Best Water Softener Resin (Reviews and Buying Guides)

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Are you sick and tired of using an old water softener that slows down water in the whole house? And to make matters worse, water coming out is not soft.

So what can you do about it?

Well, replacing the old resin will restore the water softener and have it working like a brand-new; perhaps even better than a new one.

And although there’re many brands of resins on the market, choosing the best resin can be difficult because there are many cheap imports that don’t do the job well.

Make no mistake about it, investing in the best resin for water softener will make all the difference.

Best Water Softener Resins 2021

Here is the list of best resins for water softeners in 2020. (paid link)

• Purolite C100E: Best Overall
• ABCFilter Resin: Most Popular:
• Aquatrol Resin: Best Price:
• LiquaGen Resin: Best Value

Best Overall: Purolite C100E Resin C-100E Cationic

The Purolite C-100E has emerged as one of the best water softener resin for many years and our top pick in 2020 due to its unparalleled ability to handle the harshest water and exceptional high bead integrity and chemical stability.

The industrial-grade resin is made with polystyrene strong acid cation and it’s compatible with almost all water softeners. The resin meets the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulation for safety in the treatment of human consumption foodstuff and beverages, and it’s very efficient in regeneration. 

The DuraWater Purolite C-100E is designed to handle the harshest water including some low levels of iron. It has a 10% cross-link which makes it more chlorine resistant. Lastly, it’s made in America, so you can trust is of higher quality than the cheap foreign brands that have flooded the market in recent years. 

It has the ability to remove iron, but if you have a high amount of iron like above 10ppm, you will need to install systems that come with iron filters like Iron Pro Combination. The Purolite C-100E  is a good resin for a budget-conscious user and also good value for money. 

Pros and Cons

Most Popular: ABCFilters Water Softening Resin

Top on our list is this high-end resin compatible with all the standard water softeners. This resin features one cubic-foot bag enough for a standard nine-inch mineral tank.

Notably, these high-capacity resin beads are spherical, and they are polystyrene cross-linked along with divinylbenzene. Besides, this resin will last roughly 12 to 15 good years. For this reason, the resin beads are suitable for both household and industrial applications.

Apart from this, the water softener resin is USDA, NSF, and FDA approved. As such, you can rest assured of good quality, and therefore it is the perfect choice to soften your water without necessarily causing any health perils.

What’s more, the high capacity resin is much easier when it comes to replacing it after depleting. The bag comes with a user guide to help you complete the resin bed replacement process.

Over and above that, the product is enclosed in a sturdy and long-lasting package. And in terms of softening abilities ABC resin as an excellent choice since it increases the ion exchange within the softener to deliver pure and soft water.

It is also interesting to note that you can ship the product into two bags instead of one to keep it as protected as possible.

Pros & Cons 

Conclusion

In summary, the high capacity resin is designed to remove magnesium, calcium dissolved manganese, and iron, as well as suspending any other element present in your water

Best Price: Aquatrol Water Softener Resin

Second, on our list is this outstanding Aquatrol troll resin water softener. When it comes to quality, this resin is top-notch. And, yes, it offers 100% ion exchange to remove hard minerals from the water.

Undeniably, with the use of this resin, water becomes so soft that you can use it for many different purposes.

Even better, it features a premium packaging material to avert any accidents. Although it will cost you higher than expected, the resin will deliver not only pure, tasty water but also water without any hazard or foul smell.

Apart from this, the product is easy to install. Due to its package, you can effortlessly pour the resin inside the tank of the water softener. Similarly, it has a user guide available to help you to complete the process of replacing the resin bed.

We also need to mention that the resin complies with all standard Grain water softeners. Because of this, it is suitable for residential water softeners.

Best of all, while most resin acid cation exchange is cross-linked eight percent, this one is ten percent cross-linked resin. In light of this, it has a much longer life compared to others and not to mention that Aquatrol’s water softener resin has excellent chemical and physical stability.

Pros & Cons

The product is pretty much affordable with all that it offers. Indeed, it works great for its price.

LiquaGen Water Softening Ion Exchange Resin

While LiquaGen resin will cost you more, it’s a 1.5 cubic feet resin material packaged in two bags. For this reason, it is one of the best water softener resin designated to increase the life of your water softener.

Best of all, the product features a powerful free resin loading funnel available within the resin to ensure that you pour the material down into the tank without causing any mess.

