Softeners fail slowly and then suddenly, and the replacement decision usually arrives as: is this repairable, and if not, what does a like-for- like swap cost? The short versions: most single-part failures on a serviceable platform are repairs; a decade-old unit with proprietary parts is a candidate for replacement; and swapping the tank itself is a two-hour job on homes that already have a bypass loop.
Repair or replace: the decision table
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hard water returned, salt tank normal | Brine bridge or clogged injector | $0–30, one hour | Repair |
| Regenerates far more than usage explains | Meter turbine failing or internal leak | $20–60 on generic platforms | Repair |
| Motor/piston failures, repeatedly | Valve wear | Parts cheap on Fleck platforms; costly on proprietary heads | Depends on platform |
| Resin 10–15+ years old, hardness slipping through | Resin exhaustion | $200–400 rebed | Repair once; replace if unit is otherwise tired |
| Tank seam weep or wet spines | Pressure vessel failure | Not user-serviceable | Replace |
| Multiple unrelated failures within 24 months | Accumulated wear | n/a | Replace |
The pattern matters more than any single event. Two motor replacements inside two years on the same valve head is a valve telling you about the next five years.
What a replacement costs
The same tiers as a first purchase, because the hardware market has not changed: big-box units $450–750, pro-grade $500–800, DTC $1,450–1,800. Our cost breakdown prices each tier fully. The swap itself is cheaper than a first install when a bypass loop already exists: drain both tanks, unscrew the unions, lift the old unit out, connect the new one, sanitize the line, and reset the valve. Two hours for a handy homeowner.
Replacing well: three checks before you buy the new unit
- Re-run the sizing math. Household changes (kids moved out, a bathroom added) may move you to a different capacity tier; the calculator takes two minutes.
- Check the hardness number is still current. Utilities adjust blending and sources seasonally; our hardness index keeps dated figures.
- Decide on platform before brand. A replacement is your chance to move from proprietary parts to a generic-parts platform (or the reverse, if phone support matters more). Our ranking sorts by that trade-off explicitly.
Disposing of the old unit
Softener resin and tanks are not hazardous waste. Most scrap metal recyclers take tanks happily (the fibreglass shell has steel value in some, scrap value at least), and big-box retailers that sold your new unit frequently haul the old one for a small fee. Dump the remaining salt into a bucket for reuse; it is chemically identical to what is in the bag.
Before you conclude it is dead, rule out the cheap causes: a unit not using salt is usually a bridge rather than a failure, and expected service life puts your unit’s age in context. The swap itself follows the installation guide.