Resin traps function like an insurance policy for commercial and industrial equipment. They play a vital role in preventing catastrophic failures in water softeners and filtration systems. By avoiding extensive damage and downtime, resin traps can save substantial amounts of money.
Real-Life Scenarios and Costs:
- A steel mill could lose $150,000 per hour due to system failures.
- A failed lateral at a new installation at a famous brewery cost $50,000 but could have been prevented with a resin trap.
Advantages
- Prevents loss or cross-contamination of resin.
- Protects equipment downstream, such as valves and pumps.
- Can be customized to the application.
Function and Placement of Resin Traps:
- Resin traps act as in-line strainers, capturing debris and preventing it from entering critical system components.
- The ideal placement for resin traps is after carbon filters or water softeners.
- Use the sight glass on the resin trap to monitor for any signs of resin or debris build-up. This is an early warning signal for potential system issues.
PVC Plastic Resin Trap
Design
You can customize resin traps to suit specific applications.
- Material Choices include:
• Stainless Steel 304/304L; 316/316L
• PVC / CPVC
• Other materials of construction available upon request. - Slot sizes ranging from 3 mesh to 400 mesh
- Stainless Steel models are
Installation Tips:
- Stubbed Out Installation: Resin traps can be stubbled out and come with pre-installed short lengths of pipe, allowing easy connection to existing piping.
- Most 3″ PVC resin traps are stubbled out.
- Threaded Connections: Resin traps can be made with threaded connections, enabling straightforward installation by threading them into place.
- Stainless steel models usually have 3″ flanged connections.
- Using Ball Valves: Install ball valves on either end of the resin trap for easy removal and inspection. True union ball valves are recommended for their convenience in disassembly.
- Multiple Units: For systems with multiple filtration stages (e.g., iron filter, carbon filter, water softener), install resin traps after each stage to protect against failures at any point.
Resin Trap Maintenance:
- Regular Checks: During maintenance, open the ball valves to blow out resin build-up, which helps clear any blockages without removing the entire unit.
- Maintenance Access: Ensure there is a bucket or a drainage solution in place during maintenance to catch any expelled resin or media.
Important Note: Avoid using resin traps for backwash lines because they can impede flow and create back pressure, which can prevent proper brine draw in water softeners. Back pressure can lead to inefficiencies and potential damage to the softening system.