Home Water Filter Question

[Anonymous Poster]

marrt,

Hey, I work with water on a daily basis and have come across this problem. If we're talking sediment only (the particles sink to the bottom of a cup) I would try either a bag filter or a separator. Both do a good job.

The bag filter passes water from the top down through the filter where the sediment is collected, and out the bottom goes the sediment-free water. When the filter gets clogged, simply valve the filter off, remove the top, pull the bag out and rinse it off. You can then put it back in.

A separator is installed in-line. Looks alot like a common sediment filter, but with a flush valve at the bottom. Water enters from the side, spins around the filter, forcing the sediment to the bottom of the filter housing, from there it can be flushed out. From time to time you would have to spin the filter off and rinse it off.

Both come with different micron sized filters.

I know this is long winded, but it is a complex issue.

Let me know if you need more advice and let us know how you come out.

Dale

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Re: Sulfer smell in water

Jim,

The sulfur smell in your water is it in the cold and hot water?

If it's just the hot water, you can pull the anode rod out cut it off and thread the end back into the tank. (THIS WILL VOID YOUR WARRANTY )The rod reacts with some water to give off that smell.

Now if the smell is in the cold water, you have (as another poster said) hydrogen sulfide. Treatable with either chlorine or air injection.

Try dropping a cup or so (start off small) of bleach, DONT USE A SCENTED FORMULA!!!, down the 1/2" vent opening at the top of the well seal. That will get you by on the cheap.

Hope this helps.
Dale

 

[RobertN]

My system had(or has...) a incoming filter before the pressure tank. I was paying about $20 for a filter, and replacing it every month to 1.5 month. For $10 more, I got a rinsable filter. Now I rinse it once a month, and all works fine.

 

[Pks]

Re: Sulfer smell in water

Doesn't that taste problem depend upon whether the Anode rod is magnesium or aluminum?

 

[Darren]

Re: Sulfer smell in water

I think you're right. In some cases changing to an anode of a different material can solve an odor problem if it's originating in the water heater.

I wouldn't advocate going without an anode unless you don't mind replacing the hot water heater frequently. The ones sold these days don't seem to last long anyway.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Re: Sulfer smell in water

It's an ODOR issue.

 

[marrt]

DcinGA,

Thanks for the comments. I replaced my filter today, after about 60 days use, and it had about 1 ½ inches of gray mud in the bottom of the filter housing. Also, the filter itself had about an eighth an inch of the same stuff on it. I knew the filter needed replacing because the water was very cloudy when running a bath and the toilet bowls were getting stained.

With regard to the filters you mentioned, do you know where I could buy these filters online? I live in the sticks and will have to order them. Thanks.

 

[sandalwood]

You can have your water tested for iron bacteria and sulfate reducing bacteria. The 2 types often coexist. Testing your water for the sulfate reducing bacteria will help confirm if the hydrogen sulfide gas is from the bacteria or is a dissolved gas present in your water supply.

Many places that do routine water testing, for coliform bacteria and mineral content, can do the testing for you. Depending on how big an operation they are, it might be pricey as they may have to order special growth media (if they don't routinely do the testing).

The following link is to a Canadian site that gives directions for "shock chlorination" of a well to eliminate the hydrogen sulfide.

http://www.agric.gov.ab.ca/water/wells/

Remember the "gallons" refered to are "imperial" gallons (4.56 litres not 3.97 litres). Shock chlorination may need to be repeated once or twice per year. Most sites suggest drawing out a predetermined amount of water to which you add unscented bleach (several different strenghts of bleach are availble ) but well drillers in this region just dump the bleach down the well.

Hope this is some help.

Lyle

 

[Anonymous Poster]

marrt,

Here is a link that shows an Industrial bag filter

http://www.water-technology.net/contractors/wastewater/mra/mra3.html

For your purposes a residential bag filter should do fine.
If you can find a dealer local he should be able to take a look at what you have and give an estimate. I would hate to tell you wrong without actually "seeing" what you have. But if the sediments you have in your water sink to the bottom of a cup, the bag filter or separator will remove the sediment and allow you to re use the filter after rinsing it off.

Here is a link to a separator.

http://www.thesolar.biz/rusco_price_list.htm

I'm sure you can shop around to find the best prices, these were the first two I found pictures of.

Hope this helps.
Dale

 

[Schultz]

I recently replumbed my filtration system. When I moved into the house the filter was after the softener, which is the wrong place for a well water system. Like one of the other guys I put two filters in parallel, which I use a 5µm Polypropylene cart rage filter (about $3.50ea) and replace about every three months. One guy was questioning why anyone would need so much flow. Well you don't, I just noticed about a 5-10psi pressure drop using a 5µm filter and I like to have a strong shower on our top floor. So if you have two floors above your basement you’re going to loose about 9psi just to get it to the top floor. I bought the Culligan brand because it had the ball valve shut off on the top, which is really quite convenient. It about $8 more but worth it in my opinion.

Oh one other thing for some of the other guys: I had my well pump pulled and replaced last week ($850, ouch) and the repairman immediately noticed that I chlorinated my well. I only sanitized it about once or twice a summer. He said it looks like you used liquid chlorine or bleach, which I did. By using liquid bleach, I rusted the section of pipe down to the water level so bad that it broke and they had to pull the pump out by the wires until they got to some good pipe. They mentioned never use liquid chlorine to sanitize the well, always use pellets or granular. That way you won't rust out your pipe or well casing (new wells are all PVC so they don’t have to worry).

Cuno filtration has a good site. There plenty about home water filtration. They even have some automatic chlorinators for your well.
http://www.aquapure.com/