I have a well for our home water. I have a water softner "Ecowater". When I use the water (tube) close to the softner I get small black particals in our tub. They sink to the bottom, When I drain the tube they remain in the tub. It feels and looks like graphite, when I rub it between my fingers. When I rinse my finger it comes right off.
It Is in the cold water most. I'm sure my hotwater heater is full The water at the other end of the house has very few particals. With 4 inches of water in my tub I can get about a tablespoon of black?? Left in the tube. It is also in the toilet tanks at that end of the house, about a half an inch in about 2 months. Help, Melynda

Well, you might have a softener problem and you might not.

Most softener resin is yellow/orange in color. If you had it in your tub, when the water is drained out, it would be very slippery (think tiny little ball bearings).

Black particles could be carbon, if your softener is a combination softener/ carbon filter.

There is a device in the top of most softeners called an upper screen (Ecowater may call it another name). It is designed to prevent the media from escaping the softener.

You can try a few things. First, I would run some water out of the bottom of your water heater to see if you get any particles here. If you do not, then the problem is not the softener, since (I'm assuming) the entire house is being softened. If it were the softener, you would have the particles here too.

I would recommend contacting a local water treatment professional. Google "home water softener" and see who comes up. Call them and ask for their opinion. If they don't seem to know what you're talking about, call someone else.

Oh, just to let you know, I have been in the home water treatment industry since 1988, so I do know a thing or two.

If you happen to be in the metro Boston area, I could even recommend a company to call!

Take care and good luck!