Notably, this water softener resin works with a robust acid cation exchange process. As such, it doesn’t matter how harsh the water is, the product will work exceptionally well in such conditions.

Similarly, with its free resin loading funnel .it will save you the extra cost to either get a funnel or to hire a plumbing professional to replace the resin bed in the tank.

Unlike the majority of the standard water softener resins, this particular product has a 10% crosslink; with this, in mind, the product is better suited for higher efficiency as well as excellent physical and chemical stability.

Pros & Cons

Conclusion

The resin has an impressive feature of the extra a loading funnel that makes it easier to replace the resin in the mineral tank. Besides, it helps you to save the resin since the funnel allows the formula directly into the water softener.

Overview

In summary, the standard option for most people using their tap water supply is the more significant 8% crosslink resin. On the other hand, a 10% crosslink resin is the ideal option for those relying on well water, as it works well in a higher concentration of iron like well water.

Overall, all three water softener resins reviewed above are excellent and are available in the market. However, it is essential to ensure that you invest in a resin that offers the best in terms of efficiency of the water softener. In this context, we would recommend LiquaGen Water softening Resin as it is the best option for a long-term investment.

Oceanic Water Systems Water Softening Resin

This strong acid resin is a great choice for people who get their water supply from municipalities. Unlike similar water softener resin, it’s great for chlorinated water because it is resistant to acidity from chlorine.

The Oceanic upgraded 10% water softening Resin is a high-purity and premium product, it one of best-selling resin on the market today. 

As much as I adore this resin, it comes with limitations in terms of softening water that has a high amount of iron; however, for water supplied by the municipality, it’s great.

As I was reading some reviews that customer left. Customers were happy with the customer care and how fast the resin arrived and the packaging. 

Pros & Cons

HydroTec Systems HTS8S Water Softener Ion-exchange Resin

The next up on our list is the Hydrotec Resin 8% crosslinked resin. If you are looking to remove iron from water, you should consider this resin. 

It’s a New virgin resin that is supplied in sodium form which makes it more stable, and it’s regenerated into sodium (Na+) form. Additionally, it’s a food-grade resin that is certified by NSF/ANS 61 standards. 

I only have found one issue with this resin. Once you open the bag, you’ve to use all of it. It cannot be stored for a long time because it’s supplied in sodium form. Unlike other resins, you can’t use some of the resin and store the rest. 

With that said, the longevity of the resin once inside the water softener is great. 

Pros and Cons 

Water Softener Buying Guide

It’s no secret that in most parts of the globe, there is a widespread challenge of hard water. Although water containing elements such as calcium and magnesium might offer some health benefits; the detriments caused by the presence of such components to a greater extent outweighs the health benefit. Consequently, you’ll need the best water softener resin to ensure that your water softener system delivers pure and soft water.

1. What Is Water Softening Resin?

Resin is a thick, sticky substance that is made up of organic compounds which are normally yellowish in color. Resin can be found naturally in plants, but can also be manufactured with artificial using polymers.

A resin bed acts as a medium of ion-exchange In water softeners. This is where ions that make water hard (Ca2+ and Mg2+) are exchanged with sodium ions. The reason why resin is so effective is that it is very porous which gives it a large surface area where ions get trapped.

2. How Water Softener Resin Works

Resin works as the medium that enables the process of ion exchange to take place inside a water softener mineral tank. What happens is that water in the system passes through a resin bed.

The resin has a high concentration of sodium ions (Na2+) or potassium ions (K+).which are positively charged. As water goes through the resin, ions that make water hard (Ca2+ and Mg2+) get displaced by the sodium ions (Na2+)  and potassium ions (K+).

Water coming out of the mineral tank in a water softener is soft water because minerals that contribute to water hardness (Ca2+ and Mg2+) have been replaced with soft water ions which are Sodium ions (Na2+) potassium ions (K+).

Resin gets its supply of sodium ions and Potassium ions from salt. This is why the resin needs to be regenerated regularly when the concentration of  Ca2+ and Mg2+ ions is too high on the resin bed.

3. Types of resins

There exist two types of ion exchange resins. There are those that exchange anions (negative ions) and those that exchange cation (positive ions).

The most common resins that are used in water softeners are those which exchange positive ions le calcium, magnesium, and Iron. common negative ions include chlorine, Sulfur oxide, and Hydroxide.

