I have SST-60 resin installed in the softener in my home and have been very satisfied with it. Based on my research it is commonly used in residential units. When the resin was initially installed it did required a complete regeneration before it would deliver clear water. I think a regeneration is what is meant by field conditioning. There is an employee of Purolite, Gary Schreiber, that posts on some boards on the internet and if you are concerned about using SST-60 in a residential application you might want to specifically post a question to Gary or to Purolite.