Hiya,
I'm considering adding a filter to my incoming water (fed by a well). I get
iron bacteria every now and again but would prefer not to use chlorine (I'm
on a septic) so was considering a carbon filter as this is what was
recommended to me by the well company. Anyway, it seems there are a number
of options available and I'm just not sure which one to go with.
Specifically, is something like this adequate:

http://www.pwgazette.com/wh.htm

or should I be looking at something a bit more "industrial" like this?:

http://www.pwgazette.com/5600.htm

Thanks for any advice you may have.
Cheers,
cc

My last home had a well with horrible sulphur and iron (as well as all
of the usual hard minerals). We installed a carbon filter much like
the 5600 you link to in series with a normal water softener. They
worked very well, however... you need to realize that you'll probably
need either chlorine or hydrogen peroxide to disinfect the carbon media
during the backflush. We ran for about a year before the carbon bed
clogged up with iron bacteria growth. The company that installed it
came back and added a small tank for peroxide and the backflush from
then on would sip some of the peroxide and kill bacteria while it
flushed the sediment from the filter. It required that we purchase
about 8 gallons of 7% peroxide every 6 months or so, but it was worth
it to avoid the rust stains and aweful smell of the water.

Do you have a sump pump? If so, you could easily discharge the
backflush water into the sump rather than the septic system to avoid
problems with chlorine or peroxide in the septic tank (also it's
probably not good to dump large amounts of fresh water into the septic
tank either).

"James "Cubby" Culbertson" wrote in message
...
Hiya,
I'm considering adding a filter to my incoming water (fed by a well). I
get iron bacteria every now and again but would prefer not to use chlorine
(I'm on a septic) so was considering a carbon filter as this is what was
recommended to me by the well company. Anyway, it seems there are a
number of options available and I'm just not sure which one to go with.
Specifically, is something like this adequate:

http://www.pwgazette.com/wh.htm

or should I be looking at something a bit more "industrial" like this?:

http://www.pwgazette.com/5600.htm


I have a bad sulfur problem with my well. When I first bought it I tried
carbon filters, but they lasted a couple days. That was too much trouble
and expense, so now I just live with it. YMMV.

I don't know anything about the larger filter, but I am skeptical about
renewing carbon filters.

"louie" wrote in message
ups.com...
My last home had a well with horrible sulphur and iron (as well as all
of the usual hard minerals). We installed a carbon filter much like
the 5600 you link to in series with a normal water softener. They
worked very well, however... you need to realize that you'll probably
need either chlorine or hydrogen peroxide to disinfect the carbon media
during the backflush. We ran for about a year before the carbon bed
clogged up with iron bacteria growth. The company that installed it
came back and added a small tank for peroxide and the backflush from
then on would sip some of the peroxide and kill bacteria while it
flushed the sediment from the filter. It required that we purchase
about 8 gallons of 7% peroxide every 6 months or so, but it was worth
it to avoid the rust stains and aweful smell of the water.

Do you have a sump pump? If so, you could easily discharge the
backflush water into the sump rather than the septic system to avoid
problems with chlorine or peroxide in the septic tank (also it's
probably not good to dump large amounts of fresh water into the septic
tank either).


No sump pump unfortunately. I am looking at running the washer's drain out
to a grey water system and I could tie the backflush water into that.
Thanks for the help!
cc

James "Cubby" Culbertson wrote:
"louie" wrote in message
ups.com...

My last home had a well with horrible sulphur and iron (as well as all
of the usual hard minerals). We installed a carbon filter much like
the 5600 you link to in series with a normal water softener. They
worked very well, however... you need to realize that you'll probably
need either chlorine or hydrogen peroxide to disinfect the carbon media
during the backflush. We ran for about a year before the carbon bed
clogged up with iron bacteria growth. The company that installed it
came back and added a small tank for peroxide and the backflush from
then on would sip some of the peroxide and kill bacteria while it
flushed the sediment from the filter. It required that we purchase
about 8 gallons of 7% peroxide every 6 months or so, but it was worth
it to avoid the rust stains and aweful smell of the water.

Do you have a sump pump? If so, you could easily discharge the
backflush water into the sump rather than the septic system to avoid
problems with chlorine or peroxide in the septic tank (also it's
probably not good to dump large amounts of fresh water into the septic
tank either).