4. Fine Mesh Resin

Fine Mesh Resin normally has smaller beads and it’s tightly than standard resin. As a result, it has a higher surface area making it more effective as a medium of ion exchange.

Because of the big surface area, Fine mesh resin is able to trap ferric iron (rust) of up to 10 ppm. It’s not recommended that you use fine mesh resin if you’ve iron levels of above 10 ppm and ferrous iron in your water.

The ideal water pH level for fine mesh resin is around 7.00; otherwise, it gets destroyed by acidic water. Fine Mesh Resin costs more than standard resin; in addition, it needs to be cleaned more regularly because it gets fouled more easily compared to standard resin.

5. Standard ion exchange resin

Standard resin, on the other hand, has bigger beads and it’s not as tightly held as fine mesh. Its surface area is not big enough to effectively trap iron. You should use an iron filter for iron levels above 10ppm. Standard resin does require less backwashing compared to fine mesh resin.

6. Fine Mesh Resin Vs. Standard Ion Exchange (pros and cons)

7. Crosslink Resin 8% or 10%- Which is Better?

Resin spheres are made up of fibers that weaved together. The intersections of the fibers are termed as crosslinks and they are expressed in percentage. 10% crosslink resin has more intersection per bead than an 8% crosslink resin. The higher the crosslinks the stronger the resin.

Because chlorine weakens the resin by damaging fibers which lead to crosslink fragmentation. This means resin that has higher crosslinks holds together more even as some are damaged by chlorine.

Advantages of 10% crosslink resin over 8% Crosslink resin

• Last longer because it’s stronger
• It does not disintegrate easily on coming into contact with chlorine.
• More effective in trapping contaminants

Benefits of Replacing Water Softener Resin

Replacing old resin can make your life at home much easier. When your water has not been getting completely softened because of impaired resin you will be having the following problems.

• Soap is refusing to lather.
• Laundry problems such as stiff and scratchy clothes.
• Mineral buildup around pipes and faucets
• Your water tastes different

How to Select The Best Water Softener Resin

1. Cross-Linking:

Depending on the amount of chlorine you’ve in the water you should choose resin that has a higher percent cross-linking because it’s stronger and is not compromised easily by chlorine. 10% cross-link is preferred over the 8% crosslink resin because it lasts longer.

2. Highly Reactive/Efficient:

Fine mesh resin is more effective because it has a larger surface area, and it’s able to trap more conterminant. Fine mesh resin is able to filter out iron lower than 10 ppm. You should keep in mind that highly fine mesh resin is more expensive and gets damaged by chlorine more easily. Fine mesh resin also requires to be cleaned more regularly than standard resin.

3. Budget

Fine mesh resin is more expensive than standard resin, and it also gets damaged by chlorine more easily than standard resin. Although the 10% resin is more expensive it lasts longer and does not get degraded by chlorine quickly.

How to Replace Resin In Water Softener

1. Replacing resin step by step
2. Turn off the water supply.
3. Remove any pressure that is still in the mineral tank by rotating the controller handle.
4. Unplug the power supply
5. Remove the control head by unscrewing it
6. off the resin from the tank using some form of the receptacle. Ensure you properly dispose of the resin because it can cause environmental issues.
7. Scoop the resin from the tank using some form of the receptacle. Ensure you properly dispose of the resin because it can cause environmental issues.
8. Refill the gravel
9. Refill the resin by pouring new resin using a funnel. Check out the best funnel for refilling resin.
10. You should ensure the tank is 3/4 full.
11. Re-attach the control head.

Funnel for Filling Resin & Mineral Tanks

Resin mineral tank refilling funnels help you refill resin quickly and easily. For trouble-free refilling, you should get this cheap funnel.

It makes refilling the mineral tank cleaner because you don’t pour down resin all over the ground. You also don’t waste the resin.

It is used to refill the 10- 2.5-inch openings.  And it’s made with durable plastic meaning it will use it for a long time beside it’s a multipurpose funnel.

Wrapping up

Taking care of your water softener is very important because water softeners perform a very important job of removing minerals from water in your home. To avoid the problems of hard water you should diagnose resin bed problems early enough in order to replace it with the best water softener resin. You can prolong the life of resin by cleaning it using a resin cleaner.

ABOUT LEON SMITH Leon is a Thirty-something-year-old blogger from Mauritius who is currently studying for a Masters degree in chemical and processing Engineering at the University of Eldoret in Kenya. Read more about him.