Calcite filter maintenance

I am on well water and have a 1.5 cu ft calcite filter with a backwash system that flushes every 4 days and a separate water softener system. The water is very good in this location; not very hard and not a lot of iron. There are only 2 of us in the house currently, so not a lot of water usage.

My question; I've been topping up the calcite filter each year to replace the calcite that has dissolved. Do I need to break the system down and flush it out periodically. By that I mean do I need to dump out and refill the tank with the gravel base and all new calcite or can I just keep adding calcite to it indefinetly.

Someone told me the calcite would harden over time and solidify in the tank, but I can't find any supporting material for that on the Web sites I have visited.

It is recommended that you change your calcite every 2-5 years however, I would recommend a simple water ph test to see if you water's ph is in line before replacing the entire media. For peak performance the answer is to discard all previous media, clean the tank and fill with new Calcite. The cost effective route would be to test your ph, here is a link to a cheap water test kit we carry, and clean your system when your ph tests show a need.

If I let it go too long will the calcite harden up such that I won't be able to get the head and rods out of the tank or should I still be able to pull the head and dump the calcite and gravel.

The possibility of your calcite cementing the media bed increases based on the hardness level of your water. If your incoming water hardness level is greater than 5 grains per gallon, then it is possible your bed of calcite will harden. If it is less than 5, then you may not have any problems. It is probably best to play it safe and change the calcite at least every 5 years.