Can Anion resin regen itself?

[twentyleagues]

So I saw this question a few months back and I had never seen this happen before. I answered in that thread with I have not seen that. I am another on a well and burn through anion resin. I was just getting new and refilling it tossing out the old. I have read a few threads on regen of anion and thought I would start keeping it. I got 3 new filter inserts and I just take the old one out and toss it in a tote for the last 2 times. I got a lidded container to dump the used resin in to save it should I decide to regen it. I went to grad the last to inserts I had put in the tote and the resin was blue again!! I have run the ph test but my water is pretty hard and there was no change in ph (aerated outside with a pretty strong air pump). Can the co2 (if that is what is depleting my resin) be driven off the used resin simply just from sitting a couple weeks? If so can it just be reused? Or do I need to actually regen it even if its already blue again? It starts off blue when new and turns gold when depleted. Sorry for the long story didnt know how else to say it.

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

How did you store it? Have you tested the pH of your well water? Is it alkaline?

I'd imagine that the spent anion equalized inside the container and there was just enough to turn the spent back to blue. We'll definitely have to wait for that to be confirmed or denied. It would be safe to say that even though it's blue, it still needs to be fully recharged.

 

[twentyleagues]

How did you store it? Have you tested the pH of your well water? Is it alkaline?

I'd imagine that the spent anion equalized inside the container and there was just enough to turn the spent back to blue. We'll definitely have to wait for that to be confirmed or denied. It would be safe to say that even though it's blue, it still needs to be fully recharged.

Yes its alkaline. Yes ph is high around 9 out of the tap. Its been a while since I tested it. When I aerated the water out of the tap it didnt make a difference. I should probably run the test again with water from after the cation stage. I am still on my first cation resin since last January. I have switched out the anion about 5 maybe 6 times since I set it up. I did back off on water changes for a few months during that time though.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

My guess is enough CO2 left to reverse some color, but it is far from fully regenerated. :)

 

[twentyleagues]

Thanks @Randy Holmes-Farley and @Sisterlimonpot. That is what I thought. I just found it weird and was not sure. I know there are other things in the water the anion is going to attract that would not "leave" so easily. My tds coming out of the membrane is very low below 10 and I am not sure if co2 shows up as tds but if my output from the di stage is 0 whatever is in that 10 tds is locked up in one of the resins. I will continue to save it up and regen it eventually. Thanks again!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

CO2 as CO2 or carbonic acid does not show up on tds.

It is also why di resins need foil packs since it can enter and start to deplete the resin.

 

[twentyleagues]

CO2 as CO2 or carbonic acid does not show up on tds.

It is also why di resins need foil packs since it can enter and start to deplete the resin.

I didnt think so.
That brings up another good point when I do start to regen it. I was thinking of using my food saver to package the regen resin. Do you think that will work? its not foil.
Thanks again for all you do!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I didnt think so.
That brings up another good point when I do start to regen it. I was thinking of using my food saver to package the regen resin. Do you think that will work? its not foil.
Thanks again for all you do!

Not sure what that is?

 

[Garf]

I didnt think so.
That brings up another good point when I do start to regen it. I was thinking of using my food saver to package the regen resin. Do you think that will work? its not foil.
Thanks again for all you do!

I've always stuck mine in a food container, thus;

 

[twentyleagues]

Not sure what that is?

its a vacuum sealer with "bags" that come in a role. The unit vacuums the air out and applies heat to seal the bag. Cut bag to size, seal 1 end, put stuff in bag, vacuum bag and seals when done. They are heavy duty bags like 3 zip lock sides thick per side.

 

[twentyleagues]

I've always stuck mine in a food container, thus;

Thats used though, right? Do you just regen what you need out of there?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

its a vacuum sealer with "bags" that come in a role. The unit vacuums the air out and applies heat to seal the bag. Cut bag to size, seal 1 end, put stuff in bag, vacuum bag and seals when done. They are heavy duty bags like 3 zip lock sides thick per side.

That will certainly slow CO2 entry, but CO2 is surprisingly good at penetrating some types of plastics, if you store for extended periods.

 

[twentyleagues]

That will certainly slow CO2 entry, but CO2 is surprisingly good at penetrating some types of plastics, if you store for extended periods.

Yeah I was hoping to get 3-4 fills per regen.
Thanks!

 

[Reefering1]

How are you regenerating the resin? Just leave it in a container?

 

[Reefering1]

I've noticed that if my mixed bed changes color and I don't change it(for say a month), it turns blue again. What's that about? I always assumed it was still spent...

 

[twentyleagues]

How are you regenerating the resin? Just leave it in a container?

When I do I will use sodium hydroxide. Currently the spent cartridges are in a tote that is open to the air. I was going to put them in a 1 gallon bucket with a spin on lid with a seal. That is when I noticed that the 3 cartridges that were previously spent (gold in color) had completely returned to blue in color. So I posted this.

 

[Garf]

Thats used though, right? Do you just regen what you need out of there?

These are regenerated and roughly RODI rinsed, ready to use after another quick RODI rinse. The separation of the anion and cation is a useful consequence of the first stage of regenerating the anion.

That will certainly slow CO2 entry, but CO2 is surprisingly good at penetrating some types of plastics, if you store for extended periods.

I've not really considered this as an issue. Perhaps a pH check of the storage solution would be an idea.

 

[Reefering1]

These are regenerated and roughly RODI rinsed, ready to use after another quick RODI rinse. The separation of the anion and cation is a useful consequence of the first stage of regenerating the anion.


I've not really considered this as an issue. Perhaps a pH check of the storage solution would be an idea.

Mind sharing a link I can read on this? (Please)

 

[twentyleagues]

Mind sharing a link I can read on this? (Please)

This is one I have watched a few times.

 

[twentyleagues]

These are regenerated and roughly RODI rinsed, ready to use after another quick RODI rinse. The separation of the anion and cation is a useful consequence of the first stage of regenerating the anion.


I've not really considered this as an issue. Perhaps a pH check of the storage solution would be an idea.

Oh. I have really only ever used the color change stuff anion is blue and cation is a very dark color the changes to a light purpleish color. I know there are non-color changing types available.