Can Anion resin regen itself?

[Garf]

This is one I have watched a few times.

That's a far better description of the process than my old link on the scrubber site, it's got chemistry and maths and everything, lol.

 

[twentyleagues]

That's a far better description of the process than my old link on the scrubber site, it's got chemistry and maths and everything, lol.

Yeah I thought it had a little of everything. I like the part about separating out a mixed bed as a one step process that also regens the anion. I run a mixed bed but that also still hasn't been needed to be changed yet. I doubt I will bother regen of the cation or mixed bed. Probably just the anion as we near a 6/7 to1 ratio probably much higher on the other two.

 

[Garf]

Yeah I thought it had a little of everything. I like the part about separating out a mixed bed as a one step process that also regens the anion. I run a mixed bed but that also still hasn't been needed to be changed yet. I doubt I will bother regen of the cation or mixed bed. Probably just the anion as we near a 6/7 to1 ratio probably much higher on the other two.

I expect if you had an anion only chamber ahead of your mixed bed, you could actually regenerate it in situ. Disconnect both ends of anion chamber, inject some hydroxide into the inlet a few times, let it stew, send RO through to rinse, reconnect mixed bed. I've no idea of the effect of hydroxide on the chamber material, seals etc, however. Fortune favours the brave, lol. I expect you have a mop handy if the chamber fails.
I've got a spare chamber and not done anything really silly for a while, I may actually try this, mop at the ready.

 

[twentyleagues]

I expect if you had an anion only chamber ahead of your mixed bed, you could actually regenerate it in situ. Disconnect both ends of anion chamber, inject some hydroxide into the inlet a few times, let it stew, send RO through to rinse, reconnect mixed bed. I've no idea of the effect of hydroxide on the chamber material, seals etc, however. Fortune favours the brave, lol. I expect you have a mop handy if the chamber fails.
I've got a spare chamber and not done anything really silly for a while, I may actually try this, mop at the ready.

Hold on gotta go buy a mop.

 

[Buckeye Hydro Verified Sponsor]

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.

More precisely... the resin should be placed in vapor barrier bags, and vacuum sealed. "Foil" bags are a type, but not the only type, of vapor barrier bags.

I cringe when I see, typically on amazon or ebay, hobbyists selling new resin in kitchen ziplock bags. Those just do not work.

Russ

 

[twentyleagues]

More precisely... the resin should be placed in vapor barrier bags, and vacuum sealed. "Foil" bags are a type, but not the only type, of vapor barrier bags.

I cringe when I see, typically on amazon or ebay, hobbyists selling new resin in kitchen ziplock bags. Those just do not work.

Russ

Do you think the food saver style would work well enough?

 

[Buckeye Hydro Verified Sponsor]

Do you think the food saver style would work well enough?

yes - those are vapor barrier bags. Be careful to make sure the bag is handled gently and not pierced after you seal it.

 

[Frozen Tundra Reef Dreams]

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.

So what was your verdict? I took am experiencing the same seemingly Regen in storage thing. Well water Co2 burning through anion resin, and stockpiling burnt resin before Regen. Considering Randy mentions Co2 does not show on TDS meter, we have other elements present as well. My TDS before anion is 7ish.

While doing the sodium hydroxide Regen, Ive always considered the color change back to blue as the Regen being complete. sure would be nice if this is indeed complete as their would be no more hazardous lye, and all the rinsing....

 

[twentyleagues]

So what was your verdict? I took am experiencing the same seemingly Regen in storage thing. Well water Co2 burning through anion resin, and stockpiling burnt resin before Regen. Considering Randy mentions Co2 does not show on TDS meter, we have other elements present as well. My TDS before anion is 7ish.

While doing the sodium hydroxide Regen, Ive always considered the color change back to blue as the Regen being complete. sure would be nice if this is indeed complete as their would be no more hazardous lye, and all the rinsing....

Well its still happening so IDK? I left one of the filters out after it was gold just to check there was a very small amount of blue left in the filter I am talking a few grains not 1/4" or 1/4 container. It has turned almost completely blue again without regen. I may just retry it and see what the output is. I would guess it will be same 0 but maybe burn through it even faster without actual regen.

 

[NE reefer]

Getting on this thread late in the game. In order to regenerate the Anion resin requires a strong base to disassociate the ion molecules while CO2 can change the pH my guess is that it would take a strong base (NaOH) concentrate and plenty of rinsing afterwards

 

[Battlecorals Verified Sponsor]

Well its still happening so IDK? I left one of the filters out after it was gold just to check there was a very small amount of blue left in the filter I am talking a few grains not 1/4" or 1/4 container. It has turned almost completely blue again without regen. I may just retry it and see what the output is. I would guess it will be same 0 but maybe burn through it even faster without actual regen.

Oddly enough, I'm experiencing the exact same thing and have wondered the same. I've got a 5 gallon bucket full of exhausted, anion resin that is returned to solid blue now. I can't imagine that it's ready to use. I mean that almost doesn't make sense. But it is definitely back to blue

I'm tempted to throw some in the canister and see what happens but otherwise I would very much like to regenerate it. I'm just a little nervous anyone got a step-by-step and regenerating Anion alone. for dummies:)

 

[twentyleagues]

Oddly enough, I'm experiencing the exact same thing and have wondered the same. I've got a 5 gallon bucket full of exhausted, anion resin that is returned to solid blue now. I can't imagine that it's ready to use. I mean that almost doesn't make sense. But it is definitely back to blue

I'm tempted to throw some in the canister and see what happens but otherwise I would very much like to regenerate it. I'm just a little nervous anyone got a step-by-step and regenerating Anion alone. for dummies:)

Check out the video I posted on the 1st page if you have not yet. He had a few videos if I remember correctly. I think I'm going to try not regening it and just rinse real well in rodi water just to see.

