Autotrol / Fleck / Clack 1.05in Diameter Distributor Assembly and Riser Tube - Heavy Duty

This is the 1.05in diameter Heavy Duty distributor basket and riser tube assembly used across a wide range of Autotrol, Fleck and Clack softener valve and tank combinations, including Autotrol 255, 263, 268, 367 and 368, Fleck 4600, 5600, 6800, 2510, 9000 and 9100, and Clack WS1, WS1 TT Duplex and WS1.25 heads. The basket sits at the base of the resin tank spreading water evenly across the resin bed, while the riser tube carries flow up to the valve; this 24in length comes pre-cut with a bonded heavy-duty bottom screen, ready to fit, and is stocked by WrekinWater.

Technical specifications

Symptoms that mean you need this part

• Resin escaping into pipework or appearing at taps after a valve or tank rebuild
• Uneven or channelled flow through the resin bed, causing poor softening performance
• Old riser tube cracked, split, or too short/long for a replacement tank
• Rebuilding a softener valve/tank combination and the original riser and basket are missing or damaged

Why it fails / why it matters

The distributor basket and riser tube are easy to overlook because they sit hidden inside the resin tank, but they do two jobs that directly affect softening performance: the basket stops resin beads being carried out into the pipework during service and backwash, while the riser tube carries treated water cleanly up to the valve without picking up unfiltered flow from the sides of the bed. A cracked riser, a perished or ill-fitting bottom screen, or a basket that has come away from the tube will let resin slip past and channel water unevenly through the bed, which shows up as gritty water at the tap and softening that falls off well before the resin's true capacity is used.

Why buy this from WrekinWater

WrekinWater cuts this riser tube to length and bonds on the heavy-duty bottom screen in its own Bettisfield, Shropshire warehouse before it ships, rather than sending out a length of pipe and leaving the fitting to the customer, and it's held in stock across the common 24in, 36in, 55in and 65in lengths for Autotrol, Fleck and Clack tanks. As a business that has supplied water softener parts to more than 50,000 customers over 15 years and stocks the Pentair Fleck, Autotrol, Clack and Kinetico ranges it fits daily, WrekinWater can help confirm the right length for a given tank before you order, backed by its Trustpilot-rated service.

How to fit it

1. Isolate the softener, relieve system pressure, and drain the resin tank before opening the valve.
2. Remove the control valve from the tank and lift out the old riser tube and distributor basket assembly.
3. Measure the old riser against the tank depth (or measure the empty tank neck-to-base) to confirm the new tube needs no further trimming.
4. If trimming is needed, cut the riser tube square, chamfer the cut edge and remove any burrs so it seats cleanly in the valve's riser seal.
5. Lightly silicone-grease the riser tube and the valve's riser seal, then lower the new assembly into the tank so the basket sits flat on the base.
6. Refit the control valve, making sure the riser tube locates centrally in the valve body, then refill and re-pressurise the system and check for leaks before returning the softener to service.