written by Wayne Anderson
There are many types of strong-acid cation (SAC) resins used in residential softening applications.
With dozens of resin/softening media brands being produced worldwide, it is not uncommon to find 7 or 8 types of the product in the US market.
Generically speaking, the types are: 7% crosslink, 8% crosslink, 10%, and Macroporous (16% crosslink) strong acid cation (SAC) resin , commercially available.
While all resins will work for a specified period of time, it’s worthwhile noting the statistics we at Charger Water developed over a ten (10) year period:
- Using a standard water softener and through Charger dealers, we installed units with 8%, 10%, and macroporous (M/P) resins on Florida water with 5 ppm influent chlorine.
We found that the higher the crosslink, the longer the resin performed:
- The 8% crosslink resin performed well for 8 months; the 10% crosslink resin performed well for 3 years; and the 16% crosslink M/P resin performed well for 5 years.
- Using these numbers, the homeowner would have had to replace the 8% resin 15X in 10 years, 3.3X if they used the 10%, and only twice if the M/P resin was installed.
- If the competition lowers prices, there is generally a trade-off in product or performance to compensate for the lower pricing. Our resin analysis shows that the technical reason for purchasing a more expensive product can add real value to the homeowner’s purchase.
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