Iron in water

[GONO2]

We just built a house on land purchased about a year ago. Since moving in, we have been having problems with plumbing fixtures, washer, etc turning brown from use. Had the local plumbing supply guys send off water sample for testing and it came back with really high iron and slightly elevated manganese. They are recommending this
Water-Right, Inc. - manufacturer of quality water softeners, conditioners and treatment systems, plus water testing services.
and it will run me close to 2K with supplies to hook it up. Looks like other companies have similar items - some much cheaper. What works? Anyone else had similar problems?

 

[Charlesaf3]

I have similar problems, cost a lot more than 2k to fix... I'd have it done professionally. Could do it oneself, but there is a lot of testing etc, kit that I don't want to own. And that's saying something.

 

[Willl]

I too am also living with high minerals in my well water, although I've never had it professionally tested so I don't know exactly what I'm high in.

Reverse Osmosis would be really cool, but I took the cheap way out.

Got 3 of those 'whole house' filters right in a row just after the pressure tank.

Keeps the toilet tank clean.

 

[Willl]

Something like this but home made.
Started with a 20 micron, than a charcoal, than a 5 micron.

 

[bearhawk]

...and it will run me close to 2K with supplies to hook it up. Looks like other companies have similar items - some much cheaper. What works? Anyone else had similar problems?

We had a Culligan system installed in 2001, $2,100 or so back then. But has been working great with minimal maintenance and the quarterly allotment of salt...

Don't waste your money on half baked solutions... you will only pay more when you decide to do it right.

 

[Charlesaf3]

I've got a whole house filter, then softener and then another filter after the softener because I don't like soft water. You really only need the first 2. But these aren't what home depot calls whole house, they are proper 60 gallon tanks with daily auto flush etc, and every 6 month chemical refill.

Worth it though. Iron and manganese will destroy expensive things if left untreated. And I l'm sure you've noticed what will happen to your towels and sheets.

 

[heehaw]

if you have room to put a sand filter and pump, you can clean up your water without the use of a bunch of chemicals: i've done it for over 20 years.
heehaw

 

[Legdoc]

I have been using a MacClean Chemfree sand filter with a micronizer (hydrocharger) for years without problems for a total purchase of about $500.00 from Grainger. My water is 600ppm iron out of the well.
Legdoc

 

[IllMarty1]

GONO2,

I had a Water Right system installed at my summerplace shortly after it was finished. The water was orange from the Iron and pH was 5.2. Now the water is crystal clear, is pH neutral, and tastes great. I gulp a couple big glasses every morning I am there to start the day right.

Marty

 

[plowking]

If your local,state regulations allow it,you should run the backflush from softener to a seperate drain,drywell besides putting it into the septic tank. Salt, minerals from discharge can damage the septic system. I was at a five year old house last week,they had a softener with high maganese,inspector said the maganese ruined the leachfield,the stone was jet black in color. New septic designs have warnings about garbage disposal,hottub,softener going into the septic tank,that way the designer,installer isn't liable for early failure,and the warranty[ if any] put on septic is null and void once softener is hooked up to the mainline to tank. plowking

 

[techman]

If you have what is called "red iron", you will see stains and sediment from the iron. The common cure is an "oxidizing filter". I had one in my old house. Got it a Grainger. Today they are most likely around $700-800. It looked like a smallish water softener. It had a tank that you put potassium permanginate in and it backwashed like a softener and discharged an iron thick liquid. Cost of supplies was about $50/year. The other type uses a 30-50 gallon mixing/holding tank. Liquid chlorine is injected into the tank when the pump runs. Every few months you need to flush the bottom of the tank through a valve near the bottom. Much lower operating cost (a few bottles of bleach a year) but you end up with slightly chlorinated water.

Clear iron contamination usually does not stain. If you have red iron, most filters, no matter how fine, will not remove it, just like hard water. They remove iron or iron rich particulate in the water, but not dissolved iron. You need to oxidize it to get it to precipitate out of the water, then filter it out.

If you are a DIY'er, check Grainger for 3P980, and put it in yourself.

paul

 

[plowking]

If you have what is called "red iron", you will see stains and sediment from the iron. The common cure is an "oxidizing filter". I had one in my old house. Got it a Grainger. Today they are most likely around $700-800. It looked like a smallish water softener. It had a tank that you put potassium permanginate in and it backwashed like a softener and discharged an iron thick liquid. Cost of supplies was about $50/year. The other type uses a 30-50 gallon mixing/holding tank. Liquid chlorine is injected into the tank when the pump runs. Every few months you need to flush the bottom of the tank through a valve near the bottom. Much lower operating cost (a few bottles of bleach a year) but you end up with slightly chlorinated water.

