# Strong-Acid Cation (SAC) Resins

- Link: https://kenaiwater.com/strong-acid-cation-sac-resins/
- Published: 2017-12-19T22:19:37+00:00
- Author: Kenai Water

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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