!

Best Regards,
Stan

This post was edited by Manlystanley on Sat, Jan 12, 13 at 22:21

The most important thing you need to understand is that living on well water requires some maintenance and you can't fool around. It's one thing to make the water nice but you have to make the water safe and keep it safe. Just a little touch of ecoli and your family will be dropping you down the well. Honestly, people can die.

You need to get the tests done by a certified independent lab not a water treatment company

Right NOW, and I mean right now, I would remove that softener from the plumbing and get someone in there to sanitize all the plumbing WHOLE HOUSE and appliances and don't drink or cook with any house water (use bottled water) till you get the test results back.

Kinda hard to size a softener to accommodate 4 people and 30 guests. Are the 30 sleeping over for the weekend or just there to party?

What number of people are regular occupants... 4?

This post was edited by justalurker on Sat, Jan 12, 13 at 23:03

We are on bottled water now. I'm trying to find someone for the system purification now. The water softener is totally disconnected now.

I have a list of certified labs and will start to call them up on Monday. How does this usally work? Do I get a test bottle from them, take a sample and send it back to them?

It is rare to have such a big party. We do have a 15 person fucntion about once a month. Right now we do have a grown daughter and her husband here for a weekend. I think that it would be best to size the house for 6-8 people. What size of water softener would I need for that?

Best Regards,
Stan

This post was edited by Manlystanley on Sat, Jan 12, 13 at 22:45

Call a lab and they will tell you what to do.

It's not unusual to have 30 people over if you're a casino or hotel. Are 30 people spending the night? Are they taking showers? Are they doing laundry?

Sizing a softener is dependent on water conditions and water usage among other things so let's get the test results and run the numbers instead of you deciding how to size your softener.

Have not got the test results back, but I contacted sears. This is what they said when I told them that water ran black for minutes and that the tank is now the color of tea:

"That Softener is at least 13 yrs old. The coloration is normal as long as the water clears up over time. We call it "color throw" which is color bleedoff from the resin inside the resin tank."

I looked up color throw, and I found it at: http://www.pure1.com/glossary

"Color Throw: The discharge of color into the effluent of an ion exchange or filter media system by any component.
Usually occurs after an extended "standing" period which allows slowly-soluble colored matter to accumulate in the water. A color throw may result from the leaching of color bodies from an ion exchange resin into the water. "

We are still on bottled water and taking many presions. Have decided to wait to sanatise the system until the actual results come back.

Best Regards,
Stan

When the lab results come back you will know the water conditions and then be able to make certain decisions based on fact...

1. What in the water needs to be treated?

2. Based on water conditions and water usage can/will the Sears softener be able to treat he water?

There is no down side to sanitizing a well water supplied plumbing system in a house once you know it will not be re-contaminated.