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#1
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home water treatment (pH)
I have a question for anyone with knowledge of home water treatment.
I live in a home where water is provided by a well (no town water). When we had the water tested originally it was slightly acidic but not enough to warrant treatment. After we lived here for a while we determined that the pH changes over time and in the winter the water is acidic enough to warrant treatment. The water is also quite hard so we had a softener installed by a local outfit. We discussed the pH issue with the same guy and his recommendation was to install another tank (like the softener) and this one would be filled with marble chips. Water flowing through the tank would dissolve the marble and neutralize the acidity. The softener would then remove the added calcium. There would be a loss of pressure due to pumping the water through the calcium. This would be in addition to the loss of pressure due to pumping the water through the softener. Since our water pressure is already lower then what we would like I asked him to look into something else. He said that he could install a chemical injection system that would meet our needs but it would require periodic servicing to maintain proper pH. The servicing would be at add soda ash and water to a storage tank periodically and occasional stirring of the tank. Also, I would need to adjust the concentration in the tank to regulate the pH of the domestic water as the water from the well changed over time. The system was installed so that the soda ash solution is injected into the pressure tank and the system ran OK for about a year (warranty was for a year). There has been a repeated buildup of crud (soda ash) on the pump fittings and the installer explained that this is normal. I asked if we could use more soda ash in the tank and reduce the pump speed or stroke to reduce the frequency of having to refill the tank. I was told that according to the installers contact at the pump company that the pump should always be run at full speed and full stroke and he would/could not provide an explanation as to why this might be true. Recently we noticed that the pump was no longer pumping and is no longer under warranty. Upon investigation of the service manual it appears that this pump requires annual service (replace diaphragm). I am beginning to come to the opinion that this pump is a piece of junk. Questions for the readers a 1) Could anyone make a recommendation for a new pump? 220V 8gpd @ 80psi I can do simple plumbing and electrical tasks myself. Any reason not to do this myself? 2) Soda Ash seems a poor choice for reducing the pH. The stuff that I get in the 50lb sacks seems to have a fair amount of insoluble crud that collects at the bottom of the tank and makes it difficult to stir. Wouldn't sodium hydroxide (lye) be a better choice. I know that I need to be (more) careful with this (goggles and maybe gloves and/or respirator). Any recommendations? |
#3
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Mike, your problem is common and there are several methods of solving
it. The first is with your chemical feed pump. If you are pumping any chemical solution that has particulate in it you should consider a peristaltic pump. Peristaltics use a length of tubing pressed together by a roller mechanism to create suction. Peristaltics can handle chemical slurries and are more tolerant of debris in the solution than diaphragm metering pumps. The next thing to consider is your chemical and how you are feeding it. I would recommend that you use a pH controller to accurately meter your chemical into the system. The pH controller would measure the pH of the water and increase or decrease the pump output until the desired pH is reached. This is ideal in situations where your source water pH is changing. You mentioned that your pH is lower in the winter months. As far as chemicals go. I like NAOH or Sodium Hydroxide. Yes it's a little harry to deal with but I'm sure you can handle using the product. You could use either chemical with a peristaltic. However I would only use a diaphragm metering pump on liquid NAOH and not on Soda Ash. I would only feed NAOH with a pH controller and not rely on a manual feed method, since you could easily over feed NAOH and get burned. I am a water treatment consultant and can help you get on the right foot. To find out more about the peristaltic pumps and pH controllers available please find your way to my web-site http://www.cannonwater.com You can also contact me toll free 1 800 230-1426 I offer free consulting and questions are always welcome. Good luck! David Cannon Cannon Water Technology Inc. www.cannnonwater.com Mike Schloss wrote: I have a question for anyone with knowledge of home water treatment. I live in a home where water is provided by a well (no town water). When we had the water tested originally it was slightly acidic but not enough to warrant treatment. After we lived here for a while we determined that the pH changes over time and in the winter the water is acidic enough to warrant treatment. The water is also quite hard so we had a softener installed by a local outfit. We discussed the pH issue with the same guy and his recommendation was to install another tank (like the softener) and this one would be filled with marble chips. Water flowing through the tank would dissolve the marble and neutralize the acidity. The softener would then remove the added calcium. There would be a loss of pressure due to pumping the water through the calcium. This would be in addition to the loss of pressure due to pumping the water through the softener. Since our water pressure is already lower then what we would like I asked him to look into something else. He said that he could install a chemical injection system that would meet our needs but it would require periodic servicing to maintain proper pH. The servicing would be at add soda ash and water to a storage tank periodically and occasional stirring of the tank. Also, I would need to adjust the concentration in the tank to regulate the pH of the domestic water as the water from the well changed over time. The system was installed so that the soda ash solution is injected into the pressure tank and the system ran OK for about a year (warranty was for a year). There has been a repeated buildup of crud (soda ash) on the pump fittings and the installer explained that this is normal. I asked if we could use more soda ash in the tank and reduce the pump speed or stroke to reduce the frequency of having to refill the tank. I was told that according to the installers contact at the pump company that the pump should always be run at full speed and full stroke and he would/could not provide an explanation as to why this might be true. Recently we noticed that the pump was no longer pumping and is no longer under warranty. Upon investigation of the service manual it appears that this pump requires annual service (replace diaphragm). I am beginning to come to the opinion that this pump is a piece of junk. Questions for the readers a 1) Could anyone make a recommendation for a new pump? 220V 8gpd @ 80psi I can do simple plumbing and electrical tasks myself. Any reason not to do this myself? 2) Soda Ash seems a poor choice for reducing the pH. The stuff that I get in the 50lb sacks seems to have a fair amount of insoluble crud that collects at the bottom of the tank and makes it difficult to stir. Wouldn't sodium hydroxide (lye) be a better choice. I know that I need to be (more) careful with this (goggles and maybe gloves and/or respirator). Any recommendations? |
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