Clear iron contamination usually does not stain. If you have red iron, most filters, no matter how fine, will not remove it, just like hard water. They remove iron or iron rich particulate in the water, but not dissolved iron. You need to oxidize it to get it to precipitate out of the water, then filter it out.

If you are a DIY'er, check Grainger for 3P980, and put it in yourself.

paul

Be carefull handling potassum permaganate,I hurt my throat inhaling it pumping a septic system that had it going into the tank. One treatment plant I used to go to refuses any loads that have it. I refuse to service any septics that have it. Medical offices seem to use that system instead of salt system. plowking

 

[Modus Man]

Just finished building my house as well and moved in one month ago (built it myself, will post about it some day). The well water out here is moderately hard but has high iron based on the first shower I took turning the shower orange and the strong odor leads me to believe it has high hydrogen sulfide. I talked to a couple different plumbing places and what I'm looking at for a softener is going to run about $900 for a good one. The color and smell will go away with a system that will remove iron, maganese, and sulfides which I have not been able to find for less than $1100, so 2k sounds about right to me.

Right now we are getting by with two of the whole house filters from Home Depot but at $30 x 2 per month to replace the filters, I have to step it up soon to the "real" water treatment. The smell is enough to make me feel ill sometimes, the filters only help a tiny bit.

 

[The Baron]

When we built our house no one mentioned problem water. The first well was dry so we moved 300', drilled again and have water. Ours has iron, manganese and silica. In WI I am told silica is rare I don't know for sure. I do know unless you test specifically for it you won't know it is there until your glass shower doors get a scale along with your fixtures. The only way to remove it is to wet sand the shower and keep it waxed along with using a squeegee after you shower. We had Culligan come test and when they got the results they were very scarce except for a high price possible solution. We went with a local guy who made up a tank comprised of different sands. Works very well. We also have an iron filter which flushes every other night. I guess what I wanted to stress is try someone very local and see if they have experience with exactly what you have. It may save you money and a lot of trouble. Tim

 

[Charlesaf3]

If your local,state regulations allow it,you should run the backflush from softener to a seperate drain,drywell besides putting it into the septic tank. Salt, minerals from discharge can damage the septic system. I was at a five year old house last week,they had a softener with high maganese,inspector said the maganese ruined the leachfield,the stone was jet black in color. New septic designs have warnings about garbage disposal,hottub,softener going into the septic tank,that way the designer,installer isn't liable for early failure,and the warranty[ if any] put on septic is null and void once softener is hooked up to the mainline to tank. plowking

This is a VERY good point - took me a few years to do it, should have done it at install

 

[heehaw]

i've used fine sandblast sand and kids play sand in my filter with good results on both: part of the success is to aireate(mispelled) the water before it goes to the sand, that allows the iron to be removed an the smell to dissipate. i have seen this type filter built out of septic tanks, bath tubs and fiberglass shower stalls: simple to do and they work great.
heehaw

 

[Highbeam]

I have iron staining in my fixtures but I can't taste or see the iron in the water. My heated water has a smell. It is not rotten eggs or a sulfur smell. Could someone verify that the iron smell is not the sulfur smell but kind of a musty stink. I was concerned that I had a mildew,mold, or rotten would smell in the bathroom but have investigated and found nothing like this. Then I could smell it on the kid's showered heads.

 

[plowking]

I have iron staining in my fixtures but I can't taste or see the iron in the water. My heated water has a smell. It is not rotten eggs or a sulfur smell. Could someone verify that the iron smell is not the sulfur smell but kind of a musty stink. I was concerned that I had a mildew,mold, or rotten would smell in the bathroom but have investigated and found nothing like this. Then I could smell it on the kid's showered heads.

I put my softener in too late. I lost my forced hot water furnace,coil to hard water. I also have a stainless superstor hot water heater now . If you see white pasty stuff around solder joints,valves,that is sign of corrosion,high temps. accellerate the process. Also bleeder or pressure relief valves get clogged and you can see dark spots appearing on your copper pipes. plowking

 

[heehaw]

run some water in a glass jar: put a little bleach in the jar, not much, a few drops should do it, and let it sit: the water will turn yellow as the iron is released...so you can chlorinate your water or airiate your water, before filtering, either will cause the iron to be released and allow you to filter it out with a sand filter...
heehaw

 

[Egon]

There are Municipal water treatment plants that use gravity sand filters for the final water filtration. They would surely be easy to make. Just takes a little time back flushing every so often.