Reddish Softener Resin

[JoshClifford84]

What could cause red resin beads? First Photo is my old resin in a 5 gallon bucket after extraction. Second photo is the new Resin. No idea how long the original resin was there, I've never changed it in the 4.5 years or so lived in this house. No stains in any appliances.

Why I changed the resin? Been in house 4 years. New to well water treatment. Never had sediment filter prior to softener 4 years. Water has been great. Passed year needed to increase frequency of regeneration for the softener. Noticed my drinking water filter turning reddish with a lot of sediment. Then noticed a smell in dishes. Glasses rainbow colored. Finding out I had so much sediment, I now have a sediment filter prior to softener. Pipes feeding softener have the red film in pipes. I assume rust idk. Post softener nothing. I assume the softener is taking the red stuff out.

Of course I've done my own research. Want to see what you have to say before disclosing my data. Water tests show no bacteria, no iron. so idk

 

[Reach4]

No iron? That red sure looks like iron to me. I would treat a sample of the red resin with Iron Out, and see if that reduces the red substantially. If that happens, I would use some iron out with the new resin.

Softeners will remove iron, but you need to help it. Iron Out, citric acid, phosphoric acid such as ResCare

When I say Iron Out, I mean the crystals.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[JoshClifford84]

Thanks for the reply! I soaked a cup full of the old resin in iron out, didn't change it. By crystal do you mean the powder? I bought it from home depot. For science, I tried CLR and bleach also, in separate tests. The resin looks the same before/after. As for the iron test I used some test strips.......

I also assume its iron, and I think my iron testing strips are garbage. thank you for your reply!

 

[Reach4]

Yes, but https://www.menards.com/main/grocer...tain-remover/io30n/p-1444444183359-c-7097.htm says "Product Form
Crystals/Powder".

Maybe soak longer and stronger? Your orange resin not only looked like a different color, but did not seem to just be little round balls.

 

[Old]

Not all resin is the "normal" yellow/gold color. Depending on manufacturer it can be much darker, even black. If you truly have no iron the resin likely came that way from the manufacturer.

The old resin is wet. That's why it looks clumpy in the pic. Totally normal