# Repurpose Water Softener Resin Tank?



## tonydi

Had to replace our water softener recently and I cut the old one apart to be able to dispose of it more easily.  But I kept the heavy fiberglass resin tank (maybe 9"x40") because it seemed like a cool piece that I could use for something else (isn't that how we all accumulate the junk we have?).

But I can't come up with any ideas and since I see so many super clever ideas that people come up with I thought I'd throw it out to the group.

What could I do with this?


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## Flyinfool

Store it till something comes up?

Can you tell how thick the walls are?

Bury the nose in your yard and put fins on the back so it looks like a bomb dropped in your front yard?


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## Superburban

I have one of those sitting in a trailer, waiting on a good idea. The bomb sounds like a candidate.


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## RJSakowski

It would make a nice tank for electrolytic rust removal.


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## mmcmdl

Watching this for some ideas as I have quite a few of these but larger . Each house had 3 very large tanks installed years back due to an MTBE leak from a local gas station . All were filled with charcoal I believe , and have been unhooked for years .

Let's hear some more ideas . The only thing I could come up with would be its' original use as a water filter .


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## Superburban

I thought of a light weight air tank to mount on my truck, but would not trust it above 100 PSI.


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## tonydi

@Flyinfool  LMAO!!   Why do I have this suspicion that my wife isn't going to like that idea.

I'll try to remember to measure the walls tomorrow.


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## mmcmdl

How about an old dishwasher ? Could anything be used on one ? It was working fine but we had to have a stainless one .  After throwing away a dozen or so microwaves and reading what people make out of the pieces , I just thought I would ask .


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## Canus

Dishwashers are great for cleaning parts.  Used mine for everything from black powder revolvers to carburators and engine valve covers.


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## Forty Niner

tonydi said:


> Had to replace our water softener recently and I cut the old one apart to be able to dispose of it more easily.  But I kept the heavy fiberglass resin tank (maybe 9"x40") because it seemed like a cool piece that I could use for something else (isn't that how we all accumulate the junk we have?).
> 
> But I can't come up with any ideas and since I see so many super clever ideas that people come up with I thought I'd throw it out to the group.
> 
> What could I do with this?



I laughed when I saw your post!   I have TWO of those tanks that I have INTENTIONS to use.   My plans are to make a two stage sand and charcoal filter setup for collected rainwater.  I figured I would use some layers of pea gravel, activated charcoal, and sand.  It's been awhile since I did the pondering and I don't even remember the configuring of the layers I was planning.  I'll have to do the research all over again.

The tanks were free.  I emptied the resin out of them and bought some tank top connectors, but just haven't got around to finishing the project.


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## DLF

tonydi said:


> Had to replace our water softener recently and I cut the old one apart to be able to dispose of it more easily. But I kept the heavy fiberglass resin tank (maybe 9"x40") because it seemed like a cool piece that I could use for something else (isn't that how we all accumulate the junk we have?).
> 
> But I can't come up with any ideas and since I see so many super clever ideas that people come up with I thought I'd throw it out to the group.
> 
> What could I do with this?
> 
> View attachment 351911



How about hooking it up to a vacuum pump and to one of those miniature pressure (read vacuum) controllers from SMC and just make a nice adjustable vacuum press?

Good for e.g. woodworking or composites work.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Illinoyance

Most domestic water supplies give about 40psi at the tap.  Use that as a guideline for acceptable pressure in whatever use you find for the tank.


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## tonydi

@DLF  That's a great idea.  Unfortunately I don't have a need for that sort of thing but maybe that works for some of the others here with tanks.

I keep forgetting to go out and measure the wall thickness but I think I found the tank online and specs show a minimum burst pressure of 600 PSI with a working max pressure of 150 PSI.  I don't think I'd be comfortable doing something anywhere close to that but that's pretty amazing.


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## aliva

I inherited a tank similar I made a fertigation tank for my lawn sprinkler system


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## tonydi

Hope you're happy, @aliva, you made me look up fertigation tank.  ;-)  Never heard of one but it does seem like something that would be more common.


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## aliva

Here's my original firtigation post
Fertigation | The Hobby-Machinist (hobby-machinist.com)


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## markjordan

tonydi said:


> Had to replace our water softener recently and I cut the old one apart to be able to dispose of it more easily.  But I kept the heavy fiberglass resin tank (maybe 9"x40") because it seemed like a cool piece that I could use for something else (isn't that how we all accumulate the junk we have?).
> 
> But I can't come up with any ideas and since I see so many super clever ideas that people come up with I thought I'd throw it out to the group.
> 
> What could I do with this?
> 
> View attachment 351911


I'll be keeping an eye on this for some inspiration, since I have quite a number of them, but they're all larger. Due to an MTBE leak from a nearby gas station, each house had three very big tanks added years ago. I assume they were all packed with charcoal and had been unhooked for years.

Let's hear some more suggestions. The only thing that sprang to me was its initial purpose as a water filter.


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## rwm

How about the hull of a robotic underwater rover. Add a camera and some thrusters from Ali express etc.
Robert


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## Dave Smith

evidently I am not the only old buzzard that collects everything that surely can be used for a good neat ingenious invention. who knew that so many of us have saved these for reuse. keep your ideas coming so we all use up some of our collected supplies. My thoughts were to split it length wise and make bird baths for my wifes' garden. always good to keep our better halves happy and amazed how we come up with such practical gifts. if you don't have a wife then I'm sure a neighbor would be accepting and they may not complain so much about your outside storage. when we finish our projects please include pictures of them, I'm counting on you.
Dave


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## FOMOGO

I have several, small to extra large. May try to use one for a pre-filter/settling tank for the water tray on the cnc plasma rig. Mike


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## Cadillac STS

No question it would be a nice tank to make a *deionized water resin bed*.  Looks like about one pound of resin would work.  Need to have a feed tube to the bottom and valves at the top one in the top of the resin and one at the bottom under the resin.

Use for washing cars for final rinse.  Wash as usual and rinse with regular water then rinse with that deionized water and walk away.  No water spots possible, no drying needed.  Because the resin bed removed all dissolved solids which usually remain after water dries.

We had 368 TDS (Total dissolved solids) in our water and after the resin tank 0 TDS.

I also use mine for rinsing the shower after the usual rinse down with regular water.  It leaves the shower tile and glass door spotless.  Used to be using a squeegee after every shower to get the water off the surfaces.  Just using a valve and an RF controlled switch in the access panel behind the shower.  Tank in basement below.


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## tq60

Mae an electrolysis rust removal tank.

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## mmcmdl

So this thread just popped back up . Still looking for any ideas as they haven't moved .


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## pontiac428

Remember the 70s?  It would be fun to make a big one of these:


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