Whole House Tannin Removal System (6 GPM)

Whole House Tannin Removal System (6 GPM) This whole-house tannin removal system clears yellow, tea-colored well water at every tap in the house using ResinTech SBACR-HP, an acrylic gel strong base anion resin designed specifically for organics and color removal from potable water. Tannins are natural organic matter from decaying vegetation that tint water anywhere from faint yellow to tea brown, stain fixtures and laundry, and give water an earthy or bitter taste. They are an aesthetic problem rather than a health hazard (the EPA's secondary guideline for color is 15 color units), but nobody wants to fill a glass with yellow water. Built on a 10" x 54" mineral tank loaded with 1.5 cubic feet of WQA Gold Seal certified tannin-selective resin, paired with a 1-inch digital metered control valve that counts your gallons and regenerates with ordinary water softener salt. Rated for 6 GPM tannin-duty service flow. See all options in our tannin filter collection. What's in the System 1.5 cubic feet of ResinTech SBACR-HP - tannin-selective acrylic gel strong base anion resin, chloride form, WQA Gold Seal certified to NSF/ANSI-61 for potable water. 10" x 54" mineral tank - corrosion-proof fiberglass-wrapped polyethylene, WQA certified. 1-inch digital metered control valve - regenerates by actual gallons used, fiber-reinforced composite body, bypass included. Square brine tank, 15"W x 17"D x 36"H, with safety float - holds the water softener salt used for regeneration, safety float included. Free shipping to all lower 48 states. Why Acrylic Resin Matters for Tannins Tannins carry a slight negative charge, so a strong base anion resin captures them by ion exchange and adsorption, then releases them to the drain during a salt brine regeneration. The catch is the resin chemistry: traditional styrene-based anion resins grab organics but do not let go of them well, so the bed fouls and performance fades. SBACR-HP is an acrylic gel resin with an open aliphatic structure that takes organics up AND releases them efficiently every regeneration. That is the difference between a tannin system that works for years and one that quits in a season. The HP designation means the resin carries the WQA Gold Seal certification to NSF/ANSI-61 for potable water use. Tannins or Iron? Check Before You Buy Yellow water has two common causes, and they need different equipment. Fill a clear glass and let it sit overnight: if the color settles to the bottom, it is likely iron or sediment; if the water stays uniformly tinted, it is dissolved organics (tannins). Labs report the parameter as "Tannin-Lignin." If your test shows meaningful iron alongside low tannins, treat the iron first - read our guide to the types of iron in well water, or confirm with a certified lab tannin test before spending on equipment. Runs Like a Water Softener The system meters your water use and regenerates the resin with a sodium chloride brine, exactly like a water softener. Your only routine job is keeping water softener salt in the brine tank. One tannin-specific rule: regenerate frequently. Organics that sit on the bed too long migrate into the resin matrix and become hard to strip, so we program tannin systems to regenerate every few days rather than stretching capacity. When the resin eventually wears out after years of service, the tank rebeds with replacement tannin resin rather than replacing the whole system. Recommended Installation Order Tannin resin works best on clean, softened water. The proven residential order is: sediment pre-filter → iron filter (if iron is present) → water softener → tannin system → house. Hardness fouls anion resin, so a softener upstream extends resin life and improves tannin removal. One honest heads-up most sellers skip: anion exchange also removes some alkaline ions, so treated water typically drops about a point of pH. If your well is already near neutral, plan for an acid neutralizer after the tannin unit to bring pH back up. Test First, Buy Right Start with a tannins water test kit ($99, certified lab) or a full well water test kit if you have not tested recently, or send us the lab report you already have. Call or text Aidan at 800-460-5810 with your tannin, iron, hardness, and pH numbers and he will confirm the right size, or tell you honestly if a different system (or no system) is the better buy. Free shipping on every system. 7-day-a-week support. Real water treatment specialists with 30+ years of experience.