Q: The water in my house doesnβt feel βsoftβ any more. I had a plumber at my house to check the water softener, and he said that I need new resin beads in the tank. Itβs a 10-year-old system and itβs going to cost $450 to make this replacement. Is that a reasonable price?
A:Β If your water softener isnβt putting out soft water properly, it is often because you have a damaged resin bed β something that can happen after 10 to 15 years. The bed in your softenerβs tank is filled with small beads. When the softener is working properly, hard water flows through the beads and an ion exchange takes place. The hardness ions in water β generally calcium and magnesium β are exchanged with soft ions on the resin beads. As a result, you have soft water. Although replacing the resin may be costly, having a brand-new softener installed can cost about $1,100.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building and remodeling industry expert for 25 years, Rosie Romero is the host of the syndicated Saturday morning Rosie on the House radio program, heard locally from 8-11 a.m. on KNST-AM (790) in Tucson and KGVY-AM (1080) and -FM (100.7) in Green Valley. Call 888-767-4348.
