1252 (12x52) PWG Vessel With Base 2.5in Top Hole

The 1252 (12x52) PWG vessel is the mineral tank at the heart of most domestic and light commercial water softeners, and WrekinWater stocks this filament-wound resin tank complete with its moulded base and a 2.5in top hole ready to accept a standard top-mount control valve. If your existing 12x52 softener tank has cracked, corroded at the base, or simply reached the end of its working life, this vessel gives you a like-for-like replacement without having to source a whole new softener.

Technical specifications

Symptoms that mean you need this part

• Visible cracking, weeping, or a damp patch around the base of the tank
• Rust-coloured staining or corrosion where the tank meets its base
• The tank bulging, flexing, or feeling unusually soft under pressure
• You're rebuilding or upgrading an old softener and the original vessel has failed a pressure check

Why it fails / why it matters

A softener's mineral tank spends years under constant water pressure while holding resin that's flushed with brine on every regeneration cycle, and that combination of pressure cycling, moisture, and salt eventually takes its toll on the fibreglass shell and its base. Long-term UV exposure if the softener has ever been kept outdoors, hairline stress fractures from repeat pressurisation, and simple age all reduce the tank's structural integrity, and once a vessel starts to weep or bulge it should be treated as a safety issue rather than something to patch up.

Why buy this from WrekinWater

WrekinWater has served more than 50,000 customers over 15 years from its base in Bettisfield, Shropshire, and stocks parts and vessels for Pentair Fleck, Autotrol, Clack, Kinetico and other major softener brands, so you can be confident this 1252 vessel is genuinely compatible with your system before you buy. The company is UK-registered (Company No. 11000488) and rated Excellent on Trustpilot, giving you a verifiable, accountable supplier for a component that has to hold pressure safely for years to come.

How to fit it

1. Turn off the water supply to the softener and put the control valve into bypass, then run a regeneration or open a drain point to relieve pressure in the tank
2. Disconnect the control valve from the top of the old vessel and set it aside carefully, keeping seals and washers together
3. Remove the riser tube from the old vessel and, if the resin is being reused, bail or vacuum it out into a clean container
4. Lift the old vessel off its base and transfer the base to the new 1252 vessel (or fit the base supplied with it)
5. Insert the riser tube into the new vessel, refill with resin, then reconnect the control valve and reinstate all pipework
6. Take the softener out of bypass, run a manual regeneration, and check every joint for leaks before returning it to normal service