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De-Ionization resins

Tazmaniancowboy

Officer Emeritus
Officer Emeritus
Some of you may know that I have a terrible time making water. For those that don't know, here is a little background. Last I checked my well water going into the unit, the TDS was at 79ppm. As the membrane is aging, I am now putting 2ppm through the DI resin. Because of extremely high co2 in the water, my DI resin is eaten up in about 55 to about 80 gallons of water made up. The only suggestion that experts have been able to recommend to me is to bubble the co2 out for a day before I pass it through the DI...What a PITA that will be and will obviously require more equipment. So I am always thinking about ways to help myself out or save some money. I have been thinking a lot about buying DI in bulk like I currently do, but I am wondering if I should buy the resins separately.

My questions are:
Everybody I see uses mixed bed resins, which is cation resin and anion resin. Are these mixed at different ratios? or are they 50/50?

Does one resin deplete faster than the other?

I heard that after a resin is "full" or used up it not only allows incoming impurities to bypass, but it also can release what it captured. How true or extreme is this? and again will one resin release more than another?

My thought process is now to possibly extend my di resin change from over night to 2 or 3 nights! LMAO. I was thinking about using the cation resin separate from the anion resin and use more of one over the other if they exhaust at different rates. If I do this , I could re-charge (or ask Paul to recharge for me) easily. I currently don't want to mess with it, but may consider with some teaching from someone!

Someday I would like to get my water tested in a lab, but with sooo many things to test for, I would have no idea what to test for. I actually looked into Rutgers for water testing since I found a testing department in Florence which is close to me, but again, I have no Idea what to ask for!
 

redfishbluefish

Officer Emeritus
Officer Emeritus
Well it’s about time.


With a split bed (anion resin in one reactor and cation resin in another), the regeneration is a snap. Just soak the resin in either acid or base for an hour and then rinse with DI water. Done!

The chemistry that is happening is that acidic CO2 (common with NJ well water) produces a bicarbonate ion, which will quickly saturate your anion resin. So you’ll go through the anion resin quicker than the cation resin.

By setting up this split bed reactor, you have a Cati-Ani unit similar to what Bruce sold.

Good stuff.
 

Tazmaniancowboy

Officer Emeritus
Officer Emeritus
Old Reliable! I knew you would be the first to chime in Professor!

I am wondering if it would be better for me to run 2 anion cartridges and one cation. I would assume that if I didn't recharge, I would spend the same amount of money per gallon, but I would be able to go longer between change outs, Correct?

But after some guidance and if I had to only recharge once in a while, I may consider it. I thought about getting 2 softener tanks and loading them up! LOL You know my concerns about the kids and my haphazzard ways is what always held me back.
 

redfishbluefish

Officer Emeritus
Officer Emeritus
It would be better for you to set up a 55 gallon drum with a $20 air pump and a Maxijet to pump the bubbled water through the DI resin.

Fill the drum with RO water, let the water bubble overnight and then pump it through your DI resin….and this resin will now last forever.

I’ve got to believe that is a cheaper option than buying the tons of resin you buy.
 

Tazmaniancowboy

Officer Emeritus
Officer Emeritus
My next question would then be how fast/slow would I have to pump it through the resins.

Sent from my PG86100 using Tapatalk
 

TanksNStuff

Officer Emeritus
Officer Emeritus
Don, if CO2 is your major issue, I'd say try to come up with a solution to remove it before you send it through your DI.

I googled This that might help get you (or Paul) started on a workable idea.

My first thought was just to boil the CO2 out. :undecided:

Here's another link that suggests using a tank lined with limestone chips as the "easiest method".
 
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Tazmaniancowboy

Officer Emeritus
Officer Emeritus
You guys might like to read this thread, even though you don't have problems, pretty interesting. I HAVE to start bubbling for a while at least. I have an extra 55g drum and I think I will make a tall pvc tower that stands in it. I will try to gravity feed my Di first, if that doesn't work, I will use a maxijet. Now I have to get an air pump and diffuser
 

Tazmaniancowboy

Officer Emeritus
Officer Emeritus
CO2 is especially problematic becasue for each molcule it takes up two active sites on the resin, unlike most contaminants which take up one exchange site.
This quote finally made me realize why my resin is used up so fast!

There is a CO2 calculator but I hate testing....maybe I should someday!

I also found out that spectrapure has a test kit for $20, I might look into it

Should have been working tonight, but got hooked on this search
 
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TanksNStuff

Officer Emeritus
Officer Emeritus
Interesting read on the bubbler system. That sounds like it might work Don. Good luck with it.
 
And as a side note,you can check with yr township water dept and they should be able to do a water test for you and in most cases free of charge
 

Tazmaniancowboy

Officer Emeritus
Officer Emeritus
And as a side note,you can check with yr township water dept and they should be able to do a water test for you and in most cases free of charge
No water dept out here, we all have wells


Of course when I am ready to do this now my booster pump burns itself out :mad:
 
My questions are:
Everybody I see uses mixed bed resins, which is cation resin and anion resin. Are these mixed at different ratios? or are they 50/50?
This varies by resin manufacturer. Our resin is (by volume) 60% anion and 40% cation, but it is a 1:1 ratio in terms of capacity.

Does one resin deplete faster than the other?
Depends what's in your water

I heard that after a resin is "full" or used up it not only allows incoming impurities to bypass, but it also can release what it captured. How true or extreme is this?
this is true

Russ
 
It would be better for you to set up a 55 gallon drum with a $20 air pump and a Maxijet to pump the bubbled water through the DI resin.

Fill the drum with RO water, let the water bubble overnight and then pump it through your DI resin….and this resin will now last forever.

I’ve got to believe that is a cheaper option than buying the tons of resin you buy.

I Agree!
 

Tazmaniancowboy

Officer Emeritus
Officer Emeritus
Now lookie here Don, an expert has agreed to what I’ve been telling you for some time. Now don’t make me come down there and smack you….DO IT! NOW! :)
LOL, Russ has helped me a couple of times, I know I have to do it, I just hate the fact and it takes up too much room.

I was set to do this, but I have worse problems now. My booster pump went and I think my membrane is clogged :sorrow: I just can't win!
 

Tazmaniancowboy

Officer Emeritus
Officer Emeritus
UPDATE: I ordered a new membrane because I couldn't even get a trickle out of the unit, I did all new filters too, but they were only 1 month old :rolleyes: I have to believe that this lack of flow is what burned out my booster pump.

I am now getting water!!! only problem is my well pump only produces 35psi so I will need to fix or get a new booster.

Busy week ahead, but when I get a chance I will start setting up an area to bubble!
 
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