No sump pump unfortunately. I am looking at running the washer's drain out
to a grey water system and I could tie the backflush water into that.
Thanks for the help!
cc



Not to mention that the 5600 wastewater has a good load of salt in it,
2-3 pounds is not uncommon for the amount of salt dissolved in a
backflush operation.

Water softeners and RO water purifier both produce somewhat concentrated
brine. So much so that many communities that rely on septic tanks have
BANNED water softener AND RO waste water from being connected to septic
tanks!!!!


A water softener with a peroxide/chloring flush is likely the only
meaningful solution. RO is a downstream polisher of the water softener
output, at least in the units sold for residential use.

"Robert Gammon" wrote in message
. net...
Not to mention that the 5600 wastewater has a good load of salt in it, 2-3
pounds is not uncommon for the amount of salt dissolved in a backflush
operation.

Water softeners and RO water purifier both produce somewhat concentrated
brine. So much so that many communities that rely on septic tanks have
BANNED water softener AND RO waste water from being connected to septic
tanks!!!!


A water softener with a peroxide/chloring flush is likely the only
meaningful solution. RO is a downstream polisher of the water softener
output, at least in the units sold for residential use.


Thanks Robert! I didn't realize this unit used a salt medium? I'm
actually starting to lean more towards this unit that
was recommended earlier. Not sure if this uses any sort of salt medium as
well but I'd better check:

http://www.budge****er.com/iron_filters.htm

I still really need to get a water test done before I get too serious about
this as who knows what the test will reveal.
Thanks for the help!!!
cc

James "Cubby" Culbertson wrote:
"Robert Gammon" wrote in message
. net...

Not to mention that the 5600 wastewater has a good load of salt in it, 2-3
pounds is not uncommon for the amount of salt dissolved in a backflush
operation.

Water softeners and RO water purifier both produce somewhat concentrated
brine. So much so that many communities that rely on septic tanks have
BANNED water softener AND RO waste water from being connected to septic
tanks!!!!


A water softener with a peroxide/chloring flush is likely the only
meaningful solution. RO is a downstream polisher of the water softener
output, at least in the units sold for residential use.



Thanks Robert! I didn't realize this unit used a salt medium? I'm
actually starting to lean more towards this unit that
was recommended earlier. Not sure if this uses any sort of salt medium as
well but I'd better check:

http://www.budge****er.com/iron_filters.htm

I still really need to get a water test done before I get too serious about
this as who knows what the test will reveal.
Thanks for the help!!!
cc




the unit you selected with this link is NOT a water softener, as it ONLY
deals with Iron Chlorine and the like.

Yes, you need a water test to see not only what contaminants, but also
what the hardness level of your water is. Soft water makes an AMAZING
difference in clothes washing, bathing, drinking, cooking, water
heating, EVERYTHING to do with water. Comes at a price of a brine flush
a few times a month.

On Sat, 01 Apr 2006 13:55:55 GMT, Robert Gammon wrote:

Yes, you need a water test to see not only what contaminants, but also
what the hardness level of your water is. Soft water makes an AMAZING
difference in clothes washing, bathing, drinking, cooking, water
heating, EVERYTHING to do with water. Comes at a price of a brine flush
a few times a month.

And a higher Sodium level in the water - it's a simple ion exchange, Calcium
for Sodium. Need to watch that if you're on a Sodium restricted diet -
something the water softening folks won't tell you...

And a higher Sodium level in the water - it's a simple ion exchange, Calcium
for Sodium. Need to watch that if you're on a Sodium restricted diet -
something the water softening folks won't tell you...

Mine did. They said that it didn't actually make a significant
difference, but if the idea bothered me, I should use potassium
salt instead of sodium salt, and they couldn't remember why,
but I shouldn't mix the two.

Goedjn wrote:
And a higher Sodium level in the water - it's a simple ion exchange, Calcium
for Sodium. Need to watch that if you're on a Sodium restricted diet -
something the water softening folks won't tell you...


Mine did. They said that it didn't actually make a significant
difference, but if the idea bothered me, I should use potassium
salt instead of sodium salt, and they couldn't remember why,
but I shouldn't mix the two.





Sodium carbonate has a very different absorption rate in the body than
sodium chloride. Sodium carbonate has no taste.

Soft water is NOT salty to the taste, whether you use Potassium chloride
or Sodium chloride for the salt in the tank.