Can Water Softener Resin Freeze?

Can water softener resin freeze? Yes it can. And as long as you follow a few easy rules it won't get damaged by freezing temperatures.

Water softener resin is about 50% water by weight. This is true for lots of other resin-based water treatment products as well. So when these resins are subjected to sub-zero temperatures they will, of course, freeze. But does this freezing cause any damage to the resin that is permanent and could affect their water treatment or water softening capabilities? The answer is no, as long as some precautions are taken.

Avoid Too Many Freeze-Thaw Cycles

There are lots of everyday examples of structural materials that absorb water. Good examples are asphalt roads and concrete sidewalks. Any civil engineer will tell you that the amount of damage done to these materials due to freezing temperatures is more related to the number of times the temperature crosses the freezing threshold than it does the absolute coldest temperature reached or the amount of time that the material is in the frozen state. When water freezes it expands, and materials like asphalt, concrete, or water softener resin undergo structural stress when this expansion takes place. Too many expansion/contraction cycles caused by fluctuating temperatures can lead to cracking or fracturing of the material. But if water softener resin is frozen and thawed a few times there is very little likelihood of any damage being done.

Handle Frozen Water Softener Resin Carefully

If your water softener resin is frozen the very simple rule is to allow it to fully thaw out before you do anything with it. A 1.0 cubic foot bag or box of fully frozen resin left at room temperature will thaw out quite easily within 24 hours. A pallet of water softener resin left at room temperature may take much longer: likely 48 - 72 hours. Once the softener resin has thawed out you can use it normally.

Don't Expose Frozen Softener Resin To Water

Exposing frozen water softener resin to water will cause the resin beads to crack and will greatly reduce the effectiveness of the resin. It may still work, but there will be broken fragments of resin that are likely to be backwashed out of the system and overall effectiveness and efficiency will be diminished. As stated above, simply give the resin time to warm up before you use it for water treatment.