 

[twentyleagues]

Getting on this thread late in the game. In order to regenerate the Anion resin requires a strong base to disassociate the ion molecules while CO2 can change the pH my guess is that it would take a strong base (NaOH) concentrate and plenty of rinsing afterwards

Yes Sodium hydroxide will be used if I regen. I will try the unregened before I set up the new tank and before I add the new resin, just to see if exhausts quicker. Worst comes to worst I'll do a water change using 50% of this water and 50% tap for my pond. Typically I go through about a 5th of the new media when filling 55g holding tank. So if I go through more it should be a sign ill also check tds and my mixed bed for signs of change.

 

[Frozen Tundra Reef Dreams]

Yes Sodium hydroxide will be used if I regen. I will try the unregened before I set up the new tank and before I add the new resin, just to see if exhausts quicker. Worst comes to worst I'll do a water change using 50% of this water and 50% tap for my pond. Typically I go through about a 5th of the new media when filling 55g holding tank. So if I go through more it should be a sign ill also check tds and my mixed bed for signs of change.

I will try some too, Based on Randys remarks, it is not completely regenerated, or at least only the color change happened. I'm guessing, that it's not nearly as effective, and/or will exhaust even faster now.

being high co2 well water, hard to imagine it exhausting faster. I get only 100 gallons product water per anion cartridge. I was thinking of upgrading to a 20" cartridge so it would last longer between changes. Also, I modded up a co2 degasser setup, both the PVC pipe style and later on a barrel with air stones. This surprisingly did not seem to prolong di cartridge life. So I was beginning to think it wasn't co2 after all, but maybe sulfates, chlorides, nitrates or silica. So I ordered a ICP test for my post RO water, and did not indicate much of these baddies. In the end Co2 rules the day it seems

 

[Battlecorals Verified Sponsor]

Check out the video I posted on the 1st page if you have not yet. He had a few videos if I remember correctly. I think I'm going to try not regening it and just rinse real well in rodi water just to see.

ok. cool will do and thanks!

 

[Battlecorals Verified Sponsor]

I will try some too, Based on Randys remarks, it is not completely regenerated, or at least only the color change happened. I'm guessing, that it's not nearly as effective, and/or will exhaust even faster now.

being high co2 well water, hard to imagine it exhausting faster. I get only 100 gallons product water per anion cartridge. I was thinking of upgrading to a 20" cartridge so it would last longer between changes. Also, I modded up a co2 degasser setup, both the PVC pipe style and later on a barrel with air stones. This surprisingly did not seem to prolong di cartridge life. So I was beginning to think it wasn't co2 after all, but maybe sulfates, chlorides, nitrates or silica. So I ordered a ICP test for my post RO water, and did not indicate much of these baddies. In the end Co2 rules the day it seems

Have you considered like a multistage degassing set up? ultimately you would pump your pre-DI water into a reservoir that is aerated 24/7 and then gravity feed to a float through DI or pump it through DI as a top off means.

this has saved me a fortune in DI over the years I have kind of a detailed video that explains my set up. If you're interested, I can send it over.

For what it's worth my DI cartridges typically last a 3-6 months now as opposed to a few days or a week

 

[Frozen Tundra Reef Dreams]

Have you considered like a multistage degassing set up? ultimately you would pump your pre-DI water into a reservoir that is aerated 24/7 and then gravity feed to a float through DI or pump it through DI as a top off means.

this has saved me a fortune in DI over the years I have kind of a detailed video that explains my set up. If you're interested, I can send it over.

For what it's worth my DI cartridges typically last a 3-6 months now as opposed to a few days or a week

yes, I have done both and it did not seem to prolong anion resin! my cation resin lasts forever. I suspected co2 but after this I scratch my head. especially now it turns back blue after sitting out.

also, Regen is easy as long as you wear gloves and have method in place. or be like me and use rigged bottles and nets and lose resin each time... lol

 

[twentyleagues]

Have you considered like a multistage degassing set up? ultimately you would pump your pre-DI water into a reservoir that is aerated 24/7 and then gravity feed to a float through DI or pump it through DI as a top off means.

this has saved me a fortune in DI over the years I have kind of a detailed video that explains my set up. If you're interested, I can send it over.

For what it's worth my DI cartridges typically last a 3-6 months now as opposed to a few days or a week

Post that vid!
I would like it as well. I have not icp tested the water but the typical water test I had done did not show crazy high nitrates or silicates in my water either. I have a very large air pump cant remember the actual liters/min but its a beast one that typically runs multiple tanks with sponge or matten filters. I have had it for a few years got it while I was breeding cichlids and fw shrimp never hooked it up. I have been thinking of building it an enclosure outside to pump in air for my reef and the degassing of pre di water and to add a couple air lifts in a few fresh water tanks.