Removal of Iron from water

[Scott_in_WVA]

Hi,
Does anyone know of a good in line filtering system to remove iron from water at a small Church I attend?It has lots of iron in the water,it stains the commodes etc and since I have access to the internet I am trying to help them find a solution for the problem,we do not use the water for drinking,just for the restrooms etc,not very much water is used at this Church through the week.
A few years back they invested in a system that runs the water through a system that is loaded with some sort of powder(whatever you call it)and the system is automatically set up to go on a back flush etc.......bottom line is the thing never worked right from the start,I would like to see them get rid of the thing and go another route.Any ideas or suggestions etc would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in Advance
Scott

 

[frank_f15]

scott: the best way to remove iron , is to chlorinate it. i am assumming this is a well? usually u add chlorine automatically as the water is pumped into a standing tank, then it goes though a softener(usually) this wil remove the iron. chlorine chases the iron. it should not be very difficult to do nor very expensive. any good water treatment service should be able to test your water for the amt of iron and set u up with the propper equipt.it is not difficult. hope this helps. any other questions i can help u with feel free to ask or leave message or e mail if u wish.

 

[Scott_in_WVA]

Thanks Frank.....I did forget to mention it is a well.
Scott

 

[heehaw]

it may be cheaper to put in a new toilet every year..some of them are pretty cheap now?? 2 ways i know of to get iron out of the water, one already mentioned, the other is to aireate the water, but this usually requires a storage tank and another pump..probably more trouble than you want to do for such a small amount of use.
heehaw

 

[Mike_Dumond]

Iron is generally divided into two main categories:

1) Soluble or
"Clear water" iron, is the most common form and the one that creates the most complaints by water users. This type of iron is identified after you've poured a glass,of cold clear water. If allowed to stand for a few minutes, reddish brown particles will appear in the glass and eventually settle to the bottom.
2) Insoluble
When insoluble iron, or "red water" iron is poured into a glass, it appears rusty or has a red or yellow color. Although not very common in water wells, insoluble iron can create serious taste and appearance problems for the water user.
Because iron combines with different naturally occurring acids, it may also exist as an organic complex. A combination of acid and iron, or organic iron, can be found in shallow wells and surface water. Although this kind of iron can be colorless, it is usually yellow or brown.

Finally, when iron exists along with certain kinds of bacteria, problems can become even worse. Iron bacteria consume iron to survive and leave a reddish brown or yellow slime that can clog plumbing and cause an offensive odor. You may notice this slime or sludge in your toilet tank when you remove the lid.

 

[Mike_Dumond]

Before you attempt to remove anything that appears to be iron-related, it is important to have your water tested. A complete water test to determine the extent of your iron problem and possible treatment solutions should include tests for iron concentration, iron bacteria, pH, alkalinity, and hardness.

Depending on local land conditions, it is sometimes possible to extend a "well casing" or "screen" deeper into the groundwater and avoid the water with high iron levels. Talking to your neighbors about their well depths and iron levels will give you some idea of what well depth would pump the lowest amount of iron. It is also helpful to talk to a well driller or pump installer about local conditions and the cost of drilling a new well in your area. The cost of well work should be compared to the long term (perhaps twenty years) cost of treating the water for any iron related problems.

Treatment considerations for various forms of Iron
Aeration: Introducing oxygen to the water source to convert soluble iron to its insoluble form.
Filtration: Media used to entrap and screen out oxidized particles of iron. Usually requires backwashing to remove accumulated iron.
Water Softener: Removal of soluble iron by ion exchange.
Manganese Greensand: An ion exchange sand material which is capable of removing iron. Adsorbs dissolved iron and requires chemical regeneration.
Catalytic Filtration "BIRM": A granular filter medium that enhances the reaction between oxygen and iron and then filters the insoluble iron.
Ozonation: A specialized form of aeration using ozone to convert soluble iron.
Ion Exchange: Substituting an acceptable ion (such as sodium) for soluble iron.
Sequestering: Adding chemical agents to water to keep metals like iron in solution to prevent characteristic red stains.
Chlorination: Chemical oxidizer used to convert soluble iron to an insoluble, filterable form.

When you choose a water treatment method or device, make sure you have answers to the following five questions:

What form of iron do I have in my water system?
Will the water treatment unit remove the total iron concentration (determined by the water test) in my water supply? (Total iron refers to both soluble and insoluble iron combined).
Will the treatment unit treat the water at the flow rate required for my water system?
Considering the results of my water test, will this method effectively remove iron? (For example, pH may need to be adjusted before beginning a particular treatment).
Would well construction or reconstruction be more cost effective than a long term iron removal treatment process?

 

[Mike_Dumond]

Hope that helps a bit. I knew that my time as a plumber would come in handy, sooner or later.

 

[Scott_in_WVA]

Hope that helps out a bit?????!!!!!!!

Thats an understatement.......the help an individual gets on TBN is great./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
Thanks to everyone

 

[Wood_Butcher_Dav]

I have city water, which has iron in it. Our dishwasher was starting to get a brownish color to the sides. My wife found out that if you run a cycle using Tang instead of soap this would remove the brown stains. That might be some thing to try for your toilet bowls. The water we have doesn’t smell or stain our toilets like it does the dishwasher. The Tang must have a mild acid (citrus) that cuts the stains.

 

[heehaw]

i just wanna know how she figured that out????
heehaw