Water Softener Brine Tank "Backup" ??

[billt460]

Does anyone have or use anything like this? I'm talking about placing your brine tank for your water softener inside of another vessel, to protect against a salt water flood in your garage or basement, should the brine tank split or develope a leak.

I know several people this has happened to over the years, and it really makes a huge mess when it happens. I never fill my tank with anymore salt than the manufacturer recommends. (Usually just to the pre adjusted water level).

But salt is very heavy, and I can see the brine tank bulging at the bottom from the weight of the salt. If any of you have done something like this, what did you use for the backup container to set the brine tank in? I don't have room for a big garbage can, because my brine tank sits between the water heater and a laundry sink.

 

[BrandonV]

Easiest thing is probably just some sort of a basin like a water heater pan with the drain going somewhere you wouldn't mind.

 

[billt460]

I would do that in a heartbeat, except I don't have a floor drain lower than the tank.

 

[BrandonV]

I would do that in a heartbeat, except I don't have a floor drain lower than the tank.

Yup to do this you'd have to basically raise the brine tank on a platform. You could use one of those metal stands they use for a water heater to accomplish.

I'm not sure what percentage of tank failures is a slow leak compared to it catastrophically breaking. Nothing is going to prevent a catastrophic break unless the whole thing was in a bigger brine-shaped container.

 

[billt460]

I'm thinking of a plastic trash can around 16" diameter. (The brine tank itself is around 14" square). If it leaks, it will simply leak into the garbage can until it seeks its own level.

What I would do is allow the salt to get very low to minimize weight. Then bail out as much of the water as possible into the laundry sink. That will make it light enough to lift and place it in the can. Then simply refill the water and salt. I just want something that would prevent a major mess.

 

[mike93lx]

Does anyone have or use anything like this? I'm talking about placing your brine tank for your water softener inside of another vessel, to protect against a salt water flood in your garage or basement, should the brine tank split or develope a leak.

I know several people this has happened to over the years, and it really makes a huge mess when it happens. I never fill my tank with anymore salt than the manufacturer recommends. (Usually just to the pre adjusted water level).

But salt is very heavy, and I can see the brine tank bulging at the bottom from the weight of the salt. If any of you have done something like this, what did you use for the backup container to set the brine tank in? I don't have room for a big garbage can, because my brine tank sits between the water heater and a laundry sink.

You know several people this has happened to? Wow. I've never heard of this happening.

If they are in a similar area, maybe a vendor provided all of them with a product that had a defect?

 

[BrandonV]

I'm thinking of a plastic trash can around 16" diameter. (The brine tank itself is around 14" square). If it leaks, it will simply leak into the garbage can until it seeks its own level.

What I would do is allow the salt to get very low to minimize weight. Then bail out as much of the water as possible into the laundry sink. That will make it light enough to lift and place it in the can. Then simply refill the water and salt. I just want something that would prevent a major mess.

I think your strategy of not overfilling is the best protection. Most people way overfill the tank with bags upon bags. As long as there is undissolved salt in the tank even if the salt level is below the water line it's super saturated and there is no need to add anything.

There is some theory that filling the salt above the water will help with stratification but that's really too theoretical to make an appreciable difference.

 

[billt460]

You know several people this has happened to? Wow. I've never heard of this happening.

If they are in a similar area, maybe a vendor provided all of them with a product that had a defect?

Out here all the softeners are located in the garage. In the Summer we experience very high temperatures. Most of these things are not much more than glorified garbage cans, made from recycled plastic.

You can tell if someone had a leak, because the concrete floor is all white from salt left over. My garage floor is epoxy coated, but I don't want to take a chance. Water is bad enough. But salt water is a disaster.

 

[billt460]

I think your strategy of not overfilling is the best protection. Most people way overfill the tank with bags upon bags. As long as there is undissolved salt in the tank even if the salt level is below the water line it's super saturated and there is no need to add anything.

No doubt a lot of people bring these things on by themselves, by adding far too much salt, and stressing out the plastic brine tank as you mentioned.

There are alot of retired people here that have a service come out every so often to replenish the salt level, because they're too old to be lifting 40 pound bags from the store to their garage, then into the softener. (I'm 71 but can still manage it). But it's a PITA to be sure.

So I'm sure they want a lot of salt placed in it so they can pay for as few visits as possible. That for sure can contribute to the tank splitting.

 

[BrandonV]

No doubt a lot of people bring these things on by themselves, by adding far too much salt, and stressing out the plastic brine tank as you mentioned.

There are alot of retired people here that have a service come out every so often to replenish the salt level, because they're too old to be lifting 40 pound bags from the store to their garage, then into the softener. (I'm 71 but can still manage it). But it's a PITA to be sure.

So I'm sure they want a lot of salt placed in it so they can pay for as few visits as possible. That for sure can contribute to the tank splitting.

I believe it. It's like the people who service pools... they're not there everyday so things tend to be "overdone" on service days.

You might want to look at the new salt bricks. They look like you could position them NOT to stress out the sides like poring out bags of salt outside of the weight of the water placing a even force on the brine tank. They're a little bit more but might be worth the piece of mind.

 

[mike93lx]

If you can source a 30 or 55 gallon poly drum, that would make a container that will last damn near forever and you might be able to get one for free. The 55 gal are just under 2' diameter and could easily be cut to the height you want

 

[mike93lx]

I don't have a softener at my current house, but my last one did and it had a round tank like these pentair commercial ones. I'd fill it to the top regularly and never noticed any deformation

Structural Commercial Brine Tanks

Commercial and Residential Pressure Storage Tanks by Structural and Comptec

www.pentair.com

 

[BrandonV]

I don't have a softener at my current house, but my last one did and it had a round tank like these pentair commercial ones. I'd fill it to the top regularly and never noticed any deformation

Structural Commercial Brine Tanks

Commercial and Residential Pressure Storage Tanks by Structural and Comptec

www.pentair.com

The Fleck ones I see tend to get kind of bulged when they're filled high. They are square FWIW.

Round seems like a better shape... go figure why the tanks are square.

 

[billt460]

Can those salt blocks be used in softeners that use pellets? (I don't really see why they couldn't. Salt dissolves in water regardless of its shape).

 

[mike93lx]

The Fleck ones I see tend to get kind of bulged when they're filled high. They are square FWIW.

Round seems like a better shape... go figure why the tanks are square.

The square ones look tapered, so I assume it's mostly about ease of shipping and storage. Which matters exactly zero once installed.

 

[BrandonV]

Can those salt blocks be used in softeners that use pellets? (I don't really see why they couldn't. Salt dissolves in water regardless of its shape).

Yup. They're designed for the homeowner who doesn't want to lug a big bag of salt around. You're just paying for the price of convenience basically.

 

[HenryAZ]

There are alot of retired people here that have a service come out every so often to replenish the salt level, because they're too old to be lifting 40 pound bags from the store to their garage, then into the softener. (I'm 71 but can still manage it). But it's a PITA to be sure.

I buy the Morton pellets in 25lb bags, for that reason. It is getting hard to hoist even the 25 pounder.

 

[rust in the eye]

It's not the salt, its hydraulic pressure.
I had one (square) leaking from the bottom. Replaced with round one, so far so good.
I suspect build quality means more than shape.
The old one serves me well for storage of those folding lawn chairs.